Penny with her as she ran some errands, going to the post office and supermarket to pick up some groceries, simple things like cold cuts, and soups she could heat up easily in the microwave. She worked a little for the rest of the afternoon, planning the rest of her week, and by dinner time, she decided to treat herself with takeout from Millie’s, which had the best scallop and bacon tacos.
She took Penny out for another walk along the beach after she ate and then settled in for the night with a good book and a little TV. After drifting off to sleep around eleven, she woke soon after to the sound of a woman’s scream and a loud crash in the hallway. She jumped out of bed and opened the door, concerned that someone might be hurt, and stopped short when she saw a woman about her age, struggling to her feet and laughing somewhat hysterically while a tall man with almost black hair fumbled with his key in the door next to hers. They both looked her way when her door opened and the woman laughed again, followed by a loud hiccup. The man looked apologetic.
“I’m so sorry. We’ll keep it down, I promise.”
Mia just nodded and watched as he swung his door open and helped the woman who seemed somewhat unsteady on her feet, get up and inside. The man looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. She closed her door and climbed back in bed. There was no more noise from the room next door, and Mia soon relaxed and fell back asleep.
Mia woke early the next morning, a little before seven, and felt rested and fully relaxed for the first time since she’d come back from her vacation. She’d left the window open a crack and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean. Penny stirred when Mia woke and once she changed, she took her out for a walk along the beach. They walked for almost an hour, the full length of the beach down to a pretty lighthouse and back. And by the time they reached the house, Mia was starving.
She set out food for Penny and then made her way downstairs to the dining room. It was just a few minutes past eight and she hoped it wasn’t too early. But Lisa was already in the room, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She looked up and smiled when she saw Mia.
“Good morning. Help yourself to coffee and juice. We have a bacon and cheese quiche today, some fresh fruit, muffins and bagels.”
Mia poured a mug of coffee, added a slice of quiche and some cantaloupe slices to a plate and sat down across from Lisa. A moment later, an older man joined them, but he just had a cup of black coffee. Lisa introduced them.
“Mia, this is my fiancé, Rhett.”
Rhett nodded and sipped his coffee silently while Lisa and Mia chatted. An older couple came in a few minutes later and joined them, too. They introduced themselves as Al and Betty Smith and they were excited to head out for a day of sightseeing.
“It’s our first time on Nantucket,” Betty said. “We’re thinking of seeing the Whaling Museum first and then shop for a bit before lunch. Al wants to do a walking ghost tour tonight. I wasn’t sure about that. What do you think?”
“I haven’t done the ghost tour, but people seem to enjoy it. The Whaling Museum is wonderful,” Lisa said.
Mia nodded. “I agree. And you can spend a few hours there. I did the walking ghost tour a few years ago, and I really liked it. There’s a lot of history and it’s a little spooky. Supposedly, Nantucket is very haunted.”
“See, I told you it would be fun,” Al said.
Betty laughed. “All right, ghost tour it is.”
They left a few minutes later, taking their muffins with them. Mia lingered over a second cup of coffee and helped herself to another sliver of quiche after Lisa encouraged her.
“I’m hungrier than usual this morning. Penny and I went for a long walk on the beach. It’s really beautiful here.”
Lisa smiled. “Thank you. I usually get a good walk in most mornings. Helps me feel less guilty about having that second slice.”
They chatted a bit more and when they finished eating, Lisa glanced toward the door. “I thought your neighbor would have been down by now. I wanted to introduce him to you. He seems like a nice young