Evelyn smiled at Christina’s question. She was so smart. She loved this little person so much. Without warning, her throat tightened and her chest became overwhelmed with the crush of sadness. Amanda, her beautiful sister, was gone forever, and she would never see her funny, spirited, and intelligent daughter grow up. That was now all Evelyn’s responsibility—and her privilege.
Oh, God! What had she done? If they were caught, she’d never be allowed to see Chrissy again! And that was the exact opposite of what Amanda had asked of her!
Evelyn knew she had to keep it together. She pushed down the sadness and doubt and focused her eyes on the parade float sign. “The letters say that she is the Mermaid Queen of the Safe Haven Bed and Breakfast.”
“What’s that? Is that a castle under the sea? Can we go see her there?”
Evelyn smiled a little, thinking that the bed and breakfast’s owners had such a fearless sense of parade- float design that God knew what the inside of the place would look like. The Safe Haven float was a flatbed version of a Johnny Weir figure-skating costume. It was blinged-out with glitter, rhinestones, and even a few oversized feathers adding pizzazz to the display of sea grass and giant fake shells. She answered Christina. “Bed- and-breakfasts are like hotels. Maybe we can visit there.”
“She’s so pretty! Is she Ariel?”
The woman sitting in the huge, sparkly clamshell waved like a princess, smiled like a beauty queen, and tossed candy to the kids lining the Main Street curb. Christina was right—she was very pretty, even in the shell bikini top, skintight mermaid tail, and overly long wig.
“I don’t know her name, sweetie. Maybe she really is the Little Mermaid.”
Just then, the mermaid queen turned to smile at the parade float directly behind her. Large script along its side advertised The Oceanaire Foundation, whatever that was, but the mermaid wasn’t smiling at the elaborate marine-life decorations. She smiled at the devastatingly handsome sea captain at the helm of the float, and he smiled back.
Clearly, those two were an item. Maybe Evelyn was getting caught up in the vibe of the Mermaid Festival, but seeing how the couple looked at each other made her sigh. Perhaps one day she would look at a man like that, reminding him that she was all his, that her heart was fully open to him alone, and that with him she was exactly where she belonged.
Evelyn’s eyes widened behind her shades. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was her brain going in that direction? She had never gotten carried away with love and she’d certainly never looked at a man the way the mermaid just did. Not her boyfriends in college, not the few men she’d had relationships with since, and certainly not in her six years with Rory.
Rory Sobrato wasn’t the type of man who inspired surrender. Well, to be fair, Evelyn wasn’t exactly the type of woman who felt like surrendering.
Wait. That wasn’t entirely true. Once, she had been the surrendering type. Back when she was a kid. Right here on this island. With Clancy Flynn. Before she knew better.
At that instant, her body flared with an electric charge—a warning. A quick scan of her surroundings brought her eye to eye with the police chief.
He flashed a genuine smile, then motioned for her to stay put. Evelyn pretended she hadn’t seen him, shifting her attention to the Falmouth High School marching band and its jarring rendition of “U Can’t Touch This.” Without warning, she pulled Christina from her shoulders, set her on her feet, then took her by the hand.
“No! I want to see! I want shoulders!”
Evelyn tried her best not to show her anxiety. “In a minute, Chris. We’re going over here. Maybe we can see the parade better.”
“I see it better when we do shoulders!”