Page 18 of Before the Storm

“I have the nurses,” Josie offered. “And like I said, my stepdaughters stop by from time to time.”

Tara tightened her jaw. It wasn’t enough.

“Think about the water and the air and the Nantucket sun,” Tara begged. “It’s your home, Josie. Don’t you think you should be there?”

Josie’s fake smile faltered. She looked down at her skeletal hands.

“I’ll take care of everything,” Tara said.

Josie sighed. “I’ll come, but only if you agree to reach out to Mom and Dad.”

“I’ll think about it,” Tara said. “That’s the best I can do.”

Josie raised her chin and looked at Tara for a long time. Now that Tara was getting used to her, Tara was able to find her sister’s mischievous expression and the glint in her eyes. Despite the cancer and the treatment eating her body, Josie was still right here.

“All right,” Josie said. “But I’m only coming because I want to see one last Nantucket Christmas Festival.”

Tara laughed. “It’s the same as it always was.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

Josie reached over the bed to shake Tara’s hand. It felt formal until Josie burst out laughing, and Tara joined her.

Why had it taken them so long to get back together?

Why had they wasted so much time?

Chapter Six

August 2005

Nantucket Island

Josie spotted a shadow at the edge of the beach and panicked. Ducking out of the kitchen, she ran like a maniac and fell to her knees in front of the toddler, a toddler who ruled her life. Winnie cackled and threw her head back as though it had all been a game. Josie tried not to look too frightened. She tried to laugh.

“Winnie! Where do you think you’re going?”

Beside them, waves crashed, and seagulls cawed. The sea seemed especially violent. Why was Winnie by herself? Where was Donnie? He’d said he’d watch her this morning. He said he’d take care of her so Tara and Josie could get their work done.

“Aunt Josie!” Winnie cried, throwing her hands into the air. “Look!”

Josie twisted her head around so they could watch a seagull carrying a big lobster claw in its beak. Winnie giggled because the island’s animal kingdom was something she was accustomedto. She’d been born here, as had Josie and Tara. Maybe they were a part of the animal kingdom, too.

Josie scooped Winnie into her arms and hurried back inside. “Donnie?” she called from the kitchen. Her voice was edged with anger. “Donnie, are you still here?”

Josie sizzled with anger. But she put Winnie in front of the television with a pack of fruit snacks and tried to call Donnie on his cell. Donnie didn’t answer, not that first time nor the next three times she tried him. Unfortunately, Josie needed to leave soon. She’d agreed to meet Tara at the Nantucket Sunset Hotel, where they’d planned a wedding for a very wealthy couple together. Josie was especially looking forward to it, as she’d previously worked the front desk at the Nantucket Sunset Hotel, and she liked feeling that her career was moving in a prosperous direction. She liked wearing nice clothes and smiling at the new girl at the front desk and thinking,I’m living! I’m doing it! I’m further than I ever thought I would get!

Winnie was newly three years old and a handful. It wasn’t ideal to take her to the wedding. She’d get underfoot. She’d call out for her mother and cause problems. Josie loved her niece to bits, but toddlers were toddlers, and that was that. Where was Donnie? Nobody could ever rely on him. The fact that Tara still loved him and wanted to be married to him despite everything sometimes did Josie’s head in. They all lived together in that house on the beach, Tara and Donnie and Josie and Winnie, but Donnie was often not there. He was so often getting drunk or sailing with friends or playing music in some guy named Reggie’s basement and bemoaning the fact that his music career had never taken him somewhere special.

Sometimes Josie really regretted the fact that she’d called him and told him Tara was pregnant in December of 2001. It was hard to believe that was nearly four years ago.

She should have let Donnie go his own way!

Josie reached the hotel and carried Winnie into the foyer to find Tara up to her ears in wedding stress. Tara blinked with confusion at Winnie, then forced a smile.

“Mama!” Winnie cried.

“What are you doing here?” Tara said, hurrying forward to take her daughter into her arms. She gave Josie aWhat the heck?look.

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