Heather flushed. “That’s fine, Miles. I understand.”

  “I mean, I do want to hit on you,” Miles continued, with a slow smile. “But that’s separate from honestly needing some secretarial help.”

  Miles wanted to hit on her? She wanted to hit on him. Heather met his gaze and held it. A job would be a good way to get to know him, and she did want to know him well. “I’d like to work for you, and I’m certain I won’t feel compromised. Could I have a little time to think about it before I answer?”

  “Sure. And, Heather…if you want to stop in and see the office, it’s above Nantucket Pharmacy, which is too bad, because the stairs are steep and most of my clients are older. Thanks for considering it.”

  Miribelle crossed the grass to join them. They spoke about the service, Emma’s voice, and the church fair. When the crowd thinned out, Heather slipped away to walk to her car. The June morning was almost too beautiful to believe, and she couldn’t stop smiling as she drove to her cottage.

  At home, she slipped off her shoes and padded barefoot out to the patio where she sat, mentally listing the pros and cons of taking the job. The pro was, of course, money, which she could use until the Concord house sold and the divorce was final. Also, she’d enjoy working. She liked seeing people. She liked having a purpose.

  She liked Miles.

  The cons were that she wouldn’t have a free schedule and she’d lose her carefree mornings.

  The pros outweighed the cons. A lot. When she started looking for a regular job, she’d have a good reference from Miles. She smiled. It would be very nice to work with Miles. She would earn her good reference.

  seven

  Kailee spun in front of her bedroom mirror. Yes! This dress was perfection. Very grown-up, almost prim, but not. Navy-blue gauze swirled over a navy-blue slip dress. Her hair was swept up into a sophisticated chignon, and she wore drop pearl earrings, which were boring, but it was her mother’s party, and her mother’s friends wore pearls. And liked boring. She wore four-inch beige stilettos, because she thought it gave her more gravitas.

  She wanted to show that she was capable of handling authority. Growing up, Kailee was a complete girlie girl. She did shadow her father often, and when she was a young child, he taught her how to use a hammer and a Phillips head screwdriver, but she was really interested in sparkly things. She wanted frilly dresses and dolls with frilly dresses. She owned five Barbie dolls and the entire house, car, and salon.

  When she was in high school, her parents sat her down and had a serious talk with her about their hopes for her life. They hoped she would eventually take over Essex Construction from her father, which would mean knowing the basics of owning a business. Kailee was already aware of the basics. Her father had taken her around the building sites and into the office all her life. When she was little, her father and his secretary or crew boss would talk while she sat quietly, playing a video game. As she grew older, she listened to the discussions, and afterward, in the truck, she’d ask her father questions about the business. She knew a lot.

  But in high school, her parents told her she needed to decide what her major would be in college, and if she wanted to eventually run the company. Kailee had known this question was coming, and she felt honored and terrified. But she never thought she couldn’t do it, and the more she learned, the more she liked it. She enrolled in business management at UMass Amherst, and in the summer, she shadowed George March, the CFO.

  It had seemed like magic, like a gift of Fate, when Kailee met Ross in a tax law class.

  Ross, whose father owned a hardware store. Ross, big, brawny, easygoing, kindhearted, and strong. Ross, who had the experience to understand and admire her father’s company.

  And Ross loved her. That last year in college, they were inseparable. Kailee had never known such happiness.

  The only shadow in her life was a tinge of worry about her mother. Evelyn had always been energetic and passionate. But in the past few years, she’d gone into a kind of hyperdrive, donating time and money to organizations like A Safe Place and Nantucket Food, Fuel, and Rental Assistance. She hired landscapers to help keep her large garden weed-free and watered, and a cleaning crew swept through the house twice a week. A housekeeper named Gravity cooked the evening meal, but Evelyn had started baking cookies to take to the construction crews, which she’d never done before.

  Kailee suspected that her mother was trying to show the town that the Essexes were not all bad, even though some of the Essex houses were discordant with nature and with the island’s standards. Kailee made a mental note to talk to her mother about this.

  The doorbell rang, bringing her back to the present. Kailee tore herself away from the mirror and ran down the stairs. Ross was coming to the party. Kailee’s mother had invited Heather, too, in a gesture of friendship, even though Heather was not from the island. Kailee worried that Heather would feel out of place or, worse, that Ross would feel obligated to stick to his mother’s side all evening so Heather wouldn’t be alone.

  * * *

  —

  Heather couldn’t find a place to park on Pleasant Street. So many cars were already parked near the Essexes’ house, that magnificent, historic mansion, that Heather almost decided to go home. People were strolling up the slate sidewalk and through the doors. It would be a crush. No one would miss her.

  Well, someone would miss her, Ross. Her son would be there with his girlfriend and Kailee’s parents, and Evelyn Essex had called to invite her to the party, and Heather had promised to come, only because she couldn’t think quickly enough to give her regrets.

  She’d brought only one nice dress to the island, thinking she’d only need it for church. Last week Rosie, who worked at Marine Home Center, told Heather about the Hospital Thrift Shop on India Street, where clothes had been donated by such wealthy women that they still had tags on them. Heather had paid a quick visit, found a black crepe dress that fit her perfectly, and she’d been so pleased with herself for wearing it—she looked really good in it—but now that she was here, she terrified herself with the thought that inside she’d meet the woman who had donated the dress.

  But that might not happen, Heather told herself. And it would be lovely to see Ross, even for a moment, and Miribelle Hunter had said she’d be there, so she’d have a friend to talk to.

  She finally found a parking place on a side street, double-checked her makeup in the visor mirror, and walked to the house, smiling as if she were looking forward to a pleasant evening.

  A housekeeper greeted her and directed her to the conservatory in the back. Sounds of laughter lifted her spirits, and the large room with all its greenery was dazzling.

  “You must be Ross’s mother.” A tall and very handsome man in a blazer, his white shirt open at the neck, approached Heather. “I’m Bob. Kailee’s father.”

  “Oh! Yes, I’m Ross’s mother. Heather. Please call me Heather. What a beautiful house you have.”

  “Thank you. Come, let’s get you a drink.”

  Bob Essex put a gentle hand on her shoulder to guide her to the bar where two men poured wine, sparkling seltzer, bourbon, and Scotch. She was happy that she’d worn the black dress. She felt its silky skirt swishing against her legs as she walked.

  Heather asked for a white wine and turned to survey the room. “What a crowd,” she observed. “You have many friends.”

  Bob laughed. “I don’t think they’re all friends. Nantucket is an innocent Eden for summer people, but the town politics are fierce and complicated.”

  Heather said, “Ross—”

  “Ross will be just fine. Kailee belongs to the town, and people love her, and once everyone gets to know Ross, they’ll love him, too.” He nodded hello and winked at a couple walking past. “I hear you’re here for the summer. Is your husband coming, too?”

  “My husband and I are divorcing,” Heather said. “Don’t worry, we’re both fine with it. It’s an amicable parting that’s long overdue. As Ross probably told you, Wall has a hardware store just outside Concord. He’s got scores of friends and customers.”

  “Will you return to Concord?”

  “I don’t know,” Heather answered honestly. “Somehow, I don’t think I will. I have friends there, too, but I think I’ll move. Our house is a handsome Victorian, but too big for two people and I’ve listed it with a realtor.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “I’m not sure. A friend found me a small rental cottage here on the island, and I’ll be there for three months while all the paperwork of the divorce and the sale of the house take place. After that, I don’t really know. I was on the board of Concord’s branch of the Safeguard Nature Society, so I spent a lot of time in Boston. And I have friends in every suburb, it seems.” Was she talking too much? Why was it so easy to talk to this man? Usually, handsome men intimidated her.

  “How do you like living on the island?” Bob asked.

  Before she could reply, Ross approached her. “Hey, Mom. Hi, Mr. Essex. Cool party.”

  Kailee was with Ross, stunning in a navy-blue frock and pearl earrings. “Hello, Mrs. Willette.”

  “Call me Heather, please.” Heather gave her son and Kailee each a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ve just met your employer,” she said, with a smile.

  A gorgeous woman wearing a sleeveless white dress with a slender gold belt joined them.

  “You must be Heather. I’m Evelyn. I’m so glad you came.”

  Heather started to reply, but Evelyn looked at her husband. “Darling, Corky Moss is over by the camellias, looking lonely. Why don’t you say hello?” Without pausing, she asked Heather, “How do you like our little island so far?”

  “I haven’t seen all of it, but it’s beautiful,” Heather said. “And this house is stunning.”

  Evelyn sparkled at the compliment. “Thank you. It’s been in Bob’s family for generations.”

  “Our house in Concord is a family home, too. It’s a Victorian gingerbread—”

  “How nice,” Evelyn said. “Excuse me…” She hurried across the room to greet an elderly woman wearing an antique pearl and diamond choker.

  Kailee said, “Sorry she flitted off like that. She’s always that way at parties.”

  “She’s always that way, period,” Ross added.

  “Ross!” Kailee looked hurt.

  “That’s not an insult, babe. I just mean she’s a high-energy person. A hummingbird kind of person.”

  “Your mother is lovely,” Heather said. “I’m so pleased to be invited to this party.”

  “Heather!” Miribelle Hunter swept up. “You’re here! I’m so glad to see you.” She kissed Heather on her cheek.

  “Miribelle, how nice. And we don’t have to work,” Heather joked.

  Kailee almost dropped her drink. How in the big wide world did Miribelle Hunter, one of the island’s most powerful and wealthy women, know Ross’s mother?

  “I’m getting another drink, honey,” Kailee said to Ross. She slipped into the scrum waiting for the bartenders.

  “I’ll be outside,” Ross told her, and headed for the French doors opening to the garden.

  “More tonic and ice than vodka, thanks.” Kailee smiled at the bartender while listening to the conversation of the two women near the bar.

  “I have to tell you,” Miribelle was saying to Heather, “my brother thinks you’re an extremely interesting woman. Only ‘interesting’ wasn’t the word he used.”

  Kailee blinked. What? Miles Hunter liked Ross’s mother? How did they even know each other?

  “I think your brother is extremely ‘interesting’ himself,” Heather said, and Kailee, watching, realized that Ross’s mother was actually kind of a babe.

  A sunburned man in his forties appeared at the bar, wedging himself between Kailee and the two women.

  “How’re ya doing, honey?” he said to Kailee.

  Kailee smiled at Gene Sharpe. “I’m doing fine, thank you, Mr. Sharpe. How are you?”

  She wanted to step on his foot with her stiletto heel for calling her “honey,” but he was one of the new super-rich on the island who wanted to belittle everyone else. Her father’s company had built his sprawling mansion. Her mother wanted to ask him to join the board of the Essex Nature Foundation.

  “The wife and I just got back from a cruise in the Caribbean,” Mr. Sharpe said.

  Kailee smiled and listened, furtively watching Ross, who was across the room, talking with a very young woman.

  “I do believe I’ve lost your attention,” Mr. Sharpe said, good-naturedly.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I was just— My boyfriend is over there, in the navy blazer. By the garden doors. Talking with a beautiful woman.”

  Mr. Sharpe laughed. “Tall guy? Brown hair?”

  “That’s right. His name is Ross Willette. He’s working for my father this summer.”

  “And he’s talking with my daughter, Ann,” Mr. Sharpe said, and let out a long belly laugh. “You are right, she is beautiful.”

  I hate this party, Kailee thought.

  But she remembered her manners. “Where did she grow up?”

  “Greenwich,” Mr. Sharpe informed her. He shook his head, amazed. “Ann went to Stanford. She starts medical school this fall. Harvard Medical School. My wife and I are astonished, frankly. We had no idea she was that smart.”

  “You must be so, so proud of her,” Kailee said. She liked Ann now that she knew Ann would be in med school, not around to charm Ross.

  “We are,” Mr. Sharpe agreed.

  “How long will you and your family be on Nantucket?”

  “Now that the house is finished, on and off. We love it here. We come to the island as often as we can. It’s not a long trip for us. We fly private.”

  “Have you seen all of the island?” Kailee asked. “So many of the most magical places are off the beaten path.”

  “I’m not much for hiking,” Mr. Sharpe said, and asked the bartender for another drink.

  Kailee smiled. “The places I’m talking about don’t require boots.” Take the plunge, she told herself. Mention ENF. Go on! Her heart pounded in her throat. “My mother is starting a new foundation, the Essex Nature Foundation. Nantucket’s beaches are beautiful, but so are its ponds and moors and hidden forests.”

  “What’s a moor?” Mr. Sharpe demanded, looking oddly offended. “Like in Scotland?”

  “Well, sort of,” Kailee said, floundering. “Maybe I could take you and your wife—and Ann, if she’d like, to see some of the less well-known parts of the island.”

  “Hmm,” Mr. Sharpe replied.

  Miribelle Hunter interrupted them, saying hello and doing the air-kiss. “Kailee, you look lovely tonight. Gene, guess what. I’ve found someone who plays bridge. Heather Willette, over there talking to the minister. She’s joining our bridge club for the summer.”

  “Excuse me,” Kailee murmured. “I see someone I…” She didn’t bother to finish her sentence.

  Ross was still listening to Ann Sharpe, so Kailee headed for her high school boyfriend, standing across the room.

  “Hey, Tris!”

  Tris Greenwood looked down in surprise. He looked older, more adult. He looked really good.

  “Kailee. I was hoping you’d be here.” Tris leaned down and kissed her cheek. “How are you?”

  “I am so glad to be home,” Kailee said. “I really missed the island. And my family, of course. How are you?”

  “I’ve already got boats in the water,” Tris told her. “I’m renting them, servicing them, sometimes taking customers around the island and over to Tuckernuck.” He changed the subject. “I hear you’ve brought a, um, friend here for the summer.”

  “I have! That’s Ross over there. He’s working for my dad this summer.”

  Tris grinned down at her. “Let me know if you two want to go over to Tuckernuck.”

  “Will do,” Kailee told him with her brightest smile. The thought of island friends welcoming Ross gladdened her heart.

  * * *

  —

  After the party ended, Kailee’s parents, Kailee, and Ross sat in the den doing an instant replay. Kailee and her mother had kicked off their high heels, and the men had removed their blazers. Several of the guests had expressed interest in the ENF, and both Kailee’s parents talked about how glad they were to see some of Kailee’s old high school friends.

  “And your mother,” Evelyn said to Ross. “I had no idea she knew the Hunters!”

  Ross shrugged. “I think she met them at church. She helped Miribelle Hunter sort through the books for the church fair.”

  Bob stretched. “Maybe you should invite Ross’s mother to join the ENF.”

  Evelyn shifted in her chair. “Maybe.”

  Ross stood up. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve got to work in the morning. I think I’ll head out.”

  “Oh, wait,” Evelyn said. “Ross, did you get enough to eat? I know there were lots of little goodies, but why don’t I make you a sandwich—”

  Kailee stood up, too. “Mom, that’s sweet, but we’ve both had enough to eat. I’m tired, too, and you need to go to bed.”

  Evelyn blinked. “Kailee, I think you’re right. I’m tired.”

  After the house was quiet, Kailee slipped out the kitchen door, crossed the drive, and went up the stairs to Ross’s apartment. She knocked lightly on the door.

  Ross was in a white T-shirt and tighty-whities, his normal sleepwear. “Hey, babe, nice surprise.”

  They kissed sweetly and then urgently. Ross took her hand and led her to his bed. When they slipped under the covers, Kailee scooted next to him, running her hand over his chest.