Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“Your instinct was right,” said a voice from across from her. It was Raine.

She didn’t remove her hands. “I could have failed horribly.” Her voice was full of the tears that were threatening to come.

He put his hands on hers, pulled them down, and she looked at him. “But you didn’t fail. And you weren’t acting blind. You know him. You’ve spent a lot of time with him. You made an educated guess based on him. Not on a textbook case but on one man in one situation.”

Hallie blinked back the tears. “I guess so.”

“I know so.” Raine was still holding her hands. “You did something great for all of us.”

“How is he?”

Raine leaned the chair back, looked around the corner, then set the chair back down. “He’s laughing. He and Adam are watching TV and arguing about some really dumb thing a Montgomery is doing.”

“That’s wonderful,” Hallie said, but she could feel the tears starting.

Raine stood up and pulled her up with him. “I am ordering you to go out and get some fresh air. Walk into town and buy yourself something pretty. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Do you think he will—”

“Tell me you’re not going to ask how Jamie will be without you.”

Hallie smiled. “I guess not.”

“Go on. Go out through the tea room and no one will see you. The wedding is being recorded so you can see it later.” There was an eruption of laughter from the living room and Raine smiled. “When it’s quieter in here.”

Hallie nodded, then left the house through the tea room.

Chapter Sixteen

Hallie wandered around town, past beautiful little shops full of jewelry, clothes, and furniture. Part of her felt like she was floating. She had taken such a very big chance with Jamie. That she’d won seemed to be beside the point.

She kept telling herself that she must never, ever, never do anything like that again, but as Raine had said, this had worked because she knew Jamie.

As she looked in the store windows, she kept thinking about him. What clothes would he look good in? What would he like to see her wearing?

A window display of shoes made her remember his jokes about the flats she’d bought the day Dr. Huntley visited. Candy reminded her of how much he’d liked the chocolate-covered cranberries she bought him.

Actually, there didn’t seem to be anything that didn’t remind her of him. This morning when he’d arrived at the house she’d wished everyone would disappear so she and Jamie could watch the wedding alone. It would be just the two of them as they’d been in the first days.

But his family was nice. Overwhelming, yes. Invasive, maybe. Jamie had warned her about them, had said that if they got to be too much he’d send them away. But it had been fun to laugh with them. Dance. Celebrate. Participate in their happiness.

After Jilly’s wedding they’d all leave again, and she and Jamie would have their house back.

No! she told herself. After the wedding, they’d leave, then she’d return to working on Jamie’s body. But when he was well, he too would leave.

Then what? Hallie thought. She’d met so few Nantucketers that she’d be alone on an island, her job of treating one person finished. Her roommate would be gone. The only thing she’d have left was an old house with a couple of ghosts.

All in all, it was a daunting prospect and she needed to decide what she was going to do. Her first thought was to talk with Jamie about it, but how could she do that? Ask him what she was going to do with her life without him in it?

Not quite!

At the edge of the water, she went to a seaside restaurant, sat outside, and ordered a glass of tea and a salad.

“Hello,” came a woman’s voice.

Hallie looked up to see a pretty woman, older, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d seen her somewhere before and it took her a few moments to realize where. “Book covers.”

“Yes. I’m Cale, Jamie’s mother. May I sit with you?”