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“Five seconds.” Laurel laughed with her, and Alice sure did love her. They’d been through a lot in the past couple of years, and Alice had never been so close with another woman outside of the Seafaring Girls. In her previous life in the Hamptons, she didn’t have real friendships. She had competition-ships. It was always if she was doing better than them, or they than her. Not here, and Alice loved her life in the cove now.
“All right,” she said. “So Robin and I will do a shower just after Labor Day, because you’ll know by then what you need and what you don’t.”
“That would be great,” Laurel said. She gathered her hip pouch, as she didn’t carry a purse, not even on her day off. “Thank you, Alice. Really.” She paused and met Alice’s eye. “My mom will do a shower in Nantucket too. I’ll have everything I need.”
“I’m sure you will.” Alice took the last swig of her coffee and picked up her own purse. “Thanks for coming to lunch with me on your day off.”
“Too bad AJ couldn’t make it.”
“Yeah.” Alice slid out and got to her feet. “She was going out to Bell to see her sister and dad. I guess it’s some sort of anniversary for them.” She wasn’t entirely sure, as AJ had been vague on the details. Alice felt torn when it came to AJ right now, which was why she’d invited her in the first place.
She and Matt had snuck out of Robin’s picnic and fireworks show on the Fourth, and Robin hadn’t been terribly happy about it. She’d complained to Alice a little bit, and Alice could see her point. At the same time, Alice considered AJ a capable adult, and if she wanted to go out with her husband alone, she should and could. She didn’t have to check with Robin first.
She tried to be neutral when it came to silly things like this, and she hadn’t said anything to AJ about it. She figured she could at least see her again and get a feel for how AJ was doing, but it hadn’t worked out.
As Laurel struggled to get out of the booth, Alice looked past all the tables to a couple of people walking toward them. Four people. She knew them all.
She sucked in a breath at the sight of Clara and Scott Turner, Tessa Simmons, and Robin’s mother, Jennifer. She put one hand on Laurel’s forearm as the woman stood. “What is going on there?”
Laurel turned to see what Alice was talking about. She shook her head, her long hair—which she usually kept up in a ponytail, bun, or braid—swinging. “I don’t know. Is that Robin’s mother?”
“With everyone involved at Friendship Inn,” Alice murmured. In the next moment, Jennifer’s eyes met hers, and Alice put a bright smile on her face. Probably the brightest one she’d ever given someone. “Jennifer.” She swept toward her. “How are you?”
“Good.” Jennifer received her into a hug and gripped her tight. “How are you, Alice?”
“Great.” Alice stepped back and looked over to Clara and Scott. They both wore a look of mild horror, though they’d been smiling a moment ago. Tessa stood behind them, clearly out of the way, hoping she’d be out of Alice’s mind.
She was not.
Something was afoot here.
“Did you enjoy lunch?” Jennifer asked easily, not bothered by anything. She kept walking, and Alice fell into step beside her as they headed for the exit.
“Yes,” Alice said diplomatically. She knew so many stories about this woman, all of them through the Robin-lens, but still. “The roasted beet salad issogood. Have you had it?”
“I did today,” she said. “The candied walnuts are my favorite.”
“I liked those too.” Alice pushed open the door, because Jennifer wasn’t going to do it. She did exit first, and Alice wasn’t sure what planet she’d stepped out onto. She followed Jennifer and said, “Well, it was good to see you. Robin says you’re going on another cruise this Christmas?”
“Yes,” Jennifer said. “I love them, and the holidays are the perfect time to travel.” She smiled at Alice and waved. “Good to see you, Alice.” She said nothing to Clara, Scott, or Tessa as she walked away. After a couple of steps, she turned back. “Oh, and good to run into you, Clara.” She actually came back up onto the sidewalk and looked blankly at Scott.
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t remember your name.”
“Scott,” Scott said. He shook Jennifer’s hand as if they’d just met, but a strange vibe in the air told Alice they had not. Not only that, but Scott and Clara rented their house from Jennifer. Surely she knew them.
Maybe she’s only dealt with Clara, Alice thought.
She hadn’t seen them eating together in the restaurant—any of them—so itwaspossible they were just walking out at the same time and had started talking.
“Yes,” Jennifer said smoothly. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, and Alice had a brief memory of her own mother’s eyes doing that. “Lovely to see you.” She did walk away then, and Alice watched her go until she settled into her SUV.
“How do you know Robin’s mom?” Laurel asked casually. She shaded her eyes with one hand, looking in the direction Jennifer had gone.
“We rent the house from her,” Clara said, her voice even and far too cool. “I’m surprised she didn’t remember Scott.” She cast a worried look to her husband that Alice couldn’t decipher.
She watched Clara, but the other woman wouldn’t meet her eye. For Clara, that wasn’t that abnormal. When she was excited about something, she could talk and talk. But initiating a conversation wasn’t her strong suit. Participating in one that bored her wasn’t either.
They left, and Alice noted how nicely they were dressed. She chin-nodded to them and said to Laurel, “Why are they all dressed up?”
