Reese, Revvy, Norah and Brenton spilled laughing into Amy’s home as wild and disarrayed as the cordgrass on Oystertip Island. Of course she’d invited them, but she hadn’t expected them to show up.

“We just had to come and see where you live.” Revvy slapped her back.

Brenton stood behind Norah, who was dressed in a long velvet broom skirt and white lace shirt; she was brilliant—a candle among their khakis and wrinkled attempts at dress shirts.

“Well, thanks for coming. Make yourselves at home. The bar is in the drawing room.” Amy laughed, thinking how formal this must sound to them considering Brenton’s tent and Reese’s shack. “Oh, just come in,” she said.

Revvy stepped forward. “Is Nick here yet?”

Where’s Mr. Lowry?

“Well, if he’s coming, he’s not here yet. His wife”—Amy pointed into the den—“is in there if you want to meet her.”

“No, thanks,” said Reese. “Heard enough about her to not particularly want to meet her.”

Norah pushed at his back. “That is not very polite, Reese.”

Amy pretended she hadn’t heard him. “Norah, is there any news about the Heritage Trust?”

“Well, they’re shut down until after the holidays, so we’ll just have to wait and see. They intimated that one plant might not be enough—so we’re still trying. Have you found anything new about the house?”

“No, I’ve got to get into it to prove there’s something worth saving.”

“We’ll do it,” Norah told Amy, touching her arm.

Revvy chatted with Molly in the corner of the hall, and she giggled and blushed. Amy turned and the door opened again.

Carol Anne entered, all light and good cheer in a bright red knee-length vintage dress, looking like a mirage deposited from a 1940s movie. She swirled in the front parlor. “Don’t I look fabulous?”

“Absolutely.”

She leaned over and kissed Amy on the cheek. Joe reached around Carol Anne and hugged her. “You look beautiful, Amy. Really.”

“Thanks, Joe. I’m glad you guys made it, even if you’re an hour late.”

“There is no late in ‘open house,’ Amy.” Carol Anne took her coat off and opened the hall closet.

“There is when I need you,” Amy said.

Joe extracted himself from them with the excuse of finding Phil and a nice gin and tonic.

Carol Anne looked around the foyer, peeked into the parlor. “Did he come?”

“Who?”

“Don’t play coy with me, young lady. Is he here?”

“No. But she is.”

“Who?”

“Don’t play coy with me.” Amy poked at Carol Anne. “Eliza and Lisbeth are both here.”

“Well, where the hell is he?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. So stop looking at me like that.”

“He didn’t tell you if he was coming?”

Amy looked around, then whispered, “I don’t talk to him, Carol Anne. Stop.”