Nantucket Weddings - Pamela M. Kelley Page 0,2
are never a problem. They’re generally better behaved than their owners.”
They all had second helpings of the pasta and as they were almost done eating, Mia took a deep breath and broke the news.
“So, I’ll be out of your hair soon. Tomorrow, actually. Kate Hodges put me in touch with her mother, Lisa, who runs the Beach Plum Cove Inn and she has a room for me, at a rate that works for my insurance.”
Izzy immediately looked dismayed and set her fork down. “You don’t have to do that. I love having you here.”
“It looks like the renovation work could take longer than we initially thought. It could go for several months. I can’t impose on you guys that long. And insurance covers it.”
“I hate to see you stay in an inn, when you could be here with us,” Izzy said.
“Maybe Mia wants her space,” Rick said. “I can’t say that I blame her. This place is kind of small for three people.” Izzy shot a warning look at Rick, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“You’ll have to come visit. Lisa said they have breakfast every morning. It’s right on the water. We can go for a walk on the beach.”
“Well, if you’re sure that’s what you want to do?”
“I think it’s the best thing.” Mia couldn’t wait to move out. She would miss her sister, but Rick was right. The place felt crowded with the three of them.
Mia helped Izzy clear the table, while Rick went through a stack of mail on the counter. He’d been in a relatively good mood during dinner. But Mia felt a shift in the air as he opened a bill and stared at it a bit too long.
“Izzy, I thought you said you paid the electric?” There was an edge to his voice that Mia recognized, and she glanced at her sister.
Izzy turned off the water and smiled. “I thought I did.”
“This says otherwise. It’s past due and scheduled for shutoff on Tuesday.”
Izzy bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I could have sworn I paid that. I meant to.” Mia didn’t doubt that Izzy meant to, but she knew her sister was prone to forget things like that. She’d never been very good about paying bills on time, even when she had the money for them.
Rick pulled a checkbook from a drawer and angrily ripped off a check. He filled out it out and stuffed it in his wallet.
“It’s taken care of now. I’ll drop it off tomorrow on my way to work.”
“Thank you, Rick.” Izzy’s voice was soft, and Mia knew she was embarrassed.
He stared at her for a long, uncomfortable moment before finally having the last word. “It’s really pathetic, you know. It’s a good thing our power didn’t get shut off.”
Izzy didn’t say anything, while Mia glared at Rick. He topped off his glass with more wine, then smiled as if he hadn’t just been a complete jerk. “I’m going to watch the game in the other room.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, Mia refilled both her and Izzy’s glasses and brought them into the living room. They settled on the sofa and Penny jumped up between them, flopped down and looked at Mia expectantly. Mia reached over and petted her while Izzy clicked on the TV.
“I don’t like the way he talks to you,” Mia said softly. She didn’t want to get into a big discussion with her sister, as she knew Rick could walk back into the room at any moment. But she had to say something.
Izzy sighed. “He has his moments, but he’s been under a lot of stress lately. I think things are tough at work right now.” Rick had recently started a new job, as an electrician with a local company. He’d been laid off from his prior employer, and Mia couldn’t help but wonder if he was difficult to work with.
“Well, if you ever want a break, you’re welcome to stay with me. Anytime.”
Izzy smiled. “Thanks. It might be fun to have a girls’ night sometime.”
“Let’s plan on it.”
Chapter 3
“Nantucket Weddings. This is Mia.” Her phone rang just as Mia reached The Beach Plum Cove Inn the next morning.
“Mia, it’s Bethany Billings. I ran into your mother at the Met Gala last week and she said I had to call you. I just got engaged and we want to get married on Nantucket. Our family has a summer cottage there.”
Mia smiled. She’d gone to the Spence School, an exclusive private school on