| 1 | Hayden | Croft | Ellen's fiancé. |
| | Eleanor | Newhouse | Narrator and Protagonist. Aka: Ellen Branford, The Swimmer. |
| | Roy | Cummings | The man who saved Ellen from drowning. Chet's nephew. |
| | Paula | | The owner of Victoria's Inn. |
| 2 | Chester | Cummings | Gran's lover. Aka: Chet. |
| | Ruth | Goddard-Ray | Ellen's grandmother. |
| | Lucy | | Grant's housekeeper. |
| | Winston R. | Jennings | Ellen's boss. Owner of a law firm. |
| | H.C. | Croft | Hayden's father. The Senator from Pennsylvania. |
| | Ron | Croft | Hayden's uncle. A governor in Maryland. |
| | Cheryl | Higgins | Hayden's cousin. A congressional representative. |
| | Celia | | Hayden's great-aunt. |
| 3 | Brandy | | Ellen's secretary. |
| | Walter | | Roy's friend. |
| | Hap | | Roy's friend. |
| | Phil | | The cashier at the store. |
| 4 | Dan | Snuggler | Owner of a pet store. |
| | Milarky | | Dan's poodle. |
| | Arlen | Fletch | The receptionist at Beacon Municipal Building. |
| 5 | Skip | | A bartender. |
| | Billy | | The man at the bar. |
| | Bridget | | A bartender. |
| | Bliss | | The woman Ellen met. |
| | Wendy | | Bliss's friend. |
| | Blake | Abbott | Ellen's former lover. |
| | Gordon | | Billy's friend. |
| | Dr. | Belden | The Periodontist. |
| 6 | Trimmy | Taylor | The ballroom instructor. |
| 7 | Janice | | Hayden's secretary. |
| | Bradley | Porter | The current owner of Gran's House. |
| | Susan | Porter | Bradley's wife. |
| | Katy | Porter | Bradley and Susan's daughter. |
| 8 | Wade | Shelby | Gran's former schoolmate. |
| | Lila | Falk | Gran's friend. |
| 9 | Mr. | Puddy | Roy's cat. |
| 10 | Troy | Blanchard | The owner of a beauty salon. |
| | Flynn | Sweeney | The director of the Auction House. |
| 11 | Noreen | | Lila's nurse. |
| | Dr. | Martin | Lila's doctor. |
| | Totty | | The Inn's receptionist. |
| | Rodolfo | | The inn's attendant. |
| 12 | Cynthia P. | Branford | Ellen's mother. |
| | Smythson | | Hayden's best man. |
| | Chad | | Ellen's trainer. |
| 13 | Tom | Frasier | Hayden's friend. |
| 14 | Peter | Herbert | A veterinarian. |
| | Laurie | Herbert | Peter's wife. Paula's cousin. |
| 15 | Sugard | Falk | Lila's daughter. |
| | Childe | Hassam | An American Impressionist. |
| 16 | Beezy | Bridges | Gary's wife. |
| | Gary | Bridges | One of the Ellen's wedding guests. |
| | Cici | Baker | Cynthia's former tennis partner. |
| 17 | Ben | | Chet's cousin. |
| | Henry | Goddard | Ruth's husband. |
| 18 | Jim | | The Times reporter. |
| | Tally | | The Times photographer. |
