Page 95 of Between the Lines

“This is Maple,” Essie said. “We just adopted her.”

“Well, she is adorable,” Gigi said, lowering herself into the sand beside Maple without being invited. “Look at that face. You can tell she’s happy. Dogs always know when they’ve landed somewhere good.”

Maple wagged her tail, as if in agreement.

Essie nodded. “She’s been wonderful so far. Still settling in and figuring things out a bit, but so am I. Figuring things out, I mean.”

Gigi laughed softly. “Aren’t we all?” She reached out slowly, letting Maple sniff her hand before giving her a careful pat. “I think it’s lovely you adopted a dog. Companionship is just one of the best things in life.”

“Yes,” Essie said. “It really is.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching the waves roll in and recede. Essie didn’t know what Gigi was up to, if anything, but she felt no need to fill the quiet with small talk. Maybe that was age. Or maybe it was simply Essie not wanting to give Gigi anything more to talk about.

It wasn’t that Essie disliked the woman, but her relationship with Darcy made her problematic. Not to mention how she’d come across at book club. And then dinner.

Gigi, however, didn’t seem content to let the moment stay quiet for long.

“So,” she said lightly, brushing sand off her leg. “How are things otherwise? What do you do to stay busy?”

“I volunteer at my church. And my daughter was just here visiting.” Essie glanced at Gigi. She considered letting the small talk go on, considered keeping things surface-level. Instead, she did something she might not have done a year ago.

She looked at Gigi directly. “Can I ask you something more personal?”

Gigi’s smile stayed in place, but she blinked twice, rapidly, as if Essie had caught her off guard. “Of course.”

“What’s going on with Darcy?” Essie asked. Even as she said it, her heart rate went up slightly. She was not a confrontational person, but she liked Paige very much. And she did not like that Darcy seemed to be out to get her.

Gigi opened her mouth, closed it, then let out a small laugh. “Darcy?”

“Yes,” Essie said more calmly than she felt. “You’ve made friends with her awfully fast. To me, she seems very interested in certain people. I’d just like to understand what she’s hoping to accomplish.”

Gigi leaned back on her hands and stared at the water. Like she was buying time to think. “Well,” she said slowly. “I guess she’s just trying to find her place here. Like anybody new.”

Essie waited.

Gigi kept her eyes on the shoreline. “She had a rough time in Atlanta,” she added. “She’s looking for a new community. One that can give her purpose.”

Nothing wrong with that. But what did it have to do with going after Paige? “What about the group she’s starting?”

“That,” Gigi said, her tone brightening again. “Is all about making connections and finding that community. She wants to give women a place to get to know each other. And to support one another. Nothing sinister, I promise.”

Essie studied her face. Gigi believed what she was saying. Or at least believed enough of it to sound convincing.

“How does Paige fit into that?” Essie asked gently.

Gigi hesitated. Just a moment too long for Essie’s taste.

“I think Darcy admires her,” Gigi said. “Strong women tend to recognize each other.”

Essie thought that sounded like a load of malarky, but it was highly probable that Gigi didn’t know Darcy’s real motives. “Strong women don’t make thinly veiled threats to women they admire.”

Gigi’s mouth came open, but she didn’t say anything.

Maple let out a deep sigh and Essie rested a hand on the dog’s back. She didn’t push further, because she didn’t think there was any point. If Darcy was smart, and it seemed like she was, she hadn’t told Gigi what was truly going on.

“Well,” Essie said, standing at last and brushing sand from her legs. “I hope it all stays as harmless as you say.”

“I’m sure it will,” Gigi replied, rising as well. “You know how people talk. Things get exaggerated.”