saw a black SUV parked in the driveway. Even in the peaceful Boston suburb where she lived the rest of the year, she would’ve had a moment of trepidation alone about a strange vehicle outside her home. But since nothing bad ever happened on Gansett Island, Sydney pulled up next to the vehicle and cut the engine.
Her childhood friend, Maddie Chester—Maddie McCarthy now—got out of the SUV and waited for her.
Sydney let out a squeal of pleasure at the sight of her old friend and rounded the car to hug her. “Oh! Look at you!” Syd pulled back to rest a hand on Maddie’s pregnant belly. “Oh, Maddie!” They hugged again, both with tears on their faces.
“It’s so good to see you, Syd.”
“You, too.” Maddie had hair and eyes the color of caramel and a figure that resembled a pinup girl. “You look so good! When are you due?”
“Not until November, if I don’t explode before then.” She tugged on a lock of Sydney’s hair. “I love it shorter.”
“Thanks. It’s much easier at this length.” Sydney appreciated that Maddie didn’t lead with the grief. She’d received her friend’s cards and letters, and contacting her this summer had been at the top of Syd’s to-do list. “I’m sorry I didn’t call last summer.”
“No apologies necessary.” Maddie waved her hand. “But I heard you were back, and I had to see you. I hope it’s okay that I just showed up.”
“Of course it is!” Sydney linked her arm through Maddie’s and led her inside. Buddy followed close on their heels. “Can I get you a drink? I’m sure I have something that’s caffeine free.”
“Ice water would be great.”
Sydney introduced Maddie to Buddy, fixed the water and a diet cola for herself and led Maddie to the back porch. “Tell me everything! I heard you married Mac McCarthy of all people—only the island’s most eligible bachelor. You devil! Do tell!”
Maddie’s face turned bright pink the way it used to when Sydney would whisper to her about having sex with Luke on the beach. Some things, it seemed, never changed. She and Maddie had scooped ice cream together for three summers and had formed a tight bond, even though Sydney was a few years older. Before the accident, Syd had made it a point to see Maddie every summer when she brought the kids to the island to visit their grandparents.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the story.”
Syd smiled. “Not from you.”
“Well, Mac had just arrived from Florida for a visit with his parents. He stepped off the curb on Main Street, and I crashed right into him on my bike.”
“I heard you got the worst of the injuries.”
“Ugh, I was a scabby mess for weeks . While I recovered, he took care of me and Thomas—he was just nine months then—and he’s been taking care of us ever since.”
“So I see,” Sydney said, raising an eyebrow and nodding to Maddie’s rounded belly.
Maddie giggled. “He’s so amazing. I’d love for you to meet him.”
“I knew him way back when. I’d see him around the marina when I met Luke there. If I remember correctly, he was quite handsome.”
“He’s even more so now.”
“I thought the same about Luke when I saw him last night. Amazing how the men out here age so well.”
Maddie’s mouth fell open. “You saw Luke? Where?”
“Right here.” She filled Maddie in on Luke’s “visits.”
“That’s so sweet,” Maddie said. “How he came all those times just to check on you.”
“It was far more than I deserved after the way I left him without a word.”
“I’m sure he understood.”
“I don’t think he did. I apologized, but that’s hardly adequate after all these years.”
“Will you see him again?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. We were always such good friends before anything else. I missed him for a long time after it ended between us.”
“As I recall, it never really ended.”
“Not the way it should have, that’s for sure.”
Maddie reached for
Her childhood friend, Maddie Chester—Maddie McCarthy now—got out of the SUV and waited for her.
Sydney let out a squeal of pleasure at the sight of her old friend and rounded the car to hug her. “Oh! Look at you!” Syd pulled back to rest a hand on Maddie’s pregnant belly. “Oh, Maddie!” They hugged again, both with tears on their faces.
“It’s so good to see you, Syd.”
“You, too.” Maddie had hair and eyes the color of caramel and a figure that resembled a pinup girl. “You look so good! When are you due?”
“Not until November, if I don’t explode before then.” She tugged on a lock of Sydney’s hair. “I love it shorter.”
“Thanks. It’s much easier at this length.” Sydney appreciated that Maddie didn’t lead with the grief. She’d received her friend’s cards and letters, and contacting her this summer had been at the top of Syd’s to-do list. “I’m sorry I didn’t call last summer.”
“No apologies necessary.” Maddie waved her hand. “But I heard you were back, and I had to see you. I hope it’s okay that I just showed up.”
“Of course it is!” Sydney linked her arm through Maddie’s and led her inside. Buddy followed close on their heels. “Can I get you a drink? I’m sure I have something that’s caffeine free.”
“Ice water would be great.”
Sydney introduced Maddie to Buddy, fixed the water and a diet cola for herself and led Maddie to the back porch. “Tell me everything! I heard you married Mac McCarthy of all people—only the island’s most eligible bachelor. You devil! Do tell!”
Maddie’s face turned bright pink the way it used to when Sydney would whisper to her about having sex with Luke on the beach. Some things, it seemed, never changed. She and Maddie had scooped ice cream together for three summers and had formed a tight bond, even though Sydney was a few years older. Before the accident, Syd had made it a point to see Maddie every summer when she brought the kids to the island to visit their grandparents.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the story.”
Syd smiled. “Not from you.”
“Well, Mac had just arrived from Florida for a visit with his parents. He stepped off the curb on Main Street, and I crashed right into him on my bike.”
“I heard you got the worst of the injuries.”
“Ugh, I was a scabby mess for weeks . While I recovered, he took care of me and Thomas—he was just nine months then—and he’s been taking care of us ever since.”
“So I see,” Sydney said, raising an eyebrow and nodding to Maddie’s rounded belly.
Maddie giggled. “He’s so amazing. I’d love for you to meet him.”
“I knew him way back when. I’d see him around the marina when I met Luke there. If I remember correctly, he was quite handsome.”
“He’s even more so now.”
“I thought the same about Luke when I saw him last night. Amazing how the men out here age so well.”
Maddie’s mouth fell open. “You saw Luke? Where?”
“Right here.” She filled Maddie in on Luke’s “visits.”
“That’s so sweet,” Maddie said. “How he came all those times just to check on you.”
“It was far more than I deserved after the way I left him without a word.”
“I’m sure he understood.”
“I don’t think he did. I apologized, but that’s hardly adequate after all these years.”
“Will you see him again?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. We were always such good friends before anything else. I missed him for a long time after it ended between us.”
“As I recall, it never really ended.”
“Not the way it should have, that’s for sure.”
Maddie reached for
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