“If Otto knew…” Susan paused, worried.
“Personally,” Darcy said, “I think it would do your husband a lot of good to remember how attractive you are.” She knew she could say more. She could tell Susan that she’d seen Otto “visit” Autumn at night and also the weekend that Susan and the boys were in Boston. But after all, maybe the visits were innocent. And this moment, while Susan was all flustered and blushing and happy, was not the time to bring Susan’s high spirits crashing to the ground. Plus, Willow was there. She didn’t need to hear Darcy’s suspicions.
The waitress arrived with a fresh round of drinks. “These are from the gentleman at the far table. The man in the red rugby shirt.”
“Thank you,” Darcy said. “And give him our thanks.” She turned to Susan, who was staring at her drink as if it materialized right out of the air. “Susan,” she hissed, “you need to lift your glass, smile at Red Rugby Shirt, and mouth the words thank you.”
Susan put a trembling hand on her glass and paused.
“Goodness, child,” Mimi scolded, “haven’t you ever flirted before in your life?”
Susan shot back, “Of course I have. But long ago, before I had three children.”
“It’s just like riding a bike,” Darcy cooed encouragingly.
Susan lifted her glass, smiled at Red Rugby Shirt, and said softly, “Thank you.”
Darcy had to force herself not to turn around and gawk, but she noticed that Susan’s smile brightened even more as her eyes kept contact with the man’s.
Finally, she looked away. “Now what do I do?”
“Drink your drink,” Mimi said sensibly.
Willow slipped her phone from her small shoulder bag and surreptitiously snapped a shot of Susan. “Should I get one of Red Rugby Shirt?” she asked.
“No!” Susan said. “That would be embarrassing. As if you were photographing some rare animal.” She hesitated. “Okay, this is enough about me. Darcy, what about you? How’s your love life?” She sat back in her chair, very pleased with herself for wrenching the spotlight onto Darcy.
“The truth? I don’t know….” Could she talk honestly about her relationship with Nash in front of Willow?
“Well, I do!” Mimi spoke up. “She’s got a hunk visiting her several nights a week. His truck is in her driveway until past midnight. Not that I spy on my neighbors,” she added with a mischievous grin.
“I’ve seen the truck, too,” Susan added.
“Okay, fine, I’m seeing a really good guy. Nash Forester. He’s a carpenter.”
“That explains the muscles,” Mimi murmured.
“The problem is—I don’t know if we’re going anywhere. I mean, I only started dating him in the spring, but he doesn’t seem to want to do anything but eat, watch the Red Sox, and, um, go to bed.”
“And your problem is?” Mimi teased. She continued in a milder tone. “So you know you’re both in lust, but you’re not sure if you’re both in love, is that it?”
“Precisely,” Darcy answered. “I’ve been ‘in love’ before, married before, and divorced.” She cast a quick glance at Willow before adding, “I don’t want to rush into anything. I don’t even know if I want to get married again.”
“But you want him to be in love with you,” Mimi said.
“Yeah,” Willow echoed. “You want him to at least ask the question.”
Susan frowned. “Willow, this conversation must gross you out a little.”
Willow shrugged. “Wait, what? I know I’m na?ve, but I grew up watching my parents divorce, and Mom dating a bunch of different guys, and finding Boyz, and marrying him. Not to mention that just about every friend I’ve had has stepparents.”
“Your mother’s very beautiful,” Darcy remarked.
“Yeah, and she knows it,” Willow shot back. “So she got to have a lot of fun, and she tries to make me live like a Victorian virgin.”
“There are worse ways to live,” Susan said. She lounged back into her chair and yawned widely. “I don’t usually have alcohol so late in the evening. I think it’s suddenly hitting me.”
“We should go,” Darcy said. “I’ve got work tomorrow.”
“But let’s do this again,” Mimi proposed. “It’s fun to share experiences across generations.”
Darcy shot an uneasy glance at Willow.
“Hey,” Willow told her, “I’m not going to repeat anything to anybody. That would be too weird.”
“My mother and I certainly never talked about anything approaching lust,” Mimi mused. Smiling wickedly, she added, “Fortunately, I was a curious girl, and enjoyed many opportunities to further my education.”
“Do tell!” Darcy pleaded.
“Next time,” Mimi promised.
14
Sunday was gloriously hot, without even a lazy breeze to stir the leaves.
Nash picked Darcy up in his red truck and they drove out to Fat Ladies Beach to meet their friends. Umbrellas in a multitude of colors had been planted in the sand like a garden of enormous flowers. Everyone was either swimming or slathering themselves and their kids with sunblock.
“Ouch!” Darcy complained. “Hot sand!” She was barefoot, in a new peach-colored bikini, with a frothy cover-up that was as thin as a petal but still one more annoying layer in this heat. Tearing it off over her head, she tossed it down on her beach towel and raced for the water.
Waves dawdled toward the shore, where the water was low enough and warm enough for kiddies to play. Darcy swam out into the blissful cold. She enjoyed treading water, letting her toes drop down and down, each foot of water colder than the one on top.
On the shore, Nash set up camp, stabbing the umbrella’s pole deep into the sand, spreading his towel next to hers, setting their coolers on the corners of the towels in case a breeze kicked up.
She lay on her back and floated, kicking idly, eyes closed, hoping the sunblock she’d applied would keep her nose from burning. The ocean was rocking her so gently, it was like a cradle. Flipping over, she swam farther out. She floated again. Random thoughts drifted through her mind…that memorable evening with Mimi, Willow, and Susan, laughter and wisdom, too…the volunteer at the children’s library who acted like a psychotic personal shopper for children, following them around, pulling books off the shelf and shoving them into the child’s hand, saying, “Try this one! This one is crazy good!” She meant well, but several parents had complained. But she was a generous donor to the library…it wasn’t Darcy’s problem to solve. It belonged to the head of the children’s library, Beverly Maison. Was she feeding Muffler too much? He was looking fat these days. Maybe—
“Hey.” Nash’s head emerged from the water. His hair was slicked against his head.
“Hey, yourself.” Darcy let her legs fall as she faced Nash.
“Do you have any idea how far out you are?” Nash asked. He seemed angry.
“Actually, lifeguard guy, I don’t,” Darcy answered facetiously, trying to twine her legs with his.