Chapter 18
“Morning. Didn’t realize you’d be up this early.”
Lily was in the kitchen pouring a bowl of cereal before getting ready for school. She was just about to add some milk to the bowl and almost spilled it when she heard Warren’s voice.
She turned to see him ambling into the kitchen in one of Marsha’s oversize T-shirts and sweatpants. He looked just as surprised to see her.
“It’s a school day,” she said. She liked Warren. It was just a bit of a shock to see him in her grandmother’s kitchen at seven a.m. on a Monday.
“Right, school. Sorry to startle you.” Warren poured himself a glass of water and headed back to Marsha’s bedroom.
By the time Lily showered, dressed, and made her way back to the kitchen, Marsha and Claire were sitting at the island drinking coffee. There was no sign of Warren.
“I heard Warren gave you a bit of a shock. Sorry about that, honey. I should have let you girls know he might be staying over. We held off a bit while you were settling in, but I thought it was time. It may happen again,” Marsha said matter-of-factly.
Lily nodded. “That’s cool. Warren seems nice.”
“He is. We’ve been friends for years.”
“I was surprised when I first found out they were dating,” Claire told Lily. “But it makes perfect sense. I’m happy for you, Mom.”
Lily glanced at her watch. She didn’t want to be late. “We should go.”
“Right.”
When they pulled out of the driveway, Claire glanced at Lily. “I know that must have seemed weird to run into Warren like that.”
“I know. It’s totally fine. I was just surprised. I’m happy for Nana.”
“I am too. Have a great day, honey. Do you need a ride home?”
“No, I’m going to Teddy’s after classes. I’ll either walk or get a ride from him.”
Everyone knew that Kenzie and Luke were officially a couple now.
Lily watched them finish each other’s sentences at lunch and wondered why it had taken them so long to figure it out.
They both seemed happier then she’d ever seen them.
Kenzie was even more chatty than usual, telling story after story, while Luke mostly watched with a smile on his face or occasionally interjected to agree or add to what she was saying. Lily was happy for them both.
“Have you and Teddy chosen a song yet for me to sing?” Kenzie asked as they were finishing lunch.
“Not yet. Soon though. We have two we really like. We’re working on it later today.”
“Cool. Let me know when you want me to come by to hear the winner.”
“Will do. Could be later this week actually.”
Teddy’s mother had a group of friends over when they walked into the house.
Eight women looked them over with interest as Teddy’s mother introduced Lily as “Teddy’s friend.
” The women’s names went in one ear and out the other.
They were celebrating someone’s birthday, and there were food and glasses of wine all over the island.
There were smiles and looks exchanged, and Lily felt so uncomfortable.
They obviously assumed that she was Teddy’s girlfriend.
Not that anything was wrong with that, other than it wasn’t true.
Teddy usually stopped to grab snacks for them, but today, he quickly led the way out of the kitchen and up to his studio.
As soon as they put their stuff down, Teddy turned his computer on. “What do you think of this? I fiddled with it a bit more over the weekend. I think it’s almost there.” Teddy played the beat he’d been working on for the transition part of the song.
Lily focused on the music and loved the new sound he’d created. “That’s just perfect! It’s the missing link,” she said excitedly.
Teddy beamed. “I thought so too. I was hoping you’d agree.”
“Let’s play the whole thing from the start,” Lily said.
Teddy picked up his guitar, she sat behind his keyboard, and they played the song from start to finish. Lily sang the lyrics, and it felt so right—the new song fit the words so well. When they finished, they stared at each other for a moment before Teddy finally spoke.
“So is it that one then? Or do you want to do the other song?” They had two that they really liked.
Lily didn’t hesitate. “This one, definitely.”
“Cool. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“Hold on. I’ll be right back.” Teddy disappeared for a minute and went downstairs.
He returned with a bag of tortilla chips, a jar of salsa, and one of cheese sauce.
He poured some of the sauce into a bowl and microwaved it for a minute while they dug into the salsa.
Teddy set the bowl of hot cheese next to the chips.
“I figure this is our celebratory meal. Now that we’ve got our song. ”
Lily laughed and dipped a chip into the cheese. “Kenzie asked about the song at lunch today. She’s ready to come practice with us later this week.”
“Awesome. How was your weekend? Was it weird seeing your dad with his girlfriend?”
“Yeah, kind of. But it was weirder when my grandmother’s boyfriend walked into the kitchen this morning.”
Teddy laughed. “No way. Go, Grandma.”
“I know, right? He’s a nice guy. I guess I have to get used to that, since we’re living there now. But I’d rather be here than in Manhattan with my father and Rebecca.”
“I’m glad you’re here too,” Teddy said warmly. He quickly added, “It’s been great working on music with you. None of my other friends are interested in it.”
“Yeah, it’s been really fun for me too.”
“So what happened on your date with Luke? What made you decide you weren’t interested and that he should be with Kenzie?”
“Well, he honestly never seemed interested in me. I never got that vibe you get when someone is interested, you know?”
Teddy nodded, then glanced away for a moment.
Lily went on to fill him in on how the night unfolded, the conversation that led to her suggesting Luke should date Kenzie, and her phone call to Kenzie that confirmed it.
“They were both interested in each other for ages but were such good friends that they were afraid to go there. They needed a push.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right. I never actually saw you with Luke. Nice guy, but anyone could tell he was into Kenzie.”
“What about you?” Lily asked. “Is there anyone you’re interested in?”
Teddy was quiet for a long moment, and Lily wondered if maybe she shouldn’t have asked.
But he didn’t seem to mind. “I had a huge crush on a girl in my English class back in the fall. I’d known Ashley for years, but when she came back to school in September, I saw her differently.
I finally got up the guts to ask her out, we dated for a few months, and it was great.
But then her father got a new job in Boston, and they moved off-island. ”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Do you keep in touch?”
He shook his head. “Not really. We follow each other on social media. She’s dating someone else now. Seems happy. What about you? Is there anyone you are interested in?”
“No. I haven’t been focusing on that. That’s why I was so surprised when Luke asked me out. I’m happy just getting used to this new school and making new friends like Kenzie and you.”
Teddy smiled. “I have a new beat I’m working on. Want to hear it? Maybe you can think of some lyrics that might fit.”
Lily grabbed another chip. “Yeah, let’s hear it.”
After dropping Lily off at school and her mother at work, Claire went home and had a second cup of coffee.
She had the house to herself. She opened her laptop and sent an email to Sloane to request an appointment.
She didn’t expect to hear back immediately, and after finishing her coffee, she jumped in the shower and got ready to head to the shop.
As she was about to leave, she quickly checked her email.
Claire, I had a cancellation this morning at 10. It’s yours if you want it. Either phone or in person works.
Sloane mentioned a few other times later that week that worked, but Claire immediately responded.
Ten is perfect. Am on my way downtown now, will pop into your office.
It was only nine thirty, and Claire was planning to go in early anyway to put out the new costume jewelry. She parked by the shop, brought the items in, and put some of them out before walking over to Sloane’s office.
Sloane’s receptionist greeted her warmly. “She’s expecting you. Go on back.”
Claire walked to Sloane’s office, with its stunning view of the harbor. Sloane was sitting behind her oversize desk and smiled when she saw her.
“Claire, come on in. Have a seat. Would you like coffee or water?”
Claire sat in one of the two chairs that faced Sloane’s desk. “No, thank you. I’ve already had several cups.”
Sloane leaned forward, opened to a blank page in her notebook, and picked up a pen. “So how are you? Has anything changed since we last spoke?”
“I’m good, thanks. And yes. I wanted to get your advice on something my daughter said. Ellis came to Nantucket this weekend with his girlfriend to visit Lily.” She filled Sloane in on what Lily had told her.
When she finished, Sloane looked thoughtful.
“I’m supposed to hear from his attorney this week.
As you know, their initial settlement offer was lower than I felt comfortable with.
I know you debated whether to accept it, thinking that he simply didn’t have the money, but initial offers are always a starting point.
We’re expecting a revised offer this week.
I will call his attorney today and ask for clarification about the new home and how it is being financed.
If his finances have improved, his revised offer should reflect that. ”
“He told Lily that things are going well and some of his clients have followed him there.”
Sloane raised an eyebrow. “That’s odd considering the way he left the firm. He didn’t lose their money too?”
“I guess it was just a few of his big clients. I’m really not sure.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll call you as soon as we have their improved offer, which should be later this week.
” Sloane paused for a moment. “I still think you should consider doing a forensic audit. My gut is seldom wrong about this, and something feels off to me. An audit is an added expense, but it may be worth it.”
Claire was unsure. She didn’t have a lot of extra money. “Let’s see what they say and how they improve the offer. I kind of don’t want to rock the boat if I don’t have to.”
Sloane nodded. “Understood. Forensic audits can get ugly, and it can make it impossible to have a civil relationship. Only you can decide if that is worth doing. And what it could mean for Lily too.”
“I’ll think about it,” Claire said. “What does a forensic audit entail?”
“We dig deep and leave no stone unturned. We often uncover things that you would never imagine exist. Offshore accounts for instance, property held under trusts, investment accounts that the spouse was never aware of. There are many ways to hide money. But there are always paper trails that can be uncovered.”
“I can’t imagine Ellis would do that to us,” Claire said.
But as she said the words aloud, she realized that she didn’t really know what Ellis was capable of.
She hadn’t thought he’d cheat either. And she’d always trusted him to handle all financial matters.
She never questioned it, because that was his career and he was good with numbers.
“You might be right,” Sloane said. “Let’s discuss next steps once we know more. I’ll talk to you soon, Claire.”
Sloane walked her out to the reception area and promised to be in touch as soon as she received the new settlement offer.
Claire walked slowly back to her shop. She’d had an immediate strange feeling when Lily gave her the address to Ellis’s new home. But maybe he was just getting back on his feet and doing well. Anything was possible.