A-list actors like his cousin often married other celebrities, so Tory's question was a logical one.
Shane closed the car door and started the engine. “No, Isabelle is a high school history teacher. CJ and Isabelle have known each other forever, and Isabelle's brother is CJ's best friend. They grew up across the street from each other. Her parents and mine are good friends. They even go on vacations together.”
“Do CJ and his wife live here?”
“No, CJ and Isabelle live in North Salem. But they have a house here. CJ bought it from Anderson,” Shane answered. “They were here all summer and will be back for Thanksgiving. I think they also intend to stay here over the school holiday break in December.”
“North Salem. That name sounds familiar for some reason,” Tory said.
“Maybe you drove by it. It's about forty minutes from Boston.” Pulling out his beeping cell phone, Duncan found a text message from Alec.
I heard you're coming to the island this weekend.
He should've known Shane would tell Gianna he was coming, and of course, she'd tell Alec.
Just got here.
Do you want to come by or meet Gi and me for dinner somewhere?
Tory is with me. I'll check with her.
Since Tory had given him the okay to tell her, Gianna knew what was going on between them, which meant Alec did too.
Let me know.
Returning the device to his pocket, he listened as Shane and Tory discussed their favorite places in Boston.
Duncan could've afforded a multimillion-dollar home like the ones his cousin and Alec owned. When he'd decided to buy a place here, he'd even looked at a few. But not only was he single, but much of his family lived on the island, making a five-thousand-square-foot vacation home with eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms unnecessary. So instead, he'd purchased the sixty-year-old, two-bedroom cottage next to Shane. While it wasn't on the water, he could see the ocean from his backyard. And when he wanted to do more than look at the water, he could walk to the small, secluded beach at the end of the street. Although not private, it didn't appear on any map designed for tourists. Even better, since it didn't have a designated parking area, usually only people who lived in the immediate vicinity used it.
While it was sufficient for his needs, he wondered what Tory would think of it. He'd never seen where she'd lived before moving, but he'd bet his entire stock portfolio it was bigger than the nine-hundred-square-foot cottage with its outdated kitchen he owned here.
Shane stopped in front of the cottage's detached two-car garage, an add-on the previous family had built after they purchased the property from the original owners. “I left some firewood near your back door, but if you need more, just come by and grab some.”
The previous owners had used the place mostly only in the summer, so when the furnace had died two years ago, they never replaced it. Instead, they'd relied on the woodstove and electric space heaters if they came in the fall or early spring. He intended to have an HVAC company come in and replace the heating system and install central air, but he hadn't been around enough to get estimates. So if it got chilly tonight, they'd use the woodstove. Even if they didn't need the wood for that, Duncan wanted it for the firepit in the backyard. Since Shane always had firewood on hand, he'd asked if he could have some rather than waste time getting it.
“Tory, if you want more interesting company tonight, my girlfriend and I live next door. We'll be home all night. Just knock on the door.”
Tory glanced back at Duncan before smiling at his cousin. “I'll remember that.”
EIGHT
They'd stayedat his house long enough for them to put their suitcases away and use the bathroom before heading out again. Then, after a tour around the island, Duncan headed to what most people considered downtown. Within walking distance from where the ferries docked, the area contained everything from hotels and restaurants to art galleries. Unless a resident needed something they could only find there, most avoided the area, especially in the summer months. But no first-time visit to the island would be complete without checking out the shops, since many could only be found on the island.
“Do all these shops stay open all year?” Tory asked as they passed Island Wear, a boutique that sold women's clothing, accessories, and shoes.
He never paid attention to which ones stayed open during the off-season. “I think so,” he answered, following Tory's lead and stopping in front of a store window.
“That ring is gorgeous.” Tory pointed at an aquamarine and diamond ring on display, along with a matching necklace and earrings. “Do you mind if we go inside?”
Duncan had zero interest in jewelry, but he couldn't deny the pieces in the window were beautiful. Even without looking, he knew the items in the shop's other window would be nice too. The mother-daughter team created beautiful pieces. “We can go wherever you want.”
He shopped when he needed something and didn't need anything today. But this trip was about Tory, and he wanted her to enjoy herself.
“There's another jewelry store on Front Street; we can check it out too, if you want.” He'd noticed Tory always wore different pieces of jewelry. Today she'd gone with an emerald ring and a matching emerald pendant necklace. Last Saturday, she paired her outfit with a simple gold heart pendant, a diamond tennis bracelet, and gold hoop earrings.
“We'll see. I don't need any new jewelry, although I rarely need an excuse to buy more, anyway. Is there anywhere you want to go? I don't want to just go into the stores I want.”
Duncan spotted possibly the last person on the island he wanted to see walking toward them. And since his aunt was waving, Duncan knew she'd seen him too. Making an escape into the jewelry store impossible.