Missy tsked for the tenth time in the last five minutes. I studied her, trying to gauge what I was doing wrong. She had me making wreaths to decorate the lampposts in the center of town, and I seemed to be messing up the wired ribbon that I was wrapping around the metal wreath frames.
What had started out as something to take my mind off of Spencer abandoning me was now stressing me out. I hated to disappoint, but that was all I was currently doing. I’d texted her after my run-in with Abigail, and she’d said she was working with the festival committee at the community center just a few blocks down.
I’d welcomed the distraction earlier, but now, I was regretting my decision. I offered her a weak smile, but she just pinched her lips and narrowed her eyes. I focused back on the wreath as I attempted once more to make large spirals to twist-tie to the frame.
All I ended up doing was smashing the curls.
“Is there something else I can help with?” I asked as I set the ribbon and frame down on the table. “I just don’t think I’m a wreath-making person.” I gave her a small shrug and an apologetic smile.
Missy placed her hand on her hip as she studied me. “I think you’re right, honey.” Then she lifted my pathetic attempt. “Bless your heart. At least you tried.”
The other women at the table all muttered in agreement. I gave them a guilty smile, feeling ridiculous for thinking I could do this. That I could actually be of help.
Read a mystery and discover plot holes? I had that in the bag. But using my hands to create something that was fluffy and beautiful? Apparently, that was a skill I lacked.
“Why don’t you stuff goodie bags with Charlotte?” Missy suggested as she nodded toward the older woman who was sitting in the back of the community center, surrounded by tulle and bowls of candy.
I nodded. That sounded more in my wheelhouse. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great.” I headed over to the table and collapsed on the chair opposite the woman.
She jumped and glanced up at me. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Did Lord Missy banish you too?” Charlotte asked as she reached forward and grabbed a handful of candy.
I laughed. “My production wasn’t up to her standards,” I said as I glanced around, wondering where to even start. Compared to Missy, Charlotte was sloppier. But I kind of liked it. She felt more real.
Charlotte snorted. “No one lives up to her standards.”
I leaned forward. “What did you do?”
Charlotte glanced up. Her eyes were dark green and inviting. “The real truth?”
I nodded.
Charlotte sighed as she reached forward and removed a square of tulle from the stack next to her. She laid it in front of me and then waved toward the candy. “Missy and I go back a long ways.” Then she pointed toward her white hair pulled back into a bun. “A long, long way.”
I smiled as I started setting pieces of candy into the center of the square. “So, what did you do?”
“Me, child?” Charlotte asked in a voice that said she was taken back by what I’d insinuated. “I did nothing.” She jutted her thumb in Missy’s direction. “It was that woman. She’s the one who said I stole Branson Cliff from her.”
“Branson Cliff?”
“Branson Cliff.” She patted her heart with her hand. “If you’d seen the man, you would have fallen in love with him as well.”
I could only imagine. “So, you stole him?”
Charlotte snorted. “He asked me to the homecoming dance. I stole no one.”
I busied myself with tying ribbon around the tulle that was now full of candy. “So, what happened?” I asked as I set the goodie bag in the growing pile next to her and picked up another square of tulle.
Charlotte smiled as she continued filling her bag. “Well, we went” —she leaned forward and lowered her voice— “we kissed.”
I parted my lips into an o, raising my eyebrows.
“We dated. Then he went to college, and I stayed home.” She sighed. “He found some girl at school, so we broke up.” She glanced off to the side like she was trying to remember something. “I think he died a few years back.”
That wasn’t the ending I’d expected. “Oh. I’m sorry.”
Charlotte shrugged. “It’s okay. That’s what happens when you get old, honey.” She set her bag on the stack and started over.
“That seems a little petty to still be angry with you over that.” There had to be more to this story than what she was telling me.
Charlotte shrugged. “Don’t be fooled by Missy’s friendly demeanor. She can turn on you so fast.” She raised her arthritic hand and managed a snap. Even though she was most likely thirty years my senior, I was enjoying her immensely. I only wished that I held that same level of spunk when I was her age.
“So, there’s more?” I asked.
Charlotte nodded. “I run the Harmony Island Inn on the other side of the island. Ever since I opened, she’s waged war on me. Apparently, there can be only one place for people to stay in Harmony.”
Missy’s anger made more sense. There was nothing that would stir the pot more than competition. I saw it all the time in the publishing world. Wars that were waged because a publisher had to have the book.
It was a sad and brutal part of living in a world with other people.
Charlotte sighed, bringing my attention back to her. “And so here I sit. My lot in life is getting all of the crap jobs from Missy.” She shrugged. “You know what?”
I shook my head.
“I’m going to do each job to the best of my ability.” She shoved her thumb in Missy’s direction once more. “I’m not going to let her have the satisfaction of besting me.” Then she leaned forward. “Especially when my inn is better than her B&B.”
All I could do was smile. I’d never seen the Harmony Island Inn, therefore, I couldn’t weigh in. But if it was anything like Charlotte, I was certain I would enjoy it.
She glanced up at me. “You’ll have to come visit me sometime, you know, while you’re here.” She stopped like she was thinking. “Tomorrow would be good. Gareth is making wild rice soup, and it’s to die for.” Her gaze was back on me, and I could tell she wanted an answer.
I wasn’t sure what Spencer had planned for tomorrow, but I was fairly certain it didn’t involve me. Still, I needed to keep it open, so I shrugged. “Possibly. I’ll have to ask the person I’m here with if he’s free.”
Charlotte nodded. “Of course.” Then she leaned back. “Just stop by any day that works. If you have some free time.”
“I will.”
We made small chat for the next hour before Missy declared our work done and excused us for lunch. Charlotte stood and moved slowly to the door, where a tall man greeted her. I wondered if that was Gareth and made a mental note to ask her when I saw her next.
I wasn’t really interested in eating with Missy, so I pulled my phone from pocket only to feel disappointment wash over me. There was still no contact from Spencer. No text or call.
Besides a few junk emails and a heart emoji from Maggie, my phone was empty.
I sighed, slipping it back into my pocket. Since I wasn’t going to stay here, I might as well find a place to get some food. I nodded to Missy and the other women who’d gathered to eat from the large wicker picnic basket she’d laid out on the table.
I didn’t stop even though Missy looked as if she were going to say something. Instead, I continued through the door and out into the sun. Even though the fact that Spencer hadn’t called still bothered me, I couldn’t help but breathe better out here.
I tipped my face toward the sky and closed my eyes. The warm sun brightened my mood. I was still enjoying myself, even if my heart was breaking over Spencer.
“We meet again.” Abigail’s voice broke the silence.
I straightened and glanced over at her. Her hands were full of groceries, and she was smiling. She looked a little sadder than she had this morning, and I wondered if Spencer had gone to see her. I wanted to ask, but I knew it was none of my business. And I wanted Spencer to tell me out of his own volition, not because I’d poked around in his business.
“How’s it going?” I asked as I eyed her grocery bags.
She lifted them up. “Getting supplies for sandwiches at the store.” Then she narrowed her eyes. “You look like a hungry woman. Wanna join me?”
I knew I should have said no. I should have walked away. This was Spencer’s battle, not mine. But Abigail looked so earnest as she studied me, and the last thing I wanted was to disappoint her.
So, I nodded. “Sure.”
She smiled as she started walking toward the bookstore. I followed alongside her. “Do you want some help?” I asked, nodding toward the bags.
She handed over the bags she held in one hand. “That would be great,” she breathed as I took them from her.
Once we were situated with bags evenly distributed, we continued down the street.
“Are you keeping busy?” she asked.
I nodded. “Missy has me making wreaths—scratch that—she had me making wreaths. Now she has me filling goodie bags because I lacked the necessary skills.”
Abigail broke out in laughter. “That’s Missy for you.”
“I’m learning that.”
Abigail glanced over at me. “So, besides spending time with Missy, what brought you to Harmony Island?”
We paused at a crosswalk to let a car go by. I tried to think of a plausible reason to be here that didn’t involve her father.
“Just visiting. I needed a break from life.” That was a total lie. If anything, I loved my job and the life that I’d started in Magnolia. I just knew that having Abigail and Sabrina in our life would make it that much sweeter. And now that I knew she liked books—especially the ones that I’d helped create—I needed her in my life.
Having them visit Spencer and me would be the icing on the cake.
“Where is home?”
“Magnolia, Rhode Island.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a small island off the mainland.”
“Ah.” Then she paused. “Have you lived there your whole life?”
I shook my head. “I used to live in New York but moved just a few months ago. My daughter runs the inn there.” Abigail glanced over at me. “Long story. It was handed down in my family. Relationship issues caused me to forget it was there. Maggie needed money, so I told her to fix up the inn and sell it. She fell in love with the town and decided to stay.”
Now that I was on a roll, I couldn’t stop. “She got engaged, and I realized how much of her life I’d missed, so I came to help with the wedding. We reconciled. I lost my job in New York. And now I live there and run Magnolia Daily.”
We were at the front doors of the bookstore now. I let out the rest of my breath as Abigail turned to face me.
“That’s a lot.” She set down her bags and felt around in her purse until she emerged with her keys. “It sounds like it would make a fantastic book.”
I laughed. “Yeah, it would.”
She pushed open the door and I followed after her. She led me into the small kitchen behind the cafe counter. I set the groceries down and stepped to the back part of the kitchen while she put the cold items in the fridge and the dry items into the cupboard.
“What kind of sandwich would you like?” she asked as she started putting away the deli meat.
“Whatever is easiest. I’m not picky.”
She glanced down at the bags and then shrugged. “Ham it is.”
“Ham’s perfect,” I said. “Anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head. “Keeping me company is help enough.”
I nodded and found a small stool in the corner. After bringing it closer, I sat down on it. I hated that I was just sitting around. I wanted to help, but Abigail seemed determined to do it on her own. I tried to respect that.
“It’s funny that you told me your story,” she said, drawing my attention over to her. She was focused on the sandwich she was making like it held the answers to all of life’s questions.
“Really?” I’d heard my story referred to as a lot of things, but funny wasn’t one of them.
She nodded. “The fact that you were estranged from your daughter but found a way to make amends.” Her voice grew quiet, and I could tell that she was deep in thought.
From the way she was talking, it sounded like Spencer had been here. Blast that man for shutting me out. Had he kept me in the loop, I wouldn’t be in the dark here.
“Do you have a similar story?” I asked, hoping that I wasn’t being rude by asking.
Abigail glanced over at me. She paused before she nodded. “Something like that.” She sighed. “And I don’t know what to do about it.” Her voice was a whisper now.
I could tell she was hurting, and that broke my heart. I knew what that was like. My relationship with Dorthy had always been strained, and it had definitely continued through to Maggie.
I’d spent my whole life running from relationships and, in turn, hurting those I cared about. If I could impart any of my wisdom, I was going to. I wanted her to live her life without regret.
“I’m happy to listen if you want,” I offered, shrugging my shoulders and offering her a small smile.
She studied me and then returned to slathering the bread with mayonnaise. She was quiet, and I worried that I’d overstepped. That I’d ruined this relationship before it even started.
“My mom died a little over twenty-five years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.”
She glanced up at me. “Yeah. It was hard. I was a little girl, and it was hard being raised by my dad.”
I nodded. Spencer now hadn’t been shy about the fact that he’d struggled to be a dad to his girls after Rosalie died. It was one of his biggest regrets. If only she would listen to him, I knew he would apologize. I knew he would take responsibility for everything that he did.
But from the lack of his presence, he either hadn’t come by, or she hadn’t let him in. Both scenarios made me sad for them.
However, I understood the reasons why either Spencer or Abigail was holding back. They were scared, and time was the only thing to heal those wounds.
“Do you still have a relationship with him?” I asked.
She shook her head. Which meant that Spencer hadn’t come to see her. Then her shake slowly turned to a nod. “We hadn’t talked in ten years,” she whispered, “until he showed up this afternoon.”
He had been here. “He showed up today? What happened?” Was I being too pushy? Would she realize that I knew her dad? I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake by playing dumb.
She nodded. “Yeah. Like, out of the blue. I didn’t think he even knew where we were.” She turned and leaned against the countertop with one arm folded across her chest. “I don’t even know where he’s been hiding out.” She glanced over at me. “Isn’t that strange? Why today of all days?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes, things eat at a person, and suddenly they act.”
She stared off in front of her, and I could see that she was trying to process Spencer’s actions. I wanted to tell her that if she figured out her dad, to let me know, but I decided to keep that to myself. That could be a conversation we had after she knew who I was.
She blinked a few times and then returned to the sandwiches. “I guess. But it was strange. So much so that I didn’t know what to say to him. I just told him to leave.” She sighed. “I don’t even know what to say to Sabrina, my sister. She’s pregnant and it’s high risk. I’m worried she’ll go into premature labor if she finds out.”
“Really?” I hadn’t even thought of that. I knew that Spencer would never want to hurt his daughters.
“Sabrina took it harder when Mom died. Even though I’m the younger sister, I’ve always protected her.”
“I get that.” One of my biggest regrets was that Maggie never had a sibling to talk to. To lean on. I wished I had given her that, but time wasn’t on my side. “You know what, take your time.” I gave Abigail a soft smile. “If he comes back, try to listen to what he has to say. Then take your time to think about what he proposes. Sometimes, we just need to say something. To get if off our chest. I’m sure he’s not expecting everything to be fixed in an afternoon.”
Abigail opened a drawer and pulled out a kitchen knife. After cutting the sandwiches in half and plating them, she handed one over to me. “Chips are in the cupboard behind you.”
I thanked her.
Even though I wanted to talk more about Spencer, Abigail seemed ready to move the conversation in a different direction. I followed her as she led the way into the bookstore and settled down on a chair.
Spencer never came up again. Instead, we chatted about books and shared our favorite passages. By the end, we were laughing and had a stack of books on the table next to us.
I didn’t linger too long after helping Abigail clean up. I knew Missy was expecting me back, and I didn’t want to face her wrath. Just before I slipped out of the bookstore, I wrote a small note telling Abigail that I enjoyed lunch and left a twenty to pay for it.
As I walked back to the community center, I couldn’t help but smile. I was grateful for the time I spent with her. I was getting to know her on a deeper level and possibly helping Spencer get his foot in the door.
Even though there was a part of me that worried what would happen when she found out who I was, I decided to push that out of my mind.
Whatever happened, I would face it.
For today, I’d enjoy what I had. I would live in the present. I’d live for the happiness I felt.
I would worry about everything else tomorrow.