ʺYeah, thatʹs how I used to be,ʺ Will said.
Ivy blinked with surprise. Will hated snow, and his dream destinations were the Big Apple and Paris.
“Really,” said Chase, but he didnʹt sound too interested.
ʺBut that was before I had my three surgeries.” Ivy knew that the only thing Will had on his medical record was childhood immunizations. Part of her wanted to kick him under the table, remind him to be polite; the other part of her wanted to laugh.
ʺOh,ʺ Chase responded unenthusiastically.
ʺThe doctors told me I could continue to ski, but if I fell, I might never walk again.ʺ
Beth stared at Will. Chase looked as if he didnʹt know whether to believe him or not.
Ivy shook her head. Will glanced at Ivy, smiling mischievously, and resumed sketching.
ʺSo what beaches and trails do you like best on the Cape?ʺ Ivy asked Chase. ʺIf you come here every summer, you must know them all.ʺ
ʺI love Billingsgate Island. Iʹm taking Elizabeth there tomorrow.ʺ
ʺYou are?ʺ Beth replied with surprise. ʺWhereʹs that?ʺ Ivy asked. ʺIn the bay, about six miles from Rock Harbor. It used to be occupied — had a lighthouse, homes, a school, and a factory — but it washed away years ago. Now the island surfaces only at low tide.ʺ He turned to Beth. ʺWeʹll kayak there and have a picnic.ʺ
ʺIt sounds awesome,ʺ she said quietly, ʺbut I have to work.ʺ ʺOn a Saturday?ʺ
She nodded. ʺWeekends are the busiest time at an inn.ʺ
ʺCanʹt someone cover for you?ʺ He looked at Ivy, as if she might volunteer.
ʺAunt Cindy needs all of us,ʺ Ivy told him.
Will glanced up from his sketch. ʺSo what kind of summer job do you have, Chase?ʺ
He didn’t seem to hear Will. “I was hoping you would surprise me with a fantastic lunch, Elizabeth — something you packed just for us.”
Perhaps it was the way he said “Elizabeth” that made Ivy leery, like a guy who thought that by speaking a girl’s name he could cast a spell over her.
“You would love the island,” he went on. “And there’s a sunken boat nearby, At low tide, its old ribs rise out of the water. Very mysterious looking. It will inspire one of your stories.”
“I’m really sorry, Chase. How about later in the week?”
“I’m busy,” he told her.
“What a shame,” Will muttered.
Beth’s face revealed her disappointment, but she smiled and nodded. “Oh well.
Thanks for asking.”
A waitress approached them and broke into a smile. “Hey, Chase, long time no see. Back for the summer?”
Chase stretched and let one hand fall to rest on Beth’s chair. “Back until the wind blows me another way.”
Will pursed his lips as if to make a whistling sound, but the ʺwindʺ never blew, because Ivy gave him a swift kick. ʺDouble dip, strawberry and chocolate,ʺ she said to the waitress. ʺHow about you, Beth?ʺ
The order came quickly, but it turned out to be the longest ice‐cream date Ivy had ever endured. One of the things that she loved about Will was that — not counting tonight — he had always been inclusive with her friends and family.
When he and Ivy were with others, he enjoyed the people Ivy enjoyed. But Chase was the opposite, the kind of guy who isolated a girl with his attention.
Even so, Beth seemed taken with him, and Ivy did her best to keep Will from expressing his opinion after they left the ice‐cream parlor. As soon as Beth climbed in the backseat of Ivyʹs car, Ivy turned to him. ʺNo comments,ʺ she told him quietly. ʺYouʹre not the one who wants to date him.ʺ ʺDam right!ʺ he said, and they both laughed. When they arrived back at the innʹs lot. Ivy and Beth were surprised to see Kelseyʹs red Jeep. They found Dhanya in the kitchen, munching on saltines. ʺI asked Kelsey to bring me home,ʺ Dhanya explained.
ʺShe went back out with the guys.”
guys.ʺ
Beth sat down at the table and pulled three crackers out of the plastic sleeve. ʺIs your headache making your stomach queasy?ʺ
Dhanya nodded and chewed slowly.
ʺThatʹs how I felt earlier,ʺ Beth said. ʺKind of dizzy, too.ʺ
ʺYou want me to get Aunt Cindy?ʺ Ivy asked. ʺShe might have something in her medicine cupboard to help you.ʺ
ʺNo, sheʹll want to know where Kelsey is.ʺ
Ivy followed Beth and Dhanya up the steep Stairs from the kitchen, carrying a tray of crackers and mugs with decaf tea, placing the snacks by their beds. The cottageʹs second floor was one long room, with the steps rising next to the massive brick chimney in the center of the space. A small bathroom had been built across from the chimney.
The four beds were tucked in the four corners of the cottage, beneath the sloping roof. Bethʹs and Ivyʹs beds were to the left of the steps, Kelseyʹs and Dhanyaʹs to the right.
ʺFeels like home,ʺ Dhanya said as she pulled her iPod and earbuds out of her purse and climbed into bed. ʺThanks, Ivy.ʺ Just before Dhanya slipped in the buds, Ivy caught a snatch of the song from Aladdin, and smiled to herself, wondering if Disney was Dhanyaʹs form of retro comfort.
Beth snuggled in her own bed, pulling up a light blanket. June nights were cool on the Cape. Turning on her side, Beth reached toward the chest between her and Ivy, letting her fingers rest on the angel statue. She caught Ivy watching her and smiled a little before closing her eyes.
Ivy lay on her stomach, gazing out the low window between her bed and Bethʹs.
Last night there was a new moon, and tonight the thinnest scrape of silver hung in the sky. The scent of the Cape Cod night — salt and pine — was stronger than the pale shapes surrounding her, making the everyday objects seem less real. The love she had shared with Tristan was like that, stronger than any emotion she experienced in her everyday life, even her feelings for Will. She still ached from its intensity.
While Ivy couldnʹt admit it to anyone, she doubted sheʹd ever fully heal. For reasons she didnʹt understand, her life had been spared last summer; but she had not been spared the longing she felt for Tristan. The way Tristan had made her laugh, the way he had drawn her into his life, the way he had delighted in her music — how would she ever stop yearning for him?
Ivy wiped her wet cheek against her pillow, |then turned on her side and reached out to touch the carved stone angel. A long time after, she fell asleep.
THE NEXT MORNING, WHILE IVY, BETH, AND DHANYA dressed for work, Kelsey slept, the sheet pulled over her head, the soles of her feet poking out the other end. The girls agreed that if they didnʹt get her up, this was going to be a long summer of them working and Kelsey partying. She was dragged out of bed and made it to the innʹs kitchen at 6:33.
The girls and Will served breakfast, then cleaned rooms and laundered towels and sheets. By Sunday noon, the weekend guests had checked out and Beth and her aunt had slipped away to church in Chatham. Beth came back looking pleased with herself. ʺI found you a piano to practice on, Ivy! A baby grand!ʺ
ʺFather John said you are welcome to use the one in the church,ʺ Aunt Cindy explained. ʺJust call ahead to make sure someone can unlock the door.ʺ Will smiled at Ivy. ʺWe have a whole summer of Sunday picnics ahead of us,ʺ he said, guessing how eager she was to be playing again. ʺWe can change our afternoon plans to an evening hike by Chathamʹs lighthouse and meet at the church.ʺ
Ivy gave him a grateful hug. They finished work and, after an early supper, she rushed off with her music books.
It was already sunset inside the timbered and white interior of St. Peterʹs, with the sun glowing through the stained‐glass windows that ran along each side of the small church, coloring the walls crimson and gold. A window above the altar, pieced together in deep blues and greens, showed a boat tossed in a storm, with Jesus holding out his hand, inviting Peter to cross the waves.