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“Yes,” Jo said as she handed out the cameras. “Try to snap shots that are unexpected. Ones where you aren’t looking at the camera. Find those moments that will trigger memories years from now when you’re flipping through your photos. Okay?”
Excited chatter erupted as the women gathered their things and headed out for the hunt. The door shut, and Jo spun on her heels, exhaling heavily. “Okay. Whew.”
“They seem like a great group of friends.” Lucy began picking up plates, consolidating uneaten food, and stacking them.
“I don’t have anything negative to say. Even Maddy is talking more.”
“It looked like she was about to cry earlier.” Lucy glanced up.
Jo nodded. “She had a really rough breakup not that long ago.”
Lucy frowned. “Aw, that’s sad. She seems so sweet.”
“She is, and she has a large trust fund. The guy left her at the altar.”
“Oh, that is horrible. He’d only dated her for her trust fund?”
“Yep, and it left her devastated. Serenity tried to set her up with Ruger—Ethan and Jack’s friend, but Maddy wouldn’t come out of her room. They were trying to help, but she’s not ready,” Jo said and began gathering trash.
Lucy shook her head. “I can’t imagine.”
“I thought Craig cheating on me was bad, but to plan my wedding and find out my fiancé only wanted my money and dumped me… it would be horrific.” Jo paused, considered what she’d said, quickly pushing away the part where he’d left Maddy, and added. “I didn’t feel right asking her how he could have gained access to her account. The only positive is that the guy was caught before he could wire any money to his overseas account.”
Lucy mouthed wow.
“Right? Like an episode of Law and Order or something.”
The conversation died, and they worked together to clear the table. In the kitchen, Jo washed dishes while Lucy worked on the chocolate dessert flight. Serenity had asked to be surprised, and when Lucy asked Jo for input, that’s what they’d come up with.
Lucy had settled on white chocolate mousse, a dark chocolate tart with raspberries, a chocolate hazelnut truffle, and homemade chocolate ice cream with candied strawberries with a drizzle orange infused sauce.
Of course, once Jo found out what she was making, she’d made sure Lucy was making enough for her as well because there was no way she was missing out on that.
Jo’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly dried her hands from washing dishes, fished it from her pocket, and a text appeared from her grandma. She grumbled under her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked.
“Grandma has a meeting with Craig tomorrow morning to hear that offer he’s so desperate to tell us about.” She continued to stare at the screen as she scowled. That house wasn’t just a house in Jo’s mind. “I want to tell him to take a hike, but Grandma thinks we should hear him out.”
“Maybe…” Lucy paused. “Maybe hearing him out won’t be a bad thing.”
“You too?” Jo asked as she looked at Lucy. “Jack said the same thing.”
Lucy shrugged. “It’s a big house, Jo, and she’s the only one who lives there. She’s getting older. Maybe selling wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Maybe she could come live with you in New York.”
Jo hadn’t thought about it like that. That opened up a whole new line of possibilities. Grandma, living in New York with her? Jo could show her everything the city had to offer. They could try new foods together. Granted, Jo would be traveling a lot, but she wouldn’t be gone all the time. Maybe she could even travel with Jo. Her grandma could explore whatever city they were in while Jo worked. They could share the apartment easily. Jo had a spare room she could have, especially after she took Jo in as a kid.
All the memories from her childhood would be packed away, too. Wishing Well would be in her past for good. She wouldn’t be confronted with getting out of her mom’s car with her suitcase, watching the dust plume in the air as she drove away, the way her feet felt like lead as she walked up the steps, the hurt in her heart as she knocked on the door, or sitting on the porch weeks later as the hard reality that her mom wasn’t coming back hit her.
All that trauma. All that hurt and anger and agony… boxed up, never to be paraded out again.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Exactly. It won’t hurt anything.” She smiled. “Go into it…”
“Leaving the door cracked?”
A snicker. “Exactly. Leave the door cracked. You never know. Something good might happen.”
