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CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Two weeks later…
“Here’s to new friends.” Claire raised her coffee mug and clinked it with Liz then turned to Jane, Maxi, and Andie and added, “And old ones, too, of course.”
They were seated on the outdoor patio at Sandcastles for one of their last outside morning get-togethers. The weather had turned chilly, and they were all bundled in sweaters. The patio heaters were running to help ward off the cold. The only other people braving the chill this morning were a pair of older women who sat at a table in the corner.
Liz had moved into her family home and started working at Tides right away. No new guests had checked in, but Jane had kept busy teaching Liz the ropes. Jane had invited Liz to their coffee chat and left Brenda in charge—not that there was much to do with no guests in residence.
Jane, Claire, and Maxi had been meeting for years like this. They’d recently added Andie to the mix when she’d moved to town, and now they had Liz. If things kept up this way, Claire was going to have to get bigger tables.
“Did Shelley and Peter get home okay?” Andie asked.
Shelley and Peter had stayed for almost two weeks helping Liz spruce up the house. Jane could tell Liz loved reconnecting with them, but adult siblings could only stay under the same roof for so long, and she sensed that Liz was happy for them to go home.
“They did. Shelly flew out yesterday and Peter the day before.” Liz bent down and petted Cooper. “I’m going to miss them. It’s a little lonely in the house now all by myself.”
“I’m sure Bunny is happy to drop over quite frequently,” Maxi joked.
Liz laughed. “She is a character, but truth be told, the camaraderie in that neighborhood is one of the things that sold me on staying.”
“There’s nothing like having great neighbors,” Jane agreed.
“Bunny really appreciated all those items you gave her,” Liz said to Andie. “But she feels guilty taking them for free. She said she wanted to pay for them.”
Andie waved her hand dismissively. Jane could tell she was embarrassed. Knowing Andie, she’d paid a fair price for the items, but Jane had learned that her sister had a sentimental side. She’d seen her giving items away to people who had a connection to them before.
“I was happy to get those Civil War papers to the rightful owner. I put a lot of work into that. I didn’t pay very much for the whole lot, and I just couldn’t find my way to charging her.”
Liz switched her attention to Cooper again. Maxi watched her thoughtfully as she petted and talked to the dog.
“You know, there are some nice dogs down at the Lobster Bay animal shelter just waiting for a good home,” Maxi said.
Liz glanced up at her. “There’s an animal shelter in town? Where is that?”
“Over next to the real estate office on Main Street.”
Liz stopped petting Cooper and grabbed her coffee mug. “Thanks for letting me know. I might pay them a visit. Now that I have my own place and no one to tell me what to do, there’s nothing stopping me from getting a dog.”
“Speaking of dogs…” Jane nodded toward the door through which Bert and Harry were exiting the bakery and stepping onto the outdoor patio.
Maxi squirmed in her seat and glanced down at the large shopping bag sitting next to her chair. She’d refused to tell anyone what was in it, but now that Jane saw how nervous she was getting at the sight of Bert and Harry, she had a pretty good idea of what was in there.
“Oh look!” Andie leapt out of her chair and rushed to Bert and Harry. Jane leaned to the right to see around Claire, who was blocking her view. Bert and Harry were smiling from ear to ear as they looked down at their new addition, a little dog that looked like a terrier mix.
“You got another dog. That’s wonderful!” Jane rushed over and petted the dog, who basked in the attention. Cooper trotted over, a little more cautiously than Jane and Andie. Everyone stood back and let the two dogs sniff each other. At first, they went slowly, touching their noses then down their bodies. Then the little dog adopted a playful stance, and Cooper wagged his tail. It looked like they would become good friends.
“No one can ever replace Goblin, but little Chloe here has already started to heal our hearts,” Bert said.
Maxi cleared her throat, and everyone looked her way. She stood, the big shopping bag in her hand. As she reached into it, Jane could see the anxiety on her face.
“Maybe this will help you heal even further.” Maxi pulled out a canvas with the most realistic pet painting Jane had ever seen. She half expected the likeness of Goblin to wag its tail or let out one of Goblin’s soft woofs.
Bert and Harry’s expressions morphed from surprise to delight with just a tinge of sorrow. They clearly loved it. Bert reached out for the painting then clutched it to his chest. “Oh, Maxi, it’s perfect. Thank you so much.”
He held it out again so everyone could see. “It looks just like her. Even has that little glint in her eye that she would get before she got into zoomie mode, don’t you think?” Bert asked Harry.
Harry smiled. “It sure does. And look how she captured the coloring and that little white spot above her nose just perfectly.”
