Arch led Tessa to the buffet that had been set up in the big dining room. A long table that could easily seat twenty was piled with food. It smelled delicious and, despite her nerves, Tessa felt the beginnings of an appetite stirring.
At the end stood a handsome giant of a man carving a beef roast. Buster sat at his feet, no doubt hoping a chunk of meat would accidentally drop. His tail wagged hopefully while his eyes never left the man with the carving knife, who had to be a Davenport, but was bigger than any of them. He must be six foot four, with brown hair cut short, a beard trimmed close, and eyes the color of moss.
“Tessa, this is my big brother Nick. And I do mean big.”
Arch was over six feet tall, but Nick towered over him.
Nick Davenport put down his carving knife and fork and shook her hand. “He means older brother, and it’s nice to meet you.”
Tessa had the impression of quiet strength in Nick Davenport. She got the feeling he was a caring, reliable man, but the gleam in his eye suggested he also had a sense of humor.
Looking at all the food, she felt a pang of guilt. She’d been so swept away by Archer Davenport talking to her that she’d forgotten all about Margaret. “I should get Margaret a plate of food,” she said, “and make sure she’s not doing anything crazy.”
“Don’t worry about Margaret,” Arch said. “Half those golfers are in love with her. They’ll be fighting over who gets to fetch her a plate. Don’t spoil her fun.”
Tessa had definitely noticed a couple of silver foxes charming the vivacious Margaret Percy, so after thinking it over for a few seconds, she decided it would be okay to take Arch’s advice.
While they mingled, enjoying the food from the buffet, Archer introduced her to some of his family’s friends and neighbors. People asked him how his movie was going, the way you’d ask anybody who was working on a business project. She didn’t get the sense that they thought starring in movies was a bigger deal than building a house, or selling one, or writing an article for the Sea Shell. She really liked that about this group.
But then, a lot of movie stars had come and gone in Carmel over the years. She was pretty sure she’d seen the back of Brad Pitt once in the grocery store. He was just buying apples like anybody else.
While she savored every moment beside Archer, even more than she savored the delicious food on her plate, she managed to keep an eye on Margaret from across the room. Archer had been right—a gentleman had indeed fetched her a plate of food. When she seemed to be tired of standing, before Tessa could even move toward her, another gentleman, with a thick head of white hair, invited her to sit with him on one of the couches. It was so easily done, she doubted Margaret even noticed she was being cared for. She’d have loved to slip a cushion under the injured arm, but suspected Margaret wouldn’t thank her for her trouble—or the reminder of her injury while she was at a party.
“He’s having the time of his life,” Archer said as his father came closer. “Dad,” he went on, “I want you to meet Tessa.”
Up close, Howard Davenport was the kind of dad she’d have loved to have. Big and big-hearted. Where everyone else in the family had shaken her hand, he enveloped her in a bear hug. She felt so comforted she’d have happily stayed cocooned in his big arms for longer. “Always happy to meet a friend of Arch’s,” he said.
“Happy birthday,” she said.
“It sure is,” he agreed. “But then, every day is a gift.”
A man called, “Howie, we didn’t come all this way not to visit with you. Get over here.”
“My brothers,” Howie said, and she followed his gaze to where five older men were huddled together. “And my best friends. Guess I’d better say hi, especially since some of them have come a long way to be here tonight.”
He patted their shoulders, then headed off to where his brothers were gathered. Soon he was laughing, no doubt about old times growing up. “What a positive attitude your father has,” she said to Arch.
“He doesn’t just spout that stuff either—he really believes it.” She saw the affection in Archer’s gaze as his father joked with a neighbor. “He has high standards and expected all of us to work hard at school and life, but you’ll never find a man with a bigger heart.”
At a signal from Nick, Archer excused himself and left her side.
Betsy Davenport clapped her hands and immediately brought the room to attention. Tessa could see how very much she was respected by everyone, from her children to her friends. But it was the way Howie gazed at his wife that brought a lump to Tessa’s throat. To think of being married for that long and still have a man look at you like that. She sighed. Until now, she’d never believed love could last that long. The marriages she’d been exposed to hadn’t turned out so well.
Betsy spoke in a voice that commanded the room, which gave Tessa the notion that she was either a teacher or had been at some point. Behind her, Arch and Nick dragged out a large flat-screen television and some speakers. Howard was encouraged to sit in a chair in the middle of the room facing the speakers, while everybody at the party gathered around him and Buster curled at his feet.
Were they all going to be treated to old family movies? Tessa kind of hoped they would be. It would be fun to see how these Davenports had behaved and what they’d looked like when they were kids.
Instead, Betsy said, “All our children are here with us tonight, except Damien. He’s on tour with his band. But, Howie, he wanted you to know he’s thinking of you.” And then at her nod, the lights went out and the screen came to life.
Tessa knew who Damien Davenport was, of course. The whole world knew. A rock star, a pop idol—she’d heard him called both and wasn’t exactly sure which was the correct term.
On the screen, he stood there holding a guitar. He had the curly hair in common with Finn, and he’d also inherited the slightly darker good looks. But there was a devil in that smile. She wondered whether he’d grown into the name or whether his parents had named him Damien with a sneaking suspicion of what his future would be like. Not that he was a bad boy exactly, but he had trodden his own path, that was for sure.
Damien said, “Dad, I wish I could be there with you tonight. But the boys and I want you to know we’re thinking of you. I didn’t write this song—two men way smarter than me did. But this one’s for you.” And then he began to play, and behind him, his band struck up.
As the familiar tune filled the room, everyone began to laugh. Damien looked up as though he could hear them, and with a grin, he said, “You may not know all the words, but I bet all of you know the chorus. I’m hoping you’ll join in. If you don’t, you know my mom will make you.” And then they broke into The Beatles’s “When I’m Sixty-Four.”
Everybody loved it, but nobody more so than Howard. He clapped and laughed and sang along with the rest of them. And when it was over, Betsy said, “Now that you’re all warmed up, I hope you’ll keep on singing.” And in walked five of the six Davenport kids, holding a huge cake flaming with sixty-four candles.
Howard took a massive breath and managed to blow out most of them. He took a second breath to get the rest, and then somebody called, “Speech!”
Howard Davenport didn’t need to be asked twice. He stood and gazed at them all for a moment. “I look around me and wonder how I got to be sixty-four years old with so much to be thankful for. The road was never what I imagined it would be, but it was always right.” He glanced at his wife. “I’ve been a lucky man—luckier than most, I know. I grew up in a good family, and my five brothers are still my closest friends. But the biggest stroke of luck was meeting Betsy. She was a young professor at Stanford. I was called in to build her some bookshelves. I’ll never forget the sight of her, so young and so brilliant. And let’s not kid ourselves—she was extremely easy on the eyes.” There was a smattering of laughter, even some applause. He grinned at her. “Still is.”
Betsy shook her head modestly.
Howie continued, “I’d always loved Carmel-by-the-Sea, but I wasn’t sure Betsy would ever want to do more than make weekend trips here, given that her career was two hours away at Stanford. But once we started having children, she wanted to raise them here, and even though I’ve always felt she sacrificed her own career, we’ve been so happy. We’ve been blessed with six amazing, talented, beautiful children. But what I’m most proud of is that they’re all fine people too. When I think about gifts, I look at you, my family, and I know you’re the greatest gift of all.” His voice caught on the last line, and Tessa felt her own eyes fill as he poured his love and genuine emotion into every word.
Betsy was the first to reach him, throwing her arms around him and saying, loud enough that even Tessa could hear her, “I never gave up anything. This was my choice, and I’d make it again and again.”
Then all the kids came up, and Howard grabbed each of them in a bear hug. Tessa couldn’t hear his words, but she was pretty sure he was saying I love you to every one of his children.
Not long afterward, the party started to break up. Conscious that Margaret was still recovering from her injury, Tessa gathered her employer’s coat and the beaded handbag, not giving her much chance to argue. The silver-haired man who’d been sitting beside her helped her into one sleeve of the coat, then carefully settled the other side over her shoulder.
“That’ll do, Carl—I’m not an invalid,” Margaret snapped, but there was affection there too.
As they left, Tessa thought she’d never enjoyed a birthday party more. She’d arrived feeling like a stranger and left feeling like they had accepted her into their group of friends. As Howie had said, it was a gift.
It seemed Archer was leaving the party at the same time. Tessa found herself standing very close to him as he hugged his mother good-bye and then his father. “I’ll call you from the set,” he promised.
“Good luck, son,” Howie said.
Mila, who was walking by, stopped. “Dad, don’t you know it’s bad luck to wish an actor good luck?”
“That’s right, I always forget,” he said with a light smack to his forehead. “Son, you go out there and break a leg.”
As the three of them walked down the path, Archer offered his arm to Margaret, who seemed thrilled to be escorted by a movie star, even if they had been friends for years. Then he offered his other arm to Tessa. It would have seemed rude not to take it, so she tucked her hand into his elbow, enjoying his warmth and the strength in his arm.
Buster the shaggy dog decided to tag along with them, so it was quite the entourage.
Archer led them to the car and helped Margaret inside. Then he opened Tessa’s door for her. When was the last time a man had opened a car door for her? It must have been years.
He looked at her with such sudden intensity that she felt a quiver of longing shudder through her. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Great meeting you. I hope to see you again next time I’m in town.”
“I’d like that,” she managed.
As she got into the car and he shut the door, the twelve-year-old deep inside thought she might never wash that cheek again.