Page 68 of The Glass Dolphin

“I don’t want to wait that long,” Alice said. “I’m dying.” Her voice broke, and she clamped her lips shut. Robin reached over and covered Alice’s already fisted hand around the silverware. “I can’t keep going on like this,” she said through her tight throat.

“A party,” Julia said, the idea coming out of nowhere. “We need to have a party, like we did for Thanksgiving.” She leaned forward, balancing into her elbows on the table. “Because I know Jean isn’t going walking with AJ and Laurel anymore either. In fact, Laurel’s been getting her exercise in by doing yard work.”

“She does like yard work,” Robin murmured.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Alice said. “No one likes yard work.” They glared at one another for a moment, and then everyone at the table burst out laughing. Julia had never heard such a glorious sound, and as she settled back into silence, her party idea continued to grow and grow.

Maddy sighed and looked at Julia. “How do you know Jean and Laurel aren’t walking together anymore?”

“Clara’s been complaining about walking with Jean.” Julia shrugged. “I inferred, and I’ve been to the nursery to price things for the inn and El, and I saw Laurel there with one of those flatbed carts.”

“Kelli’s disappeared,” Alice said.

“Kristen broke up with Theo,” Robin said. “So I bet she’s lonely.”

“I think she still talks to Jean and Clara,” Julia said. “If I had to guess.”

“I don’t have to guess,” Maddy said. “I saw their names down for a reservation for the other night. Dinner.” She glanced around, her blue eyes full of worry. “I think their husbands came, but still. They’re getting together. They’re talking.”

“Can’t stop talking,” Robin murmured.

Julia dug her phone out of her purse and started tapping and typing and swiping. The conversation mused around her, but she broke into Robin’s explanation about Kristen’s break-up with, “I’ve got it.” She turned her phone so the others could see it. “I’m going to rent this boat, and we’re going to have a party on it.”

No one said anything immediately, but then Alice plucked Julia’s phone from her fingers. She studied it. Even swiped a little.

When she looked up, a spark resided in her dark eyes. “What will we call it?” she asked.

Once again, no one said anything. Julia looked at Robin. “You’re the wedding planner.”

“We don’t name weddings,” she said. “They’re just weddings.” She looked at Alice. “You surely had a monthly thing like this in the Hamptons.”

“Yes,” Alice said and nothing more. She looked at Maddy. “You were a congressman’s wife.”

“Yeah, and everything they did was formal and stuffy, with gold-embossed invitations.” She rolled her eyes, then focused on Julia again. So did everyone else.

Her mind spun. “Fine,” she said. “What about—something—uh—Springtime Sips and Dips?” The words just flowed out of her. “We can have drinks and food. Come as you are clothes. We set sail at three o’clock, and we’ll mix and mingle and then eat dinner at five. Back on dry land by six.”

She raised her eyebrows, looking for objections. When Alice handed her phone back, Julia took that as her approval. She looked at the boat on the screen. “All right,” she said. She drew a deep breath. “All right.”

“Don’t rent that,” Robin said. “I can get you an in for something far cheaper.”

“And we’ll all pitch in,” Alice said.

Everyone looked at her again, and Maddy nodded. “You’ll issue the invite.”

Julia wanted to protest, to askwhy her?But she didn’t. “Okay,” she said. “But I’m inviting everyone. Spouses and partners and kids too. This shindig is going to include everyone.”

By the time she stepped down of her proverbial soapbox, Alice was grinning and Robin dabbed at her eyes. Maddy only smiled, and their waitress arrived, out of breath and red-faced.

“Shawna.” Maddy got to her feet. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, ma’am,” she said. “I just.” She swallowed and glanced nervously around the table. “I didn’t realize your whole party was here, and Justina says you’ve been sitting here for ten minutes.” She gulped down another breath of air, then pasted on a smile. “What can I get you ladies to drink?”

Julia put in her margarita order and then focused on her phone again. After all, she had to word this invitation for the Springtime Sips and Dips just right…

ChapterTwenty-Five

Clara tossed a can of sunscreen into her beach bag and called, “Lena! We have to get going.”

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