“Hello? Earth to Andie…”
Maxi waved a chocolate cruller in front of her face, snapping her out of the daze she’d fallen into.
“Sorry, I was daydreaming.”
“Oh? About Shane?” Claire teased, her eyes bright over the rim of her coffee cup, and Andie snorted.
She was one to talk. How many times had Andie caught her glancing over at Bradford Breads to sneak a peek at Rob during their morning coffee rituals at Sandcastles?
“Actually, I was thinking about how great it is to be back in Lobster Bay for good.”
Had it really been just a little less than a month ago when she’d sat at this very table, feeling like her move to Lobster Bay was a huge mistake?
Andie shook her head in wonder. How quickly everything had changed. Within a matter of weeks, she had gained a new passion for helping people—one that involved her love of antiques.
She’d made new friends, reconnected with family, and…
And she had Shane.
“Lobster Bay includes Shane,” Maxi pointed out as if she’d read Andie’s mind, but Andie knew she was still just teasing her. She and Claire had been trying to get her to talk about what was going on between her and Shane, but so far, Andie had kept mum.
Everything felt too new. Fragile even. Andie didn’t want to jinx herself by talking about it when the bright and shiny packaging on her second chance at love had barely been stripped back, so she simply smiled. Yes, she knew her silence was driving her friends crazy, but she also knew she would fill them in soon enough.
“I saw Emily’s ad in one of the hotel magazines. It looks good,” Jane said, changing the subject, and Andie mouthed a silent “thank you” to her sister for having finally taken pity on her.
Aloud, she said, “Thanks again for your help with that. Things are starting to fall into place, just like we’d hoped they would. Emily has her first bookings already.”
Andie turned to Claire. “We put flyers in the units for Sandcastles, and Bradford Breads too.”
“Thanks,” Claire mumbled around a bite of raspberry danish. “Really appreciate you guys doing that for us, but you didn’t have to.”
Maxi cut off a tiny piece of blueberry muffin and popped it in her mouth. “James said the inspection of the progress on the exterior went well.”
“It did. Sally and Shane know what they are doing, so the colors and details were exactly what the bank wanted.”
“So you enjoyed helping Emily?” Claire asked. “I saw some of the items from her estate in your shop. Nice stuff, but is it really worth all that work you did?”
Andie took a sip of her coffee, weighing Claire’s question and her thoughts on it. She was obviously never going to get rich helping people like Emily. Not monetarily, anyway. But she had acquired some prime pieces from the estate, and that would elevate the status of her shop. Besides, Andie had enough to live comfortably on, and that was all she wanted. And that was the answer she gave Claire.
“It was worth it on several fronts. Plus, I liked helping, and as Mary at Curlz once told me, if your work is also your passion, it really makes your whole life worthwhile.”
Jane, Maxi, and Claire nodded in unison. They all knew from experience this was true.
“How is Mary?” Jane asked, changing the subject once again.
“Fully recovered and ready to open the shop,” Andie said. “The doctor wants her to wait a bit longer, but you know Mary. She’s raring to go. Luckily, her daughter, Carolyn, is staying with her and seems able to keep Mary in line.” Mary and Carolyn had been inseparable since they’d reconciled.
“What about your apartment?” Maxi raised her brows in question. “Have you thought about my suggestions?”
“I’m going to start on it now, and yes. I’ve been so busy with the Thompson house, I completely neglected my own place,” Andie admitted. “But now that I’ll be home more, I need furniture!”
Jane reached out and touched her hand. “I’m glad to hear you utter the word ‘home,’ Andie, because I believe it means you’re staying, yeah?”
Andie nodded. “I am. I’ve got a list of people who want me to look at their estates. None are as big as the Thompsons’, of course, but these ladies need help.”
Since word had spread that she’d been helping Emily with her family home, Andie had been approached by several of the grown children of the residents at Tall Pines. Not everyone had an old house loaded to the brim with generations of antiques, but there was a need for someone to help fairly disperse the family belongings. And Andie would help them, no matter how small the job. Helping made her feel good.
“They sure do, after Damien Carruthers tried to rip them all off,” Claire said. “I’m glad people will have someone they can trust now.”
Claire’s words warmed Andie’s heart.
Maxi nodded her agreement and settled back in her chair. “I heard Damien is moving out of town.”
“Good riddance,” Jane said, her tone utterly dismissive. Then she pointed to the last cinnamon bun on the tray of pastries. “Anyone want to split that?”
Andie smiled, sinking back in her chair as her sister and friends continued to chat about Lobster Bay news, thinking how right it felt to sit here with them.
There was none of the worry from weeks ago about whether she was doing the right thing or if she was missing out on something more important or more fun. No, this was her place. Her home. She’d done her roaming, but now she was back, and strangely enough, Andie didn’t think she’d want to leave here ever again.
Lobster Bay was where her family, her friends, and the love of her life were anchored, and now, so was she. Finally, she thought, she was exactly where she belonged.