He had to consciously stop his teeth from grinding. “Oh?”

“She really looks a lot like Nell—except Nell doesn’t have all that beautiful hair or that look of . . . I don’t know, polish, I guess you’d say.”

“Really?” His blood began to sizzle, but he kept his voice mild now, almost friendly. “That’s interesting. My wife would be fascinated to know there’s a woman who looks that much like her.”

Nell. Helen’s mother had called her Nell. A simple, inelegant name. He had always disliked it.

“Does she live on the island, this Nell?”

“Oh, sure. She’s lived here since early summer, in the yellow cottage. Runs the café at the bookstore—does catering, too. Cooks like a dream. You should try the café for lunch. There’s a soup-and-sandwich special every day, and you can’t beat it.”

“I might do that,” he said, very softly.

Nell strolled through the back door of Café Book, called out a casual greeting to Lulu, then continued upstairs.

Once she was there, she moved like lightning.

Just under two minutes later, she called down in a voice she tried to infuse with frustrated apology. “Mia, I’m sorry, but could you come up here a minute?”

“Ought to be able to set up on her own by now,” Lulu mumbled and earned a slanted look from the boss.

“You ought to be able to give her a break by now,” Mia returned and started upstairs.

Nell stood by one of the café tables, where a pretty frosted cake glittered under the lighted birthday candles. Also on the table were a small wrapped box and three flutes frothy with mimosas.

“Happy birthday.”

The sweetness of the gesture made up for being caught off guard, as she rarely was. Mia’s smile bloomed—absolute delight. “Thank you. Cake?” She lifted a brow as she picked up a flute. “Mimosas, and presents. It almost makes it worth turning thirty.”

“Thirty.” Coming up behind her, Lulu snorted. “Still a baby. When you hit fifty, we’ll talk.” She held out another wrapped box, a larger one. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. Well, what first?”

“Wish first,” Nell ordered, “and blow out the candles.”

It had been a long time since she’d made anything as simple as a wish, but she did so now, then swept her breath over the candles.

“You have to cut the first piece.” Nell handed her a cake knife.

“All right. Then I want my presents.” Mia cut, then picked up the large box and tore in.

The throw was soft as water, the color of midnight sky. Scattered over it were the symbols of the zodiac. “Oh, Lu, it’s fabulous!”

“Keep you warm.”

“It’s beautiful.” Nell stroked the throw. “I tried to imagine it when Lulu described it, but it’s so much more.”

“Thank you.” Mia turned, rubbed her cheek over Lulu’s before kissing it.