“You’re going to the Purple Blueberry,” Jane said. “I think she’s going to a wine tasting there this afternoon. I saw it circled on the paper on her coffee table last night.”
James stopped halfway into the dressing room and turned to face them. “But that’s a hangout for hippies.” James was very careful about where he hung out. He needed to keep up appearances.
“Yes, it is, and if you want Maxi back, it’s going to become a hangout for you as well.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jane returned to Tides after their shopping trip with James to find Andie on the phone in the foyer.
“Yes, we’ll make sure the candles are the perfect shade of blue.” Andie rolled her eyes, pointed at the phone, and mouthed, “Bridezilla.”
“The cake, too, yep,” Andie said into the phone. “Oh, we’re all invited? How lovely.” Andie made a sour face, which Jane echoed. “A full table of eight.”
A table of eight? Who in the world would she put at that? Claire, Rob, Andie, herself, Mike, Maxi... an idea ran through her head. She could invite James, and maybe that would be another thing that would help push him and Maxi back together.
She felt bad for James. The poor guy was making an effort. And he’d adopted a kitten for Maxi. If that didn’t spell true love, she didn’t know what did. The new clothes would make a difference. James hadn’t always been so stuffy either. When they’d been younger, he’d been much more casual. Like Rob and Mike.
Thoughts of Mike reminded her of the phone call he’d gotten at Tall Pines. She’d sensed that he’d gotten some disturbing news. He’d acted different afterwards but insisted nothing was wrong. It made her feel wary, and she wondered about their relationship. Things were going well, but maybe she should be more cautious. She wasn’t very experienced at dating and might be reading too much into things.
“Pink roses on the arbor?” Andie was still talking to Bridezilla on the phone. “Yes, those would look lovely with the blue bridesmaids’ outfits.”
Jane glanced out the window toward the garden. Andie had done a great job bringing it back to life. It was bursting with a rainbow of flowers and lush green leaves and teeming with butterflies and birds. But the rosebushes beside the arbor were red. They hadn’t fully climbed the trellis either. Why in the world was Andie promising pink roses?
“Yes, lovely talking to you too. Can’t wait to meet in person.” Andie hung up the phone.
“You handle people a lot better than I do,” Jane said. “You sounded so convincing and reassuring.”
Andie laughed. “Lots of practice with high-maintenance antique-appraisal clients.”
“What about the arbor, though? The roses are red. You promised her pink.”
Andie glanced out the window. “The rosebushes needed some work. I had to cut a lot back, so they aren’t tall enough to climb all the way up anyway. I’ve been thinking about how to handle that. Maybe we could buy pink roses and weave them in? Perhaps hang some pots of those small roses. Might look pretty to have pink at the top and red at the bottom.”
“That’s a good idea. I think Shane has some more work to do on the arbor. Maybe he could make something so that it’s easy for us to weave in fresh roses?”
“Oh, maybe.”
Andie looked like she was trying to pretend lack of interest, but by the way she perked up when Jane mentioned Shane’s name, Jane doubted she wasn’t interested. She’d noticed her sister looking around the inn as if looking for someone and had guessed it was Shane. He’d been helping Sally out with all the repairs they’d been doing but had been out of town for the past few days.
Jane decided not to comment further on Shane. “You’re a real asset to the inn. Honestly, I’m not good at handling people, especially when they are demanding like our bride.”
“I’m happy to help. Like I said, lots of experience.”
“Well, I might have to call on that help a lot over the next week. The inn is fully booked for the wedding, and it’s important that everyone is happy. That money is going a long way toward keeping Mom at Tall Pines, and good reviews will bring in more business.”
“Mom’s doing so good there. I’ll do my best to make sure the guests love Tides,” Andie said.
“Good. We don’t want to end up like Sadie Thompson.”
“What happened to Sadie Thompson?” Andie looked concerned.
“Nothing yet. But I heard that the family is having trouble coming up with the fee.”
“Huh. The daughter does seem a bit... unreasonable.”
“Really? You know her?”
“No. I peeked into Sadie’s room, you know, because Mom keeps talking about her, and she started up a conversation. Her daughter came by and practically kicked me out.”
“Really? Maybe she’s under a lot of stress about paying the fees. If you ask me, she should sell that old place. Sadie lived there by herself for decades, and now it’s empty and falling apart.” Jane looked around the foyer. Tides wasn’t in the best condition either. She’d considered selling for a brief second, but Tides had been in her family for generations, and besides, she’d promised her mother she would never sell. Maybe Sadie’s daughter felt the same.
“Yeah, I suppose. We’re lucky that things are picking up for us. The weddings were a great idea, and everyone seems to love Cooper.” Andie bent down to pet the dog, who had been lying near the door.
“Who wouldn’t?”
“Plus having Cooper means that Mike comes around often.” Andie looked at Jane out of the corner of her eye, and Jane’s cheeks heated.
“I hope he doesn’t want Cooper back when he gets a place here.”
“I’m sure he won’t do anything that you wouldn’t like.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
Andie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just that we really don’t know each other, and everything is so new. I don’t want to make any assumptions,” Jane said. Somehow voicing her concerns made her feel a lot better.
“I understand. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Speaking of which, what’s going on with Maxi? I gave her some advice earlier, and I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” Andie grimaced. “She confided in me that she thought her husband was cheating and she was going to move into the cottage, and I told her it was the right thing to do. I hope that I said the right thing.”
“Well, I think you did, given the circumstances, but it turns out James wasn’t cheating.” Jane told Andie about the misunderstanding and how they were helping James so he could get Maxi back.
“Oh gosh, if I had known, I wouldn’t have encouraged her,” Andie said.
Jane laid her hand on Andie’s arm. “It’s okay. We thought he was cheating too.”
“Oh good. I’m glad he wasn’t cheating. Is she going back to him?”
“Let’s hope. Right now I think she’s tasting her freedom and doesn’t want to go back to their old relationship.”
“That makes sense.” Andie looked thoughtful. Jane wanted to ask if something was on her mind, but her sense that Andie wasn’t ready to tell her was proven correct when Andie plucked the car keys off the desk. “Okay then, if you don’t need me here, I have something I need to do before I visit Mom at Tall Pines.”
Andie took a detour on the way to Tall Pines. As she drove, she thought about what Jane had said about Maxi finding her way and not wanting to go back to her old life. Andie was experiencing something similar.
She was excited for the visit, not just to see her mother but also because Mae was bringing her figurines in for Andie to evaluate. For some reason, the idea of helping these folks was very appealing.
But the mention of Sadie Thompson’s house had piqued her interest. She remembered the house that sat high up on a cliff from when she was a kid. Back then it hadn’t been run-down, or if it had, she hadn’t noticed. She’d been into other things, like Shane Flannery.
But the history of the house was appealing, and she wanted to know more. She wanted to go inside and see the old family treasures. Maybe she could help Sadie Thompson like she was helping Mae and Gloria?
She tried to replace the thoughts of Shane that were stuck in her head with thoughts of the old house, but Shane stuck around. Remembering him as they were back in the day. He’d been cute back then, but he’d gotten even more appealing as he’d aged. Not for the first time, Andie wondered if she’d made a mistake back then in dumping him after his proposal and running off to college. It hadn’t been because she didn’t love him. It had been because she was afraid. Afraid that he’d never come back from the Navy. Afraid that she’d never make anything of herself if she stayed in Lobster Bay.
Oh well, it was water under the bridge now. Shane hadn’t expressed an interest in her. He didn’t seem mad. He actually didn’t even give any indication that he remembered how close they’d been. That was decades ago, and he’d been married and had kids and even a grandkid now. How could she expect him to remember their teen relationship?
Rounding a corner, the Thompson house came into view. Sitting on a cliff, it looked out at the ocean like a widow awaiting a sea captain’s return. It was much as Andie remembered, except it did need a good paint job. A shutter hung askew on one of the upper-floor windows, and Andie imagined it banging against the house in a strong wind. The windows were dark, the grounds overgrown. The house screamed of empty silence.
What would happen to it? Surely Sadie’s daughter, Emily, wouldn’t just let it rot there? She must not have the money to fix it up. Maybe she was waiting for Sadie to die and she could use insurance money. Andie would love to ask, but judging by the way Emily had acted when she’d found Andie in her mother’s room, the woman wasn’t going to be easy to make friends with.
Andie turned around and headed back to town, thoughts of Maxi crossing her mind. Had she done the right thing to encourage her? Probably not, since James didn’t cheat, but maybe all the things Jane and Claire were doing to bring James on board with Maxi’s dreams would be a new beginning for them. Maxi leaving could be a blessing in disguise. Andie hoped so. She liked Maxi and wanted to see her happy.
She was starting to get attached to people and to the town. When Jane had come into the foyer and seen her on the phone with Courtney, the bridezilla, Andie had worried Jane might be mad that Andie had taken it upon herself to talk to the bride. But Jane had been relieved. Andie had felt proud to help smooth things over with Courtney and her mother, Marilyn, who had dominated the conversation. Andie actually had a feeling that Courtney might have been more easygoing if not for her mother butting in, but what could you do? Good thing Andie had helped out, though. Jane was right—she didn’t have the personality for it. She got flustered too easily.
Andie liked being a part of the team at Tides, but that would never be enough for her. She needed something else to do.
Almost as if it had a mind of its own, her rental car turned toward Main Street. She drove past the shops with their cheery awnings and flower-laden window boxes, passing a cute boutique shop, a florist, a hairdresser, and then the antiques shop. Its door was closed, its window boxes empty, and the lights off.
The building was a decent size and in a good section of town. Andie found herself wondering what the apartment above looked like. Was it outdated? In need of major work? Her room at Tides was getting a bit small, and it was also a room they could rent out. With the current upswing in guests, it didn’t make sense for her to take up that space.
If she decided to stay in Lobster Bay, buying the antiques shop and apartment would be a perfect solution for her. Excitement rippled through her as she weighed thoughts of staying with thoughts of going back. Suddenly and with much clarity, she had a clear winner. She knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Chapter Fifteen
The Purple Blueberry was everything Maxi imagined it would be. Awash in vibrant tones, the outdoor bar was dotted with round tables shaded with colorful umbrellas. Strings of lights with large filament exposed bulbs were strung around the tall purple fence that blocked the bar from the neighboring business. Artwork hung on the fence and the walls of the building. Inside was another bar and more tables, but it was a gorgeous evening and the crowd was outside.
Maxi sat at a small table, taking it all in as she sampled a glass of pinot noir from a local winery. The buzz of conversation, the excitement of creative energy, the colorful casual outfits. This was what her life had been missing.
“Maxi, great to see you here!” Chandler Vanbeck rushed over, making Maxi feel a little uncomfortable. She didn’t want him to think she’d come looking for him. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.” Maxi gestured toward the empty chair across from her.
“So how are the paintings coming along?” Chandler relaxed back in his chair, crossing his ankle over one knee and taking a sip of his white wine. He was wearing cargo shorts and a T-shirt with a colorful artsy dog face on it. Quite a different look from their previous meeting, where he’d worn business-casual chinos and a button-down shirt.
“Good. Great actually. I’m almost done with the second one, so it should be no problem to have three ready for the opening.” She couldn’t believe that she was casually talking about having her artwork at a gallery opening.
“Perfect! I think you’ll be surprised at the attention your work gets.” Chandler leaned forward, a little too close, causing Maxi to lean back to maintain the distance.
Was he flirting? She wasn’t sure if she liked being flirted with, especially now that she’d been so wrong about James. She’d been second-guessing her decision to stay at the cottage and feeling bad about the way she’d suspected her husband. Then again, James hadn’t exactly acted like he would welcome her back with open arms. Maybe he was mad at the way she’d acted. She wouldn’t blame him if he was.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m surprised I got back into painting so easily. It’s been years.”
“You’re a natural. I could tell by that sketch I saw. Can’t wait to see the paintings.”
A woman who Maxi recognized as the one she was introduced to at the diner drifted up to their table. Today she was wearing a bright-yellow linen shirt and white pedal pushers. She had gigantic daisy earrings and necklace to match. Overly large white-rimmed sunglasses completed the outfit. “Hello there. Maxi, right?”
Maxi nodded. “And you’re Muriel?”
“Yes! How lovely of you to remember.” She glanced at an empty seat. “May I?”
“Please do.” Maxi felt a lot better now that it wasn’t just her and Chandler. It wasn’t that he was entirely unpleasant. Actually, he was rather handsome. And he’d been so nice to her. She might have welcomed his flirtation if things were different, but when she thought about having a man in her life, all she could think of was James.
“Chandler tells me you’re a new artist.” Muriel gave Maxi a smile of encouragement. “You must be good if he’s including you in the opening.”
Maxi blushed. “I’m sort of new. I used to paint a lot when I was younger, but then I got married, had a family...”
“Oh, I know what you mean. That’s one benefit of getting older. You finally have time to do what you want.”
Maxi nodded her agreement. She liked Muriel. The woman was outgoing, smart, pleasant.
A familiar figure hovering around the edge of the tables caught her eye.
James? Except he wasn’t wearing his usual clothes. He was dressed down, casual. Handsome. Their eyes met, and Maxi’s heart flipped. For a second, she was transported back to their younger days when they were both more carefree. James looked good, better than he had in years.
Maxi waved him over, and Muriel turned. “Who is that?”
“My husband.” Maxi couldn’t help her voice rising an octave at the end as if it were a question.
“Hi.” James stood beside her at the table, looking nervous.
“What are you doing
here?” Maxi asked.
“Oh, just wanted to check it out.” James frowned at Chandler. Maxi wondered if he was jealous.
“James, this is Chandler Vanbeck—he owns the new art gallery—and this is Muriel Fox.”
“I hear your wife is quite an artist,” Muriel said to James.
“Yes. So do I.” James’s odd reply caused Muriel to frown. “I mean, she hasn’t had a chance to do it for a while. When we were younger, she was quite good.”
“Would you like to sit?” Maxi asked. “We could pull over a chair from that table.”
“No... I... um… I have to be somewhere else,” James stammered. “I was passing by and saw you so figured I’d say hi.”
“Okay.” Why was James acting so strange? Probably because he hadn’t expected her to be at the Purple Blueberry. But why was he here? Was he really just passing by? Her earlier suspicions of him and Sandee bubbled up, but that couldn't be true. Jane and Claire had assured her that was a misunderstanding.
James pecked her cheek and squeezed her arm, and before she could think any more about it, he walked away.
Muriel turned in her chair and slid the sunglasses down her nose as she watched him walk away. “Your husband is quite handsome. Both coming and going.”
“I know.” Maxi was also watching James leave.
Chandler cleared his throat, and both women switched their gaze from James’s retreating behind to Chandler.
“Don’t worry, dear, you’re handsome too,” Muriel assured him.
“Thank you.” He held up his empty wine glass. “And with that, I think I’ll go get a refill. Would you ladies like one?”
They shook their heads. Both of them had half-full glasses.
Chandler left, and Muriel put her sunglasses on the table then looked at Maxi. “Kind of odd that your husband didn’t sit with us.”
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