Page 43 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

Quinn looked in the same direction. “Hazel has been taking care of those bees for years. I promise she knows what she’s doing.”

“Well, I just think—” Meredith began.

“Would you like to come in?” Remy smiled at Quinn and stepped back.

Quinn’s eyes moved to Meredith before accepting Remy’s offer.

“Sure, come on in.” Meredith stepped inside, letting Remy do what she did best—socialize.

“I wanted to let you know I talked to the town, and they have a proposal for you for some of Jacob’s art,” Quinn said.

“You’re selling his art?” Remy turned to Meredith. “Why are you selling?”

“What am I going to do with all this?” Meredith gestured at the rooms filled of art. She had a legitimate point.

“How long does that sort of thing take?” Meredith asked.

Quinn shrugged. “I don’t know much about the art world, but—”

Remy put her hand on Meredith’s arm. “You should get someone from Boston to come up.”

Quinn grimaced at the comment. “Of course, it’s up to you, but the town has a proposal as well.”

“The town is willing to pay for this?” Remy asked.

Quinn coughed at that. Then said, “The historical society would like a chance to discuss it with you.”

Meredith didn’t care who bought Jacob’s art if she got the money. “When can they meet?”

Quinn looked down at his phone.

“Unfortunately, one of our selectmen’s on vacation for the week, but I know the town would really like to propose—”

“You know, Meredith, this place could really be turned into something amazing,” Remy said, going through the stacked pile of framed art. “We could go through all his work together and find the stuff you want to keep.”

“I don’t want any of it,” Meredith said, suddenly irritated that Remy was going through the art, that this man wanted her to wait another week to hear a proposal, that no one asked what she wanted.

“No, I think it’s best you get the women off my property, and I go find a real estate agent.”

“You want the Queen Bees to leave?” he asked.

“They call themselves the Queen Bees?” Remy asked, looking out the window. “That’s adorable. Come on, Merry.”

“The bees will suffer.” Quinn’s forehead creased. His hand began to rub it. “It’ll take some time to relocate them.”

“Fine, let the Queen Bees finish what they’re doing, but they’ll have to sign a waiver or something, like now, if they want to continue,” she said. She could hear Phillip’s attorney warnings shooting through her head.

“I guess I could draw up some kind of waiver for you,” Quinn said.

“Don’t be silly,” Remy said, waving her hand at Quinn. “Meredith, they’re fine.”

Suddenly, all of it felt like too much. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to have her babies little again. She wanted her husband to be in love with her again. And she wanted her mother to be alive again.

Her hand went to her chest as the air restricted in her throat at the thought that she wouldn’t have that again.

“Meredith, are you okay?” Remy asked.

Meredith hadn’t realized that tears had formed until the two of them were looking at her. She shook her head. “This is all…” She looked around the room stuffed full of art made by a man whose mind had been clearly unraveling. Was hers? “This is all just a lot.”

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