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Kelsey nodded. She retrieved her bag and retreated to the bathroom, which was indeed as luxurious as she’d expected—all marble and gleaming fixtures, with plush towels and high-end toiletries.

She splashed water on her face, then studied her reflection in the mirror. The woman who looked back at her seemed changed somehow, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly how. Same honey-brown hair, now slightly mussed from the day’s events. Same blue eyes, perhaps a bit more shadowed than usual. Same mouth, set in a line of determination.

But now, for the first time in seven years, she wore a wedding ring—Eleanor Costigan’s ring—and called herself Kelsey MacCormack. Now she was a wife again, after years of being simply “Noah’s mom.”

“Get it together,” she whispered to her reflection. “This is for Noah. Everything else is secondary.”

She changed into the more comfortable clothes she’d packed—dark jeans and a soft blue sweater—and tried to tame her hair into something presentable. When she emerged from the bathroom, Mac had also changed into jeans and a gray henley that clung to his shoulders in a way that made her stomach flutter despite everything.

He looked up from his phone and smiled, a small genuine smile that reached his eyes, definitely more relaxed than he’d been moments ago. “Feel better?”

“Much,” she admitted, setting her bag aside. “Washing your face can do wonders after a day like today.”

“A day like today,” Mac echoed with a soft laugh. “Not many of those in my experience.”

“Mine neither,” Kelsey said, settling onto the sofa.

“Just the one other, I assume?” Mac asked lightly, though something in his tone suggested genuine curiosity.

Kelsey nodded. “David and I had a big wedding. Two hundred guests, cathedral ceremony, the works. His family insisted. Even though they didn’t approve, it was a social event.”

“And what would you have wanted? If it had been entirely up to you?”

The question caught her off guard. “Something more intimate. Just family and close friends. Like ours.” She smiled at the memory. “Though I did love my dress.”

A knock at the door interrupted them. Mac answered it, admitting a server with a rolling cart. He set up their dinner on the small table near the windows, uncorked the wine with practiced efficiency, and slipped out after Mac signed the check.

“Shall we?” Mac gestured to the table, now set with covered plates and gleaming silverware.

Kelsey took her seat, the view of Boston spread out before her. The rich burgundy of the wine Mac poured caught the light.

“To new beginnings,” he said, raising his glass.

“And to Noah coming home,” she added, and touched her glass to his.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. The food was surprisingly good despite Kelsey’s distracted state. The wine warmed her from within, loosening some of the tension that had held her rigid all day.

“Tell me about Noah,” Mac said suddenly. “I know him pretty well from our talks on the beach. He’s curious and smart. What’s he like when he’s just being himself?”

Kelsey felt a smile spread across her face. “You’re right, he’s curious about everything. Always asking questions, wanting to know how things work. And he’s sensitive—picks up on moods instantly, wants everyone to be happy.”

“He gets that from his mother,” Mac observed.

“Maybe,” she acknowledged. “He’s also stubborn. Once he gets an idea in his head, good luck changing his mind.”

“That also sounds familiar,” Mac said with a teasing note.

“Are you calling me stubborn, Mr. MacCormack?”

“Determined,” he corrected smoothly. “Which is a quality I admire greatly.”

Their eyes met across the table, and something flickered between them—the same chemistry that had drawn them together, now complicated by the gold bands on their fingers.

Mac cleared his throat. “More wine?”

“Please.” She held out her glass, watching as he refilled it.

The conversation flowed more easily as they finished their meal, sharing stories about Noah, about Mac’s travels, about the island they both loved. By the time they dug into the chocolate soufflé, Kelsey felt almost relaxed, the strange circumstances of their marriage temporarily receding in the face of good food, good wine, and good company.