The Seaside Sisters

Chapter 35

Lucy called a week after Niall went to New York for his publisher meetings to let Hannah know about an item she’d seen on Page Six, the gossip page.

“Did Niall mention anything to you about Goldie Barnes? There’s a picture of the two of them going to an event at the Met and they were spotted a few times at area restaurants looking all cozy.” Goldie Barnes was a twenty-two-year-old supermodel who was impossibly tall, thin, and stop-traffic gorgeous.

“Goldie Barnes? No.” Hannah quickly looked it up online and sure enough, there was Niall with Goldie all glammed up and looking very into each other.

“Wow. I can’t say I’m totally surprised though,” Hannah admitted. “He’s never dated anyone for more than six months and things never got at all serious with us. He actually seemed a bit distant the last time I saw him.”

“Well, better to find out fast, right?” Lucy said.

“Yes, absolutely. On a different note, I’m so excited for you to come visit. Do you have your ticket yet?” Lucy was coming to Chatham the week of the Fourth. Hannah thought that would be a great time to play tourist on Cape Cod.

“I fly in on Friday. Can’t wait!”

Hannah chatted with Lucy for another twenty minutes or so, then made herself a cup of cinnamon tea and took it out to the sunroom where her aunt was watching TV. She had a stack of manuscripts next to her and looked like she’d just stopped working. Hannah filled her aunt in on the news Lucy had shared.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Now that I think of it, though, I have seen him in the paper a few times with different women, almost always models. I hope you’re not too upset, honey?”

Hannah shook her head and took a sip of tea. Its spicy warmth soothed her. “No. I’m just a little disappointed. He was fun company, but I think I knew it was never going to go anywhere.”

Hannah thought back to Joy’s advice and smiled. She was so right that it was good to take things slow and get to really know someone before ruling them out or falling hard. That way it was easier to move on when they showed you who they were.

She was excited for Lucy to meet her friends and family. She was coming for ten days and Hannah was excited to play tourist with her. It was always fun to see her hometown through the eyes of someone who had never been there before. It reminded her of how special Chatham and Cape Cod were and she appreciated how lucky she was to have a home there.

She picked Lucy up on Friday at the airport in Hyannis. Lucy was damp and sweaty but all smiles when she saw Hannah and gave her a big hug.

“It’s so good to see you and we couldn’t have picked a better weekend,” Lucy said. “It’s like a sauna in the city. Oppressively hot. It feels twenty degrees cooler here.”

A salty cool breeze blew by them as they walked to the car. Lucy tossed her bag in the back seat and climbed in the front, next to Hannah. Hannah gave her a running commentary as they drove down Route 28, pointing out various landmarks along the way.

When they entered Chatham and Hannah saw her mother’s house straight ahead on the right, she mentioned it. “That’s where I grew up.” They’d found someone to cut the grass and it looked healthy and lush.

“Oh, it’s so cute. Such a pretty place to live,” Lucy said enthusiastically.

She was even more enthusiastic when they stepped into Aunt Maddie’s kitchen and Lucy caught a glimpse of the ocean view beyond it.

“I can see why you love it here,” Lucy said. “This view is just beyond. I’d never want to leave the deck.”

Aunt Maddie walked up then and laughed. “Welcome. We love it, too, and spend a lot of time there. Richie’s out with his friends golfing and Sara should be here any minute. I thought we could sit outside and have some wine.”

“Perfect.” Hannah hadn’t been sure if Sara could make it when she spoke to her earlier. Tom was out golfing, too, and she’d been waiting to hear back from Emma as to whether she could watch the boys for a few hours.

Sara arrived a few minutes later and joined them on the deck. Aunt Maddie poured chardonnay for everyone and set out a bowl of chips, guacamole, and salsa. Hannah introduced Lucy to Sara.

“I feel like I already know you,” Lucy said. “Hannah talks about you so often.”

Sara smiled. “I feel the same. It always sounds like the two of you are having so much fun in the city.”

“We are. I’ve missed Hannah this summer. Can’t wait for you to come home to Brooklyn.”

Hannah felt a pang of homesickness thinking about Brooklyn and all the places she and Lucy liked to go. There was always something going on.

“How are things with Tom?” Aunt Maddie asked.

“So much better,” Sara said. She looked happier, Hannah noticed, more relaxed.

“Hannah told me about your week off. It sounds like that helped?” Lucy asked.

Sara nodded. “Tom came around totally after that. He even admitted it was good for him to spend a week in my shoes. Things are much better between us now. He’s more considerate and we’re going out for regular date nights now. I think that has helped a lot, having that alone time together.”

They had a relaxing evening, drank more wine, laughed, and ate the pizzas Aunt Maddie ordered. Finally, around ten, Sara went home and Aunt Maddie yawned a few times. Lucy joined her and they decided to call it a night.

Hannah and Lucy slept in the next day and got up around nine. They decided to go for a long walk along Shore Road and Hannah pointed out the Chatham Bars Inn.

“It’s so pretty, with those rolling lawns and all that white it looks like something out of The Great Gatsby,” Lucy said.

“I thought the same thing. I thought we could maybe have dinner there later and sit outside. We’re meeting up with Spencer, Natalie, and Adam at the Woodshed in Brewster after that to hear some live music.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll go anywhere.”

After their walk, they had coffee with Aunt Maddie and chatted in the sunroom. After they’d showered and dressed, Hannah took Lucy for a drive to Main Street and they strolled like tourists, stopping into the different shops, including the bookshop and Hannah’s favorite boutique where they had the cutest shoes. Lucy couldn’t resist and bought a new pair of dressy sandals.

After they were all shopped out, they stopped at the coffee shop and had bagels and coffee and said hello to Caitlin, who was behind the counter. Hannah introduced her to Lucy.

“You live in Brooklyn, too? That sounds so fun. I went to New York with my girlfriends a year or so ago and I loved the energy of the city. We had a blast. Though I have to admit, I prefer it here. The Cape is my happy place.”

“I can see why,” Lucy said. “It’s beautiful here.”

When they left the coffee shop, they headed back to Aunt Maddie’s and spent the rest of the afternoon on her beach, sitting in beach chairs and reading trashy gossip magazines and sipping bottled waters.

“I’m not sure I’d want to come back to Brooklyn after spending the summer here,” Lucy said. “How can you leave this?”

Hannah laughed. “Well, this is Aunt Maddie’s house and I can’t stay here indefinitely.”

“What about your mother’s house?” Lucy asked. “You could stay there whenever you wanted, right?”

Hannah had plans to go there the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, before heading back to Brooklyn. She and Sara and Aunt Maddie were going to go through the house, look through her mother’s things, and make some decisions on what to do with everything. She’d put it off as long as she could, but it had to be done before she went home. They all needed to go there, for closure.

“Technically, I could. But none of us really want to stay there. It’s my mother’s house. And it would just be too sad.”

Lucy nodded. “I get that. And I am glad that you’re coming back soon. I did worry a bit that you might decide not to.”

“Brooklyn is where I live now. Chatham is where I grew up. It’s been nice spending time with Sara and Aunt Maddie this summer, though. I do need to make an effort to get here more often.”

“Did you sign your new lease yet?” Lucy asked.

Hannah had forwarded her mail to Aunt Maddie’s house and the new lease had arrived just a few days ago. Her current lease expired at the end of September and she needed to sign and get it back to her landlord soon. She was planning on just dropping it off when she got back, and her landlord was fine with that.

“How are things going with Richie?” Kathryn asked. It was just past four on a Friday, three weeks after he’d come home, and Maddie was surprised it had taken her this long to ask. Kathryn had been straight out at work, though, trying to get things squared away before her yearly vacation, and she’d just been back for a few days.

“They’re good. We’re in a good place now. We kind of eased back into it and now it feels like things are the way they used to be. I needed to get used to having him here again, especially after what he told me about Laura.” She filled Kathryn in and she was quiet for a minute.

“I’m not surprised. I definitely picked up that vibe from her. It’s funny how things can look a certain way when only one person is feeling it. She was trying to will it to be real,” Kathryn said.

“I told Richie the same thing. He questioned himself and his ability to read a room because he never saw it, at all.”

“He probably just liked the attention and assumed since they were both married to other people that there was nothing to it.”

“Right. I couldn’t just jump right back into how things were, though. I needed to process that. He understood. He gave me the space and time that I needed.”

“I always liked Richie. I’m glad you two worked it out. So, fill me in on what I missed while I was gone.”

Maddie moved out onto the deck while still giving Kathryn an update. It was a warm, sunny day and it felt good to stretch her legs. After this call, she was going to call it quits and see if Richie wanted to get dinner somewhere. She felt like going out.

“Maddie, I’m actually going to be on the Cape this weekend, staying at the Chatham Bars Inn. If you have time on Sunday, I’d love to meet up there for brunch. I have something I’d like to run by you.”

“Sure, I have no plans on Sunday. Brunch sounds great.” Maddie wasn’t sure what Kathryn wanted to talk to her about. She knew that they’d recently brought on two new agents; maybe it had something to do with that. Kathryn often bounced management ideas off of her as situations came up. And since Maddie had been there so long, she was always happy to share her thoughts.

She sipped from her water bottle as she leaned against the deck railing and looked out over the ocean. There were several sailboats in the distance and a fishing boat heading back into the harbor. She was just saying goodbye to Kathryn when she felt a pair of warm, familiar arms wrap around her from behind.

“Have a good weekend, Kathryn. I’ll talk to you Sunday.”

Richie nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, “Are we done working yet?”

She turned around and put her arms on his shoulders and pulled him closer.

“I’m all yours now.”

His eyes lit up and he leaned in and kissed her. She felt a rush of happiness. Things were so much better now. It was like she and Richie were in the honeymoon stage again and she was in no hurry for that to change.

Sunday was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm. Maddie met Kathryn at the Chatham Bars Inn and they sat inside at a table with a view of the water. They both ordered the lobster eggs Benedict and mimosas.

“How was your weekend?” Maddie asked. She’d never stayed at the Chatham Bars Inn but it was so elegant and comfortable at the same time.

“Relaxing. I can see why you love it here so much. It’s a nice change of pace from the city. It’s stifling there right now. You know how the summer heat is.”

“I do. I have to admit I’d much rather be here this time of year especially.”

Kathryn took a sip of her mimosa and smiled. “You miss the city a little, though, don’t you? The energy of everyone working in the office, the great restaurants just a short walk away.”

Maddie nodded. “I do always enjoy my trips into town.”

“What if you could make those trips a little longer?” Kathryn paused dramatically and Maddie had no idea what she was about to suggest. She said nothing and waited for Kathryn to continue.

“As you may know, I’m no spring chicken. I just turned seventy-five this April and while I think I could keep going indefinitely, my husband and I had a serious discussion recently. He wants me to step back. If it was up to him, he’d have me retire completely, but I couldn’t do that. He wants to travel more and spend time with our grandkids. I’d like to do those things, too.”

“What are you proposing?” It made sense that Kathryn might want to slow down a bit. But Maddie wasn’t sure how she fit in.

“I’d like you to consider stepping into a management role. I’d like to be in the office one day a week, probably on a Friday or a Monday and maybe once a month be in for the week. That would mean that I’d like you to be here two or three weeks out of the month—we could work that out. And it would just be four days a week, you could have Friday to travel home to Chatham.”

The offer took Maddie by surprise. “I’ve honestly never thought about managing an office.”

“I think you’d be very good at it. You’re the most senior person working for me and you know the industry inside and out. And you’ve always been great with the junior agents, they think of you as a mentor.” That was true. Maddie did enjoy helping the new agents and they often called to ask her advice on sticky client issues if Kathryn wasn’t available.

“Would I still be able to keep my authors?” Maddie asked. She didn’t want to give that up.

“Of course. I wouldn’t take anything away from you. And you’d be paid a significant increase for the management duties. This is what I was thinking of…” She mentioned a number that almost made Maddie drop her drink. It was very significant. And it would be hard to turn down. But it meant a big change in her lifestyle, one that she wasn’t sure she wanted. She loved her life in Chatham, working by the ocean.

“Thank you. I’m flattered that you have faith in me to take this on,” Maddie began.

“It’s a great opportunity for you. A new challenge and a chance to stretch yourself. But I know you weren’t expecting this. And of course you’ll have to discuss it with Richie as it will affect him, too.”

Kathryn looked up as their food was set down. They were both quiet for a moment as they took a bite of their lobster and eggs. Maddie’s head was spinning. She hadn’t planned on ever going back to Manhattan again, other than the occasional work trip. She had very mixed feelings about this opportunity.

Kathryn reached for the salt and pepper shakers and added a bit more of each to her eggs. “Richie loves it in the city, doesn’t he? Just think of how much fun the two of you could have. And you could still go home to Chatham on weekends and one or two full weeks a month. It could be the best of both worlds. What do you think?”

“It’s tempting, of course. But I’m really not sure if this is the right move for me, or for us. I’m going to need some time to think about this and talk to Richie.”

“Of course. Take all the time you need,” Kathryn said. “But the sooner you can let me know the better. If you are not able to do this, then I’ll have to make other arrangements.” She smiled and cut into her eggs.

Maddie knew that Kathryn expected her to take the offer. It really was a fantastic opportunity all around. She’d be crazy not to take it. But was it really what she wanted? And what was best for her relationship with Richie?

She told Richie about the offer over dinner that night. They had the house to themselves as Hannah was out with Lucy. They were sitting outside on the deck, and were eating grilled bluefish that Richie had caught that afternoon and cooked on the grill. Maddie had been thinking about the conversation all day and went back and forth about what she wanted to do.

“What do you think about it?” Richie asked, when Maddie finished relaying the conversation to him.

“I really am torn. It’s a great opportunity, completely unexpected, and it’s nothing I had been expecting or striving for. But now that it has fallen in my lap I’m not sure what to do about it. Part of me likes the idea of a new challenge and being more hands-on with everyone. The other part of me isn’t sure I want to lose what we have here. I like my lifestyle in Chatham, working from home with you.”

“Well, I’m fine either way. So whatever you want to do, I’ll support. It might be fun to spend more time in the city.” He looked out over the water, at the sun that was turning the sky pink as it slowly slipped off the horizon. “But then again, it is so beautiful here.” He laughed. “I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision.”

He winked at her and Maddie laughed. And relaxed a bit. She had worried a little about what Richie would think of the idea and was glad that he really seemed open to the possibility of spending more time in the city. Now she just had to decide if that’s what she really wanted to do.

Maddie had three good friends over for drinks and appetizers a few nights later. She’d gone to high school with Alison, Jess, and Beth, though Jess had lived in Charleston since graduating from college and only moved back to Chatham a year or so ago when her marriage ended. Alison and Jess owned the bookshop and coffee shop downtown now. Alison ran it with her daughter, Julia, and Jess had an office nearby where she practiced law. Beth owned an inn at the end of Main Street and the four of them often got together to catch up over dinner or drinks.

Maddie picked up a platter of shrimp cocktail, which was easy as the girls all loved shrimp. Beth brought an assortment of cheeses and salami, and Jess laughed when she set down her offering.

“Caitlin made this for us. It’s a buffalo chicken dip. It’s decadent and delicious.”

Alison brought dessert: homemade brownies. They brought everything out to the deck and sipped chardonnay and ate everything while catching each other up.

“Well, I have big news,” Alison said. “Julia and Tim got engaged over the weekend!”

“Oh, that’s great news,” Maddie said. “And you really like him? I know you weren’t crazy about her last boyfriend.”

Alison made a face. “That’s an understatement. No, we love Tim. And I think it’s cute that they’ve been friends forever, but never looked at each other that way until about a year ago.”

“That’s wonderful,” Beth said.

“I have some news, too,” Jess said. “Ryan and I are moving in together. In about thirty days. We found a house we both fell in love with. It’s not on the ocean, but it is across the street and has great views and a huge yard.”

“Congratulations,” Maddie said. “Do you think the two of you will ever get married?” She thought she knew the answer, but she hadn’t expected Jess to buy a house with Ryan so soon.

Jess laughed. “No. I’m not ruling it out completely but neither one of us is in a rush for that. We’re happy just being together, and after one divorce that’s not something I want to do again.”

Maddie nodded. She understood that. She looked at Beth. “Any big news from you? How’s Riley?”

Beth laughed. “Not a thing. Riley’s good. Still loving living in the city. She’s been dating that lawyer for a few years now, but hasn’t mentioned getting engaged, so I don’t want to put pressure on her. I have yet to meet him. He’s always too busy to make the trip to the Cape.” She laughed it off, but Maddie knew it bothered her. She’d mentioned before that her daughter’s boyfriend was a workaholic. He was on the partner track at a Manhattan law firm. So that was to be expected.

“Well, I guess I have some news to share. Speaking of Manhattan…” She told the girls about her offer and for a moment there was silence as they took it in.

“Congratulations on the offer. That’s fantastic news—if that is what you want?” Jess asked.

“Yes, congrats. If you do go, you know we’ll miss you. But you’ll be back and forth, right?” Alison said.

Maddie nodded. “Yes, I’ll be able to get back here on weekends and for one or maybe two full weeks a month.”

“That’s a great offer. Do you know what you want to do?” Beth asked.

Maddie shook her head. “I’m so torn. I keep going back and forth.”

Beth took a sip of wine, then said something that really struck Maddie. “When you think about all the pros and cons, be sure to think about how you would feel if you pass up the opportunity. Do you feel relief or regret?”

Maddie felt her eyes grow damp as she looked around the table at her friends. “That’s great advice, Beth. I will think long and hard about that. And thanks to all of you for your support. If I do go, I will really miss you guys.”

Jess raised her glass and the others followed her lead. “We’re not going anywhere. We’ll still be here, even if we only see you once a month. It’s all good.”

Hannah, Lucy, Natalie, and Adam sat on Spencer’s back deck the Saturday after the Fourth of July weekend. He’d invited them over for drinks and pizza. After they finished eating, Natalie demanded an update on Michelle. “So, are you back together or what?”

Spencer reached for his beer, and took a sip before answering. “I gave it a try with Michelle. We went out a few times, but I just couldn’t make it work. I thought maybe I could. We had a great first date and I remembered how much fun she could be. But at the end of the day, I can’t be with someone that I can’t trust. And she broke that trust when she left me for George.” He sighed. “I told her that I didn’t think it was going to work out, but it doesn’t seem to have sunk in.”

“She calls him constantly,” Natalie said. “I recognize the ringtone.”

“My grandmother says I need to have another conversation with her. She drops by all the time, too. Usually when I’m not in the mood for company,” Spencer said.

“I dated someone like that once,” Adam said. “Total lack of boundaries. She did the same thing when I called it quits. Kept dropping by unexpectedly to change my mind. She showed up at all the places I often went, too, which was even more annoying. I let it happen for a while, so that was on me.”

“What’s up with you and Niall, Hannah? You haven’t mentioned him in a while.” Spencer shifted the focus to Hannah.

“That didn’t work out. We’re too different.”

“That’s too bad. I thought he seemed really into you.” Natalie sounded disappointed. Hannah hadn’t had a chance to update her yet.

“I was never that sure of him. He was fun, but there was always something a little off to me. He’s never had a long-term relationship. And I’m not sure he really wants one.”

The conversation shifted and they all spent the rest of the evening laughing and telling stories. Hannah thought she noticed Spencer looking her way more often, but didn’t think much of it. Lucy got along well with everyone, as Hannah expected she would. It was a fun night.

Later that evening, they stayed up watching movies and eating ice cream with Aunt Maddie. It had been such a great week. Hannah had felt like she was on vacation, too, yet she’d still managed to get some writing done in the early mornings while Lucy slept in. The book was rolling along now, finally, so Hannah didn’t feel guilty about playing tourist with Lucy. Hannah showed her all her favorite places and Lucy loved them all.

Aunt Maddie headed to bed a little before eleven. Hannah and Lucy stayed up an hour or so longer, watching a few episodes of Friends. They were both reluctant to end the vacation. Lucy was heading back to New York the next day.

“I can see why you love it so much here,” Lucy said.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Hannah agreed. “I always appreciate it more when I play tourist and see it through someone else’s eyes.”

“So, now that Niall is out of the picture… what about Spencer?” Lucy asked.

“I like Spencer too much to date him,” Hannah said quickly.

Lucy raised her eyebrows. “What on earth does that mean?”

“Just that I don’t want to start something that I can’t finish. I’m heading back to Manhattan in a few months and, assuming there was even any interest, I don’t think I’d like a long-distance relationship. And I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Didn’t you say Spencer’s own grandmother gave you some good dating advice? Something about not overthinking it and just enjoying each date as it comes?”

“She did say something like that,” Hannah admitted.

Lucy smiled. “I thought so.”

Hannah dropped Lucy off at the airport the next day and thought of what she’d said, when Spencer called that afternoon and wanted to see if she felt like seeing a movie. “I texted Natalie, too, to see if she and Adam wanted to join us, but I haven’t heard back. It just opened at the Orpheum and I’m dying to see it.” She didn’t think it qualified as a date since he’d asked two of their friends along.

The movie was an action-suspense starring Ryan Reynolds, and Hannah had seen the trailer and thought it looked good, too. She’d also been meaning to get to the Orpheum since she’d been back in Chatham and hadn’t gotten around to it. The movie theater was right at the start of Main Street and had been restored in recent years to her full glory. It was a beautiful building and felt a bit like going back in time when you stepped inside.

“Sure, I’ll go.” They made plans to meet outside the theater just before four.

Spencer was waiting by the door when she arrived.

“Natalie and Adam couldn’t make it. They have dinner plans with her parents.”

Hannah noticed that Spencer was wearing a shirt she hadn’t seen before, in a deep blue green that made his eyes pop. He was smiling and she suddenly felt a different vibe from him.

They went inside and Spencer paid for their tickets. Hannah insisted on buying the popcorn. The movie wasn’t too crowded and they found good seats in the middle of the theater.

The movie was entertaining and Hannah was on the edge of her seat the whole time. There were a few suspenseful moments where she actually jerked back in her chair, she was so into the story and startled. The second time it happened, Spencer laughed out loud.

When the movie finished and they walked outside, she laughingly apologized.

“I do that. I get jumpy in movies like that. If it was a horror movie I probably would have grabbed your arm.”

Spencer laughed. “I thought it was cute. You were so into it.”

“That’s how it is when I watch a movie or when I write a story. It’s like it’s totally real.”

They were too full for dinner after having the popcorn but getting an ice cream seemed like a good idea. And it was a warm night, perfect for strolling Main Street. They walked to Buffy’s Ice Cream shop and Spencer got a brownie sundae with hot fudge and Hannah got a big scoop of coffee Heath bar on an old-fashioned sugar cone. Spencer insisted on paying for the ice cream and Hannah accepted and said she’d get it the next time.

They took their desserts to a wooden bench that overlooked Main Street and people-watched while they ate.

Hannah didn’t ask, but Spencer brought up Michelle.

“She popped by right after we spoke this afternoon and wanted to do something. I told her that I already had plans with you.”

Hannah noticed that he didn’t mention Natalie and Adam. Maybe he worried she would invite herself along if it was a friend group going.

“How did that go over?” she asked.

“She didn’t seem to listen to me, at first. When I said I was busy, she quickly said she wanted to make a plan to do something on another day, but I shut it down. I told her she couldn’t keep stopping by and that she needed to move on. She didn’t take it well.” Spencer looked frustrated.

“She’s upset now that the tables have turned. Do you think she will really stay away now?” Hannah hoped so.

“Yeah, I don’t think she’ll drop by again. I made it clear that she can’t do that.” His mood shifted as he smiled at Hannah. “I had fun tonight. I hope that we can hang out more this summer.”

“I’d like that.” Hannah felt relief that Spencer truly seemed to be over Michelle. And she definitely liked the thought of spending more time with him.

A week later, Maddie woke up on a Monday morning and knew what she wanted to do. She felt a bounce in her step and she walked to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee for herself and for Richie, who was already in the shower. She handed him his coffee when he walked into the sunroom a few minutes later. His hair was still damp and tousled and he was wearing a crisp button-down shirt and his favorite seersucker shorts. He loved that he could wear shorts in his home office and be on Zoom video calls and no one would be the wiser.

“You look like you’re in a good mood. Did you sleep well?” he asked.

Maddie was sitting on the soft love seat that faced the ocean, sipping her coffee and smiling as Richie walked toward her.

“I made a decision. Finally.”

He sat down next to her. “Oh? And what did you decide?”

“Something Beth said resonated with me. She told me to imagine how I’d feel if I didn’t take the job, would I feel relief or regret. And I wasn’t sure at first. So, I needed to sit with the idea for a while. And as each day has gone by, I keep thinking about it and picturing myself doing the job. And instead of dreading it, I’ve been feeling excited about it. I think I want to try it. I don’t want to regret passing an opportunity like this up. But only if you really are okay with it? Are you sure that you don’t mind spending more time in the city? Kathryn said it wouldn’t have to start until the fall, so we can still enjoy the summer.”

Richie set his cup of coffee down and grinned. “I’m sure. It’s a new adventure for both of us. Let’s do it.”