Page 108 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

Meredith watched as people paid Ginny and the rest of the Queen Bees to go through the blueberry fields and pick their own. Dozens of families walked through the rows of blueberries, and all of them passed through the barn to look at Jacob’s art that Meredith had kept up for the public.

She and Remy sat at the entrance and asked for donations only. “All proceeds go to local scholarships.”

A woman walked up to Meredith with her three young daughters.

“Are you Meredith Johnson?” the mother asked.

“I am,” Meredith said.

“Do you still teach?” the woman asked.

Meredith must’ve made a face giving away her complete confusion, because the woman answered before Meredith had to ask what she meant.

“Piano? Do you still teach piano lessons?” the woman asked.

“I did,” Meredith said.

“I’ve been looking for a piano instructor for my daughters for a while, but I can’t seem to find someone,” she said. “Carolyn said you used to teach lessons.”

“Yes,” Meredith said.

“Would you consider starting lessons with my girls?”

Meredith looked down at the three young girls and smiled. “I’d love to.”

The girls looked up at their mother in delight. And Meredith felt excited about the possibility of teaching again.

“Why don’t you come by the house next week and we can set up some times,” Meredith said.

“That would be fantastic!” the mother said, shaking Meredith’s hand.

When the Queens closed the fields for the day, Meredith and Remy closed the barn up as well.

“There’s easily over a thousand dollars in here, probably more,” Remy said as she collected the donation money.

“You ladies did great!” Ginny said, walking through the barn, which was still decorated for the auction, but without the chairs and the people, the space looked like a rustic art gallery. Just how Meredith imagined Jacob would want to share his collection of Blueberry Bay. All the paintings Meredith and Remy had set aside were of the small town and its community.

“Maybe we could make this as a community space,” she said to Ginny. “A place where we can hold Queen Bee meetings and art lessons and poetry readings and, well, anything.”

Ginny clapped her hands together as she heard the ideas coming out. “That all sounds wonderful!”

Meredith then held Ginny’s arm, making sure she understood the next part. “I want to make the fields all conservation, where no one can come in and build on the property, and the blueberries can live another ten thousand years.”

Ginny wrapped her arms around Meredith, sweeping her breath away by her strength. “I sure love you girls.”

Remy put her arms around both and hugged them too.

“Remy?” a voice said from outside the barn.

Standing on the path from the house stood Joe. He didn’t wear his usual fancy business suit but a casual outfit and a baseball cap.

“Joe?” Remy let go of them. “What are you doing here?”

Joe walked closer to the barn.

“That’s Joe?” Ginny whispered to Meredith.

“Mm-hmm,” Meredith said, wondering if she should lead the ladies away, tell the lingering crowds of blueberry pickers to give her sister and her estranged husband some space.

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