Chapter 5
Marsha shook her head in disgust when she heard the news. Claire told her while they drank their morning coffee. Her mother had still been out when Claire went to bed the night before.
“It’s so irresponsible of him. To think he took out a home equity loan without even telling you.”
“I know. I paid the bills usually too. But I never saw the loan amount come in. He sent it to a different bank account.”
“Do you think he’s telling the truth? How do you know what’s actually in that other account?” Her mother’s brow furrowed as she sipped her coffee. Claire didn’t blame her for thinking the worst of Ellis.
“I don’t think he’d lie to me about this. I could hear the stress in his voice. He couldn’t bring himself to look me in the eye and tell me before I left.”
“Hmm. Well, he lied about Rebecca too. So forgive me for not feeling so trusting. When are you seeing Sloane?”
“Friday morning.”
Her mother nodded. “Okay. She can check this out for you. If you drop me off that morning at the office, you’ll have the car for the day.”
“Perfect.” Claire sipped her coffee and stared out the window, watching the water, which was smooth as glass this morning—not a ripple in sight.
“I’m glad I took the cash that was in the safe.
But it’s not much. I should probably look into finding some kind of work.
I’ll reach out to the editors I’ve worked with and see if they might have anything.
” She knew the cash she’d taken wouldn’t last long.
She still had a few credit cards, but if things were as bad as Ellis claimed, she couldn’t depend on those being available for long.
“Don’t stress yourself out about that. You and Lily and the baby are welcome to stay with me for as long as you like.”
“Thank you. I’ll reach out to those editors today. And maybe check job listings to see if there’s anything with one of the shops or even a restaurant.”
“There’s probably not much available this time of year. In another month or two maybe, when it gets closer to summer.”
“That’s true.” Claire didn’t say it, but she also worried that working in a shop or hostessing in a restaurant wouldn’t likely pay all that well.
It would be nice supplemental income if she also had child support and alimony from Ellis, but without that, it wouldn’t go far.
It definitely wouldn’t be enough for Claire to pay rent anywhere—especially on Nantucket.
And now that she was here, she wanted to stay—close to family and friends.
Her mother said she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, and Claire knew she meant it.
But she didn’t want to be a burden. And she’d want her independence.
For now though, she felt lucky to have her mother’s support.
Her mother headed off to work, and Claire showered, made some toast with peanut butter, which so far was her main craving, then went for a long walk on the beach—about a mile down and back. It helped to clear her mind and lower the stress that had elevated since Ellis’s call.
When she got back to the house, Claire emailed all the editors she’d worked with over the years, letting them know she was eager to take on any projects they might have.
It had been a few years since she’d worked with some of them and almost a year since her last assignment.
She heard back from that editor first, who regretfully told her that there had recently been cuts at the magazine and she didn’t have the budget this quarter to use additional freelancers.
Two of the other editor emails bounced back, indicating they’d moved on from those jobs.
That wasn’t uncommon though, so Claire jumped on LinkedIn and looked the editors up.
One hadn’t updated her profile, and her latest post announced that she’d had a baby and loved being a stay-at-home mother.
But the other had landed at a new magazine, and Claire sent a message congratulating her on the move and asking about the possibility of working together on an assignment.
She settled on the living room sofa, picked up her copy of Rebecca, and read for most of the afternoon. The phone rang just before five, and it was Lily.
“I want to come to Nantucket. Can you book me a flight for this weekend?”
“Are you just coming for a visit, honey? Or did you want to stay longer?”
“I don’t want to be here anymore. Dad told me we’re broke and he’s moving in with Rebecca.
He said there’s a room there for me, but that’s just gross.
He said it won’t be for a few more months—it’ll take time for this place to sell and the new people to get approval from the condo board. That’s not all though.”
“What else is going on?”
Lily paused dramatically. “So I’ve had a crush on this guy at school for ages, and I thought maybe he might be interested, but I just heard he’s dating Blake Sugarman. I hate her now, and I just don’t want to be here anymore. And I miss you. It’s not the same here without you,” she admitted.
Claire’s heart went out to her daughter. She remembered the days of unreciprocated teenage love and knew that all Lily’s emotions were heightened because of the pending divorce and financial issues.
“Of course you can come here, honey. Your grandmother and I would love to have you.” She walked her through how to get her stuff packed and shipped over the next few days and told her she’d book her a flight Saturday morning.
“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”
Claire ended the call feeling a bit sorry for her daughter but glad that she was on her way to Nantucket soon. She’d missed Lily, and though she hated to admit it, she missed Ellis too—missed what she’d thought they had, a mostly happy family.
Rachel came by Wednesday at five thirty to get Claire for book club.
Her mother had picked up a bottle of nonalcoholic chardonnay on her way home from work, and Claire made an artichoke-spinach dip that afternoon.
Each month, the host for book club rotated, and everyone brought an appetizer and whatever they wanted to drink.
This month, it was at Mandy’s house. Rachel had said Mandy’s sister Emma would also be there as well as several others who Claire didn’t know.
“You’ll like them,” Rachel assured her.
“What did you make?” Claire asked once they were in the car and on their way.
“I stopped by Trattel’s Seafood and got a pound and a half of cocktail shrimp. They’d just made a fresh batch before I got there. They’re always so good. I didn’t have time to make anything.”
“Shrimp sounds great.” Claire knew Rachel didn’t love cooking. And the shrimp from Trattel’s were excellent. They were big and boiled in some kind of seasoning until they were perfectly plump, and the cocktail sauce was homemade.
There were several cars in the driveway when they pulled up to Mandy’s house. Rachel had filled her in on the ride over that Mandy had two children and had gone through a divorce a year or so ago.
They parked, and Rachel knocked twice on the front door, then pushed it open. The house was beautiful and so still and quiet. But a moment later, they heard a ripple of laughter coming from the living room. Mandy walked toward them and gave Rachel a hug. Then she pulled Claire in as well.
“It’s been a million years at least. I’m so glad you could join us.”
Claire relaxed a bit. She’d been slightly nervous about meeting strangers and seeing people she hadn’t talked to in ages.
Mandy was so welcoming though, and she looked the same other than a few wrinkles around her eyes when she smiled.
She had honey-gold hair like Claire’s mother but in a longer bob—a common, preppy style on Nantucket.
Claire handed her the still-warm casserole dish of spinach dip and a bag of tortilla chips.
“Thank you. That looks delicious. I’ll set it with the others.
Help yourselves to whatever you’d like to drink in the kitchen.
There’s red and white wine open.” She glanced at Claire’s bottle and noticed it was nonalcoholic.
“There’s an opener by the wine too. Come join us in the living room after.
” She smiled at Rachel. “Thanks for getting the shrimp. Can you bring it in with your wine?”
They did as instructed, and Rachel set the shrimp platter on the coffee table with all the other food. They found seats on the sofa, and Mandy made introductions.
“Claire, this is Jenna and Molly. You probably remember Stephanie and my sister Emma?”
“Yes, of course. I think we saw you at Mimi’s Place. My mother and I had lunch there a few days ago.”
Emma smiled. “I thought you looked familiar when you came in, but I didn’t make the connection. It has been a while.”
They dug into the food—a big salad with mixed greens, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, toasted walnuts, beets, and goat cheese; an assortment of cheese and crackers; chicken and tuna salad finger sandwiches; and the shrimp and dip.
While they ate, they discussed the book, which everyone loved.
Jenna confessed that she didn’t finish it but did watch the movie.
“I was just too wiped out last night to read. We’d had a big function at the hotel, and I was there for ten hours, making sure everything was perfect.
” She explained to Claire that her husband’s family owned one of the biggest waterfront hotels on the island, and they did a lot of weddings and other events.
Jenna had glossy black hair that fell in a tumble of gorgeous ringlets to her shoulders.
They were the kind of curls that could only be natural.
She had a stylish, glamorous way about her, with vibrant red lipstick and an aqua blazer, white shirt, and expertly arranged scarf.
“Harvey is the general manager, and I work part-time, mostly overseeing events. It’s fun, but it can be chaotic,” Jenna added.