Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
B illy’s flight from New York arrived Thursday night a little after six.
Jill smiled when she saw the familiar tall, lean figure get off the plane and walk toward her.
He left his power suit at home and looked comfortable and still very handsome in faded jeans, a navy button-down shirt, and a chocolate-brown leather jacket.
He grinned when he saw her and pulled her into a bear hug that lifted her in the air.
“Is Nantucket ready for me?” he asked as he set her back down.
She laughed. “That remains to be seen.”
They walked to the luggage area where a baggage handler was wheeling out a rack of bags. Billy spotted his duffel bag and grabbed it.
“You just have the one bag?”
“I’m only here for a few days. Though you’d probably need a bag just for your shoes?” He knew her well.
She smacked his arm. “Very funny. Let’s go.”
They put Billy’s bag in the back seat of Grams’s white Volvo sedan, and Jill drove them home. The house was quiet when they walked in.
“Where’s Emma?” Billy asked.
“She’s working tonight. We’ll see her later or tomorrow morning. Mandy says hello too. We thought we might all do brunch with you on Sunday before you head out?”
“Great. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them.”
“Are you hungry? I thought we could get some takeout and just relax in tonight. Maybe go sightseeing on Saturday and out to a restaurant after work tomorrow?”
Billy set his bag down and flopped into a chair at the kitchen table.
“That sounds good to me, and I could eat.”
Jill laughed. She knew that was Billy’s way of saying he was starving. She fished a Thai takeout menu out of a drawer and handed it to him. “Take a look, and let me know what sounds good. I have some wine and cheese and crackers we can snack on for now.”
She opened a bottle of cabernet, poured a glass for each of them, and set out a plate with a container of creamy pub cheese, a block of cheddar, and an assortment of crackers.
A few minutes later, she called in the order for Thai delivery and settled at the table across from Billy, who was slathering pub cheese on a cracker.
They talked shop for the next hour while they waited for their food to be delivered.
Billy caught her up on everything going on in the office, and once they finished dinner, they opened a second bottle of wine and spent the rest of the night laughing and talking about everything under the sun.
Jill realized how much she’d missed Billy’s company.
More than anything, they really were best friends and often finished each other’s sentences.
The thought crossed her mind, when their hands accidentally brushed against each other and Billy immediately jumped and apologized, that there was absolutely no vibe between them.
And there likely never would be. But if Billy was never going to be more than a best friend and business partner, she was okay with that.
And she was looking forward to working with him the next day.
When Emma got home a little before eleven, she poured herself a glass of wine and joined them. They were still sitting around the kitchen table. Jill put out some fresh cheese and crackers in case anyone felt like snacking again. Billy and Emma immediately reached for them.
“Was it busy tonight?” Jill asked.
Emma nodded, her mouth full. “We were steady. It seemed pretty good for a Thursday night. Paul tried out a few new menu items as specials, and they went over well.”
“Oh, what did he make?” Jill suddenly felt hungry at the mention of food and reached for a cracker and a slice of cheese.
“A lobster pot pie, lobster mac and cheese, and tater tots smothered in short ribs, melted cheese, and sour cream. They were all ridiculously good.”
“Luxurious comfort food. I like it.” Jill thought it all sounded amazing, and she knew how good the short ribs were.
“Can we go there for dinner tomorrow night?” Billy asked.
“We could. I’d love to get your feedback on the restaurant too.”
They chatted for almost another hour before Emma started yawning, and it started a chain reaction.
“I’m going to head up.” Emma stood and rinsed her glass in the sink.
“I think I’m about ready to call it a night too,” Jill said.
“Sounds good to me,” Billy agreed.
Jill led Billy upstairs to one of the extra bedrooms and showed him where the linen closet was.
“Jump in the shower whenever you feel like it tomorrow. I’ll be up early, and coffee will be ready when you are.”
Billy grinned and pulled Jill in for a hug. “The service is good here! Thanks for everything. I’ll see you in the a.m.”
Even after a late night and several glasses of wine, Jill was still an early riser and rolled out of bed the next day a little before six.
Emma and Billy were still sleeping, so she made her way quietly downstairs, fired up her laptop, and made a cup of coffee.
She always loved the early morning hours when she could savor her coffee while she browsed the news online and looked through her email.
Billy came down an hour later, laptop in hand. He’d already showered and was in an old T-shirt and sweats with damp hair.
“Help yourself to coffee. Sugar and K-Cups are by the machine, cream is in the fridge, and coffee mugs in the cupboard by the sink.”
Billy silently made himself a cup of coffee and joined her at the kitchen table.
“If you’re hungry, there are bagels and eggs.”
“I’m good with coffee for now, thanks.”
“I was thinking we can do a Zoom call with the office at eight thirty and have a mini job-order meeting. What do you think?”
He grinned. “Great idea. They were teasing me yesterday about taking today off and slacking. I told them we were working here today.”
Jill set up the Zoom call and had everyone in the New York office dial in at eight thirty, and after a few minutes of joking around, they had a lively and productive meeting.
Billy had a new client and several really hot jobs, and as he talked about them, everyone, including Jill, got excited to work on the searches and to see who they might already be working with who could be a good fit.
When Emma came down to the kitchen a little after ten, she stopped short when she saw both Jill and Billy on their phones and typing away on their computers.
She made herself a coffee and a bagel and took both of them back upstairs to get away from the chaos in the kitchen.
Jill had to laugh, knowing how loud they could get and how energetic.
At times, Billy paced around the kitchen, gesturing with his hands while talking to a candidate.
When they were both off the phone, they had several fires to put out and situations to discuss. It was fast-paced and exciting, and Jill loved every minute of it. She and Billy both fed off the energy of the other, and it made them both work better.
When they stopped for lunch, Jill made turkey sandwiches, and they ate quickly while they worked.
The rest of the day flew by until about four o’clock when the madness stopped and they both took a breath and called it a day as Emma left to head into the restaurant.
They told her to save them a table if she could.
“That was wild,” Billy said, shutting his laptop.
Jill was still on a high from a fun, productive day. “It was awesome. We always did work well together. I really miss the energy of the office,” she admitted.
Billy frowned. “You know we all miss you too. Can you cut this experiment short? Can’t your sisters cover for you maybe?”
Jill shook her head. “No, I really can’t.
Remember the terms of the will? We all have to be here for at least a year together.
” She sighed. “It’s really not that bad.
And a year will go by fast. When I’m able to, I’ll come back more often, maybe on a Wednesday night and work in the office Thursday and Friday, then come back here for the weekend. ”
“Or you could come Thursday night and stay through the weekend…” Billy wore a teasing grin.
Jill laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Is it time for Friday happy hour yet?”
“Almost. I haven’t showered yet today. I should probably do that, and then maybe we can walk into town and grab a drink at the Club Car and eventually make our way over to Mimi’s Place.”
“I’m going to take a power nap then. That sofa in the living room is calling to me. I’ll be ready to go when you are.”
Jill went upstairs and took her time showering and getting ready.
She knew Billy was good for a solid hour nap.
He could fall asleep anywhere easily. It was a little cool out, so she decided on a soft cashmere V-neck sweater in a pretty burgundy shade and her favorite slim jeans and charcoal-gray cowboy boots.
She blew her hair dry and used a curling iron to add a few waves here and there.
Billy sat up when he heard her footsteps coming down the stairs. Her boots were loud against the hard wood floors.
They walked to Main Street and down to the Club Car.
It was just a little after five but already getting busy; lots of people were eager for after-work Friday cocktails.
Jill found two seats at the end of the bar, and they settled in.
Once they had their drinks, a cabernet for Jill and a Jack and Coke for Billy, they looked around at the parade of people walking along Main Street.
“This is a busy place,” Billy commented.
“Weekends are always busy here. And I think one of the ferries must have just landed.” They saw people strolling along the wharf with luggage. The atmosphere in the Club Car was festive. People were happy to be done with work for the week, or they were on vacation, even if just for the weekend.
“I can see why you like it here. It’s a beautiful place,” Billy said.