considerably. Hope certainly understood that the moods were part of the illness, but it wasn’t easy to be on the receiving end of hours’ worth of frustrated rage.
Hope took a big sip of the delicious drink and let the heat of the tequila warm her from the inside.
“Good?” Jenny asked.
“Perfection.”
“Excellent! Erin, Daisy, Lizzie! Come get your margaritas.”
The guys had opted for beers and were on the front porch messing with the grill, as men did.
“Really good, Jenny,” Lizzie said.
“So how’re the wedding plans coming?” Erin asked.
“Excellent, thanks to Lizzie,” Jenny said. “She’s got everything under control.”
“Or at least I hope I do. This is our first really big wedding at the Chesterfield, so Jenny and Alex know they are our test subjects.”
“Since you guys bought the place for us, the least we can do is be your guinea pigs.”
Lizzie wrinkled her nose. “I never said anything about pigs, so don’t tell anyone that. It wouldn’t be good for business.”
The others laughed.
“You know what else this island needs?” Hope said.
“What’s that?” Lizzie asked.
“A home for the sick and aged. Where are people supposed to go when their families can’t care for them at home anymore? They have to go to the mainland, which separates them from their families.”
“That’s so true,” Jenny said. “Alex and Paul wrestle with that every day. They know Marion probably needs to be in a place devoted to the kind of care she needs, but to do that, they’d have to put her somewhere far away from them.” She raised her glass in toast to Hope. “Thank God for Hope. We say that every day, but she works nonstop because dementia never takes a day off.”
“This is very interesting,” Lizzie said. “I’ll talk to Jared about it.”
“I didn’t say that expecting you guys to do something about it,” Hope said, slightly horrified that Lizzie had taken her so literally when she’d been venting.
“I’m not sure we can do anything, but it’s worth a conversation. Besides,” Lizzie added with a saucy grin, “you all know my favorite thing to do is spend Jared’s money on worthwhile causes.”
“She’s very good at that,” Daisy said. “The way you guys mobilized help for Lisa Chandler made her final days so much better than they would’ve been otherwise.”
“Jared and I both believe there’s a responsibility that goes with having the kind of resources he has,” Lizzie said. “It made us happy to help Lisa and her boys. If you don’t use your money to do good for others, you’re just another rich billionaire asshat, and I won’t let him become an asshat.”
“You’re too funny,” Erin said.
“Well, it’s true,” Lizzie said. “I’m all about keeping it real, and I will look into the possibility of starting a place on the island for people like Marion.”
“Wow,” Hope said. “You don’t fool around.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Jenny said. “And I’ll always be thankful to her and Jared for buying the Chesterfield for me.”
“Me, too.” Alex came into the kitchen and put an arm around Jenny from behind. “We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding that Gansett Island has ever seen.”
Jenny smiled back at him, and the powerful connection they shared was so obvious that Hope experienced a twinge of envy. As much as she’d once loved her ex-husband, they hadn’t had what Jenny and Alex did. Or what David and Daisy had or Jared and Lizzie. After spending time with them, Hope was determined to never again settle for less than what they had.
Paul grilled steaks and potatoes for their guests, who’d brought salads and dessert to add to the party. It was nice to take a break from their many responsibilities and to spend some time with good friends.
Over dinner, the conversation went from Alex and Jenny’s wedding and their plans to move into their new house, to the vacation David and Daisy had
Hope took a big sip of the delicious drink and let the heat of the tequila warm her from the inside.
“Good?” Jenny asked.
“Perfection.”
“Excellent! Erin, Daisy, Lizzie! Come get your margaritas.”
The guys had opted for beers and were on the front porch messing with the grill, as men did.
“Really good, Jenny,” Lizzie said.
“So how’re the wedding plans coming?” Erin asked.
“Excellent, thanks to Lizzie,” Jenny said. “She’s got everything under control.”
“Or at least I hope I do. This is our first really big wedding at the Chesterfield, so Jenny and Alex know they are our test subjects.”
“Since you guys bought the place for us, the least we can do is be your guinea pigs.”
Lizzie wrinkled her nose. “I never said anything about pigs, so don’t tell anyone that. It wouldn’t be good for business.”
The others laughed.
“You know what else this island needs?” Hope said.
“What’s that?” Lizzie asked.
“A home for the sick and aged. Where are people supposed to go when their families can’t care for them at home anymore? They have to go to the mainland, which separates them from their families.”
“That’s so true,” Jenny said. “Alex and Paul wrestle with that every day. They know Marion probably needs to be in a place devoted to the kind of care she needs, but to do that, they’d have to put her somewhere far away from them.” She raised her glass in toast to Hope. “Thank God for Hope. We say that every day, but she works nonstop because dementia never takes a day off.”
“This is very interesting,” Lizzie said. “I’ll talk to Jared about it.”
“I didn’t say that expecting you guys to do something about it,” Hope said, slightly horrified that Lizzie had taken her so literally when she’d been venting.
“I’m not sure we can do anything, but it’s worth a conversation. Besides,” Lizzie added with a saucy grin, “you all know my favorite thing to do is spend Jared’s money on worthwhile causes.”
“She’s very good at that,” Daisy said. “The way you guys mobilized help for Lisa Chandler made her final days so much better than they would’ve been otherwise.”
“Jared and I both believe there’s a responsibility that goes with having the kind of resources he has,” Lizzie said. “It made us happy to help Lisa and her boys. If you don’t use your money to do good for others, you’re just another rich billionaire asshat, and I won’t let him become an asshat.”
“You’re too funny,” Erin said.
“Well, it’s true,” Lizzie said. “I’m all about keeping it real, and I will look into the possibility of starting a place on the island for people like Marion.”
“Wow,” Hope said. “You don’t fool around.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Jenny said. “And I’ll always be thankful to her and Jared for buying the Chesterfield for me.”
“Me, too.” Alex came into the kitchen and put an arm around Jenny from behind. “We’re going to have the most beautiful wedding that Gansett Island has ever seen.”
Jenny smiled back at him, and the powerful connection they shared was so obvious that Hope experienced a twinge of envy. As much as she’d once loved her ex-husband, they hadn’t had what Jenny and Alex did. Or what David and Daisy had or Jared and Lizzie. After spending time with them, Hope was determined to never again settle for less than what they had.
Paul grilled steaks and potatoes for their guests, who’d brought salads and dessert to add to the party. It was nice to take a break from their many responsibilities and to spend some time with good friends.
Over dinner, the conversation went from Alex and Jenny’s wedding and their plans to move into their new house, to the vacation David and Daisy had
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