Is It Any Wonder (Nantucket Love Story #2) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,38

thought.

She’d given dozens of presentations over the years. Pitch meetings with clients and business owners. In her previous job, she’d sold the hotel and all it had to offer along with her brilliant ideas for a perfect vacation or party to countless visitors and potential visitors.

But ever since she’d started The Good Life, ever since it had become her own business she was selling, a knot of worry had formed in her belly, and it tightened with every presentation or meeting. Today the knot had doubled because not only was she presenting her idea, she was presenting to the Coast Guard. She was presenting to Cody.

She’d spent the better part of the week floating from Maggie’s birthday party to day-to-day errands for a client named Josephine Rebeck to dreaming about the Coast Guard fundraiser. She’d given Cody and Duncan the basics. She already knew Duncan liked the idea. Why was she so nervous?

She forced herself out of bed, showered, and dressed in a casual yet professional blue wrap dress and a pair of sandals with straps that twined around her ankles. She might’ve chosen the dress because every time she wore it, people complimented her bright-blue eyes, and she might’ve wanted Cody to notice them too.

Maybe.

She fastened the buckle on her sandal and gathered her notes. As she picked up the stack of folders on her desk, a white envelope fell out and landed on the floor.

She’d mailed all the invitations to Maggie’s party except this one.

Something about the way Cody had asked her to leave his family out of the festivities had given her pause. Normally she would’ve ignored him and done what she wanted anyway, but he’d been so earnest.

She wondered—not for the first time—what their life had been like after Daniel had died. Cody had obviously channeled his pain into something good and become an expert swimmer who saved the lives of foolish people like her.

But what had become of Marissa and Marley? All Louisa knew was that after Daniel died, Marissa sold Seaside and moved the family back to Illinois.

Now wasn’t the time to think of any of these things. She should be practicing her pitch. But she couldn’t help it. Cody’s return to the island had her mind reeling. Their families had been so close once upon a time. And their circle had always included Maggie. Cody’s mom would want to know if the old woman was dying.

Wouldn’t she regret it if she didn’t get to say good-bye? Surely she, more than most, knew the value of a life.

But maybe Marissa was remarried with a new family now. Maybe she’d moved beyond all the sorrow and had found a way to exist without the love of her life.

Louisa’s heart lurched at the thought. It seemed impossible. Their love had been so true. And it seemed wrong that Marissa not only lost her husband, but her best friends too.

She turned the invitation over in her hand. She’d found an address for Cody’s mom through an online search. All the envelope needed was a stamp. This party was the perfect excuse to get them all together again. To clear the air. To say how sorry she was.

This was her chance to make things right.

She walked over to her desk, opened the top drawer, and found her book of stamps. She peeled one off and stuck it to the corner of the envelope. As she walked out, and before she changed her mind, she left the envelope in the mailbox with the flag up, made her way to her Vespa, tucked away the items she needed for her presentation, and headed off in the direction of Brant Point.

There was only the slightest niggle of concern that she’d made a mistake, but that wasn’t too hard to ignore since her choice was easy to justify.

She pulled up in front of the station at the same time Ally arrived, thankfully double-fisting disposable cups from Island Coffee.

“You’re my hero,” Louisa said, taking one of the cups.

“Coconut milk latte, one packet of stevia.” Alyssa’s smile faded. “You look like you could use it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Are you sleeping?”

“Not well.” They walked toward the door, Louisa’s nerves dancing a jig in her belly. “Not at all.”

“Lou.” Ally put a hand on Louisa’s arm to stop her.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “I’ve just been restless.”

“You almost died, Louisa,” Ally said. “You might need help processing some of that.”

Louisa didn’t want to think about it. She wasn’t about to tell Ally that the accident