Wendy Wax - The House on Mermaid Point

Maddie read through the menu and slowly sipped the wine spritzer she’d allotted herself, analyzing the individual dishes. “I’m eating only conch tonight,” she declared when the waiter appeared to take their orders. “Conch chowder to start.” She waffled between main dishes of cracked conch and lazy conch and feigned disappointment that there was no conch pie for dessert.

“You’ll be ready for Key lime pie by then,” the waiter promised.

The restaurant hummed with good cheer. Music filtered down from upstairs. The crowd was diverse, with everything from sun-leathered locals to sunburned tourists. “Everybody looks so happy to be here,” she marveled.

A second round of shooters appeared in front of them.

“Courtesy of the gentlemen over at the bar.” Their waiter pointed to a group of men, who raised their glasses to them. An open bottle of wine stood on the table, their second of the evening.

“Well, I’m happy to be here!” Avery raised her shot glass.

“Ditto!” Deirdre clinked her glass to Avery’s.

“It feels so good to be off the island!” Nicole raised hers.

Maddie smiled and raised the remains of her spritzer, but as much as she was enjoying herself, she was looking forward to getting back to Mermaid Point. She’d been stealing glances at the island. Palm trees stirred lightly on the northeastern edge. Through them she saw a light flicker on, on the upper floor of the main house. She peered at her watch and wondered if that meant that Will was home from wherever he’d gone. He’d refused to commit to cooking on camera in the new outdoor kitchen the next morning, but Maddie refused to believe he’d leave them in the lurch.

Their dinners arrived and the others were already digging in when she tuned back in.

“Is Chase going to come down for the Fourth?” Deirdre had asked Avery.

Avery shook her head. “He doesn’t feel like he can leave his dad. Apparently Jeff’s gotten kind of ornery at not being able to work or deal with things anymore. And the boys are playing baseball in a local tournament.”

“Then you should go up there. Absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder, you know,” Deirdre said. “Sometimes it just lets people forget about you. Or want to, anyway.” She sighed. “You know, of course, that I speak from experience.”

“I get it.” Avery took a sip of wine. “But we’ve got too many subs coming in right after the holiday and far more work to cram into way too short a time frame. I don’t want to be gone that long.” She hesitated. “I might run down to Key West—Chase has a friend with a B and B that he converted in Old Town who offered a room and a tour. You’re welcome to join me if you want.”

“Thanks.” Deirdre flushed with pleasure. “That would be great.” She shot a thoughtful look at her daughter. Maddie, who was far more sober than the rest of them, imagined she could see the wheels turning in the woman’s head.

“Don’t you just love the name ‘cracked conch’?” Maddie set down her fork and munched on a French fry. “I still can’t believe how many ways they can prepare it.”

“Maybe we should get Will to cook a little conch in the video tomorrow morning.” Avery dabbed at the side of her mouth with a napkin. “Assuming he shows up.”

“He’ll show up,” Maddie said with more certainty than she felt.

“He has to show up,” Deirdre said. “The sponsor is counting on it.”

“Well, if he doesn’t you could put your lessons to use and cook something fancy,” Avery said to her mother. “Maddie could assist.”

“I’m not cooking in the video.” Maddie’s eyes strayed once again to Mermaid Point and the light that flickered through the palms. “I’m just going to stand there and encourage William. You know, kind of hold his hand if he needs it.”

“Well, you’ve held his underwear. I’m sure his hand will feel pretty tame in comparison.” Nicole raised her wineglass in Maddie’s direction.

All of them grinned at her.

“Very funny.”

“Drinks definitely taste better out of a glass than they do out of a Coke can,” Avery observed.

Maddie watched them raise their glasses, grateful to Avery for changing the subject but not as happy being the only sober person in the group.

The sky was velvet black with stars twinkling like diamonds spread across it. The moon was almost full and on the rise, its glimmering reflection on the water an arrowed path that led to Mermaid Point.

Once again, Maddie had to pull her thoughts back to the conversation going on around her.

“When are you driving up to Giraldi’s?” Deirdre had posed the question to Nicole.

“I’m going on the third. His family arrives that morning.”

“Is that a problem?” Avery asked.

“No, not exactly.” Nicole laced her fingers around the wineglass stem and sloshed the little bit that remained in her glass. “But it’s . . . awkward. They don’t seem to understand that it’s possible for two people to enjoy each other’s company without needing to get married.”

A brief, shocked silence fell. All eyes fixed on Nicole.

“Which one of you doesn’t need to get married?” Avery asked.

For a moment it looked as if Nicole wouldn’t answer. Then she sighed and said, “That would be me.”

“Seriously?” Deirdre asked.

“You’ve turned down an offer of marriage from Joe Giraldi? Special Agent Joe Giraldi?” Avery asked. “The one with the gun and the badge and the rock-hard abs?”

Maddie watched Nicole’s face.

“I’ve been married twice and I wouldn’t call either experience worth repeating. And Joe and I . . . well, we’re having a great time together and I don’t see any reason to spoil it.” Nicole drank the last of her wine. Her breezy tone didn’t quite hide the discomfort beneath it.

“Joe’s mother thinks that everybody should be married for at least fifty years like she and Joe’s father have. His father told me that the first forty years are the most difficult.” Nicole smiled somewhat grimly. “But he was laughing and holding her hand while he said it. And Joe . . . Joe would like to have children. Honestly, he deserves them. You should see him with his nieces and nephews. And I’m . . .” Nicole looked briefly into her empty wineglass before looking back up at them. “Well, I do believe that ship has sailed.”

Maddie heard the regret in Nicole’s voice. Her eyes were clouded with what looked like uncertainty.

“You know, now that I’m learning a little bit about boats I can tell you that even big ships can and do change course. They’re allowed to head back to port or even plot an entirely different course if they want to.”

“Thanks, Maddie.” Nicole’s smile was bittersweet. “But I’m not sure Joe and I actually want the same things. And honestly, if you couldn’t hack it after twenty-seven years”—Nicole shrugged—“I don’t think our odds are all that good. I’m not interested in becoming a three-time loser.”

Maddie shook her head gently. “I wouldn’t trade the years I had with Steve. Or the family we created. Sometimes it’s just time for a new start or phase. Ultimately we have to make the choices that feel right for us, but I wouldn’t walk away from a great guy like Joe without serious thought.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Nicole saluted but not quite as smartly as before.

This time a round of pink-colored drinks with small umbrellas arrived along with their slices of Key lime pie. “Pomegranate martinis. From the bartender, Dave.”

They raised them toward the bartender. Everyone but Maddie began to drink.

“Oh, my God! I can practically feel the hair growing on my chest!” Avery said, setting her empty glass down on the table.

“I’ve never understood that saying.” Nicole finished her martini and licked her lips.

Deirdre sipped slowly at hers.

Maddie took a tiny taste. She could see “home” from here and with the moon so bright there was little chance of getting lost. She took another sip; it was deliciously light and fruity. All of them ate their desserts with quiet enthusiasm.

“I like this place. It’s friendly.” Avery’s voice slurred happily.

“Me, too.” Maddie smiled.

“What are you and Kyra doing over the holiday?” Deirdre asked Maddie.

“Kyra’s taking Dustin up to Bella Flora to spend the holiday with Daniel.”

Eyebrows went up at that.

“I know. He and Dustin are staying at Bella Flora. Kyra’s staying next door at the Cottage Inn.” Maddie presented this as a fact, which she hoped it was.

“Maybe she can get him to lobby Tonja Kay to leave Bella Flora alone.” Avery scraped her fork across her now empty plate.

“Maybe.” Maddie knew she wasn’t the only one who doubted Tonja Kay could be dissuaded. In the past nothing short of threatening to expose Tonja’s true potty-mouthed self to her adoring public had stopped the movie star from getting what she wanted.

“And you?” Nicole asked.

“I don’t have any plans.” Maddie wasn’t at all unhappy about this.

They looked at her suspiciously. “So it’ll be just you and William Hightower on Mermaid Point?” Nicole asked archly.

“No,” Maddie replied, taking a long sip of her drink. “It’ll be just me. William and Hudson and Tommy are going on a fishing trip.” She smiled. “Isn’t that great?”

“Did he come up with that idea himself?” Deirdre’s tone said she doubted it.

“No, not exactly. But the point is it’s happening.” Maddie was shocked to discover that her martini glass was empty. She hiccuped lightly.

“Whatever you say.” Avery watched her face. “But what about you, what’ll you do?”

“I think it will be cool to have Mermaid Point to myself,” Maddie said. “I can kick back and take it easy. And maybe visit some of the sights I’ve been reading about. You know, now that I’ve made this maiden voyage and have a bit of confidence that I can come and go from the island without assistance.”

It was eleven forty-five by the time they finished their meal and paid the bill. With their arms linked they headed down the beach to the boat, belting out the theme song from Gilligan’s Island amid laughter and a smattering of applause from the remaining diners and all of the waitstaff.

The moon was just striking midnight when Maddie discovered that her confidence in her boating skills might have been just a wee bit misplaced.

Their departure from the beach at Lazy Days was far noisier and wetter than their arrival.

“Okay, MaryAnn and Ginger!” Maddie pointed to Avery and Nicole. “You, too, Mrs. Howell!” she called to Deirdre. “Now we have to weigh anchor and push off and get in the boat.”

Maddie sloshed through the shallow water. On her third attempt to hike her butt up to a sitting position so that she could swing her legs over the side of the boat, she teetered precariously for a couple of seconds before collapsing butt first into the bottom of the boat.

Nicole had removed her shoes and half dove, half leapt onto the bow of the boat, flashing a good bit of thigh in the process. Deirdre scooted onto the bow behind her, pivoted on her rear, and threw her legs into the boat, flinging wet sand as she came. The boat scraped against the bottom.

“Boy, we must have eaten more than we thought!” On the beach Avery spent a few inelegant moments trying to wrest the anchor out of the sand. “I’ll unstick you!” she promised as she set it in the boat. Then, without any apparent concern for how wet she might get, she grabbed the bow of the boat and pushed it back toward deeper water, then splashed in after it. Leaping onto the side, she kicked her feet in an effort to continue her forward momentum. Deirdre and Nicole grabbed her by the waist and hauled her the rest of the way in.

Gasping from exertion they contemplated each other. Only Avery seemed to find their soaked and bedraggled state amusing.

“Well, it wasn’t pretty. But we didn’t lose anybody,” Maddie said.

“Tha’s right, Skipper! All present an’ accounted for.” Avery saluted sloppily and squished her shoes together, which struck all of them as far funnier than it should have.

“Okay.” Maddie stood and turned to lower the motor. “Here we go.” She set the choke. The deck was wet and on her first try she pulled so hard that her feet slipped out from under her. Slowly, she straightened and brushed at her sodden clothing. “I didn’t even have two full drinks! And that last one was mostly fruit.” She turned to see Nicole and Deirdre watching her speculatively. Avery still had a loopy grin on her face.

“It’s all right.” Maddie wasn’t sure whether it was herself or them she most needed to reassure. “I just have to get a better grip.” She put one hand on the motor to brace herself more firmly, set the choke, closed her eyes, and yanked. This time the motor sprang to life.