Reunion By The Sea. Jo Leigh

was a genius idea. We’ve hit the mother lode. Check out the guy by the jukebox.”

      “I’m pretty sure half the bar heard you.” Ginny leaned in, keeping her voice low.

      After Harlow ordered a pitcher of margaritas, Jade put her hand over Ginny’s. “Sweetie, it’s okay to loosen up every once in a while. You’re not seeing anyone, am I right?”

      “With Tilda around? I don’t even remember the last guy who asked me out.”

      “Well, don’t you worry. There are plenty of men here this weekend. We’ll fix you up.”

      “I don’t know. I think you guys are bad influences on me. I was always stuck behind a piano, remember?”

      “And the night of the junior prom when you were out until one in the morning? Your father almost sent you to a nunnery.”

      Ginny groaned. “Jade, you know perfectly well we really did have a flat tire. It was you and Harlow who kept staying out past curfew.”

      “Oh, girl, what you’ve missed out on. Tonight’s your chance to make up for lost time.” Jade watched a far-too-cocky golfer sashay past their table. “I promise I’ll find you someone decent.”

      “Oh, I don’t need any help,” she said, “I already have someone in mind.”

      Both women widened their eyes. “Who?”

      Ginny was instantly sorry she’d teased them. She wasn’t thinking clearly. Too much was going on, and she’d been completely caught off guard after Parker had shown up. Maybe she should meet up with him before the dinner. Get it over with. Send him on his way.

      But something about him was making it hard to do the smart thing. It didn’t seem possible that they could still have the chemistry they’d shared so long ago. Too much water under the bridge. Surely he had another woman in his life. Besides, nothing meaningful could come of the two of them. Not with Tilda in the picture.

      “Ginny? You okay?” Harlow stared with concern.

      “I’m fine. I’ve been thinking about Meg a lot, and it’s distracting, you know? I haven’t heard from her in a while, and I feel like we’re losing touch.” She’d never tell her friends anything about Meg’s real situation. That even if she were alive, she must be in hiding, or under Danny’s thumb. She knew Meg wouldn’t want her to share that information.

      “Yeah, you guys were close,” Jade said. “I always liked her, even though she could be crazier than me. I kind of figured that we canceled each other out. It was that, or we’d end up driving each other nuts with our...eccentricities.”

      Harlow let out a laugh. “That’s one way of saying you were a lunatic.”

      “Gee, thanks.” Jade took a very large drink of her margarita, then dabbed her lips with a napkin. “You have to admit, the two of us made that uptight school a heck of a lot more interesting. Meg sure did have some great moves, aside from getting Miss Piano Practice out from behind the keyboard more than I could.”

      “Miss Piano Practice?” Ginny hadn’t heard that one, and she didn’t like it one bit. “Did you guys really call me that?”

      “Not until today,” Harlow said. “And that was all Jade.”

      “We love you, Ginny, you know that.” Jade grinned. “We’d never diss you. Even when you had to cancel all the time.”

      “Well, yeah, I did. Which wasn’t easy. But I might, and I stress the word might, be touring with the Rhode Island Philharmonic.”

      “What! Are you kidding?” Jade rushed on. “You waited this long to tell us?”

      Harlow’s mouth dropped open. Then she started firing questions—when, where, how they could get tickets.

      “It’s not happening right away,” Ginny said, shushing their exuberance. “I’m not going on tour while Tilda’s still at Roger Williams. She still comes first.”

      “But that’s fantastic. See? Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?”

      Ginny smiled, still carrying a bit of doubt about sharing the news. Normally, she preferred to remain cautiously optimistic, knowing all too well that the best-laid plans could turn on a dime. “I hope it turns out. I’ve been working with them, doing a couple of guest spots.”

      “Of course it’ll turn out.” Harlow lifted her glass. “To dreams coming true.”

      Ginny clicked her glass to theirs. “Maybe it’s turning out that we’re all getting what we need instead of what we wanted.” Ginny smiled, even though she couldn’t shake the feeling that Parker showing up out of the blue was the last thing she needed.