Page 81 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

“They’re coming for the festival.” She was worried it wasn’t enough time.

When they got the bookshelf where she wanted, he looked down at his phone. “Shoot, I better get going. Let me know if you need help with anything else. Kyle’s home today until football practice.”

“Does he need a ride?” she asked. “I’m happy to take him again.”

He shook his head. “He’ll be okay.”

The other day, she had seen Kyle walking with all his football gear and had picked him up.

“It’s really no trouble,” she said. She enjoyed the teenager’s company. It felt good to be needed in some weird neighborly way. She liked being useful.

“You know what? I’ll ask him if he would like one,” Quinn said. He walked out of the living room and to the kitchen. He glanced into the dining room and pointed at the piano.

“Have you played it yet?” he asked.

She glanced over at the upright. She hadn’t even opened the cover. She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m a bit too rusty at this point.”

“Do you miss playing?” he asked.

She wished it were that simple. “All the time.”

He nodded as if he understood, his eyes warm and comforting.

Quinn made it easy for Meredith to keep talking. “It just brings memories of my mom.”

She laughed at herself, feeling completely vulnerable at that moment. The truth was, she felt like she fell apart because she didn’t have her music.

“I should let you be,” he said, rubbing his hands together, and heading toward the door.

“You don’t have to rush out,” she said. “We have blueberries.”

He looked right at her. It was the kind of look he had been giving her that made her wonder if she could have another chance. Another chance to be happy with someone again.

“Yourblueberries,” he said.

She smiled back at him using the newest catchphrase from the Queens. “Myblueberries.”

Butherblueberries andhercottage andherbeach andherview still didn’t seem like hers at all.

“So? Want something?” she asked.

He tilted his head, keeping his eyes on her. “That sounds great.”

He walked back into the kitchen where she pulled out a bowl of fresh blueberries. “Ginny brought some of the ripe ones.”

She set it down on the counter as he sat down on the stool placed on the other side.

“So, what else needs to be moved around?” he asked, plucking a blueberry up with his fingers and popping it into his mouth.

“I’d like that table in the barn moved to the porch,” she said. “We’re going to start tackling cleaning out the barn next.”

“You and Remy are doing a great job,” he said. “This place has never looked better.”

Even if this hadn’t been her and her sister’s work, she would agree. The small beach cottage now looked like a sophisticated home with boutique French country style.

“Meredith!” Remy called out from the bathroom from the top floor. “Look out the window!”

Meredith walked up to the window to see a whale breach out of the water. “It’s a whale!” She pointed to the water splashing into the air.

---