Page 109 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

“I thought I’d come up for vacation,” he said to Remy, but he clearly hadn’t taken a vacation in a really long time, because Joe looked completely out of his element. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Remy stood there, not moving, not saying anything, not giving any sign of her feelings whatsoever. Joe looked at Meredith, who shrugged.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Remy.

“Where are you planning on staying?” Remy asked, her voice the exact same as it had been while hugging Meredith, but her body had stiffened.

“I rented a cottage down the road,” he said, jabbing his thumb behind him.

“Right,” she said. “Then what are you doinghere?”

He stood uncomfortably in front of everyone. “I thought I’d ask you to the festival.”

Meredith hadn’t seen a romantic movie in a very long time, but she knew it when she saw a man begging for his wife back.

“Aw,” Greg said, holding up his champagne glass. “He did come.”

“Let’s all go downtown to the festival and let Remy and Joe have a minute,” Meredith said to the group. “We have to check out the baking contest. Remy put in her blueberry cake.”

“She’ll surely get a place for her cake,” Gordon said, standing with his grandchildren.

“Want to walk?” Quinn asked Meredith.

She liked the idea of all of them walking but didn’t think Gordon could make it that far.

“What if I drive the old timers and you all walk to town?” Ginny said, hitting her elbow into Gordon’s stomach. “Want to hitch a ride with me?”

“I’d love to,” Gordon said, walking toward Ginny’s car with Carolyn and two other Queens. Gordon looked like he was in heaven when they took off.

“Where will I meet him?” she asked Quinn.

He held her close to him as they walked toward the path. “They’ll be just fine.”

Meredith kept her hand in Quinn’s the whole way to town. They stayed behind the kids as they walked through Jacob’s property, down the sandy path, in between the rose bushes, and over the hill, walking along the beach, then going back over the cliffs to the harbor and town below.

Cora walked with Muriel as Ryan and Kyle led the way, talking about the boat and fishing.

“Kyle’s going to take us out tomorrow to fish,” Ryan said to Meredith once they reached town.

“That sounds like fun,” Meredith said, holding Quinn’s hand comfortably in front of the group.

“Are you guys going to come?” Kyle asked.

Meredith looked to Quinn and smiled. “We’d love to.”

The whole town of Blueberry Bay went to the festival, which had been set up along Main Street all the way to the park and to the pier. Booths with different kinds of crafts and foods were set up on both sides of the streets. Quinn led the way, holding Meredith’s hand, and walked through the crowd to the baked goods tent.

“Remy’s cake is over there,” Quinn said, pointing to the other side of the tent.

“Oh! I see it,” Meredith said, wondering ifshelooked as happy as she felt.

“I sure do love blueberries,” Quinn said, smelling the air inside the baked goods tent.

“Hmm,” she said. “They are so sweet and good.”

Quinn stopped suddenly in the middle of the tent, taking his arm and wrapping it around her waist. “I bet if we created a blueberry honey treat, we could get a ribbon just for creativity.”

She smiled at his idea. “I love it.”

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