Page 67 of The Glass Dolphin

“She lost her apartment,” Maddy said, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “Uh, Chris won’t pay for it anymore, and I’m not exactly in a position to help with an apartment in Boston. She’s got some options she’s working on, and she’s going to be staying at the house while Ben and I are gone.”

Julia nodded, something inside her wanting to help. “I’ll check on her while you’re gone.”

“Thank you.” Maddy breathed in deeply, and then blew her breath out. “So lunch with Alice and Robin?”

“I had the thought I should ask Robin, and she said they were already going.” Julia looked out her window at the few trees they whizzed by. The island had started to bloom, though there were still lots of trees that still only bore bare branches.

Julia loved springtime, and she’d never experienced one here in Five Island Cove. The true green season hadn’t arrived yet, and she couldn’t wait to see the islands come blaring back to life. She loved the renewal which reminded her that even when she felt beige and bare, she could look forward to a rebirth.

They arrived at The Glass Dolphin, and Julia’s stomach tightened as she stood from the car. She faced the restaurant, seeing so many things at once. Her memory threw scenes through her mind, and she smiled at the other times she’d met Maddy here. She’d had lunch with Alice here, and she’d met the larger group a few times too.

Liam had brought her here for a romantic dinner on Saturday evening, and their popular Sunday brunch.

She could see the windows after they’d been smashed in, and she remembered holding Maddy’s hand on the sidewalk as the general contractor went through the damage.

“Julia,” Maddy said, and she startled.

“Yeah,” she said, turning away from her memories. “I’m coming.”

They went into the Dolphin, and Maddy smiled and hugged her hostess. “We’re here with a couple of others,” she said. “So you can mark us off.” She scanned the restaurant, and Julia did too.

“They’re on the porch,” the hostess said, and she turned to lead them into the restaurant. Maddy knew the porch, but Julia didn’t, so she walked a couple of steps behind everyone else, finding Robin and Alice at a table for four which faced the ocean.

Every muscle inside Julia relaxed as both women stood, smiles etched on their faces. “Hey,” Robin said, stepping into Julia for a hug. “I’m so glad you texted.”

“I hope we’re not imposing,” Julia murmured. She pulled back and looked Robin right in the eye. Hers held anxiety and concern, and it moved through Julia like lightning. “I didn’t realize people were still meeting up.”

“They’re not,” Robin said. “Alice wants to stage an intervention to get everyone together.”

“We’ve done it before,” Alice said. “We just need to…” She sighed as she sank back into her seat. She and Robin had taken the two chairs in the middle, leaving Maddy to take an end chair almost across from Julia.

“I don’t know how to get everyone together without causing another fight like we had at the hospital.” Alice lifted her water glass and took a sip. Their menus sat closed over their chargers, and Julia didn’t pick up her menu either.

No one said anything, and Julia was glad they’d arrived before her, so she had a glass of water too. She took a drink, wishing she could order something stronger. Without a waitress nearby, Julia met Maddy’s eyes.

Then Alice’s. She raised her eyebrows, as if Julia had called this luncheon and had all the ideas needed to bring a dozen opinions together into a cohesive whole. She wasn’t even sure that was possible, but she didn’t want to say so.

“Okay,” Robin said at the same time Maddy did. They looked at one another, the tension strong enough to blow the windows out.

Julia cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said, and all three sets of eyes came to her. “I know Clara and El are on the same page.” She looked around nervously, but Maddy gave her a small smile big enough to instill some confidence in her. “Even though Eloise wants tourism to grow, and Clara is fine with the cove how it is. They don’t let it get between them.”

“Good,” Robin said. “So we can pull them into our plan pretty easily.”

“Well,” Alice said, and she shifted in her seat. “El has…something going on.” She squeezed her wrapped silverware. “She didn’t tell me what, but I found her sobbing outside the hospital.”

“When?” Robin asked.

Alice cut her a look. “That day.”

That day seemed to have marked history, and while Julia hadn’t seen El sobbing, she did know something was a bit off. Aaron had come to the inn with her several times in the past couple of weeks, something Julia had never known him to do.

“El spends a lot of time in her office, when she’s normally out with the guests, checking on the kitchen, all of that.” Julia didn’t want to gossip either. “Something’s going on, but I don’t quite know what.”

A beat of silence went by. “She’ll still come,” Robin said. “She was instrumental in getting us all together for Laurel’s wedding.”

Julia hadn’t been here for that, but she’d been through plenty of evolutions in her own relationships, namely a key one with Maddy, who sat right across the table from her.

“Could that be the reason again?” she asked. “My wedding is in ten days.”

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