Chapters (42)
- Cover Page
- Dedication
- Dear Friend
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Acknowledgments
- Reading Group Guide
- An Excerpt from the Goodbye Bride
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- About the Author
He turned out the other lights and settled on the sofa. Grabbing one of the puffy throw pillows, he turned on his side and drew up his knees so he’d fit.
Did she really think so little of him?
His thoughts returned to the first time he’d met her, when he’d shown her the space above the shop. She’d worn white slacks, a blazer, and fancy heels that made him wonder how she climbed the stairs without falling flat on her face.
“It’s a large space,” she’d said. “I didn’t realize it would be wide open.”
He looked around at the scuffed white walls and wood floor, dulled by a layer of dust. Except for the small office and restroom at the back of the building, it was an open space. “Used to be a photographer’s gallery. You said something on the phone about making it a living space and an office of some kind?”
She walked the room, her skinny heels clacking on the floor. “I’m a marriage counselor. I’d need a small lobby area and a private room for counseling. I was hoping to make my living space up here too. It’s big enough, I think.”
With rent so high on Nantucket, it made sense to combine the two. She moved toward the back of the building, jotting something on a clipboard, and he walked to the front of the room, giving her time to look around undisturbed. Outside the front windows, dead leaves sailed on a gust of wind. A handful of tourists walked the brick sidewalks.
“What’s your policy on renovations?” Kate was making her way toward him, her silky black hair swinging. She was all business, straight to the point. He wondered if she was good at what she did. She didn’t seem warm enough to be a therapist. Then again, what did he know about it? Or about her?
“How long were you planning to stay?” He didn’t mind renovations so long as she’d be there a while.
“It depends on the terms of the contract.”
The space had been empty for two months. The summer people were gone for the season, and with winter coming he’d have a hard time renting it to a merchant. “If you cover cost of materials, I’ll see to it the renovations are done.”
She nodded, glancing around at the space as if she was trying to envision it completed.
Now that the season was over, he’d have extra time. Too bad Brody was back at college or he’d ask his brother to help.
“How soon would you need it done?” he asked.