Page 71 of The Summer Guests

“No. What I’mtryingto say is, I haven’t been ready to fall in love, with anyone. After Danny, I’ve been terrified at the thought. All the ways it could go wrong, all the ways I could be hurt again.”

“And now, Mags?”

She regarded the face she knew so well. The passing decades had deepened the wrinkles around his eyes and streaked his once-black hair with silver, but those changes had only made him more appealing than when they were both young and smooth skinned, their bodies not yet scarred by battles and heartache.

“Now,” she said quietly, “I think it would be a shame to waste any more time. Don’t you?”

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It was awkward, that first kiss, with him immobilized on her sofa, unable to maneuver his body for a proper embrace. And yet it also felt strangely comfortable, because she was kissing her best friend. This was the man who’d always been waiting for her, even when she did not know it. Their joints might be stiff, their hair turning gray, but lust was suddenly back in their lives. She could feel that familiar heat flushing her cheeks, could feel his hands on her blouse, unfastening the buttons. She didn’t know how far they could get on the sofa, with his leg in a cast, but they’d dealt with thornier challenges before. This was one they were both eager to conquer.

Then her doorbell rang.

They pulled apart, breathing hard as they stared at each other in wonder. She burst out laughing, and so did he. She was still laughing as she buttoned up her blouse, as she headed to the front door. She expected to find the rest of the Martini Club waiting outside, showing up with their usual impeccable sense of timing. But when she opened the door, it was Jo Thibodeau standing on her porch.

“How is Declan doing?” Jo asked.

“Oh, he’s fine.”He’s more than fine.“He’s in my living room, if you’d like to talk to him.”

Jo nodded. “I wanted to thank him. To thank all of you, really.”

Well, this was a change. Usually when Jo wanted to talk to them, it was to warn them to stay in their lane and out of hers. “Why don’t you come in? I’m sure he’d appreciate hearing it straight from you.”

Jo stepped into the house and paused in the foyer, sniffing the air. “Something smells awfully good.”

“It’s just chicken.”

Jo cast a longing glance at the kitchen.Does no one ever feed this woman?Maggie thought as she led Jo into the living room.

“Ah, if it isn’t Purity’s finest,” Declan said, and gave Jo a jaunty salute.

“You’re looking pretty chipper for a man who just broke his ankle.” Jo eyed the whisky glass in his hand. “Is that a good idea?”

“Whisky is always a good idea. This is purely medicinal.”

“How is the ankle, anyway?”

“Two months in a cast. It will give me a chance to catch up on my reading.” He cocked his head. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”

She paused. Looked down at her feet, and said quietly: “I wanted to thank you. And, I guess, apologize.”

“For?”

“Underestimating you.” She looked at Maggie. “All of you. I swear, my officers and I combed that ravine, all four of us. We completely missed those swim goggles.”

“Did you find any fingerprints on them?” Maggie asked.

“Unfortunately, no. We got nothing.”

“Except even more questions that need answering.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

“Oh, I will. So will my friends when they get here.”

“Another meeting of your, um, ‘book club’?”

“You know, sometimes we meet just to talk.”

She looked at Declan’s whisky glass. “Among other things.”