Page 44 of A Nantucket Wedding

“Long, but good. Really good. I think I’ve lined up another investor. A big one.”

“Great! Have you had dinner?”

Noah stood at the hall table, flipping through the mail. Preoccupied, he said, “Yeah. Ingrid and I went out to Giaconda’s.”

“You went out to dinner with Ingrid?”

Noah caught the tension in Felicity’s tone. “Yes, and I often go out to dinner with Ingrid. She’s my personal assistant. She knows about everything that’s going on. More, in some cases. We both have to eat sometime, so it only makes sense that we eat while we talk. Don’t look that way, Felicity. You know Ingrid’s an important part of the team. A crucial part, actually.”

Felicity struggled to restrain her anger. Forcing a smile, she said, “Could you use a nice cold drink? It’s been such a hot day.”

“I’ll take a beer, but I need a shower first.” Noah headed up the stairs.

“You need a shower?”

Noah stopped dead, glaring down at Felicity. “Because it’s hot—oh, come on, Felicity! You think I slept with Ingrid? For God’s sake, why can’t you get it, how hard I’m working? Ingrid is mycolleague. Some things are more important than sex!” He stormed up the stairs.

While he showered, Felicity finished tidying the kitchen, a chore she usually enjoyed. No one bothered her there; she could be alone with her thoughts. She hadn’t known that Noah often ate dinner with Ingrid, and it upset her, even though she knew what Noah had said was true. Ingridwasa crucial part of the team. She had both the scientific laboratory knowledge and the skill to use this knowledge for writing grants.

Still, a thread of worry wove through her thoughts. Felicity knew she had to keep her jealousy hidden.

By the time Noah came down, clean and relaxed, wearing only his boxer shorts, Felicity was smiling. Without speaking, they both headed to the den, the coolest room in the house.

“How were the kids today?” Noah asked.

“Insane,” Felicity told him. “Well, Alice was okay. She played house and dress-up. But poor Luke. He’s a ball of energy. It’s too hot for him to spend much time outside, although I did set up the sprinkler and the water play table in the backyard.”

“The forecast is for more of the same,” Noah said.

“I know,” Felicity said, moaning a little.

—

The next morning when her cell buzzed, Felicity was still in bed. Noah had gone to work and Felicity was letting the children watch cartoons on her computer.

“Hi, Filly,” Jane said. “Listen, are you going to the island this weekend?”

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

“The Nantucket weekend forecast calls for sunshine, high seventies. You should come. Bring Noah.”

“I don’t know if Noah can get away.”

“Tell him Scott’s coming. The guys get along fairly well, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. They’ve never spent much time together. But if Scott’s coming, then I think Noah will be more likely to come…let me talk to Noah tonight and get back to you.”

“Come anyway with the children,” Jane said. “Please?”

Felicity couldn’t help feeling a rush of pleasure that her sister wanted to see her children. “I will.”

Felicity threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Suddenly the day seemed brighter. She was foolishly pleased that Jane wanted to see her and the children this weekend, and even more complimented that Jane thought Scott would like to see Noah. Scott and Noah were as alike as A and Z, Scott so stiff and judgmental, Noah so earthy-crunchy, but maybe the island could work some magic. Certainly Jane had been warmer to Felicity when they were on the island than she had been in a long time.

As Felicity showered, she decided she’d take the kids to the Children’s Museum today. It would be crowded, but the kids loved the exhibits and they could work off some of their energy.

She sang in the shower.

—

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