gauzy white high-end cruise wear, was eating a carton of low-fat yogurt with a plastic spoon, pinky up. There was a thud in the bathroom and a curse that had to be coming from Nicole.
Deirdre looked at Avery, took in her clothing. One eyebrow went up. Her mouth opened. At a head shake from Maddie, she actually closed it. Avery sighed and sipped her coffee. As the caffeine entered her system Maddie reached into the box, removed a chocolate-glazed doughnut, and set it on a napkin in front of Avery.
“Bless you,” Avery said, taking a large, wonderful, sugar-filled bite.
“My pleasure.” Maddie smiled. Her warm brown eyes glowed with good humor. “I’ve got a grocery list started.” She slid in beside Dustin and broke off a piece of doughnut for him. “We don’t have much in the way of storage space, but go ahead and add your must-haves to the list.”
“How are you planning to reach land?” Deirdre asked.
“I don’t know,” Maddie said. “But for the time being I’m going to assume that we’re not being held hostage and all they’re trying to do is make things more challenging.”
Nicole came out of the bathroom in running clothes, her hair slicked back in a ponytail, her makeup in place. “‘Challenging’ is an understatement. I’m black-and-blue and that’s without showering or attempting to blow-dry my hair.”
“Where are you going?” Kyra asked.
“Out for a run,” Nicole said.
“I don’t think the island’s all that big,” Deirdre said.
“Then I guess I’ll have to run around it a lot of times. Or learn how to run on water.”
There was a knock on the cabin door. It opened. Troy and Anthony stood on the other side of it.
Avery sighed again. She took another sip of coffee as they entered.
“We thought you’d abandoned the island,” Kyra said.
“Nope.” The light that indicated he was shooting glowed on Troy’s video camera.
“Where were you?” Kyra asked, wiping doughnut crumbs off Dustin’s mouth and hands.
“And here I thought you’d be glad we weren’t in your face,” Troy said amiably.
“I’m just curious how you’re getting on and off the island. Seeing as we might actually want or need to do the same at some point.” Kyra slid out of the banquette, keeping Dustin behind her.
“Hudson took us for a drink over at the Lorelei. They have a pretty cool celebration at sunset.” Troy moved to his right to get in better position. “Speaking of celebrating, there’s no alcohol on the island. Or at least there’s not supposed to be.” Troy pulled a typewritten sheet of dos and don’ts from his pocket and handed it to Avery.
“Well, I’m not going to make it through this summer without a drink,” Nicole said.
“You can drink on the houseboat,” Troy said. “You just don’t want to be obvious about it.”
“So we’re turning this place into a B and B that isn’t going to serve alcohol?” Deirdre asked. “I thought fishermen drank like . . . well, fish. Not that I’ve ever understood that expression.”
“Not our problem,” Avery said, still reading the list. “Our job is to renovate and keep the show interesting enough to be renewed without completely humiliating ourselves.”
Troy panned across them, no doubt going in tight on each and every one of their faces.
“Right.” Nicole blinked when the camera lens stopped moving and remained aimed directly at her. “I know I’m not alone when I say it’s the humiliating part that worries me the most.”
• • •
Maddie followed the others along the sandy, tree-rutted path that led to the house, Dustin’s hand in hers. Her thoughts were caught up in William Hightower and his drinking problem. The tabloids were filled with stories about celebrities who checked in and out of rehab as regularly as she might run to the grocery store; she just hadn’t been looking, had even been avoiding her usual
People
magazine fix at the hair salon ever since Kyra’s and Dustin’s
Deirdre looked at Avery, took in her clothing. One eyebrow went up. Her mouth opened. At a head shake from Maddie, she actually closed it. Avery sighed and sipped her coffee. As the caffeine entered her system Maddie reached into the box, removed a chocolate-glazed doughnut, and set it on a napkin in front of Avery.
“Bless you,” Avery said, taking a large, wonderful, sugar-filled bite.
“My pleasure.” Maddie smiled. Her warm brown eyes glowed with good humor. “I’ve got a grocery list started.” She slid in beside Dustin and broke off a piece of doughnut for him. “We don’t have much in the way of storage space, but go ahead and add your must-haves to the list.”
“How are you planning to reach land?” Deirdre asked.
“I don’t know,” Maddie said. “But for the time being I’m going to assume that we’re not being held hostage and all they’re trying to do is make things more challenging.”
Nicole came out of the bathroom in running clothes, her hair slicked back in a ponytail, her makeup in place. “‘Challenging’ is an understatement. I’m black-and-blue and that’s without showering or attempting to blow-dry my hair.”
“Where are you going?” Kyra asked.
“Out for a run,” Nicole said.
“I don’t think the island’s all that big,” Deirdre said.
“Then I guess I’ll have to run around it a lot of times. Or learn how to run on water.”
There was a knock on the cabin door. It opened. Troy and Anthony stood on the other side of it.
Avery sighed again. She took another sip of coffee as they entered.
“We thought you’d abandoned the island,” Kyra said.
“Nope.” The light that indicated he was shooting glowed on Troy’s video camera.
“Where were you?” Kyra asked, wiping doughnut crumbs off Dustin’s mouth and hands.
“And here I thought you’d be glad we weren’t in your face,” Troy said amiably.
“I’m just curious how you’re getting on and off the island. Seeing as we might actually want or need to do the same at some point.” Kyra slid out of the banquette, keeping Dustin behind her.
“Hudson took us for a drink over at the Lorelei. They have a pretty cool celebration at sunset.” Troy moved to his right to get in better position. “Speaking of celebrating, there’s no alcohol on the island. Or at least there’s not supposed to be.” Troy pulled a typewritten sheet of dos and don’ts from his pocket and handed it to Avery.
“Well, I’m not going to make it through this summer without a drink,” Nicole said.
“You can drink on the houseboat,” Troy said. “You just don’t want to be obvious about it.”
“So we’re turning this place into a B and B that isn’t going to serve alcohol?” Deirdre asked. “I thought fishermen drank like . . . well, fish. Not that I’ve ever understood that expression.”
“Not our problem,” Avery said, still reading the list. “Our job is to renovate and keep the show interesting enough to be renewed without completely humiliating ourselves.”
Troy panned across them, no doubt going in tight on each and every one of their faces.
“Right.” Nicole blinked when the camera lens stopped moving and remained aimed directly at her. “I know I’m not alone when I say it’s the humiliating part that worries me the most.”
• • •
Maddie followed the others along the sandy, tree-rutted path that led to the house, Dustin’s hand in hers. Her thoughts were caught up in William Hightower and his drinking problem. The tabloids were filled with stories about celebrities who checked in and out of rehab as regularly as she might run to the grocery store; she just hadn’t been looking, had even been avoiding her usual
People
magazine fix at the hair salon ever since Kyra’s and Dustin’s
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