I’ve tried to pry it out of Rachael all week but she’s been mum.”
“That’s because Luke did all the planning himself.”
“Well, not really.”
“Really. Luke deserves all the credit.”
Luke looked up in his rear-view mirror and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t really do anything. And I had help.”
“From a girl,” Rachael teased.
“Oh? Have I met her?” his mother asked.
Normally he’d snip at his sister for calling him out, but the little ray of light in her eyes made him smile. The old Rachael was coming back.
“She’s been after him for a while. He was afraid to ask her out the first time and asked—”
“Hey!” Luke barked, which only made Rachael laugh louder. It was good to hear her laughter, even if it was at his own expense. “I don’t know who you’re getting your information from.”
“Lucy.”
“Oh, there’s a reliable source.”
Doreen and Keith took in Lucy right around the time Rachael took off for California with her asshole boyfriend. None of his siblings had been around much to make Lucy feel like a part of his family. Other than Keith’s funeral and a few holidays, Rachael hadn’t come home very often. And from the little he’d seen of Lucy and Rachael together the past week, they didn’t seem to argue, and didn’t dislike each other, but they were complete opposites. Maybe this party would help them form a bond.
“We’re almost there.” Luke turned on his blinker and steered his truck down route one.
“The ocean? It looks like we’re heading toward Seal Cove. I thought this place was mostly closed in the winter. The summer folks aren’t here and those that live year-round are even wealthier than the tourists.”
“I have connections.”
“And her name is…?”
“Zip it, kid.”
Luke pulled into the reserved parking space, the lot already overflowing, and rounded the hood to help his mom out of the truck. “Luke. What have you done?”
“Just a little party, Ma.” He kissed her cheek, hooking her arm in his. Rachael took her other arm as they escorted her to the front door. Rachael opened it and they stepped into the beautiful dining room filled with dozens upon dozens of people whose lives Doreen had touched over the years.
“Surprise!” They cheered. For the next twenty minutes people came out of the woodwork to congratulate Doreen. Luke stood back and took in the room. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths, each decorated with a low-laying vase holding an assortment of flowers. Luke didn’t know the names of flowers, but recognized some as lilies and roses and then a bunch of other yellow and purple ones. His mother’s two favorite colors. Did he tell Sage that?
Little white votive candles surrounded the arrangements and a faint glow from wall sconces lit the rest of the space. Not too bright, but not so dark that you had to squint to see someone across the room. Soft music played in the background. Again, the perfect balance of noise, and not too overwhelming.
The buffet stations in the four corners of the room were calling his name. Starved, Luke made himself a mashed potato martini. He laughed when Sage suggested it last week, but when he made his concoction of potatoes, bacon, cheese, scallions, and sour cream and took a bite, he was in heaven. The best damned potatoes ever.
“You hungry?”
Rachael shook her head. “I’m going to sit in the kitchen for a bit.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“No. You enjoy. I’m okay, really.” She kissed his cheek before going through the doors to her safe haven.
Walking around the inn while eating his potatoes, Luke tried to not make it too obvious that he was looking for Sage, but he was.
She put this whole event together and she hadn’t even shown up. He’d been through the main dining room, the smaller closed-in porch, and even stuck his head in the kitchen, partially to check on Rachael, and partially to look for Sage. They never discussed her coming to the
“That’s because Luke did all the planning himself.”
“Well, not really.”
“Really. Luke deserves all the credit.”
Luke looked up in his rear-view mirror and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t really do anything. And I had help.”
“From a girl,” Rachael teased.
“Oh? Have I met her?” his mother asked.
Normally he’d snip at his sister for calling him out, but the little ray of light in her eyes made him smile. The old Rachael was coming back.
“She’s been after him for a while. He was afraid to ask her out the first time and asked—”
“Hey!” Luke barked, which only made Rachael laugh louder. It was good to hear her laughter, even if it was at his own expense. “I don’t know who you’re getting your information from.”
“Lucy.”
“Oh, there’s a reliable source.”
Doreen and Keith took in Lucy right around the time Rachael took off for California with her asshole boyfriend. None of his siblings had been around much to make Lucy feel like a part of his family. Other than Keith’s funeral and a few holidays, Rachael hadn’t come home very often. And from the little he’d seen of Lucy and Rachael together the past week, they didn’t seem to argue, and didn’t dislike each other, but they were complete opposites. Maybe this party would help them form a bond.
“We’re almost there.” Luke turned on his blinker and steered his truck down route one.
“The ocean? It looks like we’re heading toward Seal Cove. I thought this place was mostly closed in the winter. The summer folks aren’t here and those that live year-round are even wealthier than the tourists.”
“I have connections.”
“And her name is…?”
“Zip it, kid.”
Luke pulled into the reserved parking space, the lot already overflowing, and rounded the hood to help his mom out of the truck. “Luke. What have you done?”
“Just a little party, Ma.” He kissed her cheek, hooking her arm in his. Rachael took her other arm as they escorted her to the front door. Rachael opened it and they stepped into the beautiful dining room filled with dozens upon dozens of people whose lives Doreen had touched over the years.
“Surprise!” They cheered. For the next twenty minutes people came out of the woodwork to congratulate Doreen. Luke stood back and took in the room. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths, each decorated with a low-laying vase holding an assortment of flowers. Luke didn’t know the names of flowers, but recognized some as lilies and roses and then a bunch of other yellow and purple ones. His mother’s two favorite colors. Did he tell Sage that?
Little white votive candles surrounded the arrangements and a faint glow from wall sconces lit the rest of the space. Not too bright, but not so dark that you had to squint to see someone across the room. Soft music played in the background. Again, the perfect balance of noise, and not too overwhelming.
The buffet stations in the four corners of the room were calling his name. Starved, Luke made himself a mashed potato martini. He laughed when Sage suggested it last week, but when he made his concoction of potatoes, bacon, cheese, scallions, and sour cream and took a bite, he was in heaven. The best damned potatoes ever.
“You hungry?”
Rachael shook her head. “I’m going to sit in the kitchen for a bit.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“No. You enjoy. I’m okay, really.” She kissed his cheek before going through the doors to her safe haven.
Walking around the inn while eating his potatoes, Luke tried to not make it too obvious that he was looking for Sage, but he was.
She put this whole event together and she hadn’t even shown up. He’d been through the main dining room, the smaller closed-in porch, and even stuck his head in the kitchen, partially to check on Rachael, and partially to look for Sage. They never discussed her coming to the
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