Page 35 of The Summer We Started Over

“Think of it this way, it would be good advertising for me.”

Oh, Barrett thought. Of course. He was networking.

“Don’t you have lots of work scheduled?”

“I do. But I can fit this in.” Reaching out, he put his hand on her arm near her elbow. His touch was light and warm. “I’d like to do this for you. I know how important it is to get all the business you can in the summer. We islanders should help each other.”

Barrett stammered, “I…I’m…not an islander, really.”

Paul shrugged. “I’ve noticed you’re here in the winter.”

Hehad? Barrett knew she was glowing with pleasure. “I’ve only lived here three years. To be honest, I thought islanders resented newcomers.”

“Only the arrogant ones,” Paul told her. “I’ll make a quarterboard for you. If you like it, you can take me out to dinner at Crosswinds.”

Barrett laughed. “It’s a deal.”

“Paul,” Jeff yelled from the barn. “Are you planning to work today?”

“I’m on it!” Paul shouted back. To Barrett, he said, “I’ll have it for you in a couple of days.” He walked off to the truck to heft a stack of boards onto his shoulder.

Eddie approached. “We can’t stand here watching their muscles flex. Let’s get busy on the books.”

“Eddie,” Barrett whispered, “I’d like to get busy with Paul.”

Eddie laughed and linked her arm around Barrett’s neck. “Let him get the work done first.”

They returned to the dining room and seated themselves on the floor in front of the piece of furniture they still referred to as “Grandmother’s china cupboard.”

“Look at these!” Eddie cried. “All these children’s books.Cat in the Hat. The Runaway Bunny.”

Barrett picked upWhere the Wild Things Areand ran her hand lovingly over the cover. “Mom used to read these to us every night and when we were sick.”

Eddie said, “Well, we don’t need them anymore. Hand me that cardboard box.”

Barrett flinched. “We can’t get rid of these books! We’ll read them to our children.”

“I’m not having children, remember?” Eddie put some books into the box.

“You’ll change your mind,” Barrett argued.

“No, I won’t.” Eddie bit her lip. “I refuse to be the kind of mother our mom was.”

“You wouldn’t be like her, Eddie,” Barrett protested. “You’re totally different.” She smoothed the book cover. “You’ll change your mind someday.”

Eddie ignored her. She moved over to the books piled on the dining room chairs. “Let’s look over here,” she called. “They’re not in categories, so we have to go through them individually.”

Barrett rose and joined Eddie.

“Now here’s a winner!” Barrett held the book up for Eddie to see. “How to Avoid Huge Ships.”

Eddie grinned. “I know. Jimmy Fallon talked about it on his show. It’s a serious book for yachtsmen. Although Dad’s never been interested in boats. That can go.”

Barrett bashed open a brown paper bag, dropped the book in, and picked up another. “How to Make Macrame Dresses.”

“That was Mom’s,” Eddie said. “I remember it.”

For a moment, both sisters gazed at the book, as if it were some kind of message from their mother.

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