“My mama makes a mean sauce,” Anna said.

“Mustard or sweet?”

“Sweet.”

“Good. You’re on.”

Pandora felt out of her league. “I don’t really cook much. And I don’t have family recipes to share. But I can order anything you like. I’m a master at making reservations. Got my PhD in ordering online.”

Anna laughed, and Linnea realized the two women were bonding for the first time over humor. At her expense.

“Pan, why don’t you supply the wine and beer?” suggested Linnea.

“Brilliant,” Pandora said, grinning. “That’s something I know a lot about. Why don’t you let Gordon and me do the drinks? We’ll stock the bar in the fort too. Do it up right.”

Anna shot Linnea a look that said careful. Linnea brushed it aside and said, “Perfect. There’s an ABC store next to the bridge.”

“Oh, darling, I know.”

JULY FOURTH ARRIVED, and the island was on full alert. Independence Day was considered the biggest holiday of the Charleston beaches. American flags fluttered from lampposts. Despite the growing pandemic, the island was expecting the holiday to be among the biggest—if not the biggest—on record. So many people had been cooped up for so long, many were without jobs, and many more thought it was safe to go to the beach with the family because they were outdoors in the fresh air and sun. Others just didn’t care about the pandemic and were headed out to the beach no matter what anyone said.

“Did you see the Connector?” Cooper asked, walking into the cottage from an ice run. “The cars are backed up for miles. It’s like a parking lot out there. And there’s no place to park when they get here! It’s crazy.”

“So much for social distancing,” commented Anna, opening up the cooler for the ice.

“Everyone’s got a right to have a good time at the beach,” Cooper said. “I mean, if you didn’t live here, you’d probably be out there right now.”

Anna straightened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just sometimes you come down hard on people. You can’t get angry at people just because they do something you don’t like. Lighten up.”

Linnea pinched her lips and stirred a bit more Duke’s mayonnaise into her potato salad. “No one go out on that beach today, hear? It’s wall-to-wall people, and I don’t see many masks. As far as I’m concerned, that breaks the rules of the pod. Let everyone know.”

“I feel for the police, is all,” Anna said, still chafing from Cooper’s remark. “They have their work cut out for them, bless their hearts.”

“The beach crowd seemed like a well-mannered, friendly group from what I saw,” Cooper said.

“If we keep to ourselves, we’ll not have to worry about the virus. Cooper, did you wash your hands?”

Cooper set down the bags of ice and went immediately to the sink.

BY MIDAFTERNOON THE men were banished from the barn. They’d been sitting at the table, drinking beer and playing poker while the fans whirred in an attempt to beat the heat of the hottest month of the year. In short order the women turned on music and began dancing and laughing as they set about the task of decorating the barn for the party.