Page 14 of The Glass Dolphin

Kelli stood with Rhonda and Julia, and all three of them had brought their favorite dish and themselves, no plus-ones. Aaron stood near Eloise’s mother and Clara, who’d brought her daughter, Lena. Scott must still be driving the ferry, because he hadn’t arrived yet.

And Eloise didn’t see Maddy either. “Are we ready?” she asked, and several people nodded. “All right.” She held up one hand and the chatter started to dissipate. She faced west, the whole of Sanctuary Island spreading before her. The water swelled at the horizon, and Eloise loved this view more than anything else.

It felt like she stood on top of the world, and she always gained a bit more clarity when she took a moment tofeelhow far she could see.

“Welcome to the Friendship Feast,” she finally said. “I’m so glad to be hosting everyone at the Cliffside Inn again this year, and I’m thrilled to have new friends here with us.” She indicated the impressive spread of food. “Everyone brings something to share—something meaningful to them. Something that says Christmas or holiday or tradition. For me, it’s family.” She exchanged a look with her mother, then quickly refocused on Aaron so the tears wouldn’t crowd into her eyes and pinch her vocal cords.

“Let’s eat,” she said.

“Let’s eat!” AJ and Alice chorused, and that got the group laughing. Eloise fell out of the spotlight, because it wasn’t her favorite place to be.

She navigated to Aaron’s side and stood in his circle of strength. She wasn’t sure if they’d be blessed with a baby. She didn’t know what this next year would hold for her, for them, for their children.

She didn’t need to know, though Eloise liked plans and routines. As she let the vibrancy of life and friendship move around her, she let go of trying to plan everything.

And that was the most freeing thing she’d ever done, so no matter what curveball life threw at her next, she was ready to swing.

ChapterSeven

Ablaring alarm made Madeline sit straight up, her heart pounding as she pushed herself back against the headboard. Panicked, she tried to see in the darkness still surrounding her.

She lived alone. Ben hadn’t stayed over last night. Her kids had left weeks ago, and she was going back to Nantucket to see her father for an evening, and then she and Ben were continuing to Montreal to visit his parents.

Her adrenaline calmed enough for her to realize no one had entered her home. It wasn’t the security system blaring at her, but her phone. She scrambled to reach it on her nightstand as the alarm started anew.

She managed to silence it, and in the next moment, her phone trilled out the loudest, screechiest ringtone she’d ever heard. She’d never heard her device make a noise like that, and she stabbed at the button to answer the call. “Yes, hello,” she said breathlessly.

“This is Malcolm at Island Forces Security. Your restaurant, The Glass Dolphin, has had three—oh, four—windows broken.”

Maddy flung the comforter off her legs and stood. “I’m on Rocky Ridge,” she said. She’d been managing inns and restaurants for over a year now, but she had no idea what to do in a situation like this. Yes, she’d been listed as the emergency contact for The Glass Dolphin here in Five Island Cove, as the owners still lived in Nantucket and ran the original restaurant.

“Do you want me to call the authorities?” Malcolm asked.

Maddy appreciated his calm demeanor, and she quickly snapped on the lamp, her eyes squinting at the sudden light. “Yes,” she barked out. “Do I need to get over to the restaurant?”

“The cops will likely want to speak to someone in authority,” Malcolm said.

Maddy didn’t even know if the ferries ran all night. She didn’t think they did, and she certainly couldn’t jump in a motorboat and get herself there in the pitch darkness that existed beyond her window. “Okay,” she nodded. “Yes, please call the authorities. I can still login and see all the cameras, I’m assuming?”

“Yes,” Malcolm said. “There’s only one that’s broken, but we have all the others running. We’re getting good images, and the assailant is still there.”

Maddy’s heart skipped over itself, flew up to her throat, and then settled back into place as she left her bedroom, switching on every light she came to. “Okay,” she said. “I’m getting online now. I have to wait for the ferries to open.”

A quick glance at the clock told her it was three-twenty-eight in the morning, and the first ferry left Rocky Ridge for the direct-to-Diamond route at five-thirty.

Two hours.

She had to wait here and watch her restaurant from afar for two hours.

“Do you need me to stay on the line?” she asked as she flipped open her laptop, which rested on her kitchen table.

“No,” Malcolm said. “The police have reported they’ve sent two teams of officers. They’re en route and should be there in six minutes.”

“Thank you.” Maddy sat heavily at the table, trying to get herself back to a place of calm. She stared at the picture of her, Ben, Chelsea, Kyle, and Bea—a selfie the five of them had taken at their Thanksgiving feast. Ben had proposed a mere hour earlier, and he’d then brought out a fully cooked and ready-to-eat meal.

Maddy blinked, trying to focus.

Her phone rang again, and one glance had her picking it up quickly. “Hey, Teresa. I just got off the phone with the security team. They’ve sent the cops.”

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