Annette blinked through the sunlight.
Jude had left her porch, striding tentatively down the steps and toward the idling truck with the two new faces. There sure were a lot of new faces on Apple Hill lately.
She glanced back at Elijah, whose jaw was still dangling open. Annette cleared her throat and glared at him. He came to and stepped up to the deck rail.
Annette watched Jude exchange inaudible words with the man and the girl. The man, at one point, pushed his hand through his hair. Exasperation. The girl, at one point, crossed her arms. Irritation.
This was not a happy visit.
Maybe it wasn’t a planned one.
Annette bolstered herself and took off from the porch, joining Jude at the sidewalk.
“Hi,” she butted in, although the trio had been silently studying the house next door upon Annette’s approach. “Annette Best. You’re Vivi.” She smiled warmly and cocked her head to the girl.
The girl smiled back; hers was flat and put on, but this did not deter Annette Best. “You must be Quinn’s daughter. Gorgeous like your mom.” Annette winked, and the girl’s face softened, but only just.
“Matt Fiorillo.” The man stuck out his hand to Annette. He was handsome. About the same age as Quinn, which was close to the same age as Annette. Forties, probably. His last name was apparent in his dark hair and green eyes. The olive-colored skin matched his daughter’s, something to set her apart from Quinn, whose complexion was a touch creamier. Days spent indoors, perhaps.
“I suspect you’ve come to see Quinn’s progress,” Annette pushed ahead, unsure what ground Jude had already covered. She dipped her chin to Jude as if to rustle up some conversational support.
Jude caught on, nodding. “Actually, it sounds like it’s a bit more than that.”
“More than a day trip?” Annette’s smile broadened. “I just love dropping down to Birch Harbor for the day, myself. Sometimes my husband and son, oh—that’s my son, Elijah.” Annette boldly indicated Elijah up on the porch. She saw Vivi squint toward him then square her shoulders, narrow her gaze. Annette went on. “Anyway, they rent a boat for the day and do guy stuff. Meanwhile, I stick to the little lakeside plaza.”
“The marina,” Vivi offered. Her tone was all ice. Know-it-all and sass, and Annette was ready for her.
“Marina, right. And a quaint one, too. Reminds me of the little dock by my parents’ old house on Drummond Island. So precious.” She smiled at Vivi, her eyes slits.
Matt cleared his throat. “Mrs. Carmichael says Quinn’s out. Any idea when she’ll return?”
“She’s not answering her phone,” Vivi complained, but Annette saw her steal another look up to the porch. She knew better than to follow the gaze. It’d humiliate Elijah. No, no. All she had to do was refer to him. That was more than enough to pique this little imp’s interest. Her work here was done.
“She’s at a job interview,” Jude replied. “And, please, call me Jude.”
Matt lifted an eyebrow beneath the hand he held to shield the sun. “Jude?”
Jude’s face remained blank, and Annette realized these two knew each other. And things were…delicate, perhaps.
“She’s been gone nearly an hour, I’d say. Should be back soon. You two are welcome to come in and have a glass of lemonade. Iced tea?” Annette waved back to her house, and Matt and Vivi exchanged a look.
“I think it’s best they get in touch with Quinn right away,” Jude said carefully. She looked at Annette, a hardness filling her features. “Do you have the number for the Herald?”