Within a few months, she knew she was pregnant with the photographer’s child. Bonnie was the only person she told. She began to dress in loose, sloppy clothes, and everyone wondered what had happened to the beautiful, stylish model. But Grace no longer cared about her modeling career. She had something better: the child who was growing inside her. Finally, someone to love who would love her back, for herself, and who would not want anything more from her than that.
J-Jaria pried the molding from around one of the screens, while Chloe mopped seawater from the porch floor. They had not spoken yet that morning, not about anything important at any rate, as though they both knew they still needed time to shift from the emotions of the night before into this bright, new day. Their energy went into the physical work of cleaning away debris from around the Sea Shanty and opening the storm shutters. Daria had told Chloe about the rescue the night before at Andy’s cottage, and she’d told her that Shelly was there and safe. But she’d said no more about it—and she’d said nothing about her time with Rory.
Across the street, she could see Rory removing the sheets of plywood from his windows. He waved. She waved back, a tightness in her throat.
Chloe finished her mopping. She set the mop in the bucket and put her hands on her hips.
“How about a break?” she said to Daria. They had been working nonstop since dawn.
“Good idea,” Daria said.
“You want some lemonade?”
Chloe nodded, and Daria walked into the kitchen for the drinks. She was going to have to tell Chloe about Shelly. Now.
They moved the picnic table back onto the porch, and Daria set the glasses of lemonade down on it and took a seat. She was surprised when Chloe sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
“You’re as troubled as I am this morning, sis,” Chloe said, giving her a squeeze.
“I’m hoping it’s not because of everything I told you last night. Maybe I shouldn’t have burdened you with all of that.”
Daria’s heart broke for her sister, and she turned to embrace her.
“I’m glad you could tell me,” she said, “and so sorry for all you’ve been through.” She pulled away, and moved to the end of the bench so that she could look squarely into Chloe’s eyes.
“But to be honest, Chloe, that’s only part of what has me upset this morning.”
Chloe reached forward and held Daria’s hand in her own.
“What is it, then?” she asked.
“A couple of things,” Daria said. She looked quizzically at her sister.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that Shelly was at Andy’s last night?”
Chloe nodded. “Yes, but I suppose she somehow knew he was still in the Outer Banks and figured he’d be a safe person to stay with.”
“It’s more than that,” Daria said.
“They’ve apparently been seeing each other for a couple of years.”
Chloe’s eyes were wide.
“Andy and Shelly?” she asked.
“A couple of years? Didn’t you ever pick up on anything between them?”
“Not at all,” Daria said.
“You’ve seen them together. They act as if they barely know each other. Now I realize their behavior was calculated to keep us from suspecting anything.”
“Do you think he’s taking advantage of her?” Chloe asked.
Daria shook her head. “That was my first thought, but Andy’s not like that.” She shrugged.
“Although, right now I’m not sure I know either of them. But I think Andy’s a good person with good values, and I have to admit that,
from the little I saw of them together last night, there seems to be a mutual caring between them. I’m just upset that they’ve kept it from me all this time. Andy and I work together nearly every day, and he never said a word. “
“They’re afraid you’d break them up, don’t you think?” Chloe asked.
Daria sighed.
“I didn’t know I was considered such a shrew,” she said.
“You’re not a shrew,” Chloe said.
“You’re just one of those women who loves too much.”
“There’s something else.” Daria couldn’t believe she was going to tell this to her sister.
“Spit it out,” Chloe said.
“L.-Rory and I made love last night.”
Chloe winced. “Oh, Daria, why did you do that to yourself?”
