Page 35 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

CHAPTER13

“There’s a difference,” Quinn’s mother said to Meredith after they had all finished their lobster rolls. “Maine coats their lobster in a cold mayo, where Connecticut serves it warm and dripping with butter. Very messy.”

Quinn wished he could tell what Jacob’s daughter was thinking as his mother continued talking about lobsters and blueberries and everything wonderful about Blueberry Bay. She wanted to win Meredith over, but Quinn had a feeling it was a lost cause.

And could he blame her?

He could see the pain on her face as she walked through a complete stranger’s house that he kept calling her father’s.

He found it so crazy that Jacob didn’t at least try to have a relationship with her. He may have thought he was doing the right thing for her by staying away, but what child doesn’t need their father?

“Thank you so much for dinner,” she said. “But I think I’m going to head back.”

“Let me help you get the bedroom set up,” Quinn said, getting up from his chair.

“No, no, I think I’m going to be okay,” she said, placing her napkin on the table.

Kyle got up and grabbed her plate for her.

“Thank you,” she said, surprised by the gesture. “That’s very nice.”

Kyle nodded. “Gram would kill me if I didn’t.”

“Yup.” Ginny gave a wink to her grandson. “He does the dishes, too.”

“He’ll make a good husband for sure,” Meredith said, and she looked away suddenly.

If she hadn’t corrected her last name from Mrs. to Ms., he never would have noticed the uncomfortable look on her face. Even after years of not having Lisa by his side, he was still hit with feelings of grief time and time again.

It never went away.

“It’s the least we can do to make this whole situation easier for you. Jacob certainly didn’t do the right thing by you while he was alive, but I do think he thought leaving you the house and farm would be a sort of olive branch.” There, he said it. No more tiptoeing around the dead man in the room. “But he should’ve done better, obviously.”

Ginny’s eyes widened by the acknowledgment. “Yes, well, Jacob had his demons, but he would’ve been so pleased to know you are as lovely as you are.”

Meredith’s fingers played with the edge of the linen napkin his mother hadn’t used since Christmas in the late nineties.

Meredith opened her mouth to say something, then stopped herself. After a brief pause, she got up and said, “Thank you for dinner.”

Ginny didn’t see the writing on the wall, but it was clearly written all over Meredith’s face as she sat through endless Blueberry Bay fables. She wasn’t changing her mind about staying.

“Let me walk you back,” Quinn said, getting up from his seat.

“That’s okay,” she said, holding her hands together in front of her. “I’m good.”

She pushed her chair back and got up before he could help. He walked Meredith out as Kyle turned on the water in the sink. Stepping out on the porch, he didn’t push it but, rather, stayed behind as she walked down the steps.

“I can come back in the morning. Help you catalog some of Jacob’s paintings.” Quinn had recommended Jacob take care of cataloging years ago.

Meredith shook her head. “I’m all set, thanks.”

She began to walk down the driveway when Quinn called out to her. “You can take the shortcut through the yards.”

He pointed to a sandy path running between beach plum rose bushes in full bloom. Their signature fragrance hung in the humid summer air.

She looked at the beaten path worn down from generations traveling back and forth.

“Would you mind letting your mom know that I’m going to sell?” she said to him. “I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

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