Page 11 of The Vineyard Bride

Chapter Five

Lola and Tommy spentthe better part of the morning and afternoon in that sun-kissed hospital room, digging into conversation with the wise and beautiful Beatrice and finding new ways to cope in the wake of the horrible thing this stranger had done.Mid-afternoon, Tommy admitted that he had to head down to the docks to meet with several sailing students, which pushed Beatrice to confess that she was terribly exhausted and needed a few hours to rest.

“I’m sure they won’t keep me here much longer,” she added.

“Oh!Before we go, we should call the Katama Lodge and explain that you need a bit more time before the interview,” Lola cried, drawing her phone from her pocket.

“Let me, honey.”Beatrice ruffled through her purse to find her address book, an old-fashioned thing, grabbed the phone by the bedside table and called the Katama Lodge and Wellness Spa.The sharp gashes on her arm caught the sunlight and played in contrast to how sure of herself she sounded on the phone.“Hello.Good afternoon, Mallory.My name is Beatrice Cunningham.Curious if I could speak to Janine Grimson?Thank you.”

Tommy and Lola waited with bated breath as Beatrice explained the dynamics of her current situation and explained that she could “probably” come into the Lodge the following week sometime, as she planned to be on the island for the better part of the month for her great-nephew’s wedding.“That’s right.Tommy Gasbarro!You know him?”Beatrice’s eyes glittered as she continued to converse with Janine.“He is quite handsome, isn’t he?He and Lola make the perfect pair.”

When Beatrice got off the phone, she placed it delicately back in its bedside cradle, lifted her chin, and said, “That’s settled.Janine passes on her regards.Apparently, the two of you are quite famous here on the island.Tommy, you always said you didn’t want anything to do with people or building a community.What happened?”

Tommy’s laughter was uproarious.He drew his arm across Lola’s shoulders and draped her against him.“You know what I’ve learned since spending more time in one place, Aunt B?People can change.”

“They certainly can,” Beatrice affirmed, snapping a finger against the small point of her nose.“You kids run out there, now.Leave this old woman in peace.”

**

TOMMY DROPPED LOLAoff at the Sunrise Cove Inn before he headed for the Edgartown docks, where Tommy planned to teach sailing lessons.Lola kissed him adoringly, her eyes closed, then leaned back to gaze at his tanned face and broad shoulders.She couldn’t tell him over and over again how handsome he was, could she?It was too much.

“I’m just so glad she’s okay,” Lola breathed.

“Me too.”Tommy shook his head delicately.“I can’t believe she never mentioned she was coming into town early.”

“She sounds like she’s a woman on the brink of building a brand-new life,” Lola countered.“She probably didn’t want anyone’s advice yet.”

“And now, she’s locked away in a hospital bed.”

“That isn’t her fault.”

“Didn’t you say that Sam saw the license plate?”Tommy asked.

“He sure did, and he gave it to the police,” Lola told him.“I wonder what’s going on with that.”

“Check, will you?”

Lola agreed.She then stretched herself over the middle of the truck and kissed him a final time before whispering, “I swear to God, Tommy, you’d better drive safe.”

Lola slid out of the truck and headed for the front desk of the Sunrise Cove.The walk from the street in front of it, through that glorious old-fashioned front door, was a walk she’d performed upward of a million times.If she gave herself permission for a split second, she could imagine that Anna Sheridan, her mother, would appear at the front desk, ready with a big platter of cookies or a hug.

Instead, Sam and Amanda peered back from the other side of the desk.Their eyes were enormous, proof they were still shellshocked from the accident the night before.

“How are you holding up, you two?”Lola asked tenderly, dropping her elbows on the front desk.

“It’s good to be here.It keeps our minds off of everything,” Amanda returned.“How is Aunt Beatrice?I can’t believe she was that woman in the other car.”Her eyes became stormy, dipping back into the memories from the previous night.

“She’s doing just fine,” Lola returned.“I’d never met her before, but she seems like a spitfire if I ever met one.She’s in her sixties, but her mind is sharp as a tack.”

Amanda’s smile widened.

“Does she remember the accident?”Sam asked.

“No.Nothing at all,” Lola affirmed.“Which is probably for the best.”

“Yeah.It’s still weird to have lost this huge chunk of time, though,” Sam countered.

“Mom!”Audrey appeared in the hallway between the Sunrise Cove Bistro and the Sunrise Cove Inn itself, carrying little Max in her arms and jumping around excitedly.“I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

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