The Chesapeake Diaries Series 7-Book Bundle: Coming HOme, Home Again, Almost Home, Hometown Girl, Home for the Summer, The Long Way Home, At the River's Edge (250 page)

“Oh, then your great-aunt must have known Violet as well. She and my gramma were the best of friends.”

“Right.” Ellie nodded. “The three blossoms.”

“What?”

“That’s what everyone called them. The blossoms. Rose, Violet, and Lilly—that was my great-aunt. Lilly Ryder was her maiden name. I found a whole bunch of photos of the three of them in my house, which once belonged to Lilly.”

“Blossoms.” Sophie mused, turning the name over in her head. “I’d love to see some of the photos. I only know of my grandmother through my grandfather. I’d love to see her with her girlfriends.”

“I’ll drop some copies off. You’re going to be working with Jesse, right?”

“Starting Monday,” Sophie explained. “I’ll be holding down the fort while he’s on his honeymoon.”

“But you’re staying in St. Dennis, right? At least, that’s what I heard.”

“I am staying.” Sophie paused to think. She needed a contractor, someone to go into the building on River Road and tell her what she needed done and how much it was going to cost—and she was going to need that someone very soon. “Listen, Ellie … I want to discuss something with you and Cam, but I need the conversation to be confidential.”

“Sure.”

“I’m buying a piece of property on River Road—I close in just a little more than a week—and I need to hire a contractor to look over the place and then do whatever work I can afford to have done.”

“We can help you with that. What’s the property?”

“It’s a boarded-up building, used to be a restaurant. Walsh’s. It’s been closed up for a number of years and it needs a lot, I’m afraid. I just don’t know where to start with it.”

“Just let me know when you want us to come in and look it over. We do a ton of renovations here in St. Dennis.” Ellie smiled proudly. “Cam started this business on his own years ago and he’s the go-to guy here in town.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. I have the key, so I can get
you in anytime you’re free. The sooner the better, though.”

“I’ll check with Cam and get back to you. What are you planning on doing with the building? Did you buy it to flip?”

“I’m going to open a restaurant. It’s been my dream forever, and now that I have the opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up.” Sophie paused. “There’s just one thing. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention this to anyone. Well, Cam of course, but other than that, I’m trying to keep it quiet until I can tell my grandfather. He’s so happy that I’m joining the firm, I hate to upset him. I’ve been trying to find the right opportunity all week, but somehow, I just haven’t had a chance to talk it over with him.”

“I understand. My lips are sealed,” Ellie assured her. “Now, what kind of restaurant is it going to be?”

For the next ten minutes, Sophie shared her plans with Ellie. When she finished, Ellie said, “It’s going to be great. You can count on us to be at the opening.”

“Thanks. I’m really excited, because …” Sophie looked up as Grace Sinclair approached the table. “Oh, hello, Grace.”

“So nice to see all of your family here, Sophie. We have the privilege of having them staying with us at the inn. A lovely group, I must say.”

“Thanks, Grace. I’m happy that everyone could make it.”

“Now, what’s this I’m hearing about you moving to St. Dennis to work with your brother?” Grace leaned on the back of Ellie’s chair. “Is it true?”

Sophie nodded. “I’m now an official resident of St. Dennis.”

“Well, then, I’m going to recruit you right here and now to work on our annual project for the historical society. This year we’re taking on the restoration of Ellie’s carriage house.”

“Talk about the shoemaker’s kids not having shoes.” Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’ve never been inside the building. I don’t know when it was last opened. I have no idea what’s in there—there’s one huge padlock and a heavy chain on the front doors, and we haven’t found the key. The side door is nailed shut. Cam and I kept meaning to do something about it, but we haven’t had the time.” She laughed. “We haven’t even had time to set a wedding date. This time of the year, everyone is sprucing up their properties to get ready for the rental season, which is right around the corner. We haven’t had a weekend off in months.”

“Well, it’s a lovely building and we thought that since we do one property each year, this time around we should give Ellie a hand. Ellie’s family was much loved in St. Dennis, and we know it would be a pricy project.”

“And I appreciate it more than I can say.” Ellie turned to Sophie. “We’re going to do a grand opening of the building, and then we’ll assess it for repairs and such. But there’s been so much speculation in town about what is actually in there that the historical society is running a fundraiser. You buy a ticket and enter your guess of what’s inside. When the doors are finally opened and we see inside, the people who guessed correctly will split half of what is raised. The other half goes to the group.”

“Then, we’ll split the committee into work groups and roll up our sleeves and bring the old place back
to life,” Grace added. “The tickets are already selling like gangbusters.”

“Sounds like fun,” Sophie said. “Sign me up.”

“Consider it done. Thank you. We’ll expect you at ten next Saturday morning at Ellie’s.” Grace looked pleased. “I’m happy to say that so far, no one has turned me down. Well, they’re starting up the music, and it looks as if Jesse and Brooke are going to have their first dance, so I’m going to dash up to the bar and grab a glass of wine. Good to see you both.”

“I think I’ll move closer to the dance floor before they begin.” Sophie stood. “I want to watch.”

“I’ll give you a call after I speak with Cam,” Ellie told her.

“The sooner the better.” Sophie stood. “And thanks for keeping my confidence, Ellie.”

“Of course.”

Sophie made her way through the crowd that was starting to gather to watch the bride and groom’s first dance. The happy couple took the floor as the music began to play, and were obviously lost in each other’s eyes.

Just like the morning a few months ago in Cuppachino, Sophie sensed Jason’s presence even before he was standing next to her.

He held up a bright, shiny penny between his thumb and index finger. Sophie stared at it for a moment, then smiled. She put out her hand, palm up. When he placed the penny in the center, she closed her fingers over it.

“First,” she said, “I was thinking how happy my brother looks, and how happy I am for him. He and
Brooke look like they were born for one another, like they were destined to …”

There was an awkward silence when she remembered that Brooke had previously been married to Jason’s brother, who died in Iraq.

“Foot, meet mouth,” she muttered. “Jason, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking …”

“Let it go,” he said softly. Before she could finish her apology, he’d moved past the moment. “So, if there’s a first, there must be a second. What’s second?”

“My feet are killing me in these shoes.”

He glanced down at her feet. “They are pretty hot-looking shoes, though.”

“Yes, they are. But they’re arch killers, and right now my arches are screaming for mercy.”

Jason leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You could take them off. I’ll bet no one would even notice. And I bet you won’t be the only barefooted woman in the room before the night is over.”

“Good point. I think I’ll ditch them when I get back to my seat.” She smiled and handed him back the penny. “Your turn.”

“Well, I was thinking how beautiful you look in that dress. I like blue on you and I like your hair down like that.” He stood as he had in the church, hands in his pockets, his stance casual. “Was that too politically incorrect? Is it okay to tell a woman she’s beautiful these days, or is it frowned upon?”

“Ah, no. I do not frown when someone gives me a compliment. I say ‘thank you.’ Actually, I rather like it. I’m not used to it, of course,” she explained, “having been a lawyer for the past eight years.”

“A much maligned profession.” He nodded knowingly.

“Often from within.” She stepped aside to permit a couple to pass on their way to the dance floor. “How do you stop a lawyer from drowning?”

Jason shrugged.

“Shoot him before he hits the water. Where can you find a good lawyer?”

“I give up.”

“In a cemetery. How do you get a lawyer to smile for a photo? Just say ‘fees.’ ”

“Looks like I’m going to have to brush up on my lawyer jokes if I want to keep up.”

“Just search the Internet. There are a million of them,” she confided. “But enough about me. I believe you owe me one thought. You only gave me ‘first.’ What’s the second?”

“I was wondering where your date is.”

“My date?”

“Yeah. Don’t women usually bring a date to a wedding?”

“Well, yes, if you’re dating someone on a regular basis. Which I am not.”

“And that answers the next question.”

“So where’s
your
date?”

He shrugged. “No one I wanted to bring.”

“So we’re even on that score.”

“How fortunate for me.”

Jason’s smile brought a smile to her face as well. He definitely looked pleased, almost as pleased, she realized, as she was to find out that he was single and apparently available. Not that she was ready to admit
that to her mother, who would read entirely too much into it.

“Now, for my bonus thought,” he was saying, “I was wondering what this song was that they’re dancing to.”

“ ‘The Twelfth of Never.’ ”

“I don’t know it.”

“Johnny Mathis. Brooke’s parents danced to it at their wedding. She thought it would be nice to have the same song. Besides, it’s very romantic.”

“Is it?”

“Definitely. One more thing to look up on the Internet.”

“I just might do that.”

More and more guests began to dance.

“Would you like to join them?” he asked, gesturing toward the dance floor.

“I would. Thanks.”

He took her hand and they made their way through the crowd. At the fringe of the group, he took her in his arms and they began to move in time with the music.

“Small dance floor, many people,” he noted. “Not much room to move around.”

“It’s okay. Dance floors at weddings are supposed to be crowded. You want a lot of people up to dance and have a good time,” she said. “At least, that’s what Brooke said.”

Sophie was jostled slightly by a passing couple and Jason pulled her a little closer. His chin rested against her cheek and his fingers entwined with hers. With his breath soft against the side of her face, her heart began to race, and she wondered if he could hear it
through the thin silk of her dress. His arms were strong and he smelled of an aftershave she’d once bought for Chris, who’d never worn it because he hadn’t liked it. Ironic, she thought, because she’d been drawn to it then, and it was pulling her in now.

The song ended and she took a step back. Still holding on to her hand, Jason said, “It’s really stuffy in here and the music is really loud. Want to grab a drink from the bar and find a place where we can talk without yelling over the band?”

“Sounds good.” They wove their way around tables to the bar at the side of the room. Sophie waited while Jason ordered a beer for himself and a glass of wine for her.

“Let’s head out to the lobby for a few minutes,” Sophie suggested. “It’s bound to be cooler and quieter out there.”

The inn’s lobby was cooler and it was quieter, but it was hardly more private. Groups of three and four guests congregated throughout the room.

“Apparently others have had the same idea,” Jason noted. “I know where we can go.”

He led her by the hand into the hall and through the side door, out onto the lawn, and down a flagstone path.

“How much farther? Are we walking all the way into town? Because if we are, I wish you’d told me. I’d have left my shoes under the table.”

“We’re here.”

The path ended at a gazebo that overlooked the Bay. Jason opened the door and held it for her.

“Oh, this is lovely,” Sophie told him.

“Cameron built it last year for a wedding that Lucy
was doing here at the inn. It was her idea to have the seats built in all the way around the sides.”

“I like it. It’s cozy. And you did all the landscaping here, I understand. I got to see a lot of it this afternoon when the photos were being taken. You did a beautiful job.”

“Thank you. This was my first big job in town.”

Sophie sat and peeled off her shoes and stretched her legs out in front of her. “Oh, God, that feels good.”

“You have to wonder about the people who design shoes like that. I mean, what are they thinking when they make heels that high?”

“They’re thinking that the shoe looks sexy, that if you wear them, your legs look sexy, you look sexy …”

“I don’t know that they’d do much for me.”

She laughed. “Most men like them.”

“Liking them and wanting to wear them are two different things.”

“So how’s my pop’s backyard coming along?”

“Great. He wanted to show it off to your family this weekend, so I had some sod laid yesterday and it looks good.”

“He’s having the out-of-towners over for brunch before they leave to go home. I thought it was pretty ambitious, but he’s having it catered, so he really doesn’t have to do anything.” She thought of the look on her grandfather’s face when he announced the brunch to the rehearsal dinner attendees. “He seems so happy to be hosting everyone. He even invited my mom and Delia.”

“Who’s Delia?”

Sophie explained.

“Let me get this straight. Your grandfather invited two of his former daughters-in-law.”

“Right. It’s okay. They like each other. At least, they appear to like each other. Probably because all of us—my dad’s older kids, that is—we all get along. Finding them—my two half sisters and brother—has been one of the best things to happen to me in a long time. They’re all terrific people and have wonderful spouses and kids.”

“Your one sister looks just like you.”

“Zoey.” Sophie nodded. “We do look a lot alike. That was pretty freaky, the first time I met her.”

“That’s quite a complicated family tree you’ve got there,” he said.