She walked into the kitchen, hoping she remembered where Gran had kept the cutting boards. Really, she’d had no personal need for such things recently. But Hope had already found them and set them on the counter. The entire kitchen had also been transformed, and on the table was a cheese plate, complete with crackers, dried fruits, fresh grapes and figs, and sliced baguette and crackers.
Ellie’s stomach grumbled as she reached for a slice of cheddar, but she heard a voice snap behind her, “Don’t even think about it.”
She turned to see Gemma standing in the doorway, grinning mischievously, and when Gemma looked at her like that, Ellie couldn’t help but smile back. Maybe for one more night, she could put her hurt feelings aside. It was nice, spending time with her sisters like this, but she couldn’t help worry what would happen when the party was over and the big, horrible thing they’d decided not to discuss right now reared again.
“You know that Hope will kill you if you mess up her cheese platter,” Gemma whispered, darting her eyes toward the side door to the porch.
Ellie sighed and dropped her hand. It was true. And Hope tended to get wound up over formalities. Today, though, she’d been different. Ellie had even caught her humming while she lit the votive candles on the porch. “She seems to be in a good mood tonight.”
“Hope loves to entertain. At least, I think she does.”
“What are you talking about it?” Ellie looked at Gemma as if she’d gone crazy. “Hope adores entertaining. Why else would she have come up with the idea of having this party?”
Gemma said nothing as she reached for an already open bottle of white wine from the fridge and poured a glass. They both knew better than to taste the sangria before the guests had arrived. Hope would have their heads.
Ellie, feeling the nerves build up inside her, took a glass from the cabinet and helped herself too. “Simon’s coming tonight,” she said a little breathlessly.
“I figured as much, from the way he was looking at you on Friday,” Gemma said, her eyes wide, waiting to hear more. Gemma was a good listener. Always had been. It’s why Ellie had always been so drawn to her, why it was always so easy to look past the little hurdles that seemed to interrupt their relationship. Underneath it was a friend, a confidante, and someone who knew and accepted her, even if she didn’t always agree with her. It was more than Ellie could say for the rest of them, even Hope.
Hope loved her, of course, but under it all, Ellie had always felt a prickle of insecurity around her eldest sister. After all, Hope was the perfect daughter. And she was…not.
“Thanks for the boost,” Ellie said, grinning. “I might not have asked him if you hadn’t mentioned things.”
“Really? Why not?” Gemma looked so perplexed that Ellie almost told her that he was engaged. But telling her would mean having to think about it, and that would ruin the entire evening, and not just her good mood.
Besides, she was starting to wonder about this engagement, and not just because of what Darcy had said. Simon had come to her studio. Then her art class. And now he was coming here, tonight.
After all these years… Her stomach rolled over with excitement.
Before Ellie could respond to Gemma, Hope strolled into the kitchen, her cheeks flushed and the hair around her face coming free of her ponytail in wisps. But she didn’t look tired or haggard, and she didn’t look cool and calm either. She looked happy. Happier than Ellie had seen her look this entire visit.
“I think I might need one of those,” Hope said, motioning to the open bottle of wine that was starting to sweat on the counter. Ellie hadn’t gotten around to installing the window air-conditioning units, and the sun was blazing.
“So it’s six of us then?” Gemma asked, a little pertly if anyone asked Ellie.
“Be nice,” Hope warned as she splashed some wine into a glass and drank it back. She refilled it, and then popped the cork back on, raising an eyebrow at Gemma in the process.
Ellie frowned. “Did I miss something?”
Hope and Gemma exchanged a glance. Finally, it was Hope who spoke. “I’m bringing a friend as my guest tonight. A male friend. He’s here on business. We met on the ferry. He helped me wipe vomit off my pants.”
Seeing Ellie’s reaction, Hope corrected: “He handed me napkins. A nice dinner is the least I can offer him in return.”
Why was this the first time that Ellie was hearing of this mystery man? Gemma was clearly aware of something that Ellie was not. And she was worried.
Was there trouble in Hope’s marriage? Was that why she was here? But that wasn’t possible. Hope had the perfect marriage. She had the perfect life.
The diamonds on her ring finger sparkled as she picked up her glass again, and Ellie put her concerns at rest. Of course there were no problems in Hope’s marriage. Hope had no problems, and for this, Ellie was relieved. Because if Hope’s life fell apart…then what chance was there for her?
“To tonight,” Hope said, lifting her glass to theirs.
“To sisters,” Gemma said, giving each of them a grin.
“To Sunset Cottage,” Ellie said, giving Gemma a poignant look.
“To memories,” Hope said, and that was that. They clinked glasses and each took a long sip, and then, the doorbell rang.
They froze, and then, like teenagers waiting for their dates to arrive, started to laugh.
“I’ll get it,” Ellie said, feeling the need to establish that while Hope may be hosting the party, this was in fact Ellie’s home, not just something she had a financial stake in.
She set down her glass and walked into the hallway, slowing only briefly to check her reflection in the hallway mirror. She looked flushed, happy, and there was a light in her eyes that seemed permanent now, and it wasn’t because of the promise of good food and nice weather. It was because of the promise of good company. And maybe, something more.
She opened the door, already smiling, but her expression froze when she saw who was standing on the porch.
It was Simon. And, by the looks of it, his fiancée.
Chapter Twenty
Hope
Hope stood at the back of the hallway and watched as Ellie turned, flush-faced, her eyes glistening, and said, “I’ll check on the girls for you, Hope.”
Hope frowned, about to ask why, when she saw Simon. And another woman.
She glanced at Gemma, who gave her a wide-eyed stare and then disappeared into the kitchen, hopefully to fetch the sangria. Hope was happy right now that she’d had the sense to make a double batch. Already, things were off to a shaky start, and John hadn’t even arrived yet.
“Hello, Simon.” She smiled as she met him at the open door. She glanced at the woman, who was pretty, about Ellie’s age, with a neat blond bob and a small smile. She didn’t recall seeing her before. Or hearing about her, either. “I’m Hope Morgan.”
“This is Erin,” Simon said. He didn’t meet her eye when he said, “My fiancée.”
Hope could only pray that years of living under her father’s roof and learning to be polite at the many stuffy events her parents hosted were adequate training for this moment. She kept her face frozen, resisting the urge to raise even a single brow, and smiled pleasantly. “Lovely to meet you,” she said, shaking the woman’s hand.