“You need privacy again,” Vivien said, reaching from her seat to take Crista’s hand. “We fully understand.”
“I love Mama so much,” she said, the Crista tears threatening. “But we’re both worried?—”
“No need to explain,” Eli said. “We stand with you and will do what needs to be done.”
“It’s not as if she needs any assistance,” Vivien said.
“She doesn’t,” Crista assured her. “But I don’t want her to be lonely.”
“If we keep this place…” Vivien raised a brow. “She could?—”
“Whoa. Whoa.” Eli raised his hand, glancing down to the beach. “Hang on. Potential fireworks ahead.”
The others came closer until all of them were standing near the railing, watching as Maggie and Jo Ellen neared each other at the end of the boardwalk. They could see both women hesitate and stare.
“Oh, boy,” Eli muttered.
“Moment of truth,” Vivien said.
“This has to happen.” Kate slid her arm around Eli’s waist and looked up at him. “Otherwise we don’t have a chance.”
For a long moment, he just looked at her, rocked by the fact that she was right…and she wanted that chance as much as he did.
“Hey, they’re talking,” Crista said in a hushed whisper. “Not screaming at each other.”
They all stood stone silent, mesmerized by the sight.
“Should I take a picture?” Tessa asked. “This might never happen again.”
“I can’t believe it’s happening at all,” Vivien added.
And then their mothers stunned them all by sitting down on the top step of the boardwalk, facing the water, side by side, and?—
“Are they laughing?” Kate asked on a whisper of disbelief.
“No!” Vivien exclaimed. “Maybe just talking.”
“Or planning each other’s death,” Tessa deadpanned.
“I’m definitely making G&Ts,” Jonah said. “Whatever is happening, someone’s gonna need a drink.”
Jonah went into the kitchen but everyone else stayed lined up at the railing, as though watching the best movie, with no sound. It lasted for what seemed like an eternity, but might have been ten minutes.
Ten minutes that Maggie Lawson sat on the white sands of Destin deep in conversation with Jo Ellen Wylie.
What was happening here?
“Oh, oh!” Tessa flicked her hand. “They’re getting up. Everyone move or they’ll know we’re watching.”
They all scurried away from the railing, laughing, finding seats to act normal. As ifanythingabout this was normal.
Jonah came out with a pitcher and a stack of plastic cups and Vivien turned on the firepit and, in a minute or so, they were all seated and pretending not to be waiting for whatever would happen next.
“Think they made up?” Kate whispered to him.
“I don’t know. I just…”
They heard noise on the first level. Women’s voices. Footsteps. A sigh of…resignation?
