Page 36 of A Novel Summer
“Yes, well, a rising tide lifts all boats, right?”
“Absolutely,” Shelby said.
“Great spot for an event,” Justin said.
Was he for real? “I guess I have you to thank. If you hadn’t shot down my request for a beach permit, we’d be at Land’s End instead.” She turned to Kate. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
She slipped away, carrying a glass of white wine. Her dress clung to her back with perspiration. She pulled a rubber band from her wrist and tied her hair up in a high ponytail, letting a much-needed breeze reach the back of her neck.A rising tide lifts all boats? Spare me!
Shelby spotted Duke chatting with Shireen Glenn, the head of the Fine Arts Work Center. She ambled over just as the conversation seemed to break up.
“Hey,” she said to Duke. “Thanks again. This was perfect.”
“My pleasure. After all, I have an empty house. So much space to myself. It feels good to share it.”
She checked the time on her phone. “I made a reservation at Sal’s for a bunch of us, including Anders.” She’d invited Colleen and Doug, but she said she had to go home and get her feet up.
Duke rubbed his jaw. “I’d love to. But I already have dinner plans. With Max.”
“Oh, I included him in the reservation. No problem,” she said.
“Actually, we were planning to go out just the two of us.”
“Oh?” she said. Then“Oh.”She smiled. He gave a little wave as if batting a fly.
“It’s just a friendly... Oh, never mind.”
She reached out and touched his arm. “Have a great time. I’ll entertain Anders.”
A quick look over her shoulder showed the signing line dwindling. She headed over, but was intercepted by Hunter.
“So what’s the plan?” Hunter said. She wore a white satin shift dress, Doc Martens, and a Swarovski crystal peace sign around her neck.
“Duke can’t do dinner but I’m going to check with Anders now. Give me a minute.”
She made her way to the signing table just as Anders was getting up, shaking one last hand, posing for his umpteenth selfie. His face brightened with a smile when he saw her.
“You were fantastic,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
“Thankyou,” he said. “Great crowd.”
Shelby couldn’t necessarily take credit for the phenomenal turnout, but smiled graciously. The audience included several acclaimed authors who spent their summers in Ptown, including Michael Cunningham and Julia Glass. The entire board of the Fine Arts Work Center showed up, as well as the town librarians, Land’s End’s regulars, and people she didn’t recognize at all but who lined up to buy books.
“We have wine and cheese,” she said. “Can I get you anything?”
“You’ve done far too much as it is. And I appreciate it. May I take you to dinner to thank you?”
“Oh!” she said. “I actually made reservations for a bunch of us.”
“To be honest, after an evening like this, I can’t handle more than a quiet dinner. I’m an incurable introvert. It takes discipline for me not to just run home to be alone.”
She smiled. She understood. There had been nights on her book tour when she felt completely drained after a reading and couldn’t wait to get back to her hotel room. Hunter would be disappointed, but it was, after all, a Land’s End event and he was the guest of honor.
“Dinner sounds great,” she said.
Twenty-Seven
Hunter nodded politely to the head of the Fine Arts Work Center, hearing her incessant chatter, but not listening to a word. Instead, she watched Shelby talking to Anders, trying hard to look like she wasn’t.
