Page 99 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

“Do you still want to go to dinner?” she asked, suddenly unsure.

He didn’t answer right away, and her heart started beating faster. She hadn’t expected him to have changed his mind about the night.

“I’m sorry, Meredith, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if we got involved,” he looked away. “It’s just that, Kyle’s decided to go to college next year…which means, I’ll need to take a new job. I’ll probably be moving closer to the city and the hours will be demanding.” His whole face fell as his eyebrows wrinkled down. “I just don’t know how it could work. I’m so sorry.”

“Sure, no problem.” She pretended to smell the flowers. Then took a step back. “I get it.”

“I have to think about Kyle right now,” he said.

She waved him off. “It’s totally fine.”

He closed his eyes, but then he looked at her, his eyes sincere. “I really am sorry.”

“It’s not a problem,” she said, stepping even further back.

Quinn just stood there with a look on his face she couldn’t really read, because she realized she didn’t really know this man.

“Thanks for the flowers.” She held up the bouquet. “I should put these in some water.”

She started to walk away when Quinn called out after her. “I’ll write that conservation proposal up for you as soon as I can.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. Was that what this was all about? He’d gotten what he wanted, and now he didn’t need to pretend around her anymore? Quinn seemed sincere, but her history with men had her second-guessing everything.

“Sure, thanks.” She turned back toward the house and went inside, shutting the door behind her. She leaned her back against the wood, holding her breath, then exhaling hard. Her heart was elevated, pounding in her ears. She pushed off the door. She wouldn’t break down, not until she reached the bedroom.

Then she’d scream over the waves.

She dropped the flowers into the sink, put her purse onto the counter, and walked through the living room to her bedroom.

“Hey, I thought you were going to dinner?” Remy asked, sitting on the couch with Greg and a glass of wine.

Meredith wished Greg would get lost, because for the first time in her life, she was ready to open up about how she felt right now. But Remy looked happy, and Greg was helping them out, and it was the same old story. Meredith was a fool.

“I actually have a bit of a headache, so I think I’ll just talk to Ginny tomorrow,” she said, changing her mind again. She walked toward the staircase, and before she went up, she turned to Remy and said, “I think I might head to Andover tomorrow morning. Right away. Go through things there.”

Remy looked surprised. “Really, why all of a sudden?”

“I just want to get it over with, you know?” Meredith shrugged. “Do you think you could continue going through everything without me?”

Since making up her mind, Meredith just wanted it all to be done. She didn’t miss the Andover house as much as she thought she would, and no one in the neighborhood had started to complain about the lawn. She wondered how bad the pool looked by now.

“Of course.” Remy raised her eyebrow, questioning Meredith. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, just a headache,” Meredith said, going up the stairs before Remy asked more questions.

When she got to her room, she shut the door and opened all the windows, letting the ocean air swirl through the room. Why had she let her guard down? Why had she let a man inside her heart? She knew what would happen. She knew what men did.

They left.

CHAPTER35

“Ithought you wanted us to come to Maine?” Cora asked on the phone.

“You can. I mean, don’t you want to come to the house in Andover?” Meredith said, hoping her children would make the decision for her. Should she just stay in Andover? Figure out how to sell the cottage in Maine while also leaving the land to the Queen Bees?

“Dad mentioned you were selling the house?” Cora said.

“No.” Meredith hadn’t told Phillip anything. “I never said I was selling. When did he say that?”

---