by Ginny Baird
“Hmm?”
“I know.”
Hope’s heart beat a million times per minute. “Know?”
“Don’t think I don’t have eyes and that I can’t see it.”
The knife came down so hard on the far side of the radish Hope nearly nicked her finger. She kept chop-chop-chopping without looking up, perspiration forming at her hairline. Was it possible Margaret had figured her out?
“I saw you, Jackie,” she said softly. “You and Brent.”
Hope raised her eyes to Margaret’s, not understanding.
“I was up in my bedroom earlier, grabbing my sweater, and…” She tilted her head to one side. “He was carrying you through the mudflats.”
“Oh, that.” Hope’s cheeks heated as Margaret continued.
“I may be in my seventies, but I haven’t forgotten.” She gave a wistful sigh and stared at the ceiling. “Young love. All those outrageous things we do.”
Hope sent down her knife to listen.
“Oh yes,” Margaret said, reading her expression. “Chad and I had our adventures, too.”
“Yeah?” Hope asked, utterly intrigued.
Margaret placed her bowl on the counter, whisk still in it. “I was a flower child.”
“You?”
“Product of the sixties.” She smiled. “Chad and I went out to San Francisco. I wore a flower in my hair.”
Hope blinked. Of all the things Margaret might have told her, she definitely hadn’t expected this. “Was this after college?”
“Before,” she corrected. “We ran away to be hippies, which drove our parents nuts. My parents more than his. Chad just had his father, and his father was pretty laid back.”
“And your parents weren’t?”
“Oh, no. Very conservative. They didn’t approve of my choices or of Chad.” Grandmother Margaret actually giggled. “He had long hair then and hadn’t yet made his way, but I knew he would. He was always very smart and talented.”
“Was his dad in the hotel business, too?”
“He owned a gas station,” Margaret supplied evenly and without judgment. “Chad worked there in high school, and that’s how we met. He checked my oil and washed my windshield.”
Hope chuckled, trying to envision this scene based on how Chad and Margaret were now.
“When the glass cleared,” Margaret went on, “he gave me the most unbelievable grin, and well…that was kind of it for me.”
“That fast? Really?”
“The heart wants what the heart wants,” she explained. “Sometimes it takes longer to discern our heart’s desire. At other times?” She shrugged. “We can know in an instant.”
Hope recalled Brent’s lips brushing over hers, and she grew weak. “Yeah.”
“You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this,” Margaret said with an earnest gaze. “It’s because I’m afraid I owe you an apology.” She set her chin before continuing. “When we met in Boston, I got such a different impression of you. I’m sorry I didn’t understand. Perhaps I hadn’t given you enough time…but I didn’t really feel that you loved my grandson.”
“And now?” Hope asked, growing lightheaded.
“I can just look at you and tell.”
Heat burned in Hope’s cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”
“Obvious isn’t a bad thing. You are getting married.”
Oh, but they weren’t, and how that made Hope’s heart ache. Whatever was going on between her and Brent, it was bound to end badly. At the very least, horribly for her.
Jackie, on the other hand, was in for a pretty great marriage. But was this marriage really meant for Jackie? She and her sister were so different, she couldn’t help but wonder.
“Thank you for confiding in me and for your apology,” Hope said. “I’m afraid I owe you one, too.” Margaret’s brow rose, and she continued. “You’re not the only one who misjudged. While I knew you loved your family, I guess I didn’t understand how much.”
“I would do anything for my son and grandchildren.”
“Yes, I’m sure you would.”
It was the tender sort of moment that called for a hug, but Hope wasn’t sure how Margaret would take it. Instead, Margaret showed her by pulling her briskly into her arms. “Welcome to the family,” she said with a stiff embrace.
Heat prickled Hope’s eyes as she returned Margaret’s hug. She felt horrible now for not giving the older woman the benefit of the doubt. When she’d bad-mouthed Brent’s grandmother to her mom, she’d never in a million years have expected this turnaround.
It was clear that Grandmother Margaret really loved her family. And when she’d intuited that something seemed off about Brent and Jackie’s marriage, she’d actually been right.
“Hel-lo?” a male voice called from the hall. “Grandmother?”
They turned toward the foyer, where a tall man with a mop of short brown curls stood beside a gorgeous dark-skinned woman.
“William,” Margaret said happily. “And Sofia. Oh, my dears. Please come here and meet Brent’s fiancée. This is the lovely Jackie.”
Before Hope could process that shockingly positive introduction, Sofia raced toward her with a warm hug. She had dark brown eyes, delicate features, and a tiny diamond stud on the right side of her nose, but otherwise wore no jewelry beyond the simple wedding band, and—okay—a pretty huge rock of a diamond solitaire engagement ring on her ring finger. “Jack-ie. Oh. So happy to meet you.”
William hugged her next. Within his chiseled face, he had Parker’s exact nose. His medium brown eyes were a shade lighter than Brent’s. “I hope it’s okay if I call you sis?”
Hope laughed. “Only if I can call you bro.”
William chuckled, and the others smiled, making Hope feel like she’d just scored a point with Brent’s family. More points. Extra credit.
What an incredible service she was doing for her sister.
William thumbed over his shoulder at their suitcases. “I’m sorry we’re late,” he said to his grandmother. “We had a little holdup on the road.”
“Holdup?” Margaret asked worriedly, but Sofia rushed in.
“It was nothing, honestly. We just had to stop more often than normal.” She shrugged. “Blame me for drinking too much coffee.”
“Sofia’s a very prominent attorney in New Haven,” Margaret told Hope.
“I don’t know about the prominent part,” Sofia answered.
“That’s how we met,” William offered. “Sofia works with Sally, and Sally introduced us.”
“Your sister, Sally?”
“That’s right,” William said. “The two of them were in law school together and now help run a women’s law practice.”
Sofia grinned. “Sally said her brother and I were perfect for each other, and naturally…” She gazed at William, and Hope caught the warm affection between them. “She was right.”
“How sweet.” She remembered what Jackie had told her about Brent’s older brother. “And you’re a college professor there?”
“Economist, yeah.”
Hope reflected on Brent’s business background and the notion of Sally being a lawyer. It was interesting that Derrick was the youngest male and also the “creative” among them. They all seemed to be great people. Her sister was lucky to be getting these in-laws.
“You have such a wonderful family,” Hope said to Margaret.
“And now you’re joining us,” the woman said so warmly that Hope wanted to cry. Really cry, in big, hard, jerking sobs, which she was about to break into at any minute.
“Grandma. William. Sofia. Woo!” The front door swung open, and a cute blonde with long wavy hair bounced through it, dropping two heavy carry-on bags with a thud. She scuttled into the kitchen, beelining for Hope. Curvy and effervescent, Sally was on the shorter side compared to
the rest of them. “And you must be Jackie.”
“Sally,” Hope said, returning her hug. This was such a huggie family. “Great to meet you.”
Sally squeed at Sofia next. “Girlfriend,” she cried, hugging her, even though they’d apparently seen each other only hours ago. “How was your drive?”
“Good, and yours?”
“Okay.” Sally stifled a yawn. “I got that brief turned in before leaving.”
“Great, thanks,” Sofia said.
“Fortunately for me,” William supplied, “school’s out for summer.”
“I know just what you mean.” Hope bit her tongue when the others eyed her curiously. “I mean, I…er…remember those days.”
“It’s so exciting that you’re a wedding planner,” Sally said, taking Hope’s hand. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
William stared around the kitchen and then peeked into the dining room. “Where are the others? Out back?”
“All except for Derrick and Brent,” Margaret said. “They’ve gone to run an errand but will be right back.”
“What time is dinner?” William asked.
“Something smells…delicious.” Sofia covered her mouth and looked like she wanted to gag. Hope scanned the others’ faces, but apparently no one else had noticed.
“Not until eight,” Margaret said, answering William. “Why don’t you all go and settle in while Jackie and I carry these refreshments outdoors. Oh my,” she said, turning to Hope. “Where are our manners? Nobody’s fixed you a drink.”
“Did I hear someone call the bartender?” Chad asked, striding into the kitchen. Then he welcomed his grandkids to Blue Hill and offered Hope her beverage choices.
Chapter Ten
“There you are, big brother,” Sally said, giving Brent a kiss on his cheek when he joined her, Jackie, and Ava by the firepit. William and Sofia were there, too, and his parents and grandparents sat on the porch.
He grinned at his baby sister, who appeared upbeat. Brent found this remarkable, as she dealt with heartrending tragedies day after day. Most of her cases concerned divorces. Sometimes Brent wondered if that was why she herself seemed shy of marriage.
“Sal, good to see you.”
“We were just chatting with Ava about karaoke,” Sally filled in.
Ava turned to Brent. “That’s right. You haven’t seen the video.”
“Mo-om,” Jackie muttered, doing an embarrassed eye roll.
“I don’t mind seeing the video,” Brent said.
Jackie leaned toward him and teased, “It’s the hearing part that matters.”
Brent repressed a grin, glancing over at Jackie, who’d dressed in a pretty skirt and top. She’d washed her hair, which flounced about her face in wispy layers. It was funny—Brent had never really paid much attention to Jackie’s hair before, but now all he wanted to do was run his fingers through the soft waves. He’d clearly missed a lot about her. Her heart necklace glimmered in the firelight, and he wondered why she’d waited until this point in their relationship to wear it. Or had she worn it before, and he’d never noticed that, either?
It was a disappointing possibility.
And something he intended to rectify this weekend.
“Sally was just telling us about Grandmother Margaret being a concert pianist,” Jackie said, redirecting the conversation. “Does she still play?”
“Not as often as she used to,” Sally said. “Although she played a lot when we were little.”
Brent remembered that being one of the best parts of their Blue Hill summers. The sound of his grandmother’s sweet sonatas wafting up to his bedroom as he drifted off to sleep.
“She used to play late at night,” Sally explained to Jackie and Ava. “Her music filled the whole house.”
“All the way up to the third floor,” Brent agreed.
Sally smiled. “It helped when we had our windows open and the windows were open in the living room, too.”
“What a marvelous place to vacation,” Ava said, her gaze sweeping the lawn. She admired the expanse of the house, staring up at the three dormer windows. “You children slept up there, then?”
“That’s right,” Sally answered. “Those times were so much fun.” She frowned. “I really miss them.”
“Miss them?” Ava asked. “What do you mean?”
“Once we all got into college and started developing our own summer plans, with jobs and such, it was harder for us to get together. This is the first time since William’s wedding,” Sally said, sipping from her drink.
“How long ago was that?” Ava asked.
Brent smiled and took a swig of his beer, recalling the happy day. “Two years ago this summer.”
“My!” Ava exclaimed. “This is getting to be quite the wedding locale. Was it a small wedding like this one?”
“Much bigger,” Sally replied. “Sofia’s from a large family, too, and has eight nieces and nephews. She’s the youngest of four girls. She and William also have tons of grad school friends. So…” Sally lifted a shoulder. “The wedding list grew quickly.”
“Did everything go okay with getting your SUV and the canoe?” Jackie asked Brent.
“Ahh, yes. That reminds me,” he teased, thinking of the specimen he’d saved. “When Derrick and I hauled it out of the mud, we had a run-in with the swamp monster you saw earlier.”
She gasped. “Oh no.”
Brent chuckled. “Hang on. Let me just go and get it.” He set his bottle on a table and traipsed toward the dock stairs.
“Brent, wait!” He turned back to see she’d paled. “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, stifling a chuckle. “Absolutely.”
Minutes later, he returned with the gnarly twisted stick that had been poking out of the mud, right alongside the set of tracks Brent had left behind him as he’d carried Jackie toward the house.
Sally wrinkled up her nose at the icky specimen. “What’s that?”
“Something much more harmless than a bloodworm.”
“A stick?” Jackie asked with surprise, and then she burst into laughter. “Oh boy.”
“Maybe someone will let me in on the joke?” Ava asked.
“Time to eat, everyone. Come inside.” The group glanced toward the porch, where Parker and Chad were getting to their feet. Margaret stood by the French doors with Derrick beside her.
“Sure, Mom,” Jackie said as they strolled back inside. “I’ll tell you at dinner.”
…
The meal passed pleasantly enough, and Hope was glad that the tension of her being here was easing. Much of this had to do with her and Margaret’s earlier talk in the kitchen.
She never would have guessed about Brent’s grandmother being a former hippie—or a concert pianist. The two things seemed so at odds with each other. Then again, Grandmother Margaret herself appeared a contradiction.
She was so stoic and stiff on the one hand. On the other, it was just like Brent had said. She really did have a heart of gold. Hope was touched that she’d finally opened up that heart to her—and, by extension, to her sister. Jackie was going to be so pleased by how everything had gone.
Really, that was the only thing that kept her participating in this terrible charade.
Derrick ended another rollicking tale about his boatbuilding school that had the whole group in stitches. After the laughter subsided, he asked Hope, “When is your sister arriving?”
“Not until Wednesday, sadly, but Meredith will be here tomorrow.”
“Meredith is Jackie’s best friend,” Ava supplied, placing undue emphasis on the name. She shot a sly wink at Hope, and Hope slid down in her chair. Her mom was so proud of her secret, and also apparently pleased with her ability to keep it.
Just a few more hours, Hope tried to tell herself. S
oon, it would be bedtime. Then, she’d only have one more day and a half to get through. Thankfully, tomorrow would be extra busy.
“That’s great,” Sally replied to Ava. “I can’t wait to meet them both.”
They’d just finished dinner and had moved on to dessert: a yummy shortcake with ice cream and strawberries.
“Just think,” Elsa said. “By this time on Wednesday, we’ll all be here. Our new immediate family.”
“Except for Gavin,” Parker corrected.
“He’s Parker’s best friend,” Chad said for the Webbs’ benefit.
Margaret waved her loaded fork. “The brother he never had.”
“He was also the best man at our wedding,” Elsa added.
“Gavin’s the only nonfamily member at this family wedding,” Brent said to Ava. “He really is like family, though. Uncle Gavin to all of us.”
“How nice,” she answered, taking a taste of her dessert. “Margaret,” she said, “this shortcake is delicious.”
“Oh, I can’t take credit.” Margaret smiled at her daughter-in-law. “Dessert was all Elsa.”
Elsa’s cheeks reddened, so Hope jumped in. “Looks so yummy. Can’t wait to try it.”
Only Sofia looked less than enticed, covering her mouth with her napkin.
“Excuse me. Just one minute.” She hurriedly left the table, and William watched after her with a worried look.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved a hand and skirted toward the den. “Just need some air.”
The conversation resumed with Sofia’s absence becoming more and more pronounced, though everyone pretended not to notice.
Margaret admired the pretty purple crystal that hung from a long silver chain around Ava’s neck. “That’s so unique,” she said. “Does it represent anything special?”
“Oh yes.” Ava preened. “My chi. My aura’s purple, you know.”
Hope stared at her wide-eyed, but her mom didn’t take the hint. She went on and on about how intuitive she was and about how she could sense things about people, particularly when they were wrong in how they interpreted others. Ava angled her body slightly toward Margaret as she said this, but Margaret just raised her eyebrows. When Ava offered to read everyone’s tarot cards, Hope knew she had to stop this runaway train.