Parker ALL RIGHT

THE TATTERSALLS LIVED IN A historic Palm Beach stucco home that was completely invisible from the road, obscured by mature bougainvillea. They had been the McCanns’ best family friends since the beginning of time, it seemed, and when Greer lost her mother, she turned to Kathie Tattersall for comfort and advice. I think losing Greer had hit Kathie almost as hard as it had hit George and me. Or maybe it was that Greer’s death had compounded Karen’s death.

I thought back to those failed embryos, and I realized that I understood how that felt. That second loss had compounded the first.

Greer had loved this time in Palm Beach—“the season.” She loved the parties and dressing up, loved that the population doubled. Over the past three years, going out without Greer on my arm, where she had been for so many years, had felt impossible. But, little by little, my father in law had asked me to attend functions for some business purpose or another and I had agreed. He had lost his wife and his daughter, and his other daughter, who was not close to the rest of the family, was all the way in California. It wasn’t fair to make him face the world alone.

Kathie greeted me at the door. All the ladies in Palm Beach marveled at Kathie’s agelessness—although no one credited her good genes. Everyone had a half-dozen plastic surgeons on speed dial. But plastic surgery was like cologne: easily overdone. Kathie always stayed on the right side of that line, or so they said.

Greer always said that no one did Palm Beach chic decor better than Kathie. I never knew exactly what that meant, but I knew it was a very nice, colorful house with a great dock. As I pulled away from Kathie, a tall blonde caught my eye. When she turned, locked eyes with me, and smiled, I realized it was Lindsey.

George leaned in. “You’re right, son. Sea & Sky is the perfect move. I’ve made an offer, and I think they’ll accept.” He winked. “Or they will if they know what’s good for them.” He was wearing the ridiculous slippers.

“Great news.” This meant I was going to have to go to New York. I’d have to tell Amelia. I didn’t want her to be ambushed again.

But I couldn’t worry about that as Lindsey sashayed over to me, her heels so high I didn’t know how she walked in them, in a green dress. She put her arm in mine and said, “Let’s get you a drink, boss.”

“Not until Monday,” I quipped.

She smiled at me disarmingly. “Are you saying that you might change your mind?” She laughed like that was completely impossible, and I realized that she was right. I couldn’t wait to see what she could do.

She steered us to the bar and said, “I’ll have a glass of rosé, and Parker Thaysden always has an old-fashioned with one ice cube.”