“You need it.” She gestured around. “You talk to them.”

“The waves?” He sounded surprised that she knew.

“I know you. Or I used to.”

“Yeah. You did. So…what about you, Jones?”

“Me? No playmates for Arthur over here.”

“But you’re getting married.” Leo’s back was to her as he said it, cranking up the anchor. “And about that. Jonesey, I don’t want you to worry. I’m not here to ruin your wedding.”

Over the roar of the anchor ratcheting up, she said, “Well, that’s good to hear.”

“I just mean, we can deal with the fallout after. I want you to have your day. I so want you to be happy, Jones.”

Joey exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding since she saw Leo on the pier. “You can stick around until after?”

“Yeah. They’re still fixing up the boat, and anyway I’m getting real good at shuffleboard.”

“Now, that’s a skill that will come in handy. You’re welcome.”

Leo grinned. “But Jonesey, after the wedding, we need to tell Scott and Lily. You agree, don’t you?”

Joey nodded slowly. “It’s the last thing I want, to break their hearts like that, but I can’t un-know what you told me. My dad deserves the truth. And so does Lily.”

Leo visibly exhaled. “I’m so glad you feel that way too. I can’t live like this anymore. Hiding it.”

Joey kneaded her knuckles into her thighs. “So we’ll do it after the wedding. There are a few days before we go to Bali for our honeymoon.”

“How do you think Lily’s going to react?”

“No idea.” Joey grimaced. “Probably awfully. Hey, Leo.” Something had occurred to her, but she felt guilty saying it. “What if you go to the market or something? Like—”

“What if Scott sees me? I’ll just tell him I’m in town to buy a boat. That should do it, don’t you think?” The motor sounded, and the boat spurted to life. Leo’s hands finessed the wheel, one over another, like art in their fluency in the language of the sea. “Tell me things, Jonesey.”

“I’ve told you lots of things.” She snuck a glance at her phone. Still nothing from Grant. Just a confirmation from Edith’s assistant regarding their meeting later that afternoon. Oh God, Joey wanted the commission. She deeply did. But since Lily’s call, Joey had hardly achieved a single preparatory sketch. She couldn’t conceive of how she was going to pull off some massive piece in the lead-up to her wedding.

“Tell me some real things, Jonesey.” Leo mixed her another vodka lemonade.

“You’re trying to get me drunk so I’ll spill dirt.” Joey wiped her sunglasses on her shirt. She wished the lenses weren’t see-through so her eyes weren’t so on display. “What do you want to know?”