An Invincible Summer (Wyndham Beach #1)(20)

“And a lot of people like to take their boats out at night,” Emma continued.

Maggie nodded absently.

“At least, they used to. Not so much these days, since we lost so many to the sea monsters out in Buzzards Bay. Used to think they were just fairy tales, but nope. They’re real. Huge, ugly, mean suckers. My dad has video he took from the bow of his boat a few weeks ago. Just barely made it back to the dock.”

Another silent nod.

“And they’re getting so bold, you know.” Emma took Maggie’s arm as they strolled along. “Snatched a couple of kids right off Emerson’s dock on Wednesday. Sad, you know?”

“Sure.”

“Maggie.” Emma laughed. “Where are you?”

“What?”

“You’re off somewhere. Your mind definitely isn’t here. What’s up? You need to talk about something?”

“Oh, no. I think I’m just a little tired.” Maggie averted her eyes.

“You’re the worst liar on two feet. So he rattled you. It’s okay. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“Maybe a little,” Maggie admitted. “I guess it’s been so long since I’ve been that close to him—well, it was odd, that’s all.” She paused, then added, “It was that damned dance thing. Who thought that would be a good idea? And Brett’s wife . . .” She rolled her eyes. “God only knows what she’s heard about me. What she thought watching us dancing. Grrrr.”

“Down, girl.” Emma laughed and squeezed Maggie’s arm before dropping her hand. “I’m sure Kayla knows all about you. She’s living in Brett’s hometown with people who knew you both back then and who witnessed everything but the breakup, which around here accounted for high drama.” Emma lowered her voice. “The golden couple who were destined for one another, and then tragically, they weren’t. Who—or what—came between them?”

“Stop.” Maggie laughed in spite of herself.

“Please. You have no idea how many times Liddy and I have been asked about what caused the breakup. No one believes us when we say we don’t know.” Emma sounded wistful, as if wishing she had been taken into Maggie’s confidence.

“Well, at least you’re not lying.”

“I can’t say I haven’t wondered, all these years. What could have been so big you couldn’t have confided in either of us?” There it was. Clearly, Emma had been hurt by Maggie’s refusal to discuss her breakup and sudden move to Philadelphia without so much as an “Oh, by the way . . .”

“I’m sorry, Em. I really am. It was something I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about.” She tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. “Besides, it doesn’t matter now. We’re worlds apart, he and I, and we always will be.” Maggie’s throat tightened even as she protested.

“You sure about that?”

“Positive.” Maggie drained her glass of wine and held it up to the light at the end of the dock. “Let’s go in and have one more drink. I think I’ve had a long enough walk down memory lane.”

That walk had been painful, full of emotions that had been tucked away in the dark corners of her mind and her heart for a lifetime, and Maggie’d had enough. She felt an overwhelming desire to shake off the past, to run home and bury herself in the present, her daughters and her granddaughter, her volunteer work and her teaching. Tomorrow was Sunday, and she and Liddy would have brunch with Emma, then hang out together for the rest of the day. Maybe drive to the Cape for dinner. By Monday afternoon she’d be home, and the weekend, along with its ghosts, would be behind her. It would take her a while, but she would shake Brett out of her head and get on with her life, just as she’d done thirty-four years ago.





Chapter Four


GRACE

The sound of her ex-husband’s laughter through her half-open door made Grace want to scream. Or cry. Crying might be better, since if he happened to push open her door and see her weeping softly at her desk, the full weight of what he’d done to her might finally shame him into forgetting about that little slut paralegal and remembering why he’d fallen in love with Grace in the first place.

Right. Fat chance.

Grace coughed, then rustled papers, hoping he’d hear, but he and his girlfriend just kept on walking. She wished she’d gotten her father to fire that girl before he died. She sighed. That wouldn’t have happened. Two years ago, Zach was still the faithful husband, still the doting son-in-law. Still hoping, no doubt, that Art was going to leave the firm to Grace, and therefore, by marriage, to Zach. But no one knew that shortly before he’d died, her father had changed his will, leaving the firm to her mother, of all people. Grace had been shocked and hurt, but in retrospect, she supposed it had worked out okay. Grace was still on the fast track to own the firm, and Zach . . . was not. She knew her dad had been about to elevate her husband’s position before he fell ill, but the exhausting treatments had pushed aside all thoughts of everything but survival.

She hadn’t known then about Zach’s betrayal with Amber, a paralegal she herself had hired.

Why the two of them stubbornly stayed at Flynn Law was anyone’s guess. Rumor had it that now that her father was gone, Zach and Amber were counting on Grace’s humiliation at the situation to drive her out, which only proved to her that neither of them was half as smart as they thought they were. Art Flynn had built this firm from the ground up into a highly regarded legal team. He had the goodwill and respect of the legal community in Philadelphia. Why would his daughter leave the firm she was sure her mother would eventually hand over to her? She’d already been humiliated beyond anything she could have possibly imagined. Everyone in the office had known about his infidelity before she had, had witnessed all the many ways she’d tried to win him back. Her face burned with shame every time she thought about the lengths she’d gone to, how she’d embarrassed herself.