Page 102 of The Secrets We Keep

I wasn’t sure how peaceful I could feel, staring at my husband’s name engraved on a memorial, but I moved on. “And he does all of it without sight?”

She nodded. “He wasn’t trained that way, but when his sight became compromised, he had to learn everything all over again.”

There was no sadness in the way she spoke. No sense of loss. Only pride.

“How is the island life treating you?” Molly asked.

“Great,” I answered confidently. “Ocracoke has been good for me. Better than I could have expected.”

“This place is magic, I swear,” Millie said.

“If I had heard you say that ten years ago, I would have fallen out of this damn chair and died of shock.” Molly laughed.

Millie made a gesture of annoyance toward her sister. “Ten years ago, I was a very different person.”

“And there was no hot British stone carver for you to stare at.”

“I do love to watch him work.” She grinned, letting out a dreamy sigh. “He is so ripped; it should be illegal.”

I laughed, doing a double take when a waitress showed up at our table. I’d almost forgotten other people worked here. The young woman took our orders, and I was relieved when I wasn’t the only one to order fries and a burger.

“Are you still going to the gala?” Millie asked after the waitress dropped off our drinks.

I leaned back in my chair. “Yes.”

“With Macon?”

I nodded.

“Macon Green?” she clarified.

Was there a different Macon I wasn’t aware of?

“Yep.”

She just stared at me.

Molly looked at Millie and shrugged. “I told you.”

I looked at the sisters, a silent conversation going on between them.

“What?” I finally asked.

“Well…” Millie’s mouth opened, but it was like the words couldn’t form.

Molly’s eyes narrowed. “I told you not to.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got to know,” she pressed.

“Oh my God. What?” I asked, now genuinely amused.

What were they arguing about? It kind of made me miss my own sister in a way.

“It’s just that he’s such a?—”

I laughed. “Jerk?” I offered.

Her body sagged in the chair like I’d just confirmed exactly what she needed to hear. “Yes, exactly. And Molly says that you’re so?—”

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