Page 38 of Captiva Book Club

Ciara much preferred the quiet company of a good book. When she wasn’t working, she would read from morning until night. Initially, she liked to think her obsession with words came from a desire to perfect her English, but over the years, reading had become so much more. Books transported her to places she might never visit, offering a world of adventure and excitement that contrasted with the slower pace of her own life. Although she never considered her life boring, the stories in her books provided an escape into a realm of possibilities that she found endlessly captivating.

Tonight, in an effort to keep her husband company, she had her earbuds firmly in place, drowning out the noise of the TV with the soothing voice of her audiobook narrator. She followed along in her physical book, and occasionally dug into Crawford’s bowl of popcorn.

Despite their differences in entertainment, there was a deep unspoken understanding between them. Ciara respected his love for his television shows, and Crawford, in turn, never complained about her reading habits. There was never a jealousy or need to control the other, and she attributed that to their love, but also the fact that they were older when they married, each set in their ways.

As she turned the page, Ciara couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. She and her brother, Paolo, had been so close growing up in Gaeta, Italy. Their father had been strict, insisting they learn multiple languages—English, Spanish, French and German—so they could excel in the world. Education was everything in the Moretti family, and their father’s rigorous demands had paid off.

She remembered countless hours spent with Paolo, practicing their English in the narrow, cobblestone streets of Gaeta, pretending they were Americans on holiday. It was a game at first, but as they grew older, it became more serious. By the time they moved to the United States, their English was nearly flawless, with only the soft lilt of their Italian accents giving away their origins.

They had both adapted quickly, embracing the challenges and opportunities of their new life. Paolo had thrived in America, but Ciara often longed for the simplicity of their childhood, for the days when their biggest worry was mastering a tricky English phrase.

Crawford stirred, pulling her out of her thoughts. He got up from his chair, stretching his arms above his head, before turning to look at her.

“I’m exhausted and ready for bed. How about you?”

Ciara glanced up from her book. “No, I’m wide awake. I think I’ll stay up and read for a bit more,” she replied.

He bent down and kissed her forehead.

“Sleep tight,” she said softly, watching him leave the room, the familiar creak of the floor echoing in the old building.

She waited a few minutes, listening to the sounds of Crawford moving around in the bedroom. When he finally settled in, it was quiet. Once she was sure he was in bed, she quietly got up from her chair, her movements deliberate and silent. She padded across the room, slipping through the door and making her way downstairs to the store.

The clock on the wall showed it was ten o’clock, and the store was dark, save for a small light near the front. She tiptoed to the cash register, her heart beating a little faster.

From the pocket of her bathrobe, she pulled out Meredith’s wedding invitation. As she unfolded it, she read the details again. The elegant script, the gold foil accents—it was a beautiful invitation, the kind that would be kept as a memento long after the wedding was over.

But as she scanned the date, a wave of guilt washed over her. Luke hadn’t responded by the RSVP deadline, and for the first time, she noticed how close the wedding was—only three weeks away. Was it too late for him to attend? Had she made a terrible mistake by keeping the invitation from him? What if her actions had caused more harm than good?

She had thought she was helping, giving Luke the space he needed, but now she wasn’t so sure. The thought of Meredith walking down the aisle without Luke there made her chest tighten. She needed to see him with Katie on his arm. She needed to see that she’d made a mistake leaving Luke.

Knowing that her stepson was to blame for the breakup pained Ciara, because she had come to love Meredith like she was a member of their family. She wanted to yell at Luke and hug him for his loss. Conflicted as she was, there was no going back, and she had to accept what was done.

With any luck, Claire and Maggie might help Luke get over losing Meredith and find that there are always new beginnings and the possibility of falling in love again.

She’d already asked Luke to help her carry food to this Sunday’s book club meeting at the Key Lime Garden Inn. It would be the perfect time to have Katie and Luke in the same room, even if it was for a brief moment. Match-making was something she’d never attempted in the past, but she felt Maggie and Claire knew how to manipulate the situation best.

Slowly, Ciara crouched down, and carefully removed a few items from the shelf below the counter. She slipped the invitation between two sheets of paper, pressing it flat, and placed the items back on top, hoping it would go unnoticed until the right moment.

As she stood up and turned to leave, Ciara paused for a moment, looking back at the darkened store. She had always been a planner, someone who thought things through from every angle. But tonight, she wasn’t so sure of her actions. Sometimes, even the best-laid plans didn’t go as expected. All she could do now was wait and see if fate would be kind, and that there truly was a cupid.

CHAPTER 13

Emma Thurston Graham walked up the familiar path to Sarah and Trevor’s front door. She was excited to see her best friend and college roommate, and how Sarah’s children had grown since her last visit.

Her hand instinctively cradled her growing belly, a gesture she found herself making more often these days. The sound of waves crashing in the distance brought back memories of her first days on Captiva Island, where she sought solace and clarity. Now, nearly two years later, she returned with a different purpose and heart full of hope.

Sarah opened the door before Emma knocked, her face lighting up with a broad smile.

“Emma!” she yelled, pulling her friend into a gentle embrace. “You look radiant.”

Emma laughed, stepping back to allow Sarah a better look at her round belly.

“Well, I certainly feel different,” she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Can you believe this?” she said, pointing to her stomach.

Sarah laughed. “Actually, no, I can’t. National Geographic photographer, world traveler, never getting married, never having children, best friend? Nope, I didn’t see this coming.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders. “Neither did I. Funny the things love makes you do.”

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