by Nicole Ellis
Jack’s face was expressionless. “I remember. You were quite young then.” He peered at Shawn. “But what brings this up?”
Shawn took a deep breath. “Celia James is in the hospital. Her neighbor found my name listed as her emergency contact.”
Jack focused on his hands, folded in his lap. “Celia James. I haven’t thought of her in a long time.” He looked up at Shawn. “Your mom didn’t want you to know about her, but I think it’s important that you do.”
Shawn’s heart beat faster, and he scooted to the edge of the sofa. After all these years, he was finally going to find out about Celia. “Who is she?”
His dad sighed and shifted in his seat. “Celia is your grandmother.”
Shawn blinked a few times, trying to process everything. “What do you mean she’s my grandmother? I knew both Grandma Betty and Memaw.”
“Grandma Betty was Celia’s cousin. I don’t know the whole story because your mom wanted nothing to do with Celia, but from what I understood, Celia got pregnant and decided to let Betty and her husband adopt your mother. They hadn’t been able to have children and were eager to become parents.” Jack fixed his eyes on Shawn, as if trying to gauge his son’s reaction. “I know, it’s a lot to take in.”
Shawn sat back. “So, Grandma Betty and Grandpa Delbert weren’t really my grandparents?”
His dad shrugged. “They were the only parents your mother ever knew, and the only ones that mattered to her. ‘Your mother didn’t want Celia in her life, even after she’d grown up and Celia tried to reconnect with her.”
“Wow.” Shawn had expected that Celia might be a distant relative, but he never would have expected the truth. “So, she wanted to reunite with Mom, but Mom wouldn’t let that happen?”
He’d never thought of his gentle mother as a cruel person, so she must have had a good reason to do what she did. An image of Celia looking small and lonely in her hospital bed passed through his mind. Zoe cared a great deal about Celia, so she couldn’t be that bad.
His father pursed his lips, then sighed and said, “Your mother was a wonderful woman, but she had a stubborn streak a mile long. She’d made up her mind that Celia didn’t care about her and had given her up without a thought – and that was that. She never found it in herself to forgive Celia.”
“But that wasn’t true, right?” Shawn asked. “If Celia couldn’t care for the baby, wasn’t it better to give her up?” It was odd to think of his mother as a little baby, abandoned by her birth mother.
Jack’s face was troubled. “I tried to make her see that, but she wouldn’t change her mind. After that argument you witnessed, we never spoke of Celia again. If Celia contacted your mom after that, I never knew about it.”
“But why would Celia have listed me as her emergency contact?” Shawn asked. “And how did she have my cell phone number?”
“I don’t know. Back then, Celia so badly wanted to reunite with your mother. Maybe she hoped to eventually have a relationship with you too. I’m sure there are ways to get contact information for anyone nowadays.” His dad’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “I take it she’s not doing well, or she’d have told you all of this herself.”
“She fell in her house and hit her head last week. She hasn’t regained consciousness since then.” Shawn sighed. “I can’t believe I have a grandmother I never knew.”
“Well, I hope you have a chance to get to know Celia. I still think your mom was overly stubborn about her. Maybe you’ll be able to make things right.” He pushed the footrest in and rocked the chair up to stand. “I’m going to fix some lunch. Do you want any?”
“Sure.” Shawn wanted to know more, but it didn’t sound like his father knew anything else. They walked into the kitchen where Jack gathered two cans of tuna from an upper cabinet, and some mayo and pickles from the fridge.
“Extra pickles, right?” His dad asked as he prepared the tuna salad.
Shawn grinned. “You remembered.” The family joke had always been that a jar of pickles didn’t last long with Shawn in the house.
“How could I forget? Your mom always made me run to the store for pickles when she was making tuna salad sandwiches because hers had mysteriously disappeared.” His dad smiled at the memory.
“I miss her.” A vision of his mom flashed into his head, filling him with warmth. She may have teased him about his infatuation with pickles, but she’d always tried to have her family’s favorite foods on hand. It was one of the many ways she demonstrated how much she loved them. He took the plate his dad handed him, bit into the sandwich, and grinned. “Tastes just like how Mom used to make it.”
“That’s because I used her secret ingredient.” His dad held his hand up to the side of his mouth and whispered, “Some pickle juice mixed in with the mayo. Shh. Don’t tell anyone.” He passed Shawn a bag of potato chips and took a huge bite of his own sandwich.
“That explains why I like her recipe so much.” Shawn took a swig of water from the glass his dad set in front of him.
“Anything else new with you?” His dad asked in between bites. “Are you seeing anyone?”
Shawn thought about the way Zoe had broken out into laughter when Pebbles had licked his nose, and his pulse quickened. There was something about Zoe that caught his attention every time he saw her – the way she took charge of a situation and the fierce loyalty she showed toward Celia. When she’d seen him mowing the lawn that morning, he’d almost thought there had been something between them, but she’d never given him any indication of romantic interest. It was probably for the best though – she was the type of woman to settle down with, and he wasn’t sure where he’d be next month, let alone in a year.
“Nope. Not seeing anyone.” Shawn reached into the chip bag to grab a few. “You?”
His dad laughed. “Son, your mom was the love of my life. It’d take a heck of a woman to even come close to her.”
“So, we’re both going to be bachelors for the rest of our lives, huh?” Shawn said.
His dad shook his head. “I think the right woman for you will come along soon. There’s hope for you yet.” He flashed a smile at Shawn before finishing off his sandwich.
Maybe she already has. At that thought, Shawn stood abruptly and carried his empty plate over to the sink.
“Do you have any pictures of the house you remodeled?” His dad asked as he joined Shawn at the sink. “I’d love to see it.”
Grateful for the subject change, Shawn placed their rinsed plates in the dishwasher and looked up at his dad. “I took hundreds of photos of it. You’re going to love the history in this house.”
They sat together on the couch with Shawn’s phone, swiping through the before and after images of the house in Charleston.
“You do good work.” Jack admired the renovated kitchen. “I like how you kept some of the period details but updated it for modern-day living.”
His father’s praise meant a lot to him. “Thanks, Dad.”
An image of the Inn at Willa Bay flashed into his mind. What he would give to have the money to renovate that place. With proper care, he knew he could restore it to its former glory. That was only a dream though. Even if Celia eventually sold it, he couldn’t afford the annual property taxes on it, let alone the purchase price or cost of a full-scale remodel.
“Tell me about the house’s history,” his dad said, interrupting Shawn’s musings. “I bet this home has a story to tell.” He handed the phone back to Shawn.
“That it does.” Shawn had researched the Charleston property while he’d been living in it, and he launched into a long summary of what he’d discovered.
The two of them hung out until after dinner, at which point Shawn said he needed to get back to Willa Bay. His father extracted a promise from Shawn to come see him before he returned to Charleston.
“I will, Dad. I love you.” Shawn hugged his father tightly. Seeing Celia in the hospital had made him realize how quickly things could change, and he didn’t want to leave anything
left unsaid.
“I love you too.” His father returned the hug, then clapped him on the back. “Take care, son, and don’t be afraid to let your guard down once in a while. You never know what you might find.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Shawn walked down the sidewalk to his car, waving as he pulled away from the curb. He had mixed feelings about returning to Willa Bay. Although he now knew Celia was his grandmother, would he ever have a chance to get to know her? Whatever the case, it was nice to finally have the truth out in the open. He couldn’t wait until he was back at the Inn and could see Zoe in person to tell her what he’d found out.
When he arrived in Willa Bay, Zoe was still at work, so he busied himself with some small repairs at the Inn. As soon as he saw her car in the driveway, he walked over to her cottage to tell her his news.
“Hey.” She looked up at him in surprise as she got out of her car. “I was planning on coming over to see what you’d found out.”
“I couldn’t wait to tell you.” He let the suspense build until Zoe raised an eyebrow at him. “Celia is my grandmother.”
She shut the car door and stared at him. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “She gave my mom up for adoption right after birth. The woman I knew as my grandmother was actually Celia’s cousin.”
“Wow.” Zoe blinked several times. “I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”
“Me neither.” Shawn was quiet for a moment. “I can’t believe my mom never told my sister or me about Celia.”
“She must have had her reasons,” Zoe said.
“I guess, but I can’t imagine what they could have been. That’s a big secret to keep.” Shawn stuffed his hands in his pockets. If Celia hadn’t been hurt, he may never have learned about her existence.
“Yeah. I really hope Celia wakes up soon so she can tell us what happened.” Zoe gestured to her cottage. “I was just about to make a late dinner. Did you want to join me?”
“Sure. I’d like that.” He gave her a wide smile, then followed her inside her home. So far, Willa Bay hadn’t been what he’d expected, but between Zoe and the mystery surrounding his biological grandmother, he was looking forward to staying awhile.
14
Cassie
Cassie slid a tall wedding cake off the wooden board on the floor of her minivan and onto the small wheeled cart she used for transporting larger cakes. The wedding ceremony was taking place in a local Presbyterian church, but they were hosting a big reception at the nearby Elks hall situated along the Willomish River. She rolled the cart through a back door and into the main room, which had already been decorated in the wedding colors: silver and navy blue.
She’d delivered cakes and attended events here in the past and knew the layout well. There was a benefit to living in the town where you’d grown up. She approached the entrance to the kitchen at the back of the room. If the racket and delicious aromas coming from behind the closed door were any indication, the catering staff would be taking care of any last-minute preparations before dinner was served at six thirty.
The wedding party wasn’t due to arrive for another hour, and Cassie didn’t see anyone who appeared to be in charge, so she ducked into the kitchen for a minute. “Hey,” she said.
Four people were hard at work prepping food. One was sprinkling herbs on the top of a massive dish of mashed potatoes, while two others were mixing up something in vats that looked like salad dressing. A woman looked up from loading plates and silverware onto a cart that was twice as big as Cassie’s and broke into a smile. “Cassie! I heard you were doing the cake tonight. I hoped I’d get to see you.”
“Hey, Gabby. It’s been a while.” Cassie gave her a hug. Gabby Tyrane was an old friend of hers from high school and had started her own catering company a few years ago. “It’s good to see you.” She sniffed the air. “Something smells great.”
Gabby nodded to a row of chafing dishes on the far counter. “It’s the beef medallions. They’re always a big hit at wedding receptions.”
“I kind of wish I was staying for dinner,” Cassie joked.
“Stop by later tonight and I can slip one into a box for you.” Gabby winked at her. “How’d the cake turn out?” She lowered her voice so her employees milling around the kitchen couldn’t hear her. “This bride is super fussy, so don’t be surprised if she nitpicks.”
“There’s not much I can do about it at this point if she doesn’t like it, but I think it turned out well,” Cassie said. “Do you want to see it?”
Gabby surveyed the kitchen. Seemingly satisfied with everyone’s progress, she nodded. “Of course.”
Cassie led her out to the cake, which was still on the cart. “Actually, I wasn’t sure where they wanted me to put it, and I couldn’t find the wedding coordinator.”
Gabby laughed. “Oh, she had to leave to take care of an errand for the bride. She should be back any minute.” Gabby took a closer look at the cake and sucked in her breath. “It’s gorgeous. Cassie, you’ve outdone yourself on this one.”
“You don’t think she’ll find anything to complain about?” The cake was composed of four square tiers, placed offset from each other. She’d decorated the white fondant with navy-blue flowers and silver fleur-de-lis accents. In her opinion, it was one of the best she’d ever done, and she’d made sure to take several photos of it for her portfolio.
“Uh, I don’t see how she could.” Gabby walked around the cart. “I love the flowers. They’re so detailed and cute.”
“Thank you.” Cassie glowed at her friend’s praise. Hearing people compliment her creations increased her confidence and certainty that this career was worth the effort and expense she’d invested in it. “I hope the bride feels the same. She had very definite ideas of what she wanted it to look like.”
The back door cracked open, and they both looked to see who’d come in.
“That’s the wedding coordinator. I’d better get back to work. It was nice seeing you again,” Gabby said. “We’ll have to get together sometime outside of work.”
“That’d be great.” Cassie smiled at Gabby, who tossed a little wave at her and the person who’d just entered before scurrying back to the kitchen. Cassie didn’t recognize the harried woman striding toward her. “Hello,” Cassie said to her.
“Hi, I’m Tia, the wedding coordinator. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived.” She brushed aside a wisp of hair that had escaped her tight bun and checked the small tablet she held in her hands. “You must be Cassie?”
“I am.” Cassie nodded at the cart. “I wasn’t sure where to put the cake.”
Tia tapped on the tablet screen, then looked back up at Cassie. “They want it over in the corner opposite the buffet tables.” She gestured to a round table, about four feet in diameter, near the wide windows overlooking the river. “Do you need any help?”
“I’ll need some assistance getting the cake onto the table.” Cassie rolled the cart over to the table, which was clad in a navy-blue linen that matched the flowers on the cake.
Together, they moved the cake into place and rotated it until the ceramic bride and groom on top were facing into the room.
“It’s beautiful. I think they’re going to love it.” Tia rummaged in the messenger bag strung over her shoulder and pulled out an envelope marked “Cassie.” She held it out and Cassie took it.
“Thanks.” Cassie refrained from checking the envelope until she could do so privately. She’d found it best not to spoil the wedding mood with talk of money, and if the clients had stiffed her on the payment, she would figure that out later.
“You’re welcome.” Tia scanned the room. “Everything is coming together so nicely.” Her voice was filled with relief.
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Did something not go well earlier?”
Tia blushed. “It’s only the first wedding I’ve done on my own. I just set up shop in Willa Bay a few months ago.”
That explained why Cassie hadn’t met her before. “Well then, welc
ome to Willa Bay. If you ever need anything, let me know. You have my phone number.”
“Thank you.” Tia sighed. “Everyone’s been so nice here. I thought it would be more cutthroat with so many service providers.”
Cassie laughed. “Nope. Not usually. There are plenty of weddings to go around. The whole industry benefits when clients and guests are happy and spread the word about the amazing weddings in Willa Bay.”
“Hmm. I never thought about it like that before.” Tia eyed her watch. “I’d better get going though. I still have a few more things to check on before everyone arrives.”
“Good luck.” Cassie snapped a few photos of her masterpiece against the backdrop of the wedding decorations, then grabbed the cart handle and exited the building.
As she lifted the cart into the van, she thought about what she’d told Tia. Usually, service providers in Willa Bay were more than happy to support one another. Lara Camden was the exception. Cassie’s mood darkened as she got behind the wheel and drove out of the parking lot.
She still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Debbie Briggs about using her catering kitchen, but that needed to be a top priority. She had until next weekend to find a new place to bake her cakes, which didn’t leave much time if Debbie’s didn’t work out.
She’d planned to meet Zoe and Meg for the late-night happy hour at their favorite cafe after Zoe got off work, but Cassie wanted to stop at the hospital and check on Celia first. It had been a few days since she’d last visited.
When she got to Celia’s hospital room, a tall man with brown hair was sitting in an armchair by Celia’s bedside. He stood when she walked in.
She paused in the doorway. Was this Shawn? She’d never met him, but he fit Zoe’s description: tall, fit, and sporting a short haircut.
“Hi.” She walked closer and held out her hand. “I’m Cassie, a friend of Celia’s.”