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Jubilee couldn’t think of anything that her girls had ever broken at Shirley’s house, and she had always taken care to make sure that they were spotlessly clean when they visited. And even more so when they lived there.
She wouldn’t have moved in if she had anywhere else to go. But her parents had broken up when she was small, and she’d been raised by an elderly aunt. That aunt had long since died, taking the only family that Jubilee ever really had with her.
That was in the past. It was just hard to believe that all the good things that were happening to her in Strawberry Sands were real. Or that they would continue.
Especially with Eva coming into the picture. She wasn’t sure what to make of that.
She chatted with her girls as they headed to Davis and Kim’s house. She didn’t have to worry about knocking on the door since they were sitting out on their deck, their baby under an umbrella, both of them facing the lake.
“Hello!” Jubilee called, stepping around the house and walking up the steps to the deck.
“Hey!” Kim said, standing up. She walked forward with her hand out. “I’m Kim. And you must be Jubilee. Lana texted me and let me know that you were coming.”
“She’s the sweetest. Always so thoughtful,” Jubilee said, appreciating how Lana had taken her under her wing and was helping her get acclimated to the town.
“Well, we’ve been looking forward to you coming, because she said you were bringing chocolate zucchini bread, which is like chocolate cake, only better.” She glanced at Davis. “That’s my husband, Davis.”
“Good to meet you,” Jubilee said. She turned back to Kim. “These are my girls, Scarlett and Penelope.”
“It’s good to meet you, girls,” Kim said with a smile.
Her girls politely greeted Kim, and she chatted with them just a little.
“Is that your baby?” Penelope finally asked, peering into the little bassinet that sat under an umbrella.
“It sure is. She’s sleeping right now, but I’m sure if your mom brings you back to visit, at some point she’ll be awake and you can hold her if you’d like.”
Penelope, for once at a loss for words, nodded her head eagerly.
Jubilee smiled. Penelope always loved playing with her dolls and babies and pretending to be a mom. Scarlett did too, but Penelope had always been so much more into it than Scarlett.
Still, they both leaned over and looked in awe at the sleeping little one.
“It looks like she’s doing well,” Jubilee said.
“She is. I was a little concerned. After two months in the NICU, I wasn’t sure whether I was up to taking care of her at home with no nurses, but Davis is almost just as good as a nurse.” She grinned over at her husband, who laughed at her.
“I was born to be a nurse, what can I say,” he said easily.
They shared a look that was sweet and tender and made Jubilee smile.
“I’m sure Lana told you that we’re having a bit of a celebration here next Saturday, but just in case you didn’t know, I want to make sure that you know you’re invited.”
“She did mention it,” Jubilee said, remembering that Lana had said something to the effect yesterday while they had been eating. But she talked about a bunch of different things, and it was hard to keep everything straight.
“Next Saturday. Right here. Everybody’s bringing something to eat or drink, and we’re providing silverware and tables and some beach chairs. Just something small to celebrate Kathleen coming home and also the fact that we got married yesterday.”
“My goodness. Congratulations. I’m sure Lana mentioned it, but there were so many different people and names I just couldn’t keep track of everything.”
“Yeah. That’s fine. Hopefully we’ll get to know each other really well this summer. Are you planning on staying?”
“I’d like to. I understand that it’s not always very busy in the off-season, and I don’t know if I’ll have a job.”
“Well, that’s a thought. Blueberry Beach has really grown and is starting to spill over here. So if you can just hang on by your fingernails for a little bit, there might be more.”
“I’m pretty good at hanging on by my fingernails,” Jubilee said with a laugh. That was true. She’d scratched her way into a lot of different places and held on tight. Maybe for longer than she should have. She thought of her marriage and the little hints that she had that her husband either wasn’t faithful or was going to be unfaithful. She probably should have taken those hints, instead of ignoring them. But it was too late now, and there was no point in her beating herself up over it.
They chatted a little more, when the sound of a truck motor interrupted them.
