Page 57 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

“Do gorillas eat ice cream fast?” Hazel asked, laughing at her boyfriend.

“Shh,” he said, stroking her head. “Don’t question my metaphor.”

Everyone else laughed and Jacob and Grayson disappeared into the kitchen. Vivian sat down next to Terrence and played her turn in Monopoly. By the time Terrence’s turn was over, Grayson and Jacob came back into the living room, laughing and clearly deep in conversation about something.

“What are you two giggling about?” Alexis asked.

“Guy stuff,” Jacob said in a deep voice, which made Grayson laugh even harder.

The two of them took their seats around the coffee table and the game resumed. After half an hour or so, Grayson said, “Oh, by the way, Vivian, we finished the last of the coffee. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” She smiled at him. “I’ll go make some more. Would anyone else like coffee?”

“Me!” Samantha said.

“No coffee for you, young lady,” Hazel told her. “You finish that peppermint tea.”

“I’d take a refill,” Jacob said.

“So would I,” said Grayson.

“And I’d love a cup,” Hazel said. “That tea made me kind of sleepy.”

“Sounds good.” Vivian smiled, standing up. “I could use a refill myself. I’ll bring out some coffee in a moment here.”

“I’ll come with you,” Terrence offered, standing up with her.

The two of them went into the cozy kitchen together. It still smelled fragrantly of spices from dinner, and Vivian let out acontented sigh as she began to rummage in the cupboard for coffee.

“What kind are you going to make?” Terrence asked her.

“The Maple Leaf decaf,” she said. “I never use coffee now that isn’t one of the kinds you brought me.”

His face lit up at her words. “I’m thrilled to hear that.”

Vivian started to brew the coffee, and Terrence helped her get mugs out of the cupboard. When the coffee was almost finished brewing, he said, “I feel very grateful that you welcomed me into this evening with your loved ones. It’s been such a wonderful time. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in years.”

She beamed at him. “There will always be a spot for you in my house. That’s what friends are for, right?”

A warm, fond look passed across his face, and his voice softened a little as he said, “Yes, I suppose so.”

Their gazes held for a suspended moment, and her heartbeat sped up a little. For a moment, she almost wondered if he might be interested in something more than that with her, but she brushed that thought aside with a slight shake of her head.

After everything that had happened with Alan, she needed a break from eventhinkingabout dating. She needed time to get her feet back under her again, and to learn to trust her intuition once more. But in the meantime, she truly was grateful to have Terrence in her life.

With a quiet smile, she finally looked away. The sputtering of the coffee maker indicated that the brew was ready, so she poured coffee for him and for herself, then lifted her mug.

“To friendship,” she said.

“To friendship,” he echoed, returning her smile as he clinked his mug against hers.

They carried the rest of the coffee cups back out into the living room. Everyone sitting around the board game was staring intently at it as Samantha made her turn.

“And with that,” she said triumphantly, “I win!”

Everyone else groaned and cheered. Vivian laughed as she sat back down in her chair, watching her family talk animatedly together. She loved listening to the way they bantered affectionately with each other.

“I’ve figured it out, everyone,” Alexis announced as she lifted the final spoonful of her brownie sundae to her mouth. “My craving. I know what it is.”

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