Half the town was waiting in the parking lot when the ambulette brought Mac and Clancy back. They were carrying balloons and homemade cookies, flowers, and a banner that said welcome back mac.
How word got around so fast was a mystery. Then again, it was Lighthouse Beach.
The only person who was missing was Ian, and Lillo wasn’t sure if that was intentional or if he hadn’t yet heard about Mac’s return.
“Lord, it’s a parade,” Mac mumbled as Ned hurried over to help Clancy roll her off the lift.
A cheer went up.
“Just wave and smile, you old grump,” Clancy said. And Lillo heard the happiness and relief in his voice. He might grumble, but he and Mac went back a long way, and neither he, nor any of them, were willing to give her up yet.
Allie, Lillo, Jess, and Diana gathered up all the well wishes, took the banner that the community center children had made, and carefully carried it all into the house. The crowd dispersed and headed back up the hill to town.
More than once, Lillo caught Diana looking up the road toward Ian’s place.
“He’s probably out on a call,” she said. “Was he expecting you? You should go on. We can manage here.”
Diana shook her head. “Maybe he needs some time.”
Maybe, thought Lillo. She just wished Diana hadn’t waited until the eleventh hour to jump into bed with the man. Though that wasn’t fair. She’d only been here a week. Any earlier would have been just as bad. She just hoped it all worked out.
Mac insisted on sitting up instead of going straight to bed. She was a little loopy from the drugs the hospital had given her for pain, but she wanted to hear about everything that had happened after she’d been whisked away.
They gave her the edited version of the sheriff taking Parker away, Jess giving him what-for.
“Sorry I missed that.” Mac’s eyelids drooped a bit. “And where is Ian? Did they hurt him very much?”
“No. He’s tough,” Ned said. “The sheriff said he had to come in and make a statement, but everyone gave him an earful, so there wouldn’t be any problem. After all, he was just defending a defenseless old woman.”
“Who you calling old?”
“You,” Clancy said. “And if we have to go to court, which I doubt, you’ll act like an enfeebled, weak-minded biddy and you don’t know anything about a shotgun.”
“Where is my shotgun?” Mac looked around.
“Hopefully washing up on the Norwegian coast by now.”
“Ian’s fine. He’s out on a call,” Ned said. “He called the clinic before he left. Said if he didn’t get back today in time, he’d come by tomorrow first thing.”
“And what about the rest of you? I feel like I’ve been gone an age. Are you all off tomorrow still?”
Diana moved closer. “I’m afraid so. Allie has a flight to California and I’ve neglected my business for as long as I dare.”
“Of course, you need to go. And it’s been a pleasure to have you all here. You must come back. How about you, Jess? Leaving with Diana and Allie?”
“Well, actually,” Jess said, “I thought I’d hang around here for a while. If that’s okay with you and Lillo. I have some ideas about putting the lighthouse in the black—and using those kids to do it. If you think it’s a good idea.”
“I think it’s an excellent idea.”
Clancy heaved himself out of his chair. “Okay, that’s enough excitement for one evening. Mac, it’s time you rested.”
He trundled everyone out the back door. And said good night.
The women walked back toward the cottage without speaking. Lillo lagged behind with Ned. “Is Ian really on a call?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t—”
He cut her off. “Interfere? No. So Jess is staying?”
“First I’ve heard of it, though she has been working on something she wouldn’t talk about for the last couple of days. Maybe she does have an idea.”
“I hope she’s not staying out of guilt.”
Lillo gave him a look. “Stop it. Believe it or not, we’ll all try to bumble along without you. You’re leaving tomorrow, too?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Our work here is done, for the moment, and they’re expecting us in Zed’s Landing.”
“Are you taking Clancy with you?”
“No. He’ll stay around until Mac’s on her feet. Actually, the only way they’d let her out today was if he promised to stay with her.”
“Nice to know people in high places.”
“I guess. Well, good night. Maybe I’ll see you before I go. We’re out of here at four.”
Lillo followed the others into the cottage, where she and Jess watched while the other two packed.
Lillo kept casting surreptitious looks at Diana, but she was looking as stoic as the Sphinx.
They took food and drinks out to the deck and sat while it grew dark. The breeze was nice and kept the bugs away. They finished the last bottle of wine.
No one seemed to have too much to say.
And Ian never made an appearance.
And the sun set on the “Flight from Kennebunkport” road trip.
Sunday morning arrived way too soon.
Mac and Clancy came out to see Allie and Diana off. There were hugs and a few tears, and promises to visit.
Diana didn’t mention Ian and Lillo wondered if she would ever return to Lighthouse Beach.
“I think the sign is right,” Allie said as she and Diana drove up the hill toward Main Street.
“What sign?”
“The one at the edge of town. ‘Welcome to Lighthouse Beach, Life Will Never Be the Same.’”
“Yeah, it got that right.”
“No, really, I mean look at us, what we were like before we came.”
Diana raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that look; we’ve all changed. Jess finally stood up to her family. I’m ready to face my future.”
“And what about Lillo? Now that we’re gone, is she going to click her ruby slippers together and say there’s no place like home?”
“I don’t think she’s found home yet.”
Diana slowed down at Main Street to let a truck pass. Looked right for a last good-bye to the clinic, Mike’s Bar, the consignment store. To the left toward the road that led to Ian’s. Straight ahead of them lay the fork where they would continue left on their long trek to Boston.
Diana suppressed a sigh. “You think she’ll ever leave?”
Allie looked back to where Mac, Jess, and Lillo stood watching. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
“So what about me? I’m the same as when I came.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Am too.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Look to your left, then keep driving.”
Diana looked. Ian was striding down the road, looking like thunder. She shoved the car into park and got out. Managed not to run to him like some slo-mo movie with a soundtrack. They stopped when they were inches away from each other.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“At the llama farm. Didn’t Ned tell you?”
“Not precisely. Does this mean we’re not over?”
“Sort of up to you.”
“I say yes. I will be back. Maybe not every weekend. But you could actually come to Manhattan sometimes. But we can talk about that down the road.”
Down the road. Was she nuts? What about three’s a charm and that’s why she was taking no more chances with men? She’d only known him one week, but who knew? Ian was unlike anyone she’d ever known. It could be a disaster; then again this one might stick. You never knew until you tried.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” Mac said. “Just us chickens now.”
“Chickens?” Lillo and Jess said together.
“Just an expression,” Clancy said. “Not casting aspersions on anyone’s valor.”
“Come into the house,” Mac said. “Clancy will make us some soup, and Jess can tell me about these wild plans she’s been cooking up.”
Jess and Lillo were happy to comply. The cottage would feel empty with Allie and Diana gone.
“So this is what I’m thinking,” Jess said as they sat down at the table and Clancy ladled soup and cut fresh bread. “We can’t depend on tourists to sustain the lighthouse, so we’ll make it a part of the foundation.”
“I like how you throw this ‘we’ person around,” Mac said. “And what foundation?”
“The one I’m going to set up for you. And before you start harping on not taking my money, it won’t be all mine. We’ll set it up as a nonprofit.”
“A nonprofit lighthouse. Guess that’s better than a lose-money lighthouse.”
“Hush, woman. Eat your soup and listen to her.” Clancy put a pitcher of lemonade on the table and sat down. “Please proceed, Jess.”
Jess grinned. “The lighthouse will be the symbol of the foundation’s antibullying program.”
Mac stopped eating to gape at her. So did Lillo and Doc.
“We’ll get the troublemakers and the special needs, the bullies and the bullied, together, have a program where they have to work together. Learn to respect their differences and their similarities.”
“How?” asked Mac. “And who’s going to run this program? I don’t know anything about teaching kids.”
“You don’t have to. We’ll start with volunteers. When I was at the historical society the other day, I mentioned the idea to Jed Emerson. He said he’d be willing to run a boat-building program. And he knows some retired coach around here who he might get to run some sports activities.
“And I know there are plenty of handy-type people in town to oversee the kids in their first ‘Lighthouse’ project. Restoring the lighthouse itself. Once they have a personal investment in it, I guarantee the vandalism will stop.” Jess sighed. “At least for the most part.”
“You think they’ll actually participate in it?”
“You know what they say: Build it and they will come.”
Mac raised a skeptical, but hopeful, eyebrow.
“Mac, it’s only been a few days; give me some time to work out the logistics. I can make it work.”
“I’ll drink to that,” said Clancy, and lifted his glass of lemonade to her.
Lillo joined in.
“Yeah, I expect you can do whatever you set your mind to,” Mac said, and lifted her glass. “Here’s to the Lighthouse Beach Foundation and to Jess.”
It was almost four when Lillo heard the first motorcycle arrive in the parking lot. Jess was sitting at her writing desk working out the plans they’d been discussing at lunch. Lillo was pacing her tiny kitchen and dreading the next few minutes.
Jess glanced over to her. Lillo ignored her. Her heart was pounding so loud she was afraid she might not hear the others arriving.
“Well, are you at least going out to say good-bye?” Jess put down her pen and stood. “I am.”
“I am, too.” They met at the front door. Lillo’s thoughts were ricocheting off her brain. Her throat was tied in several knots.
Jess opened the door. “Well?”
“You’re right.” Lillo spun around and ran down the hall to her room. Grabbed the backpack she’d packed that morning after Allie and Diana had gone. Just in case. She raced down the hall. Jess stepped aside and pushed the door wider.
All the guys were there, revving up and ready to drive away.
“Ned!” she called. She was weirdly out of breath.
He was on his bike, at the head of the pack, helmet on and ready to go. He flipped up the visor.
“Zed’s Landing is north of here, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think I could hitch a ride as far as Doctors Hospital?”
He just stared at her for a minute.
“I’ve got an appointment with my old adviser. No promises.”
“Get a helmet.”
She shrugged into the backpack, reached in the hard case for the extra helmet, and climbed on behind him. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. Hold on.” He revved the engine and they sped away. Doc “Harley” and his ragtag band of merry do-gooders. And one hitchhiker trying to find her way home.