Sarah Morgan - Some Kind of Wonderful

“Seriously?” Brittany peered into the bag and sniffed. “Since when do you cook?”

“Since I inherited a six-year-old girl. I have also learned to braid hair, make pasta necklaces and fix torn fairy wings. And before you accuse me of gender bias, I should tell you I’m also skilled at making pirate maps complete with tea stains and authentically burned edges, and last weekend I bought her a bow and arrow. A child’s version, obviously.”

Brittany felt a flash of guilt. “I haven’t even asked how you’re both doing. Your life went to hell and I wasn’t here and now I am here I’m talking about myself. I’m the most selfish friend in the world. Skylar updated me on your recent crisis. The journalist? Bastard. Why would they go after a child?”

“Because the whereabouts of the daughter of a dead movie star are apparently of public interest.”

Brittany nibbled the corner of the muffin. “So they came here and tried to trick the islanders into revealing information.”

“Which they didn’t, of course, because the islanders were amazing. Ryan was amazing.” Emily’s cheeks turned a deep shade of rose and Brittany looked at her closely.

“I can’t believe you’re saying that. The first night you arrived you left me a message saying you were on the first ferry out of here. You were threatening to head somewhere landlocked like Wyoming or Nebraska. I know you hate the sea. What happened?”

“I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would.”

“There’s something different about you.”

“This red shirt is new. Sky chose it.”

“It’s flattering. Better than your usual black. But that’s not what I’m seeing. You mentioned you had something to tell me. So tell me.”

“Today is about you, not me.”

“I need to be distracted from the pain in my wrist and my compelling need to kill my ex. Talk. And I want detail, including the brilliant sex I’m fairly sure you’re getting.”

Emily gave a choked laugh. “What makes you think that?”

“You’re glowing and happy. You’ve lost that white, pinched look you always had when you were with miserable Neil. I didn’t see it immediately, mostly because I was focused on escaping from Zach, but you’ve changed.”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s just a shirt.”

“I’m not talking about the shirt. Your hair is different. A little shorter and you’re wearing it loose.”

“There’s a new hairdresser up at the harbor. Her name is Hanna. Lisa and I wanted to give her some business, that’s all.”

“She’s good. Maybe I’ll book myself in. I believe in supporting new businesses on the island.” Brittany studied her friend. “You look happy. I’m relieved. I was worried. I felt helpless being so far away when you were going through hell. And Sky was stuck in Manhattan with the soon-to-be senator who suffered a sense-of-humor failure at birth. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Ryan.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“I didn’t give him details, just asked him to keep an eye on you.” Contemplating her friend’s dreamy expression, Brittany laughed. “I’m guessing he kept a very, very close eye on you. Next time I need to be more specific in my brief. I asked him to support you, not seduce you. Not that there’s anything wrong with comfort sex and I’m sure Ryan was very good at that side of things.”

Emily placed fruit in the bowl in the center of the table. “It’s a bit more than comfort sex.”

“How much more?”

“We like each other.”

“Of course. You went to bed with him. You’d never go to bed with a man you didn’t like.”

“Love.” Emily stumbled over the word. “I love him. He loves me. And if there was a seduction, it was mutual.”

Brittany hid her surprise. “Love terrifies you.” And she understood why. She, like Skylar, knew all of Emily’s secrets. “It always has.”

“Yes. But that was before Ryan.”

“Well—wow.” Brittany felt warmth burn out the chill inside her. Love wasn’t something that had worked out for her, nor had it worked out for her parents, but it was great seeing it work out for her friends, especially Emily who had avoided that emotion since childhood. “Seems like we have a lot of catching up to do. We should invite Sky for the weekend. Bottle of chilled wine, pajamas and full confessions all round. It will be just like old times.”

“Sounds good.”

Brittany watched as her friend pushed her hair back—hair she’d habitually worn secured to the back of her head but which now swung loose around her shoulders. “So is Ryan the reason you’re no longer living in my cottage?”

“He asked us to move in with him. We’re living in Harbor House.”

“His old family home? I love that place. The high ceilings, the views—it’s incredible. So this isn’t just love, it’s serious.” She caught sight of the ring on Emily’s finger for the first time and gasped. “Is that—? Holy crap, Em. How could I not have noticed that? And why didn’t you wave it under my nose?”

“Because you have enough to think about and anyway, it’s all been very sudden—”

“But if you know, then why wait, right?” She grabbed Emily’s hand and took a closer look and felt her eyes fill. “Em, oh, Em!” She hugged her friend with her good arm and felt tears spill onto her cheeks. “I’m so happy for you both. Two of my favorite people getting married and to each other! I expect to be invited every Thanksgiving and Christmas. This calls for a major celebration.”

“I wasn’t going to mention it yet. I thought it might be tactless with Zach back on the island.”

“Just because my own love life is in a coma and I’m tripping over my ex, doesn’t mean I can’t be thrilled for my friend. And I am thrilled.” She released Emily and wiped her hand over her cheek. “Look at me. I’m a sentimental mess. Where did he find that ring?”

“We went to Boston for the weekend.”

Examining the glittering stone, Brittany felt something stir inside her. Zach hadn’t given her a ring. At the time she hadn’t cared. Their impulsive wedding had seemed the ultimate in romantic gestures and she’d told herself that Zachary Flynn wasn’t the sort of man to buy a girl a diamond. It had taken her a while to realize it was just another sign that he couldn’t be tamed. She’d tried to create a bond with a man who didn’t understand the meaning of the word.

Letting go of Emily’s hand, she reminded herself that a diamond wouldn’t have sealed a relationship that was already cracked beyond repair.

“So if you’ve moved into Harbor House, where is Ryan’s grandmother living?” Agnes Cooper had been her grandmother’s closest friend. “Much as I love her, having her as a housemate would be seriously restrictive. No spontaneous sex on the kitchen table.”

“Agnes has already moved into one of the retirement cottages.”

“Leaving you free to have sex anywhere you like. Well—” Pondering, Brittany sat back in her chair and picked up her soda. “Everything changes. I turn my back for five minutes and my childless, water-hating friend has a child and is living by the water. And in love.”

“Not just living by the water. I’ve learned to swim.”

Knowing her friend’s phobia of the water and the reasons for it, Brittany choked on her drink. “You went into the water voluntarily?”

“Ryan taught me. I don’t love it, but I don’t panic. And talking of panic—” Emily helped herself to a tiny piece of muffin. “You didn’t know Zach would be flying you today?”

“No. The whole thing was arranged by a friend.” Brittany lowered her drink. “Do we know why he’s here?”

“Zach? No. Ryan hadn’t heard from him in a while and then suddenly he showed up at the Ocean Club a couple of months ago. He owns his own plane and he hires himself out for megabucks which, Ryan says, basically means he gets paid a year’s salary for doing a week’s work.”