“Then she’s wide awake and I was just about to fix her something to eat. Come on over.”

“Thanks. I promise I won’t keep you.”

“Tory, just hush and get over here.”

Six minutes later, Tory parked in front of Pia’s bungalow, a classic white Cape Codder set back from the street on the far west end of Commercial. KT didn’t live there; she worked in Boston as a trauma surgeon and spent as much of her time off as possible with Pia. Today, Tory was especially glad to have KT back. Despite all the pain, KT was one of the most important people in her life.

Pia, her jet black curls framing a dark-eyed, sensuous face that typified her Portuguese heritage, came out the front door onto the small, neat porch as Tory made her way up the walkway between the flower gardens. She regarded Tory with a concerned smile. Impromptu visits were not common. “She’s in the kitchen.”

“Thanks.” When Tory realized that Pia was going to wait out on the porch, she added, “This is about you, too. Come inside.”

KT O’Bannon, tall, dark, and proverbially handsome, rose from her seat in the kitchen that looked out over Pia’s rear gardens. She was barefoot, in jeans and a frayed white T-shirt, and her dark hair was wet from her recent shower. “Hey, Vic. What’s going on?”

Tory smiled at the old nickname that she had once asked KT to stop using because it was so painfully intimate. Now she found it warmly familiar. KT reminded her of Reese in some ways. They were devilishly good-looking, strong and commanding, and beneath the charisma, tender. KT, however, through no fault of her own when Tory looked back on it now, had never provided the solid, unshakable foundation that Reese brought to Tory’s world. And Tory had never been able to give KT the freedom she needed along with the certainty of always having a safe place to return, as Pia was able to do.

Tory kissed KT’s cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

KT frowned and pulled out a chair at the table. “Sit. Let me get you some coffee. You look beat.”

“Why, thank you. I think.” Tory laughed shakily and pushed her hands through her hair.

“You sit,” Pia said, brushing her hand over KT’s back. “I’ll get you both some coffee.”

“Thanks, honey,” KT said before turning her attention to Tory. “What’s wrong?”

“I hate to do this to you two, because I know you worked last night and you’re probably looking forward to a weekend off, but I need you to cover my practice tonight and maybe part of tomorrow.”

“Sure,” KT said immediately. “Why?”

“Reese’s reserve unit has been called to duty. She’s leaving tomorrow morning.” Even as she said it, Tory found the words hard to absorb. She and Reese hadn’t been apart except for the once-a-month weekends and the few weeks every summer when Reese had to fulfill Marine reserve responsibilities. Even sitting across the table from KT, a woman she had loved for years, she couldn’t remember a time when Reese had not filled her heart and her mind. “I don’t want us to be disturbed tonight.”

“Of course we want to help,” Pia said.

“Jesus.” KT turned her coffee cup in her hands, frowning. “Isn’t her father some big deal in the military?”

“He’s a general.”

“Can’t he do anything about this? Get her some kind of deferment or something?”

Tory laughed, a short harsh sound. “KT. He’s been waiting for this to happen. He’s never forgiven her for leaving active duty, and he sees this as her chance to advance.”

“You’re kidding.”

Pia came to stand behind KT and rested her hands gently on KT’s shoulders. She leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Sweetheart, maybe Reese doesn’t want a deferment.” She looked over KT’s head at Tory. “Reese strikes me as the kind of person who would go if it was required of her.”

“Oh come on,” KT said. “She’s got a wife and child to think about. Why would she…”

“You’re right, Pia,” Tory said softly. “I wouldn’t say that Reese wants to go, but she wouldn’t be Reese if she didn’t feel compelled to carry out her duty.”

“That’s bullshit,” KT snapped. “You’re her duty.”

Pia cupped one hand on the back of KT’s neck and squeezed gently, massaging the muscles that had turned to iron. “Tory’s going to be fine.”

Tory shook her head, amazed by Pia’s ability to read beneath the surface of KT’s anger and arrogance. She leaned across the table and took KT’s hand. “I appreciate you being upset for me. It’s complicated. Reese is complicated. But she loves me and Reggie more than anything in the world, and this is hard for her too.”

“Good,” KT muttered, but the edge had gone out of her voice. “I can take your patients all weekend, if you need me to.”

“You need a break sometimes, too. Just until tomorrow afternoon.” Tory stood and gave Pia and KT a grateful smile. “Thanks for being such good friends.”

KT rose and walked Tory to the door, one arm around her shoulders. “You sure you’re okay, Vic?”

“Scared,” Tory admitted. She stopped in the doorway and rested her head against KT’s shoulder. “It might all be over in just a few weeks. I just don’t know what I’d do if…”

“Don’t,” KT said gently. “Reese Conlon has the best reason in the world to keep her ass out of trouble. She’s got you and Reggie. She’ll be back before you know it.”

“God, I hope so,” Tory said fervently.

KT kissed Tory’s forehead. “Thanks for letting me help.”

“Thanks for being here.” Tory looked past KT’s shoulder to where Pia stood in the kitchen doorway, watching them. “Both of you.” Then she took a deep breath and smiled. “Now, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a date with my lover.”

Chapter Nine

“I made sandwiches,” Kate said to Tory and Reese when she opened the door. “Go on back to the kitchen. Jean has Reggie outside.”

Reese held Tory’s hand as they walked through the house her mother shared with her lover Jean. She couldn’t help thinking of the first night she had arrived on her mother’s doorstep after their twenty-year separation. She hadn’t quite known what to expect, because she had never been entirely certain why her mother had broken off contact after her divorce from Reese’s father. When Kate revealed that her ex-husband had forbidden her to communicate with Reese upon learning that Kate and Jean were lovers, Reese was more sad than angry. She loved her father, and that would never change. But he had made his anger her punishment, and in her heart she knew he had been unfair. She would never be able to replace the years she had lost with her mother. Unconsciously, she pulled Tory closer.

“What is it?” Tory said gently, wrapping an arm around Reese’s waist as they stopped in front of the glass doors leading out to the deck. Jean and Reggie sat together on the weathered wooden surface, a jumble of building blocks scattered between them. Reggie, her hair the same red-gold-brown as Tory’s, wore a baby-sized Red Sox cap that shielded her fair skin from the sun.

“She’s going to walk soon,” Reese said.

Tory frowned, trying to decipher the source of the pain riding just below the surface of Reese’s voice. She caught her breath, understanding. “She’s going to be the most videoed baby on the planet.” She turned Reese to face her, slid both arms up to her shoulders, and kissed her softly. “You’re not going to miss a second. I promise.”

Reese nodded, not trusting her voice to be steady. She rested her forehead against Tory’s and angled her head to watch Reggie. She was just in time to see Reggie fling a block off the deck with an exuberant squeal. “She’s got a pretty good arm already.”

“If this had to happen,” Tory said, “this is the perfect time. You’ll be back in plenty of time to teach her everything she’ll need to know.”

From the doorway, Kate said, “You were about Reggie’s age when Roger started his second tour in Vietnam.” She indicated the table and the sandwiches she’d made earlier. “Sit. Have something to eat. I know what these days are like, right before you ship out. The minutes drag and the hours fly by. Neither of you has probably had anything except coffee all day.”

“Thank you,” Tory said, drawing Reese with her to the table. She kept hold of Reese’s hand as she reached for a sandwich. “Was he gone a long time?”

Reese stiffened but said nothing. Tory deserved the chance to share her uncertainty with someone who understood.

Kate sat down with them. “A little over a year the first time. Almost two the second.”

“My God,” Tory breathed. “How did you cope?”

“First of all, I knew when I married him that we might be separated frequently and for extended periods of time, so I was at least mentally prepared. I also lived on base, and there were lots of other young wives in the same situation. We banded together around our shared insecurities.” She clasped Tory’s free hand and smiled at Reese, her eyes calm and certain. “Reese inherited one very important thing from her father’s side of the family. Conlons make great Marines. Reese is going to be fine.”

Reese laughed softly. “You must’ve made a great Marine wife.”

“I did,” Kate said archly. “Until I ran off with Jean.”

The three laughed, and the atmosphere in the room lightened. Reese and Tory finally started in on the sandwiches. Jean came in from outside and passed a wriggling Reggie to Tory. She kissed first Reese and then Tory on the cheek before taking the remaining seat at the table.

“How are you two doing?”

Reese glanced at Tory, who smiled back.

“Pretty well,” Tory said. “It just came up so suddenly, but I’m catching my breath now. Reese?”

Reese hesitated. She wasn’t sure anyone would understand her answer, but if not these women who loved her, then who? She raised Tory’s hand and brushed her lips over Tory’s knuckles. “I’m not concerned about going. I’m only having a hard time leaving.”

The room was silent until Kate said matter-of-factly, “I think that’s exactly the way it should be. There’ll be no need for you to worry about anything while you’re over there except doing your job. Everything here at home is going to be fine.”

“I’m sure of it,” Reese said, knowing that even as she was doing whatever she had to do, part of her would always be thinking about Tory and home.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to keep Reggie tonight?” Jean asked. “You know she’s no trouble at all.”

Reese held out her arms and Reggie squirmed toward her. Reese settled Reggie in her lap and brushed her hand over the top of her head. “Thanks, but I want to put her to bed. I promised to finish this story we’ve been reading.”

“Excuse me,” Tory said, abruptly rising.

“Tor?” Reese said with concern.

Tory turned away, gesturing toward the adjoining room. “Bathroom.”

Once behind closed doors, Tory leaned her head back and squeezed her eyes tightly, biting down on her lower lip to stop the flood of tears. Kate was right. Reese was trained for this. There was no one better than Reese at what she did. Reese would go and do what she needed to do and then she’d come home. And their life would go on.

Please, Tory thought, please just let her come home so we can have our life back.

Rica slid into the back row of the meeting room on the second floor of Town Hall just as the president of the Women’s Business Association called the meeting to order. She looked around the room at the other women, who were dressed casually and ranged in age from early twenties all the way up to well past conventional retirement age. She had decided to attend to show that she was a serious part of the business community. And even though, unlike most of the business owners in town, she wasn’t dependent on the income she could earn during the four to six months of the tourist season, she still wanted to acquaint herself with the economic realities of the seasonal market.

She leaned back as a newcomer moved down her aisle to an empty chair next to hers.

“Excuse me. Sorry.”

Rica shifted sideways and eyed Carter as she settled next to her. Leaning close, she whispered, “Are you following me?”

“Yes.” Carter grinned. It was the truth, after all. She hadn’t had anything better to do than watch the gallery, and she had just about decided to go in when Rica had come out. So she’d followed her. “You wouldn’t go to dinner with me, so I thought I’d make a pest of myself until you relented.”

“That’s called stalking.”

“Not if I admit it.”

Smiling, Rica shook her head and faced forward.

Carter feigned interest in the proceedings, but all of her attention was riveted on the woman next to her. Rica had changed out of the silk blouse and slacks she had been wearing earlier into jeans and a dark red sweater. It looked like cashmere, soft and subtly clinging to the gentle curves of her breasts. She smelled of something warm and breezy, like sunshine on summer sand.