Page 68 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

He shot Kyle a look, and the relief he had been feeling sunk like an anchor. “Right, the boat.”

“Gram already has the lobsters stuffed,” Kyle said to Meredith and took the plate from Quinn’s hands.

“Great,” Quinn said as Kyle led Meredith to the house.

“Hi, Quinn,” Remy said from behind, holding a large bouquet of flowers in her hands. She passed a bottle he immediately recognized as a very expensive Michelin chardonnay. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Well, I’m glad Ginny hasn’t scared you all out of town,” he joked, wondering if this change of heart was actually true.

Remy smiled and said, “Kyle helped us all afternoon moving the paintings around so we could put them in categories. I have a friend coming up from Boston in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s great,” he said, watching Kyle through the window as he talked to Meredith and Ginny. “I’m glad he’s been helpful.”

“He’s been great,” Remy said. “He’s also been a big help moving furniture around, helping us tidy up the place. It’s amazing how much better it looks just after a little bit of cleaning.”

He looked up at the house and saw Meredith laugh with Kyle as Ginny opened the door for them to come inside. Meredith’s eyes closed, her head thrown back, her hair falling just perfectly from her face.

Man, he was in so much trouble.

Because he couldn’t afford to fall for a woman who clearly wasn’t over her ex-husband, who had issues with her recently deceased father, and who wasn’t likely sticking around.

Why did he always find the one woman who would give him the most trouble?

Dating Lisa should have taught him not to mix his business life with his personal life, especially when it came to dating his boss’s daughter.

What was he doing checking out Jacob’s daughter?

Inside, Ginny had music playing.

“Is this Carol King?” Meredith asked.

Ginny smiled at the recognition, and that was when he saw the same love in her eyes. She had fallen for this woman as well.

It had been Remy who started clapping as the lobsters came out, but Kyle joined with Meredith, so he started clapping too. Kyle poured everyone water, while Quinn gave the adults a glass of wine. Ginny had the kitchen set up with real dinner plates and napkins, along with the proper silverware, though it was mismatched.

Everyone talked throughout their meal. First came the compliments to the chef, then stories about Blueberry Bay. Kyle told them about school and football and his girlfriend.

“What was it like playing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra?” he asked, amazed at the level she must have been to be in such a profession. “It must be even harder to be a professional musician than a professional athlete.”

Meredith nodded. “As a woman, it’s a hundred times harder.”

“Meredith was one of the only female pianists ever to play piano for the orchestra,” Remy said, clearly proud of her older sister’s accomplishments.

“Do you teach?” Ginny asked.

“I have students, but they usually take the summers off,” she said.

“What about performing again?” Ginny asked. “We have music at the park on Tuesday nights.”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t have the time to be as good as I used to be.”

Quinn felt that one. He had loved so many things before Lisa died and now he rarely did anything other than work or drive Kyle around or watch television. When was the last time he had a project or went biking or hiking? He used to love working outside and building things with his hands. Now he hardly left the couch.

“Should we have those cookies?” Kyle asked at the perfect time, shifting the moment back to the present, and it struck Quinn at how mature his son was becoming.

The women stayed for a cup of coffee and a few cookies each. By the time they left, Kyle had taken off with his girlfriend.

“Thank you for such a nice night,” Meredith said. “And everything else. Really, thank you for everything.”

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