“Alyssa just sent a picture of Mallory carrying both Lucy and Zachery at once,” Janine said, flashing her phone around to show the iconic trio. “She said Maggie just arrived and that they’ll all meet us by the wine kiosks because she can’t imagine where else we’d be.”
Elsa laughed, tossing her head back as a breeze swept off Katama Bay. Already, swarms of tourists dressed in bright white sailing outfits and little skirts had taken over the docks, drawing a very long line out behind them. When they reached the front, Janine ordered wine for everyone except Carmella, plus Alyssa and Mallory. Maggie still avoided alcohol, as she wanted so desperately to get pregnant and didn’t want to disrupt the delicate balance of her body. Elsa, who’d gotten pregnant after barely a second of trying, ached for this young woman’s struggles. She didn’t deserve them.
A little while later, Maggie, Alyssa, Mallory, Zachery, and Lucy arrived, breathless from laughter, their cheeks tinged pink.
“We just saw Cole setting up his boat!” Mallory cried, delivering Zach to Elsa’s arms.
“Gramma!” Zachery cooed.
“How did he look?” Elsa asked as Mallory accepted her wine glass from Janine.
“Very determined,” Mallory returned.
“Like a guy who came here to win,” Alyssa affirmed.
The Remington women gathered along the edge of the crowd, watching the tip-tops of the sailboats as they creaked with the wind, gathering in not-so-organized lines to sail out of Katama Bay and begin the race. With one thousand five hundred boats, not everyone could begin at once. Still, with Zach in her arms, Elsa closed her eyes and tried to send a mental message to her son, wishing him good luck.I love you. Be safe.
A pistol was shot to indicate the official start of the race. The crowd roared joyfully, the sound rushing out across the water and following the sailors as they went. Elsa’s heart lifted into her throat during this initial panic before falling back into her stomach. It would be a very long race— ultimately lasting several hours.
“Okay! They’re off on their epic adventure,” Mallory teased, turning to relieve Elsa of Zachery’s weight. “What should we do till they get back?”
Janine lifted her wine glass mischievously, tilting it to-and-fro. “I think with enough of these and a sprinkling of good conversation, us Remington-Potter-Grimson women should pass the time easily.”
* * *
Janine was correct. Over the next several hours, the women sat in the splendor of the sun, swapping funny stories, exchanging gossip, sipping water, juice, and wine, and celebrating one of the most glorious weekends of Martha’s Vineyard’s annual calendar. Several islanders walked past, brimming with celebrations of their own.
“Hi, Lola!” Carmella called, waving toward Lola Sheridan, the youngest of the Sheridan sisters. Lola walked with her daughter, Audrey, who carried her toddler, Max, her cheeks red from the bright sun.
“Hello, everyone!” Lola greeted them brightly as her hair caught the wind, flashing out behind her.
“Didn’t you just get back from your honeymoon?” Carmella asked.
“We did,” Lola affirmed, puffing out her cheeks playfully. “Tommy wanted to race in the Round the Island Race, so here we are, back from the Caribbean.”
“It sounds magical,” Nancy breathed.
“It was!” Lola beamed. “I could have stayed a lot longer. Tommy used to be the kind of guy who never needed a place to call home. But after about a week in the Caribbean, he looked at me and said, ‘Baby, I miss the island.’ All I wanted was for him to settle down with me! Now, I’ve created a monster.”
“Sounds romantic,” Elsa murmured.
“Let’s just hope he wins,” Lola said, crossing her fingers. “Not that I care about that at all. I just want a happy husband. I know he wasn’t exactly pleased with himself when Cole Steel got first place last year.” She eyed Elsa, her smile widening. “Although I have to admit, it was so touching that your son honored your husband in that way.”
Elsa’s heart ballooned. “I couldn’t have been prouder.”
Lola’s face twisted up for a moment. Audrey adjusted baby Max against her.
“We were just so sorry to hear about what happened,” Lola began.
“Oh…” Nancy began, clearly unsure of what to say.
“It scares me, knowing that there are people on this island who could do something like that,” Lola breathed.
“Mom, they don’t want to talk about that right now,” Audrey pointed out.
“It’s okay,” Elsa offered, lifting her chin. “We don’t know what to make of it, either. We just hope the cops get to the bottom of it at some point.”
“Do they have any leads?” Lola asked.