“Seriously?” Nicole looked skeptical.

“Have you ever done this before?” Avery had gone up on her knees on the seat and was clutching the rail as if already bracing for impact.

“Not exactly.” In truth Maddie had never had a chance to practice the maneuver; she’d only listened to Hudson explaining the steps and she wasn’t entirely sure whether the motor was supposed to get tilted up before or after she nosed the boat onto the beach, but she didn’t want to worry them. Surely this would be easier than docking—a skill at which she did not excel.

She chose the opposite end of the beach from the other boats, just in case she miscalculated. Then she did her best to tune out everything but the speed of the boat and the rapidly approaching sand.

“Here goes,” she muttered as she cut the engine and then held her breath as the boat continued under its own momentum. She may have briefly closed her eyes and offered up a brief silent prayer as she grasped the lever that enabled her to tilt up the motor. She was still praying silently, but fervently, as the bow of the boat encountered land. And then gently, mercifully, and quite miraculously it slid up onto the beach and stopped just as she’d hoped, er, planned.

“You did it!” Nicole crowed.

“Way to go, Madeline Singer!” Avery pumped her fist.

Maddie raised both arms into the air like an Olympic runner bursting past the finish line. Satisfaction and adrenaline coursed through her. From above on the upper railing of the restaurant there was a round of applause.

“What happens now?”

Maddie reined in her jubilation. “Grab the anchor next to your feet. We need to use it to secure the boat to the beach.”

Avery bent down to pick up the anchor while Nicole scrambled out of the boat. The short dress and high heels didn’t help. When she finally made it over the side and onto the beach, one heel sank deep into the sand. There was a chorus of appreciative whistles from the second-floor balcony as she bent over to pry it loose.

Avery made it off with slightly more dignity and plunged the anchor into the sand.

Maddie climbed off the bow and offered Deirdre a hand, all of them far too aware of their audience. But as she and Avery let out enough rope so that the boat would float just offshore, Maddie flushed with satisfaction. They settled at a table on the beach. Maddie chose a seat with a view of their boat and across the water to Mermaid Point. As they ordered a bottle of wine and selected appetizers, she let go of her anxiety about the return trip.

As the designated driver, Maddie didn’t partake of the first bottle of wine or the round of shooters that arrived with the conch fritters, crab cakes, and coconut shrimp.

“Here’s to Maddie, our fearless captain.” Nicole raised her shot glass. “You did good!”

“To Maddie!” they chorused as they clinked glasses.

Maddie smiled and bowed regally as the others downed the shots and slammed their empty glasses on the table.

Maddie read through the menu and slowly sipped the wine spritzer she’d allotted herself, analyzing the individual dishes. “I’m eating only conch tonight,” she declared when the waiter appeared to take their orders. “Conch chowder to start.” She waffled between main dishes of cracked conch and lazy conch and feigned disappointment that there was no conch pie for dessert.

“You’ll be ready for Key lime pie by then,” the waiter promised.

The restaurant hummed with good cheer. Music filtered down from upstairs. The crowd was diverse, with everything from sun-leathered locals to sunburned tourists. “Everybody looks so happy to be here,” she marveled.

A second round of shooters appeared in front of them.

“Courtesy of the gentlemen over at the bar.” Their waiter pointed to a group of men, who raised their glasses to them. An open bottle of wine stood on the table, their second of the evening.

“Well, I’m happy to be here!” Avery raised her shot glass.

“Ditto!” Deirdre clinked her glass to Avery’s.

“It feels so good to be off the island!” Nicole raised hers.

Maddie smiled and raised the remains of her spritzer, but as much as she was enjoying herself, she was looking forward to getting back to Mermaid Point. She’d been stealing glances at the island. Palm trees stirred lightly on the northeastern edge. Through them she saw a light flicker on, on the upper floor of the main house. She peered at her watch and wondered if that meant that Will was home from wherever he’d gone. He’d refused to commit to cooking on camera in the new outdoor kitchen the next morning, but Maddie refused to believe he’d leave them in the lurch.

Their dinners arrived and the others were already digging in when she tuned back in.

“Is Chase going to come down for the Fourth?” Deirdre had asked Avery.

Avery shook her head. “He doesn’t feel like he can leave his dad. Apparently Jeff’s gotten kind of ornery at not being able to work or deal with things anymore. And the boys are playing baseball in a local tournament.”

“Then you should go up there. Absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder, you know,” Deirdre said. “Sometimes it just lets people forget about you. Or want to, anyway.” She sighed. “You know, of course, that I speak from experience.”

“I get it.” Avery took a sip of wine. “But we’ve got too many subs coming in right after the holiday and far more work to cram into way too short a time frame. I don’t want to be gone that long.” She hesitated. “I might run down to Key West—Chase has a friend with a B and B that he converted in Old Town who offered a room and a tour. You’re welcome to join me if you want.”

“Thanks.” Deirdre flushed with pleasure. “That would be great.” She shot a thoughtful look at her daughter. Maddie, who was far more sober than the rest of them, imagined she could see the wheels turning in the woman’s head.

“Don’t you just love the name ‘cracked conch’?” Maddie set down her fork and munched on a French fry. “I still can’t believe how many ways they can prepare it.”

“Maybe we should get Will to cook a little conch in the video tomorrow morning.” Avery dabbed at the side of her mouth with a napkin. “Assuming he shows up.”

“He’ll show up,” Maddie said with more certainty than she felt.

“He has to show up,” Deirdre said. “The sponsor is counting on it.”

“Well, if he doesn’t you could put your lessons to use and cook something fancy,” Avery said to her mother. “Maddie could assist.”

“I’m not cooking in the video.” Maddie’s eyes strayed once again to Mermaid Point and the light that flickered through the palms. “I’m just going to stand there and encourage William. You know, kind of hold his hand if he needs it.”

“Well, you’ve held his underwear. I’m sure his hand will feel pretty tame in comparison.” Nicole raised her wineglass in Maddie’s direction.

All of them grinned at her.

“Very funny.”

“Drinks definitely taste better out of a glass than they do out of a Coke can,” Avery observed.

Maddie watched them raise their glasses, grateful to Avery for changing the subject but not as happy being the only sober person in the group.

The sky was velvet black with stars twinkling like diamonds spread across it. The moon was almost full and on the rise, its glimmering reflection on the water an arrowed path that led to Mermaid Point.

Once again, Maddie had to pull her thoughts back to the conversation going on around her.

“When are you driving up to Giraldi’s?” Deirdre had posed the question to Nicole.

“I’m going on the third. His family arrives that morning.”

“Is that a problem?” Avery asked.

“No, not exactly.” Nicole laced her fingers around the wineglass stem and sloshed the little bit that remained in her glass. “But it’s . . . awkward. They don’t seem to understand that it’s possible for two people to enjoy each other’s company without needing to get married.”

A brief, shocked silence fell. All eyes fixed on Nicole.

“Which one of you doesn’t need to get married?” Avery asked.

For a moment it looked as if Nicole wouldn’t answer. Then she sighed and said, “That would be me.”

“Seriously?” Deirdre asked.

“You’ve turned down an offer of marriage from Joe Giraldi? Special Agent Joe Giraldi?” Avery asked. “The one with the gun and the badge and the rock-hard abs?”

Maddie watched Nicole’s face.

“I’ve been married twice and I wouldn’t call either experience worth repeating. And Joe and I . . . well, we’re having a great time together and I don’t see any reason to spoil it.” Nicole drank the last of her wine. Her breezy tone didn’t quite hide the discomfort beneath it.

“Joe’s mother thinks that everybody should be married for at least fifty years like she and Joe’s father have. His father told me that the first forty years are the most difficult.” Nicole smiled somewhat grimly. “But he was laughing and holding her hand while he said it. And Joe . . . Joe would like to have children. Honestly, he deserves them. You should see him with his nieces and nephews. And I’m . . .” Nicole looked briefly into her empty wineglass before looking back up at them. “Well, I do believe that ship has sailed.”

Maddie heard the regret in Nicole’s voice. Her eyes were clouded with what looked like uncertainty.

“You know, now that I’m learning a little bit about boats I can tell you that even big ships can and do change course. They’re allowed to head back to port or even plot an entirely different course if they want to.”

“Thanks, Maddie.” Nicole’s smile was bittersweet. “But I’m not sure Joe and I actually want the same things. And honestly, if you couldn’t hack it after twenty-seven years”—Nicole shrugged—“I don’t think our odds are all that good. I’m not interested in becoming a three-time loser.”