“So Alix would stay on the island with you. Izzy knows that if she told too much of the truth Alix would be here in an instant—as Izzy would do for her. Izzy didn’t want Alix to miss out on … well, on you.”
Jared couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt. “Listen, Glenn, don’t worry about anything. I’ll lie to everyone about everything. I’ll tell them Izzy is hidden away in my house and ready to come down the aisle. They won’t know until the last minute that there won’t be any wedding. And I’ll make sure there’s so much booze that the guests won’t care. As for the mothers, I’ll sic Victoria on them.”
“Thank you,” Glenn said, and Jared could hear the relief and gratitude in his voice. “I don’t know many famous people and Izzy says you’re the top of the heap in the architecture world, but if they’re all like you … Well, thanks a lot. Maybe Izzy can relax now. We’re going to fly to Bermuda to get married.”
“Send us a postcard,” Jared said.
“Us? As in you and Alix?”
“Yes. Alix doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to ask her to let me finish the process of making a Kingsley of her.” In the background Jared heard a high-pitched squeal, which showed that Izzy had been listening in.
“Okay,” Glenn said, “now you’ve done it. I’m going to have to drug Izzy to keep her from calling Alix and telling her.”
“Are you guys going to be around today? Can I call you later to work out some details?” Jared asked.
“We’re here,” Glenn said, “and again, thanks.”
They hung up and Jared put the phone back in his pocket.
He stood there looking out at the water. Until he’d said aloud what was going through his mind, it hadn’t solidified. But he liked it. He very much wanted to spend the rest of his life with Alix.
His first thought was that he wanted to talk to his grandfather, but he knew that wouldn’t happen. Besides, Jared knew what the man would say. “First, you have to ask her,” he could hear his grandfather say. The smile that came with that thought reminded him that his grandfather was going to leave on the same day that Jared was going to start his new life.
As he walked back to town, he thought about how to ask Alix and where. There was only one place this could happen. He had a friend who was an interior decorator and she could help with the first part of this plan. He went to the flower shop where Toby worked and told her what Izzy and Glenn had said and how Jared had come up with a whole new plan.
“Saturday?” she said. “Lexie and me?”
“That’s right. I have some things to work out with Izzy, but most of it has already been set up. It’s just a few people who will be different.”
“Just a few,” Toby said, joking at his simplification of what would be an enormous project.
Smiling, Jared kissed her cheek. “I know you can do it. I have to go. I have a lot to do.”
“I’m sure you do. By the way, congratulations.”
“She hasn’t said yes,” Jared said.
“Her eyes have and that’s what counts.”
He paused by the door and looked back at Toby. “Do you think we can pull this off?”
“Of course,” she said. “Lexie and I will do everything.”
The minute the door closed, Toby wanted to indulge in a few tears of exasperation—but she didn’t have time for that. Jared had said that under no circumstances was Victoria to find out about this, but this secret wasn’t going to be easy to keep. Tell one wrong person and everyone on the island would know.
Toby had only met Jilly once, when she’d thanked her for tackling the greenhouse, but the good thing was that Jilly didn’t know anyone on Nantucket to tell. Toby called her. Without preamble, she asked, “Can you keep a secret from Ken?”
“Probably not.”
“Then we’ll have to include him in everything, as I don’t have time for cloak and dagger. At least not for the dagger. Sorry, I’m rambling. Ken is all right but Victoria is another matter. Do you think you can keep Ken from telling Victoria a really big secret that has everything to do with Alix?”
“I think Ken might sell his soul for that opportunity.”
Toby laughed. “That’s good. Sort of. First of all, we’re missing a man. Could you possibly supply one?”
“Give me year, size, make, model, color, and I can find exactly what you need from my relatives.”
Again Toby laughed. Maybe what Jared had asked her and Lexie to do wasn’t going to be so difficult after all.