“Everything is better,” Jenny said tentatively. To Abby, she said, “I lost my fiancé in the World Trade Center on 9-11.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Abby felt like she’d been punched. And she thought she had problems?

“Thank you. It was a long time ago, but I’ve been kind of… stuck ever since. Then I came here last year, met some lovely new friends and began a wonderful new chapter in my life. And now… This is the part I don’t want to chicken out of, so don’t let me, okay?”

“You got it,” Grace said. “We’re all behind you one hundred percent.”

Sydney slipped an arm around Jenny’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“I’m counting on that,” Jenny continued as she leaned into Syd’s embrace, “because I’ve decided I might be ready to date again. I’m not looking for anything serious, but I’m getting tired of my own company and… And, well, that’s it. If you all know of anyone who might be fun to go out with, keep me in mind.”

Laura whipped out a notebook and pen.

“Hold on a minute…” Jenny said, gazing at the notebook with trepidation.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this moment,” Sydney said. “If you think we won’t take this job seriously, you don’t know us at all.”

Jenny moaned and dropped her head into her hands as the others laughed at her dismay.

“How about Mason, the fire chief?” Tiffany asked. “He’s very cute if you like the big, burly type.”

“Excellent,” Laura said, making a note. “Who knows him well enough to feel him up?”

Maddie choked on a mouthful of wine. “I think you mean feel him out.”

“What did I say?” Laura asked.

They spoke as one, loudly, “Feel him up.”

Their hysterical laughter had heads turning in the dining room.

“Pipe down, you guys, or Stephanie will have us tossed out of here,” Janey said.

“Where is she anyway?” Grace asked. “I thought we’d see her if we came here.”

“Apparently,” Maddie said, “Grant had a really rough day. I…I don’t think it’s my place to say what happened.”

“Is he okay?” Janey asked the question that Abby was dying to ask, but she didn’t dare.

“He will be. Eventually. Stephanie is with him.”

Abby wanted to know more about what’d happened, but the question couldn’t come from her. Maybe Adam would know. She’d have to think of some way to ask him without seeming too interested in Grant.

“So who knows Mason?”

“Blaine does,” Tiffany said. “He’s also friends with the Coast Guard officer who runs the Gansett Island installation. Linc Mercier.”

“Putting him on the list,” Laura said.

“You really think Blaine will be willing to play matchmaker on behalf of someone he barely knows?” Jenny asked.