A Spot at Starlight Beach (Spotted Cottage #3)

Twenty-five

The days at the cottage melted away. Addy spent her time gossiping with Eliza at the tea shop, combing the coast at low tide for mussels and anemones, and running errands with Patty.

That woman was a tonic. She even made grocery shopping fun, and she always managed to pull Addy’s thoughts away from the heavy reminders of her divorce.

“Endings are always messy,” Patty told her. “No matter which way they go. It’s best not to dwell. Pick up and keep moving.”

“What if I don’t know where to go?” Addy asked.

“Then jump in the water and move your limbs. You’ll end up somewhere,” she said with a nod. “You know how to swim, don’t you?”

“Well yes, but – ”

“Then swim!” she barked. “And, when you can, lay on your back and float. Don’t miss the clouds and the stars.”

It felt like a season for floating. Addy had no idea where to take herself, and the excitement around her carried her from day to day. The ball arrived in a flash, and along with it, more guests to the island.

On Friday evening, the youngest Dennet sisters—Emma and Shelby—caught the last ferry in. After they arrived, they immediately went to the kitchen to snack on sugar cookies and bicker with Mackenzie and Eliza.

Patty and Addy sat at the table, watching Derby the golden retriever weave between legs to pick up crumbs.

“It’s cool that the ball will have some celebrities,” Emma said. “But why is everyone so old?”

Mackenzie glared at her. “Everyone isn’t old. You’re just young. Get it straight.”

Eliza laughed. “I wouldn’t cross Mack right now. She will defend this party to the end.”

“Using her fists,” Shelby added, waving a closed hand in front of her nose.

“It’s not just a party,” Mackenzie said, sighing. “It’s a fundraiser for an important cause. Plus, it’ll show Russell why he needs to pay me more.”

“You’re getting paid for this?” Shelby asked.

“Of course.” Mackenzie scoffed. “Do you think I’d work for free?”

She frowned. “I assumed it was like an unpaid internship.”

“An internship for what?” Mackenzie said.

“For being a concierge to rich people?” Emma suggested.

Addy stifled a laugh. If only her daughter had been able to make it to the island for the party. She would’ve loved to join in on teasing her cousin.

Eliza crossed her arms. “Mackenzie, would you say there’s anyone else you want to impress with a super successful party?”

Mackenzie snapped her head toward her with narrowed eyes.“No. Why?”

Patty let out a cackling laugh, keeping her head down. She was carefully hand-writing name cards, even though Mackenzie had told her she didn’t have to.

Mackenzie turned to look at her. “What’s so funny?”

“I haven’t gotten this much use out of my calligraphy pen in years,” Patty said. “Look, I’ve just done Liam’s name. Isn’t that nice?”

“Very nice, thank you,” Mackenzie said. “But he’s not a VIP. He doesn’t need a name card.”

Patty shrugged. “He’s VIP to me.”

Derby, flattened out on the floor, scratched his nails against the kitchen tile, reaching for something under the cupboard.

“Ah!” Mackenzie yelled. “Who dropped an entire cookie on the floor? Derby almost got it!”

The girls erupted into laughter and started a mad dash to get to the cookie before the dog.

Addy leaned into Patty’s ear. “What was that about?”

A smile crossed her face. She set Liam’s name card in the center of the table. “Just a theory I have. I’ll let you know after it pans out.”

Before long, Mackenzie chased them off to bed to prepare for the day ahead, and the next morning, Joey flew to Seattle to pick up Sheila and Russell.

Addy was so excited to see Sheila she could hardly contain herself. She forced Patty to let her help with breakfast as they waited for them to arrive – much to Patty’s dislike.

“I said I can do it myself!”

“I know you can,” Addy said, pulling out a tray of warm bread from the oven. “But I won’t let you.”

They reached for the butter knife at the same moment the door in the kitchen flew open.

“Adelaide!” Sheila yelled, raising her arms.

Addy released the butter knife and it clattered to the floor. “Sheila!”

Her sister wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“We’ve missed you!” Addy said.

“I’ve missed you! I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you got to the island.”

Addy laughed. “Don’t be. I’ve had Patty, and you got to go to Europe with your boyfriend. How was it?”

Sheila sucked in a breath. “Really, truly spectacular. We’re going back after the ball. Come with me! We can take a road trip to Italy.”

“Ha! In my dreams, maybe.”

“It doesn’t have to stay a dream, Addy,” Sheila said. “You don’t have to worry about Shane complaining about how long the flight is or how small the hotel room is.”

It was true Shane didn’t share her love of Italy. She’d double majored in Italian and German. He’d thought even a vacation to Europe was nothing but a distraction.

“Just you complaining about how the taxi driver is dangerous?” Addy said with a smile.

“Welcome home!” Patty waved a rag. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Always.” She smiled. “Has Patty been nice?”

“I’m always nice!” Patty barked over her shoulder.

Addy grinned. It had been so long since she’d seen her sister. Too long. “She is. Everyone is nice. You’ve made a paradise here.”

“Good. Maybe I can convince you to stay.”

“Yeah, sure,” Addy said. “Right after I do a tour of Italy.”

“I’m serious,” Sheila said, prodding her. “We need someone smart around here, Professor.”

“Former professor,” Addy corrected. “I was fired.”

Sheila scrunched her nose. “Laid off, really.”

The girls ran in, one after the other, hugging Sheila and pelting her with questions.

“Do they really say ‘action’ when they start a scene?”

“Did you eat Liège waffles for breakfast every day?”

“Did you get mad seeing Russell kiss Eloise Knight again and again?”

Sheila threw her head back, laughing. “Not at all. It’s the magic of the movies! Eloise is a doll, too.”

Addy sighed. “I can’t believe you got to hang out with Eloise Knight. She can’t be as charming as she seems in interviews.”

“She is.” Sheila nodded. “I could learn a thing or two.”

“Who’s Eloise Knight?” Emma asked.

“An old actress from Mom’s era,” Shelby said with a smile.

Sheila tsk ed. “She’s not an old actress. She’s a year younger than I am, which, actually…” Her voice trailed off, her forehead creasing with a frown.

“Best not to think about it,” Addy said.

Mackenzie’s footsteps thundered down the stairs. “Hey, Mom!”

“Mackenzie! How’s my hero, leading the charge at home?”

She rolled her eyes. “Things are eerily calm right now. I haven’t gotten any panicked calls or notices that the food spoiled or people have gone missing or the chairs caught on fire.”

Shelby frowned. “Chairs on fire. Has that been a primary concern?”

“ Everything is a primary concern,” Eliza said with a slight smile.

Granny shuffled over with a large glass pan of casserole in her hands. “Eat up, ladies. This is my famous sausage, grits, and egg casserole. I don’t want to hear any grousing about having to fit into your dresses later.”

The complaints rolled in, but the casserole turned out to be—predictably—irresistible. They ate quickly, cleaned up, and then Sheila suggested a stroll by Cattle Point Lighthouse. She said it would be helpful to calm Mackenzie’s nerves.

“I’m worried about her,” Sheila said as they walked along the shore. Seagulls dipped into the water and, in the distance, sea lions lounged on rocks, their barks echoing. “Russell left her a lot of responsibility. She just had her heart broken, and you know Mackenzie. She can’t say no to a challenge.”

“She’s had some help.” Granny smiled, continuing down the narrow path that cut through the tall grasses.

Addy looked ahead. The lighthouse’s whitewashed walls stood against the dome of blue sky. All around them, the ocean sparkled, a mosaic of blue and green.

“What’s that smile?” Sheila asked. “What does that mean?”

“Her heart may not remain broken for long,” Granny said, turning around and tapping her finger to her nose.

“Why are you speaking in riddles?” Sheila asked with a laugh. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or not?”

Addy shook her head. “She always speaks in riddles. It’s like talking to the Island Yoda.”

Patty threw her head back, laughing. “I like to have my mysteries too, you know.”

She powered past them toward the lighthouse, the steep cliffs dropping off at her side.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sheila said. “I’ll get it out of Eliza tonight.” Sheila stopped, grasping Addy’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here! How have you been?”

Addy shrugged. “You know. Good.”

Sheila stared at her. “I mean really. How are you?”

It was too beautiful a place to be sad.

Yet here she was. “I’ve been better,” she said.

Sheila squeezed her hand tighter. “Maybe you need to consider staying here a while. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how, but there might be answers for you here, too. Someone here for you.”

Addy let out a laugh. “Yeah, that’ll be the day. You didn’t tell me there was magic for middle aged women on this island.”

Sheila hooked her arm in hers. “It doesn’t just look magical. There is a sort of magic to this place.”

The breathless gasps of someone running built behind them. Mackenzie stopped short, her cheeks red.

“I’m only getting more nervous with all this walking around. We need to go home and get ready.” She sighed. “Now!”

Sheila laughed. “You heard the woman. Everyone back to the car!”