Page 55 of A Future in the Bay

After another hour or so of wandering and taking part in some of the activities, Kids’ Fest started to wind down. Kids and parents began to wander back to their cars, calling goodbyes and chatting happily about their prizes.

“How are you feeling?” Isaiah asked, wrapping an arm around her.

“Tired.” She laughed. “But feeling so accomplished.”

“You should be,” he said, giving her a squeeze. “The place looks amazing. Everyone was so excited about the new renovations.”

“Good.” She heaved a contented sigh, leaning into his embrace. “These are some really great kids. I’m glad we were able to make their school a better one.”

They joined the team of people who had volunteered to clean up the school and grounds after the event. The work didn’t take long with so many hands working, and as they were finishing, Corey invited Isaiah and Gwen to come get dinner with him and Olivia and his kids.

“We thought we should celebrate how well everything went,” Corey said, clapping Isaiah on the shoulder. “Not only today, but also the fact that all of the renovations got finished on time.”

“You were still worried, weren’t you?” Isaiah said to Olivia, crossing his arms at her in a teasing manner. “You were worried we weren’t going to get everything done in time.”

“I was.” Olivia laughed, swatting his arm. “And you have to admit, without Gwen’s help, we wouldn’t have gotten it all done by today!”

“We would have,” he protested. “I just wouldn’t have slept.”

Everyone laughed, and he turned to Gwen with a grin. “But Olivia is right. We couldn’t have done it without you, Gwen. We’re so grateful.”

“Oh, shucks,” she said, laughing, and Olivia hurried forward to give her a hug.

“I’m so glad you came here,” she whispered, and Gwen’s heart lifted up. She was glad she’d come there too.

The six of them went out to dinner at The Crab, which was crowded but able to squeeze them in at a table in the back.

“I’m so excited about eating,” Max announced. “It’s already been four hours since I had that hot dog.”

Gwen chuckled, feeling her own stomach grumble. She and Isaiah had nibbled on snacks at Kids’ Fest, but she was more than ready for a full meal.

The restaurant around them was filled with conversation and laughter, and their own table was fun and rowdy because of all the energy that Max and Haley still had even after their long day. Max kept them all entertained with a slew of terrible jokes, and Isaiah threw a few of his own into the mix. They laughed and groaned good-naturedly as they ate their meal.

“Hey, everyone!”

Sandy and Daniel Ryan stopped by their table on their way to the door. With them was a smiling teenager that Gwen had never met, and an adorable baby boy.

“Kids’ Fest was amazing, wasn’t it?” Sandy asked.

“Yes, it was!” Haley agreed enthusiastically. “I’ve never made so much art in one day before.”

For a while, Sandy and Daniel chatted with their table, discussing how much fun the day had been. After a while, they went on their way, and in another moment Alissa and Dane Taylor waved to their table as they entered the restaurant. Gwen was struck by how close-knit the town was, and how pleasant that felt.

She looked around, holding Isaiah’s hand under the table. The restaurant was filled with people that she’d seen that day at the school, and she recognized some of her patients as well.She realized in that moment what her life could really be like in Blueberry Bay—she could be truly part of a community.

And that’s what I want, she realized, feeling her heart lift up.That’s exactly what I want.

She felt surprised that it had taken her so long to recognize it—maybe because she’d never been a part of a community like that before.

Isaiah squeezed her hand under the table, and she turned toward him with a smile.

“What are you thinking?” he asked playfully.

She met his gaze, squeezing his hand back. “I’m just thinking that it’s really nice to be home.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Alissa grinned to herself as she sat in bed, looking at her phone screen. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and she’d just woken up. The first thing she’d done was text her twin sister Caitlin.

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