Page 104 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

“It’s pretty chilly out there,” Meredith warned.

“That’s why I brought my winter coat,” he said.

She smiled at her father. Not once had he made any remarks about Jacob or the relationship between Jacqueline and him. He seemed pleased to see his daughters celebrating this man’s life’s work, and Meredith wished she could take some of his acceptance with her.

“Did you want to see the statue when Remy gets up?” Meredith asked as she poured Gordon his coffee.

“That would be nice,” he said. “But I’m in no rush. I’m going to be here for a while.”

She handed him his coffee, and he took it with both hands. She noticed he appeared a little bit more wrinkled than before, and grayer. If she had been married to Phillip, she would be leaving for Florida for the winter months and might not have noticed her father aging.

“I’m going to make some blueberry pancakes before setting up the sleeping arrangements for the kids,” she said. She looked at the time. She had a few hours before the kids all started showing up.

She would put the girls in the bedroom next to Gordon. She and Remy would share the master, and she’d put Ryan on the pullout in the den downstairs. She had brought all her good linens and towels from Andover. Along with new pillows and throws to spruce the place up.

When Remy got up, Meredith started the pancakes just as Greg showed up from the city.

“This is going to be amazing,” he said, dressed in a three-piece Italian suit. Greg was running the auction and being the auctioneer. “Have you seen the barn set up? Remy did a fabulous job.”

“I can’t wait to see everything,” Meredith said, hoping they’d run into Ginny and the other Queens before things got crazy with the auction and the kids arriving.

The fields would soon be swarmed with tourists from the festival picking their own blueberries. This was the moment of the year for the Queens.

After they ate, they all got ready. Meredith wore a new dress she’d bought for the auction. She did her hair and put on more make-up than usual. Remy looked amazing in a fitted dress, and Gordon wore a button-up and a blazer.

She could feel her excitement grow as cars with out-of-state license plates started pulling up to the cottage and parking wherever they could find space.

They all walked together to the barn, where Greg met them outside.

Remy and Greg pulled the doors open for Meredith. What once had been a dusty old space full of junk now looked like a museum of art. Jacob’s paintings hung on every wall, hung from the second-floor loft. Fairy lights draped across the ceiling and were wrapped around the rafters and beams. White folding chairs were set up facing the podium that stood in the center of the barn.

“It’s gorgeous!” Meredith said, truly blown away by what Remy had done. “When can people start coming in?” she asked, noticing a crowd milling around outside.

“Now, if you’re ready,” Greg said.

“Wait,” Meredith said. “Do you mind if I have a private word with my family?”

Remy tilted her head as she and Gordon waited for Meredith to speak.

“Thank you for everything,” Meredith said to Remy first. “Thank you for helping me find my way. I appreciate it and I appreciate you.” Then she turned to Gordon. “And thank you for always being my anchor.”

Gordon smiled and hugged her.

Remy signaled to Greg to open it up to the public, and the barn was soon filled with art collectors and dealers and art enthusiasts coming to see Jacob O’Neill’s work.

The Queens worked in the fields, as tourists came to pick their own blueberries, and even the local news station showed up to do a story about the event.

Meredith hadn’t put up all of Jacob’s work. She had saved plenty for the children and for herself. Then she thought about Kyle and texted him.

Maybe we could take the boat out for one last ride?she wrote.

Then she would give the boat to Kyle. He deserved it more than anyone here. The only person to have been with Jacob from what she had learned. The only person to have heard him talk, besides Ginny years ago. The only one who could get Jacob back out on the water. The person who Jacob had cleaned up for at the end of his life.

From around the corner, Quinn came walking into the barn. He wore the same suit he had on the day she’d met him, when he had seemed so uptight and out of touch. Now, he looked more handsome than ever before.

“Quinn,” she said as he came closer.

“Wow, this place looks great,” he said, checking out the space as he went in to kiss her on the cheek.

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