“But you have Jock and all of your uncle’s contacts and friends in the industry. Surely they can help guide you.”
“From what Jock says, there are a lot of politics involved with the business. He never wanted the theater to be used by only one group. My uncle was an eccentric man who loved laughter and did what made him happy, which was allowing performers to use the amphitheater. He orchestrated luncheons, schedules, and negotiated contracts and such right up until the end. How can I fill his shoes without screwing them up? Not to mention that I have a whole life back in Peaceful Harbor—”
“Maryland?”
Tegan nodded. “You’ve heard of it? It’s about as big as my fist.”
“I just joined a book club here. It’s mostly online, but there are members from all over. At the last meeting two members Skyped in from Peaceful Harbor. Dixie and Izzy, but I can’t remember their last names.”
“I’m in that book club! My friend Isla hooked me up.”
“No way! This is crazy. Is that Isla Redmond? Because my brother Brock just got engaged to Cree Redmond, who is also from Peaceful Harbor, and her sister—”
“Is Isla!”
They both laughed.
“This is so funny. I know Dixie and Izzy really well,” Tegan said. “I’ve only used the online forums for the book club, though.”
“Well, if you end up staying here, then you can come to a meeting with me.”
“That sounds fun. By the way, did you read the last book, Turn Away, by L. A. Ward?”
“Mm-hm.” They talked about the book club, and Harper was glad it lightened the mood. “Small world, huh?”
“I’ll say.”
“You know, I recently had an upheaval in my life, and a friend showed me that sometimes all you really need to figure something out is the right person or people by your side to help. If Harvey left you this property and you decide to make a go of it, my sister, Jana, performed in local theaters for years. I don’t know much about the technical side of running something like this, but I write scripts, and I have contacts all over the area because we grew up here. We’d be happy to help you find your way. Jana’s really nice, and she runs her own dance company, so she’s got good business sense.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“No, not at all. Actually, I think it would be fun.”
“I don’t even know how to pay you for something like that.”
Harper thought about Gavin, Jana, and all their friends and how being around people she trusted made everything seem possible.
“You don’t have to pay us. Your uncle went through so much with Adele, and he stayed here to be closer to where their life together took place. He was a very special man, and he told me he hoped you’d take over. Nobody should have to go through trying times without friends by their side. Consider our help paying it forward, helping to keep the laughter alive.”
“Gosh, I don’t know what to say. I’m a big pay-it-forward person. I know it sounds silly, but just hearing you say that makes me breathe a little easier.”
“It’s not silly. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders right now. If you need anything while you’re here, I’m happy to help.”
Tegan looked up at the sky with fresh tears in her eyes and said, “Why do I feel like we were supposed to meet?” She wiped her eyes, smiling at Harper despite her tears. “I think this is Uncle Harvey’s doing. This is just the type of thing he’d orchestrate, plopping a friend down beside me.”
“Well, he did have a sense of humor.”
“Oh boy, did he ever.” Tegan went on to talk about her uncle’s shenanigans, of which there were many. “I spent a lot of time here when I was growing up, and one of his favorite things to do was to show up for dinner wearing a funny mask or dressed like a character from a show. But he’d act like nothing was out of the ordinary. He was always doing things like that. One summer I fell and needed stitches. When we got to the hospital, the doctor came in wearing a mask with a cat’s mouth and nose drawn on it and a hat that had cat ears. My uncle had brought them with him to the hospital just to make me laugh while I got my stitches.”
Tears tumbled down Tegan’s cheeks. “I miss him so much already. He’s only been gone for a day, and I keep expecting to see him.”
Harper embraced her. “That means you loved him as much as he loved you.”
Harper didn’t know if they sat on the porch hugging for five minutes or twenty, but after, they talked for nearly two hours. They exchanged phone numbers, and by the time Harper got ready to leave, she really had made a new friend.
“How long will you be in town?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Tegan said. “Some of it will depend on what happens with the estate. But at least through August, until the last performance takes place. There are a lot of decisions to be made between now and then. You’ll let me know when the article will run?”
“Of course. Do you want me to add information about his passing? Not anything like an obituary, but I could title the article something like Saying Goodbye to a Fine Man and mention his passing and how much he’ll be missed?”
Tegan’s eyes teared up again. “That would be really nice.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know when I finish those changes so you can read them before they’re published. Will you please let me know when the funeral will be? I’d like to attend.”
“There won’t be one. Uncle Harvey didn’t believe in funerals. He wants to be cremated and his ashes to be spread in the gardens, with Adele’s.”
That didn’t surprise Harper. He was going to be with the woman he loved. When she looked at it that way, she wasn’t quite so sad.
“Thank you for spending your afternoon talking to me, for making me laugh, and for writing such a nice article,” Tegan said. “You know, my uncle always said love, laughter, and friendship are the only universal languages with the power to heal even the most broken of hearts. I’m sure he’s with Adele, smiling down on us right now.”
“Probably with a funny mask on,” Harper said as she stood to leave. “Please give Jock my condolences.”
“I will. I’d invite you in to say it yourself, but he’d be mortified if anyone saw him this upset. I’m sure he’ll be in touch with you.”
They embraced again, and Harper said, “I’m sorry we met under these circumstances, but I am glad we did.”
As Harper drove away, she called Gavin and Jana to give them the sad news about Harvey and to tell Jana that she’d offered her up to help Tegan.
When she got to Gavin’s house, she went down to the dock with a copy of the article, a notepad, and a pen to work on the necessary modifications. As she tried to find her voice, sadness rested heavily on her shoulders. She gazed out at the water and Harvey’s voice came back to her.
Everyone’s worried about making their mark or what the big guys in positions of power are doing. What happened to the days when kids were the focus? When laughter was more important than the daily news? That’s what the world needs more of. She’d hardly laughed at all the entire time she’d been in LA. There had been a few moments of levity, but not true, belly-hurting laughter like she had here with Gavin and their friends. She was a million times happier here than she had been in LA. Just thinking about going back made her feel queasy. She thought of the note Gavin had left on her front porch. Remember, you achieved greatness before you even went to LA. Your family knows how special you are. Gavin had not only shown her the way back to who she’d once been, but he’d reminded her that her self-worth had nothing to do with her career. And then he’d encouraged her to do whatever she needed to achieve her goals. She was starting to realize her goals were changing, too.