“You have to let it play out,” Emma told her. “If it’s meant to be, they’ll find a way to make it work.”
“If it makes you feel better, he’s stopped into the shop a few times, and yesterday he took Grace to lunch. It was just a trip across the street to Ray’s for a pizza, but it was sweet the way they walk together. Not touching but bumping shoulders every once in a while.”
“Liddy, did you video them as they left the shop?” Maggie asked.
“God knows I was tempted, but I had a customer.”
“Next time excuse yourself and run outside with your camera.” Maggie shook her head. “Really, Liddy. I expect better of you.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Liddy rolled her eyes.
“Of course, maybe they were just talking about the house and her plans,” Maggie suggested.
“Um, no, this did not look like a business conversation.”
“Well, that makes me feel a little better,” Maggie said. “But video would have been nice.”
Liddy picked up her glass and found it empty. A glance at the pitcher confirmed they’d finished it off.
“I’ll be right back.” Liddy went inside and whipped up a second pitcher of margaritas. When she came back outside, she said, “So, guys, I’ve been thinking.”
“About?” Maggie tucked her legs under her.
“Thanksgiving.”
“Thanksgiving is a month away,” Emma pointed out.
“Always a big holiday in our family. It was one of Art’s favorites,” Maggie said. “This will be my first Thanksgiving in Wyndham Beach since I was a girl.”
“Maggie, I know you and your family do a big Thanksgiving every year, and seriously, no one does a holiday better than you. But this year, I’d like to host Thanksgiving dinner for all of us. Your family and Tuck and his family and Emma and Chris. Oh, and of course Dylan.”
Emma smiled. “You’re such a good soul, Liddy. Taking him in, giving him not only a home but a job.”
“It’s nice to have someone in the house to talk to at night, someone to watch TV with. And he’s no trouble at all. He’s the best helper. He’s raked the leaves in the backyard and helped me clean up the flower beds. He even ran the vacuum cleaner one night while I was making dinner. And he’s only been with me for a week, but so far, so good. He’s working out so well in the shop, and he’s keeping his grades up. Straight As, in spite of everything he’s gone through. I admit I hadn’t quite thought it through when I offered him a room, but it’s turned out better than I ever could have expected.”
“I love when things work out like that,” Emma said. “Let’s drink a toast to Liddy and her big heart.”
Liddy topped off everyone’s drink for a toast.
“To Liddy’s big heart.” Maggie raised her glass.
“I discussed it with Jessie, and she gave me a big thumbs-up, so we’ll drink to Jess, too,” Liddy said, and they did.
A moment later, Maggie said, “Liddy, about Thanksgiving. I already invited Joe and the kids.”
“I figured you would have, but they’re included in the invitation. I have so much to be thankful for, and I can’t think of a better way to express how grateful I am to you for being my friends through these past few years.”
Liddy could tell Maggie was torn between her quiet, elegant holiday dinner with her family and a big dinner that would inevitably be loud and chaotic, as dinners tended to be when more than two small children were involved.
“It’s fine with me,” Emma spoke up. “I love the idea. I can’t remember the last time I cooked a turkey.”
“Me either. Which is why we’ll leave that job to Maggie.” Liddy reached out and took Maggie’s hand. “Please? This one time?”
“Of course. I think it’s a great idea.”
“Thank you. You do realize any big dinner at my house means you both are going to be doing some of the cooking, because I can’t remember ever feeding this many people unless I called a caterer.”
“No catering. We’ve got this.”
Liddy went inside for a notepad and pen. “Let’s figure out our menu, and then we’ll divvy up the list, who’s doing what.”
“This will be so much fun!” Emma was visibly excited.
“We need rules,” Liddy said. “No green bean casserole. No brussels sprouts.”
“I love brussels sprouts,” Maggie protested.
“Fine. We can have brussels sprouts.” Liddy added it to her list. “But the green beans are not negotiable.”
Chapter Eighteen
Liddy stood in the close, dusty attic, which still held the scent and the tail end of summer’s heat, and knew it was fruitless to even try to remember which of the many boxes held her grandmother’s wedding china. It had been packed away after her sister, Ruth, died and Jim had relegated it to the third floor because he had insisted his grandmother’s china took precedence over anyone else’s. Liddy was grateful when Ruth had bequeathed the lovely service for twelve to her. They’d squabbled over it from the time they were kids, both having coveted it, but Ruth had been born four years before Liddy, and their mother believed that to the elder went the spoils.
When Liddy had decided to host Thanksgiving for all the people she loved best in this year of changes and new beginnings, she’d thought back on last year’s holiday and how drop-dead gorgeous Maggie’s table had looked. There’d been the beautiful deep-plum tablecloth and the colorful centerpiece, the china and the crystal, and the gold napkins. Any Instagram influencer would have been proud to photograph the flawless decor. Liddy had never gone all out like that, had never tried her hand at anything she felt could stand up to Maggie’s magic touch, but she was going to put together a table, an ambience that would make her guests feel special and would reflect Liddy’s unique style.
She moved and poked in boxes until she was a liquid pile of sweat, but eventually she found the cartons containing the china she wanted, so she pushed them closer to the stairs while she poked around a little more. She was delighted to find a box of crystal wineglasses she’d forgotten about, several lace tablecloths—sizes unknown but she’d give them a try—and a wicker cornucopia, which she thought she could use as a centerpiece filled with fresh fruit and maybe a few pumpkins. She was grateful Dylan was on hand to carry everything to the first floor, and by the time all the boxes were in the kitchen, she wanted to walk into the shower fully dressed. She did manage to disrobe first, and after drying her hair, she felt like a new person. A glance in the bathroom mirror reminded her she was, in fact, a new person. The pounds of hair she’d shed were not missed. In their absence, a prettier Liddy had emerged. The shoulder-length cut was more flattering than she’d anticipated, and she found the new look more sophisticated, more suited to her life as a business owner and woman-about-town.
Tuck’s face when he saw her had said more than any words. His eyes had grown wide, and he’d blinked. Then he’d grinned. Then he’d kissed her. He was one of the few people in Wyndham Beach who hadn’t asked her if she “missed all that hair.” He’d called her a knockout, which he’d followed with, “But you’ve always knocked me out.”