Page 77 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

“That sounds great,” Meredith said. “Aunt Remy is here with me.”

“You’re with Aunt Remy?” Cora didn’t hide her disbelief. “Since when did you two start hanging out?”

“Well, I called her about Jacob,” Meredith said.

“Who?”

The question hung in the air, and Meredith looked at the painting Remy had hung up in the living room, the one of Jacqueline holding Meredith’s hand along the beach. She did remember, and now she was starting to remember the man following behind her.

“My father,” Meredith said.

CHAPTER28

Quinn watched as Meredith walked into the second floor of the town hall, where the meeting of the Queen Bees officially took place. It was also where the sock hop and community basketball league were held.

“Quinn,” she said, surprised to see him in the crowd of women wearing their bee pins proudly on their chests. Quinn did not wear one. “Are you a Bee, too?”

A smirk grew as Meredith watched his reaction.

“I can’t officially become a Queen,” he said.

“Really?” Meredith seemed surprised by this. “Because they’re female?”

He shook his head. “I’m allergic to bees.”

“That’s why I haven’t seen you in the fields,” she said. “That’s too bad.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m here to explain about Jacob and the property.”

“Right,” she said. “They invited me and Remy to meet everyone.”

“Good luck getting home,” he whispered. “Pauline tends to be long-winded.”

“Who’s Pauline?” Meredith whispered back.

He gestured his head at the badly dyed blonde who came marching her way over to Meredith.

“You must be Jacob’s daughter!” Pauline said, sticking her hand out at Meredith before she even reached her.

“Oh,” Meredith said as Pauline took her hand into hers. “Good to meet you.”

“Ginny’s told us all about you girls,” Pauline said. “Quinn! So glad you finally made it.”

He almost objected by countering that he had attended their emergency meeting just a couple weeks ago when he’d given the news of Jacob’s passing, but he didn’t want to look like a jerk in front of Meredith.

“I want to support any way I can,” Quinn said.

Sue smiled, patting him on the arm as she walked away. “Don’t forget to grab something to eat over on the table.”

He noticed Remy already standing over there, checking out what they had.

“They have the scones!” Remy said, holding one up.

Meredith leaned over. “Is everything made with blueberries?”

“Your blueberries,” Pauline said from across the room, as she hit a small gavel on the makeshift podium. “Let’s get to it, shall we?” Pauline said to the group of women who stood around the baked goods.

And that’s how the meeting began. Pauline banged the gavel, Ginny took her spot as secretary, and Mary Ellen gave the treasury report. From the beginning of the meeting, things were more serious than usual. For one, Carolyn didn’t talk throughout the meeting. No one had to take a bathroom break, and everyone seemed to have come. They haven’t had full attendance in years.

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