by Cindy Kirk
When he was ready to talk, he’d call. Or more likely, text.
At least when they were married, she’d see him when they both got home at night. But she had difficulty picturing the scene.
She couldn’t imagine Xander sitting on a sofa, feet up on an ottoman, sharing a bowl of popcorn with her. Relaxation wasn’t in Xander’s nature. He loved to work, and he played just as hard.
Fin glanced at Ami’s pregnant belly and wondered what Xander thought about kids. Not that she wanted a baby right away, but she wasn’t getting any younger. Did Xander even want children? Though she didn’t appreciate the minister’s prying questions, Dan had made Fin realize she and Xander had a few things to discuss before walking down the aisle.
Prim reached for a cookie. “This feels good, all of us here together.”
“Except for Marigold,” Fin pointed out.
“Her salon has really taken off.” Ami spoke with the voice of a proud mother. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her happier.”
“It was a blessing she and Jason broke up.” Prim rose and moved to the large coffeemaker. “It was clear they’d never be happy together.”
Jason had been her baby sister’s boyfriend in Chicago. They’d broken up when she discovered his career mattered more to him than her happiness.
But wasn’t Xander the same way? Everything came second to his career.
The knowledge chafed, like a too-tight shirt collar. Fin shoved the uncomfortable question aside and deliberately shifted the conversation’s direction. “Do you two have something fun planned for tonight?”
“Dinner, showers, read a few books, then bedtime.” Prim gave a little laugh. “That’s how we roll in the Brody household.”
But the shine in Prim’s eyes said she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Beck and I plan to go for a long walk after dinner.” Ami’s hand lowered to her belly. “The doctor said the baby is ready and can come any time. My doula said sometimes walking, especially curb walking, can speed things along.”
Fin cocked her head. “Curb walking?”
“Once I reached thirty-eight weeks, I tried it a couple of times.” Prim shrugged.
Since that didn’t really answer her question, Fin tried again, feeling every bit the odd one out. “What is it?”
“You walk with one foot on the curb and the other on the street, then you switch and go the other way,” Ami explained.
“It supposedly opens up the pelvis and helps the baby to drop.” Prim chuckled. “It looks really odd.”
“I tried eating spicy foods and drinking red-raspberry-leaf tea.” Ami shook her head. “Not even a Braxton Hicks.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Prim’s lips. “There was only one thing I found that worked.”
When Prim didn’t continue, Ami circled one hand. “Don’t bail on me now, Primrose. I need your expertise.”
“Sex.” Prim blushed. “My doula said it worked the best for stimulating labor.”
Ami glanced down at her huge belly. “Because of that early bout of preterm labor I experienced last month, we’d curtailed our lovemaking and—”
“TMI,” Fin interrupted, drawing a smile from her sisters. “Is there some science behind all this?”
“There’s science behind it.” Prim cast a mischievous glance in Fin’s direction, as if aware of her discomfort. “I’ll keep this general. I wouldn’t want to offend your delicate sensibilities.”
Ami chuckled. “Yeah, like she and Jeremy have never done the deed.”
Fin laughed along with them. She wished she could say any intimacy with Jeremy was so far in the past she barely remembered. But that would be a lie. It only took one look from those gorgeous blue eyes to have her remembering.
Each touch.
Every caress.
Somehow, when she was in his arms, everything seemed right with the world . . .
Fin jerked. Blinked. “Did I just hear the words prostaglandins, semen, and orgasm come out of Prim’s mouth?”
Ami and Prim exchanged glances and laughed.
“Okay, I’d say that’s our cue to get back to work.”
“You’re probably right to crack the whip, Fin.” Ami sighed and pushed up from the chair. “Eliza and our fellow Cherries will descend on Rakes Farm in less than an hour.” Ami returned to the spacious counter in Jeremy’s kitchen and began arranging decorated Christmas cookies on several large platters. “Now that we’ve lured Fin over to the dark side, all we need is for Marigold to become a Cherrie.”
Prim looked up from where she was measuring scoops of ground coffee into a large silver coffeepot. “I predict within a year our baby sister will join us.”
Turning from the stove, Fin lifted the stirring spoon from the pan where she was dissolving sugar into water for homemade lemonade. “You two seem to be forgetting something. I’m not a Cherrie.”
“You seem to be forgetting that you’re about to attend a Cherries meeting at the special invitation of the executive director.” Ami gestured with one hand, then glanced at the cookie in her hand and smiled. “These are very pretty, if I do say so myself.”
“I enjoyed our baking marathon this morning.” Ruby stepped into the kitchen, her warm gaze lingering on the three sisters. “Thank you for letting me be a part of it.”
“We enjoyed having you join us.” Ami moved to Ruby’s side and gave her a hug. “Since we’re going to be discussing Mindy’s Wish Fulfilled, Christmas cookies seemed appropriate.”
Fin waited for Ruby to sit down, then breathed a sigh of relief when she did. Though Ruby had sat while decorating the sugar cookies, Fin worried the excitement of the morning might prove too much for the older woman.
Thankfully, instead of being fatigued, Ruby appeared energized by the conversation and laughter that always accompanied a Bloom baking marathon.
“Decorating cookies, being part of a family, makes me realize all over again how much I love Christmas.” Ruby accepted with a smile the cup of herbal tea Prim hurried to set before her. “I can’t wait for December. Even though Fin and Jeremy won’t be married yet, you girls are already part of my family, and I love you all.”
“We love you, too.” Prim brushed a kiss across Ruby’s cheek before returning to the coffeepot.
Behind Ruby, Ami shot Fin a pointed glance.
Fin didn’t know what her sister expected her to say. Tell Ruby that, while she might be eagerly anticipating Christmas, Fin was doing her best to see it got postponed for a year?
“I think we may have gone overboard with the Christmas cookies.” Fin kept her tone light.
Three sets of eyes shifted to her.
“I mean, we’re going to get plenty of Christmas cookies at Mindy’s Wish Fulfilled event in a couple of weeks.” Fin patted her flat stomach. “I don’t need to start eating them now.”
“Already thinking of the wedding.” Ruby chuckled. “No need to worry. You’ll be a beautiful bride no matter how many cookies you eat.”
“On that most special of days your groom will look at you as if you’re the only person in the world who matters.” Ami’s face grew dreamy. “I remember standing at the end of the aisle and Beck seeing me for the first time in my dress. I’ll never forget that moment. It was . . . magical.”
Prim sighed. “It was the same with me and Max.”
Fin tried to imagine Xander looking at her in a magical way but couldn’t quite pull the image into focus. She could imagine Xander looking around to see who was in the audience, or rather, the church. She could see him assessing her dress and hair, wanting to assure himself his bride-to-be was presentable.
“Jeremy will look at Delphinium that same way.” Ruby expelled a happy sigh. “My heart will burst with happiness. Once the wedding is over, they can move on to the next step.”
Prim turned on the coffeemaker, then inclined her head. “What step would that be?”
“Children.” Ruby clasped her hands together. “I cannot wait for them to have a
baby.”
The spoon in Fin’s hand stilled. “A baby?”
“Oh, not right away.” Ruby laughed. “But I know you and Jeremy. You won’t wait long. You’ll want your children growing up with their cousins.”
The picture Ruby painted was so vivid and so close to an old dream that the impact carried an extra punch. Fin knew she should respond, but she didn’t trust her voice.
As if sensing her sister’s discomfort, Ami filled the void by steering the conversation down a side path. “I recall this one time when Beck and I were dating—we weren’t even engaged—and he asked me if a husband and children had a place in my dreams of the future.”
This was the first Fin had heard of this conversation. The way Prim was looking at her eldest sister indicated this was news to her, too.
Ruby inclined her head. “What did you tell Beckett?”
A faraway look filled Ami’s eyes. “We were at our house—his house then—and I looked down the hall. That’s when I saw them.”
“Them?” Though Fin had found her voice, it held a raspy quality. She cleared her throat. “Who did you see?”
“I saw a small, dark-haired girl in footie pajamas running toward me with outstretched arms. Beck stood beside me. He had a baby in a blue blanket cradled in his arms. A toddler, also in blue, gripped his legs.” Ami blinked at the tears filling her eyes. “It was all so real. At that moment, my heart swelled with a longing so intense it was a wonder it didn’t burst.”
“If your vision holds true, your firstborn will be a girl with Beck’s dark hair.” Prim touched her own hair. “Not brown like you or strawberry blonde like me.”
“I like your color, and the twins couldn’t be cuter with their red hair,” Ami insisted.
“They are cute,” Prim agreed. “As they get older, I see Rory more and more in their features.”
“Your first husband was a handsome man.” Ruby offered a sympathetic smile. “It’s a shame he died so young.”
Fin barely listened to the conversation, her thoughts drifting to the baby who’d have been her firstborn. She didn’t know if it had been a boy or a girl. Would it have looked like her as it grew? Or like Jeremy?
What did it even matter? With lips pursed, she stirred the sugar, wondering how much longer the blasted substance would take to dissolve.
Finally the sugar dissolved. Lemons were squeezed and the juice added, along with more water. Focusing on the task allowed Fin to ignore most of the conversation between her sisters and Ruby.
She commented just often enough to show she was listening. But Ami’s statement about a longing so intense it brought tears to her eyes kept circling in Fin’s head. She understood what it was like to feel such raw emotion, how strong it could be, how it could touch one’s very soul.
Fin understood because that’s how she felt about a baby she hadn’t known she wanted, a baby she’d never had a chance to know, the child she’d lost that would always be her and Jeremy’s firstborn.
Eliza ran the Cherries meeting with an iron hand.
Watching the executive director keep the thirty women who’d shown up on task was a monumental accomplishment. Fin silently applauded her. She had the feeling that, left on their own, a scheduled two-hour session could have easily turned into an all-afternoon event.
Fin had been in her share of meetings where reports on various projects were given. Never had she been in one where there were so many projects going on at the same time.
Since Lynn Chapin was out of town, Katie Ruth Crewes gave the committee report on the All About Kids project. The focus was on increasing child care options for everyone from high school students who found themselves pregnant to families with limited income who didn’t qualify for Medicaid.
Lindsay Lohmeier, whose mother had once dated Fin’s father, updated everyone on the plans for the upcoming Septemberfest celebration. Fin discovered the farm would be hosting a gathering prior to the Taste of Good Hope. As he’d apparently done for the previous two years, Jeremy had scheduled a mini event for participating merchants to be held in the big red barn.
As the barn would be used if the Taste of Good Hope got rained out, the mini event served as a trial run to ensure each merchant knew where their table would be located so they could get set up quickly and efficiently.
Fin was wondering how Jeremy kept track of all the events held here when she heard her name.
“Fin Bloom has agreed to coordinate the Wish Fulfilled activity that will be held at Rakes Farm. This doesn’t mean she’ll be the only one responsible. There’s a sign-up sheet on the back table. I’d like at least five volunteers to assist her.” Eliza paused when a hand shot up from the back row. “Yes?”
Fin nearly grimaced when her gaze landed on her dad’s former girlfriend. Though Anita had to be one of her least-favorite people on the peninsula, Fin had to admit the woman was attractive. Her dark hair was cut in a style that flattered her angular face and large hazel eyes. Though she was only in her fifties, the slight relaxing of her skin Fin had noticed on recent trips back to Good Hope was nowhere in evidence.
Someone had had a little Botox . . .
Anita caught her staring and lifted her chin. “I’m shocked and dismayed that you appointed a person who is not a Cherrie to coordinate the event.”
The only sign that being questioned irritated Eliza was a slight tightening of her red lips. Her gaze remained cool and her face expressionless. “If you’d been at our last meeting, Anita, you’d know that Your Wish Fulfilled is not solely a Cherrie project. As previously explained, the Your Wish Fulfilled organization relies on local groups to help with the granting of wishes to terminally ill children. In Mindy Vaughn’s case, both the rotary and the Cherries are lending their assistance.”
The executive director’s delivery of the facts would have made most quiver. But Anita was like a banty rooster, clawing the dirt and ready to scrap.
“As far as I’m aware, Fin Bloom is not a member of the rotary, either.” Anita’s jaw jutted out.
Yep, Fin thought. The woman was definitely in a scrapping mood.
Eliza merely lifted a brow. “Since you’re so well informed, you should also be aware that Delphinium is engaged to our mayor, Jeremy Rakes, the owner of the property where part of the wish will be fulfilled.”
“Anita.” Ruby’s normally cheery voice held a hint of frost. “Let it go. You won’t win this one.”
“I was just asking.” Two bright spots of color dotted the woman’s cheeks.
“Now that we have that settled.” Eliza smoothly transitioned into talk of Christmas planning.
Fin sat back and sipped her iced tea, amazed—and a bit dismayed—by how much planning had already been completed on this year’s upcoming Twelve Nights celebrations. She was glad there would be a definitive vote by mid-September, before planning went any further.
As she listened to all the reports, Fin realized this was no sewing circle. These women were focused and dedicated. They cared about Good Hope and worked to make it even better. For the briefest of moments, Fin let herself imagine what it would be like if she’d returned home after college and married Jeremy. Would she be one of these women? Very likely. But without the experience and life lessons she’d learned in Los Angeles.
“We’re at the new business portion of our meeting. As I don’t see that anyone submitted an item for—”
“I have some new business.” Gladys, who’d been sitting next to Ruby, not-so-quietly chatting with her old friend through the entire meeting, surged to her feet.
A pained look crossed Eliza’s face, but with the sweep of a hand, she yielded the floor.
A wise move, Fin thought, because if Eliza hadn’t yielded to Gladys, the older woman would have seized it anyway.
“Some of you may have heard that I have announced my retirement from acting once Annie ends its run at the community theater.” Gladys waited, taking time to soak in the dismayed gasps and accept the groundswell of sadness expressed. “I st
arted in the theater working on sets, then I handled the lighting before finally being given a chance to be onstage. There is only one aspect of the theatrical process I have yet to experience. I’ve never directed a play or a musical.”
When Gladys’s gaze lingered on hers, Fin couldn’t help but smile. She could only hope when she was in her midnineties, she’d also be looking for the next great adventure.
Smiling back at Fin, Gladys continued. “I’ve been offered the opportunity to try out my directing skills by showcasing a small portion of the wonderful musical Holiday Inn. I’ve chosen the scene where Bing Crosby and Martha Mears sing ‘White Christmas.’ If it goes well, I’ll be the director of the full production set to run during January at the playhouse.”
“That’s crazy. Why not in December? Wouldn’t that be more appropriate?” Andrea Dunlevey, who lived just down the street from Ami, spoke without raising her hand.
Eliza cast her a censuring glance but remained silent, letting Gladys respond.
“There are two reasons. Since you and Scott usually spend the winter months in the land of the cacti, you’ve likely forgotten that A Christmas Carol runs in November and December.” Gladys continued without waiting. “Second, as Holiday Inn is the story of a farmhouse turned inn that offers performances to celebrate holidays throughout the year, it’s appropriate for any month.”
Fin felt a surge of excitement. If Xander’s measure passed, this theater run would give the Good Hope community something holidayish to enjoy in January.
“That’s super exciting,” Katie Ruth piped up. “Do you already have the couple in mind you’ll use for the showcase?”
“I do.” Gladys gave a dramatic exhale. “This couple epitomizes not only the best of Good Hope, but what true love is all about.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense.” Ami leaned forward in her seat, her green eyes sparkling. “Who will it be?”
When Gladys’s gaze slid to her, despite the warmth of the woman’s smile, Fin felt a chill all the way to her toes.
“Why, your sister, Fin. And the love of her life and our beloved mayor, Jeremy Rakes.”