“I know,” Maggie said. Gussie’d been her best friend for years, and yes, she did know Gussie’s fiancé. The maid of honor tended to be informed about such things.

They walked together back up toward the road. Somehow Maggie didn’t feel in the mood to continue her beach walk.

As they reached the pavement Gussie’s familiar beige van pulled into her wide driveway and parked next to Maggie’s red one.

“You can give your friend the news about her neighbor,” said Chief Irons, as he headed for the black Buick with WINSLOW POLICE CHIEF printed on the side. “I’ve got paperwork to take care of. Welcome to the Cape, Ms. Maggie Summer. Enjoy your stay.”

Chapter 2

In October. Lithograph of painting by Sarah S. Stilwell (Sarah S. Stilwell Weber, who sometimes signed her work “SSS”). Girl in white dress of period (1905) holding a bunch of purple grapes and eating them while standing in front of a vine heavy with ripe grapes. Her eyes are wide, as though she’s been caught in the act. Stilwell (1878-1939) was one of Howard Pyle’s students, and a close friend of his sister, Katherine, for whom she illustrated many poems and stories for children. She also illustrated stories and advertisements for many leading magazines of the early twentieth century. 5.75 x 8.50 inches. Price: $60.

“Maggie! You’re here!” Gussie called out. She waved from the window of her van and then maneuvered her electric scooter from the driver’s side to the wheelchair lift, and pressed the buttons so the lift would deliver her to the ground. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. My dentist’s appointment ran late.”

Maggie hugged her as soon as she was safely on the driveway. “It’s been—what—three months? It seems forever!”

“It is forever,” Gussie agreed. “In July when you were here Jim and I hadn’t even decided to get married. And then this house came up for sale, and we loved it, and we thought it only needed a few modifications to be completely accessible. Of course, we were crazy!”

“I know, I know. You’ve gone completely mad, and I’m thrilled for you!” Maggie said, gesturing at the house and land. “What a location! I haven’t seen the inside of the house, of course, but I did walk around a little. So close to the beach! And it’s not far from the boardwalk, so that makes easy for you to get there, too.”

“Exactly. Unless it’s really low tide and the sand is wet, beaches aren’t great for wheelchairs or scooters. The town built the boardwalk after a hurricane twenty years ago destroyed most of the original one. It makes the beach much easier to navigate for folks like me.”

“And the house is gorgeous! Very different from your old place!”

“Not exactly an apartment above a store, is it?” Gussie smiled. “Or Jim’s Victorian, either. We’ve gone contemporary. Come on! I can hardly wait to show you the inside. Jim’s going to join us any minute, too.” She led the way up the ramp over a yard of broken shells and sea stones. “The outside of the house, both the original house, and the addition we’ve added, is finished, but the inside isn’t quite done, as you’ll see. That’s one of the reasons we’re going a bit crazy.” She opened the door, which Maggie noted had a handle and lock at just the right height for someone in a wheelchair.

“It’s wonderful, Gussie!” Maggie said immediately. “But…you’re planning to live here right after the wedding, right?”

“That’s my Maggie! A woman who grasps the obvious,” laughed Gussie. “Yes; we think it’s going to be perfect. And the plan is for me to move here right before the wedding and Jim to join me as soon as we’re legal. But as you can see, it’s not quite ready yet.” She steered her scooter around the pile of cartons filling most of the entrance to the large living room. On one side was the kitchen; on the other was a large open stone fireplace. Straight ahead a wall of glass windows looked out over Cape Cod Bay. “We opened up three rooms to get this space,” she explained, “and we totally redid the kitchen. It’s the only part of the house that’s completely finished. See?” She zoomed over to demonstrate.

Maggie followed her.

“I worked with the architect on everything,” she said, with pride. “It’s designed not just for someone in a chair, but for me, personally! Every cabinet and shelf the right height. The insides of some of the cabinets have lazy-Susan shelves so I can turn them to get plates or pans in the back. I can reach every burner on the stove, and the oven, too. It’s perfect. Jim doesn’t mind bending over a little if he has to do some cooking, and we had a second microwave installed at his level. For the first time in years I have a kitchen where I can cook safely and comfortably.”

“It’s wonderful, Gussie.” Maggie walked through the wide aisle, peeking into the drawers and checking the shelves in the cabinets. “I love it!”

“Now all we have to do is get the rest of the house finished. And all of our furniture and books and clothes moved in!”

“What still needs to be done?”

“Our master bedroom was finished yesterday, thank goodness. The guest bedroom only needs molding and paint. It’s close. Jim’s office needs more. We’re going to have cabinets built there, and bookcases built in all the rooms, but that won’t happen for another month. The problem is that my old place needs to be emptied in the next couple of days.”

“No office for you?”

“My office is down at my new store.”

Maggie nodded. “Which I can hardly wait to see! And of course, the newlyweds’ bedroom had to be finished first.”

“Naturally!” They grinned at each other. “A glass of wine? The kitchen’s operational now.”

“I’d love a glass,” Maggie said. She watched as Gussie, clearly proud to show off her kitchen, got out three wineglasses (“one for Jim, when he gets here”) and a bottle of Chardonnay from the refrigerator, and poured them each a glass.

“Luckily, we do have a few chairs here,” said Gussie, handing Maggie her glass, and pointing at a chair near the fireplace. “We’ve been gradually moving in furniture from my apartment and Jim’s house, as we agree on pieces we want to keep. I, of course, come equipped with my own seating.”

“Cheers!” said Maggie, raising her glass. “And best wishes, on your house, and your upcoming nuptials.”

“Thank you for coming. You haven’t heard all the reasons I need you yet,” said Gussie, raising her glass, too. “So take some sips. I don’t want you turning around and changing your mind about being here.”

“There’s something I should tell you, too,” Maggie started to say, when Jim walked in.

Tall and confident, his white hair windblown, he reached down and focused first on his bride-to-be. “Survived another day?” he said quietly.

“I’m happy as a clam,” Gussie replied. “Now that Maggie’s here I’ll have someone on my side. You can cope with the painters and carpenters and with any telephone calls from your mother.”

Jim grinned. “No problem. And I can deal with my mother. I’ve been doing it all my life, I keep telling you. Hi, Maggie. Welcome to our frenetic world. I see you ladies have already opened a bottle of wine, so I’m going to join you.” He poured himself a generous glass. “I’m glad you’re here. This getting married has turned out to be a bit more complicated than we’d thought. We’re beginning to think eloping would have been the best idea.”

“We’ve been considering it, actually,” Gussie threw in, a bit grimly.

“Unfortunately, it’s a bit late for that. If we eloped now my mother would probably murder one or both of us.”

They smiled at each other.

Maggie put down her wineglass. “I hate to interrupt, but before we talk about the wedding I need to tell you what happened this afternoon when I was walking on the beach.”

“What? Did you find a whale? Or the man of your dreams? If it’s that, we’d better call Will and tell him not to drive down from Maine after all,” Gussie teased.