Page 56 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

Remy dropped the burlap bags onto the island counter. “Because you’re Jacob’s daughter.”

Meredith sat with the information as Remy continued to unpack the groceries.

“I got a great bottle of chardonnay,” Remy said, pulling out a bottle opener. “Oh!”

She put the opener on the counter, then ran out of the kitchen, into the breezeway, and out the door. Meredith could hear her open a car door and then close it again. Through the window, she saw Remy carrying a big plastic tub. Meredith raced to the door before Remy reached it to help her.

“What is in there?” she asked. Remy’s trunk was like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag.

“I brought bedding,” Remy said. “Nice Egyptian cotton bedding.”

“That sounds magical,” Meredith said.

And Meredith couldn’t believe it, but Remy had brought more than just bedding. She brought fairy lights and lamps and candles. Lots and lots of candles. She brought bath salts and fragrant oil sticks and cooking books and novels.

“Were you planning on moving here?” Meredith asked.

Remy shook her head. “No, Dad’s place.”

Meredith thought of when Gordon had asked her if she wanted to move back home. Had he asked Remy or had he even known?

“What does he think about you leaving Joe?” Meredith asked.

Remy shrugged. “I haven’t told anyone.”

And Meredith’s heart broke once again. Her sister was just as alone as she was.

“Well, you can stay here until you figure things out, okay?” Meredith said.

“Thank you, Meredith,” Remy said. “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you.”

Meredith didn’t have a timetable, but she knew she couldn’t afford two houses.

“We’ll figure this all out together,” Meredith said.

We’re all we have, she thought to herself.

“Let me make dinner,” Remy said. “And you should take this glass of wine and call it for the day.”

“I forgot the laundry.” Meredith noticed the sun setting behind the barn and the sky glowing oranges and reds and pinks against the ocean water.

“Wow!” Remy said, pointing out the window. “Let’s go take a baseline selfie.”

“A what?” Meredith said.

Remy grabbed her phone from the kitchen table and ran out the back door to the porch. “Come on!” Remy stood, arm stretched out with her camera, ushering Meredith into the frame.

“What’s a baseline selfie?” Meredith asked.

“Smile!” Remy said, rushing the photograph. She held her smile as she explained through gritted teeth. “It’s the point where you start. We need to remember where we started to see how much we’ve grown.”

CHAPTER23

Meredith slept with the windows open. The yellow room had given her a magical night of sleep. When she awoke, the sun glistened off the water, shining into her eyes. The cries of seagulls echoed into the room, and the quiet, steady rhythm of waves lapping against the granite shore calmed her already buzzing mind.

What was she going to do?

She could keep the property up until fall, and then shehadto return to Andover. She had exactly two months to get whatever plan she had together, and then she either had to pay Phillip for his half of the house or sell it.

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