A Nantucket Fling (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection #9)

Chapter 1

Olivia opened the passenger door of the Jeep and slipped inside. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. And no, it wasn’t

the wedding she objected to, though she thought her niece, at twenty-two, was too young to be getting married.

“Stop it.” Her sister Ashley, mother of the bride, gave her a knowing look as she maneuvered the hire car out of the airport

car park.

“Stop what?”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Stop thinking about why you don’t want to be here.”

“Of course I want to be here.” She looked out of the windshield. “Blue sky, sun.” She nudged her eldest sister with her elbow.

“A chance to spend time with my two big sisters and their families. How could I not be excited to be in Nantucket?”

“Because you think Sophie is making a big mistake,” Ashley said dryly.

“Not true. Just because I believe the secret to living happily ever after is living alone doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

Sophie’s happy—I’d go as far as to say besottedly happy. That’s all that’s important.”

Ashley glanced sideways at her. “Okay, so the wedding isn’t the reason . . .” She snapped her fingers. “Of course! It’s the

two weeks away from work that’s got you looking like you’re sitting on a nest of ants.”

“Hardly. Look, no wriggling,” she countered, keeping deliberately still.

Ashley darted another glance at her. “You’ve got the body language of a woman who wants to lunge for the door handle and scarper

back to the airport.”

“That would be stupid when I’ve only just got here.” It would take her a while before she was ready to climb back into the

small propeller plane that had brought her from Boston.

“Stupid would be worrying about whether the office can survive without you for two weeks.” Ashley arched an eyebrow. “Even stupider

would be worrying if you can survive without the office.”

Damn—her sister knew exactly how to make her feel small. “Fine, you’ve made your point.” She swallowed. “Yesterday Simon told

us he was stepping down. They’re looking to replace him internally and I’m in the running. Me and Stuart.”

“Hot damn, my baby sister’s going to be a chief investment officer.”

“Maybe.” Her heart gave a little jump inside her rib cage. “But I have to beat Stuart.”

Ashley snorted. “Please, you’re not going to let anyone else get this job, especially not Stuart. You’ve been working towards

it for too long.”

CIO had been her ambition when she’d joined Techtonic Capital Management fresh out of university. They valued loyalty, and

she’d given them that on the understanding she’d be fast-tracked. Now she was within touching distance of the job she wanted,

but instead of proving her worth to the board, she was here. For two weeks.

“You deserve a holiday, Liv.” Ashley’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. “Rest, enjoy the break, and go back fighting

with all guns blazing. If they don’t know your value by now, they never will.”

She wasn’t convinced—this was too big an opportunity not to give it her total and absolute focus—but there was no point getting

worked up over a decision that had already been made.

With a resigned sigh, she reached into her bag and turned off her mobile. “There. No more looking at my phone for two weeks.”

Ashley spluttered with laughter. “You won’t even make it two hours.”

“Is that a bet?”

“Absolutely.”

“Have you forgotten how competitive I am?”

“Absolutely not.” Ashley smirked. “But at least this way I’m guaranteed two hours of your undivided attention.”

Well played, sis. She didn’t say the words out loud. Ashley was far too pleased with herself already. “Where’s Jessica?” Jessica was the middle

sister, forty-two to Ashley’s forty-six and her thirty-nine.

“She couldn’t be arsed dragging her bum off the sun lounger to pick you up. Her words.”

Olivia smiled, picturing Jessica sunning herself, round pregnant belly proudly on display. “Can’t say I blame her. She’s eight

months pregnant. Plus it’s the first time she’s been away from the kids.” Jessica had three children: Mia, eight going on

eighteen; Matthew, thirteen; and Harry, fifteen. Number four had been unplanned but definitely not unwanted. “She’s going

to be a hyped-up hormonal nightmare.”

“She’s going to be a fun-loving aunt, throwing herself into the hen week with gusto.” Ashley slid her a pointed look.

“Then that’ll make two of us.” She gave her big sister an overly bright smile. “So what is the plan for this week? And since

when did these things grow from a night to a whole week?”

Ashley sighed. “Sometimes I wonder which of us is the oldest.”

“Hey, you’re the one with a daughter getting married.” Olivia gave her a smug smile. “That’s another advantage of not having

kids. There’s no one to age me.”

“Fine. Well, my very young daughter isn’t in charge of her hen week, her friends are, so I don’t know much about it other than they’ve picked the brains

of her future in-laws for the best things to do on the island. I believe we’ll be heading for cocktail bars, beach and spa

time, and, in their words, some world-class partying, which I’ve translated as we’ll be doing a lot of drinking and dancing.” Olivia groaned, and Ashley laughed harder. “Thought

that might shut you up. Don’t worry, none of your high-flying finance colleagues will see you grinding your drunken arse along

with all the hip young things.”

“God, enough.”

“You won’t be saying that when some young stallion has his crotch in your face.”

Olivia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was a million miles away from who she was. “Is Sophie really going to enjoy

this?”

“Of course she is, because Sophie is a normal twenty-two-year-old. She can’t wait to let her hair down for a week before she

gets married and starts a whole new life with the man she adores.” Olivia opened her mouth to reply, then shut it again, aware

that what she’d been about to say was insensitive. “I know marriage didn’t work out for me,” Ashley said quietly, clearly

reading Olivia’s mind. “But it has for Jessica, and I have faith that it will for Sophie. Even if it doesn’t, I admire her

for being bold and brave enough to take the risk, to dive into life headfirst.”

She knew Ashley was proud of her daughter, but still, the words stung. “You think I’m not doing that?”

Her sister let out a long breath. “Sorry, I don’t want to argue. You love your job, I get that. I just worry that you put

too much emphasis on its importance because of Mum.”

“You saw the way she gave up a chance of a career, a life, to look after us all, look after Dad. How can making sure your husband’s dinner is on the table when he swans home late

from work be in any way fulfilling?”

“Because she loved him? Loved us?”

“But what about her life? What she wanted to do? She’ll never know what she was capable of.” And it looked like both of Olivia’s sisters were following suit.

Both had married young, and both had given up careers to bring up their kids. “I just want more out of my life than wiping

bums and cooking meals.” Before Ashley could erupt, she patted her arm. “Sorry, that’s me being glib and unfair. My nieces

and nephews are a joy. But equally it isn’t fair to dismiss my decision to focus on my career as boring or say I’m somehow

ducking out of life. I’m not. I’m diving into it headfirst, I’m just doing it in a different pool.”

Ashley burst into laughter. “I could argue about heights of diving boards or swimming pools versus flinging yourself off rocks

into the sea, but I’m going to let it drop.” She waved a hand toward the windshield. “Take a look at this place, Liv, and

tell me you’re not charmed by it.”

For the first time, Olivia took proper notice of her surroundings. Ashley wasn’t wrong. The Jeep trundled down wide, tree-lined

cobblestone streets, passing elegant houses with imposing columns, and then cut along the waterfront, where the buildings

became more rustic; they were made from a grayed wood but still immaculately maintained, their front gardens alive with color—white

roses trailed around porches, vibrant pink and blue hydrangeas sat in pots beneath the windows. Between the houses, flashes

of the harbor glistened in the sun. “This is where Sophie’s Steve grew up?”

“No, his family are from Boston, but they holidayed here every summer. Sophie came out with them last year and fell in love

with the place, which is why she decided she wanted to get married here.” Ashley turned into the red-brick drive of a sprawling

New England–style building and slotted into a parking space. “This is us.”

“Wow.” The gray shingle hotel was a stunning mix of old-style charm and modern elegance.

“Feeling better about coming now?” Ashley grinned as she cut the engine. “The Davies sisters are together again, Liv, and

we’re going to have a blast.”

“You know I hate my name shortened,” Olivia grumbled. But when Ashley took her hand and led her to the back of the hotel,

her grumpiness vanished. There was no place for it in the presence of such serenity. Her gaze skimmed across the loungers

laid out on the pristine lawn, over to the electric-blue hydrangeas, and then beyond, to the rippling water alive with sailboats.

“Sod it, you’re right. It feels good to be here.”

The feeling of contentment grew as she wheeled her case past the rocking chairs on the veranda and through the big wooden

double doors into the bright lobby of the hotel. And it exploded into sheer joy when Jessica rushed over to greet her. “Baby

sis, you made it!”

At work Olivia was respected; in fact some people were a little afraid of her. With her sisters, though, she’d always be the

baby, the one they took care of, looked out for. And as she was wrapped in Jess’s bear hug, she felt not just home but wanted,

cherished.

“Aunt Olivia.” Sophie ran across the lobby. Flowing blond hair, lithe slim body, eyes sparkling with happiness—her niece was

beautiful inside and out.

“At last, someone who calls me by my proper name.” Feeling emotional, she turned and hugged the bride-to-be. “You look so