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  “My dear, this year it’s blush, not pale pink.” Steffie adopted an affected accent. “Please. Keep up with the trends.”

  Lis laughed. “I stand corrected. I do love that blush-colored silk top. It would look great on you, Stef.”

  Steffie shook her head. “My boobs are too big to wear something that low cut. Those ankle pants, though. I might stop at Bling this weekend and try those on. They’re perfect.”

  Everyone agreed.

  “Stef, there’s your mom,” Lis pointed out. “She looks stunning. Actually, she’s looked fabulous in every outfit she’s modeled. I want to look like her when I’m in my sixties.”

  “I love that fuchsia dress on her.” Stef beamed as her mother turned and posed. “Maybe I’ll buy it for her birthday. She’d never spend that much money on one outfit for herself and it’s so her. And Vanessa’s giving us a twenty percent discount, so I’m in.”

  Chrissie sat silently for the most part. When she said she really had never been into clothes, she hadn’t been kidding. She’d never been in Vanessa’s shop, but it had the reputation of being pricy. Still, she was surprised to see a few items she liked in spite of herself and might actually wear. A pretty sundress, a few tops, and those ankle pants—she might stop into Bling one day soon and try on a few things.

  Then again, where would she wear such pretty clothes? She really didn’t go anywhere other than the store, the inn, and a few shops in St. Dennis when she ran errands for Ruby or to food shop. Those were the boundaries of her life, and she was okay with that. Small though her world might seem, it was infinitely wider than the one she’d left behind.

  Vanessa had pulled out all the stops at the end of the show, and the dressy outfits on the runway took everyone’s breath away. Dallas modeled a stunning blue silk dress that hugged her beautiful figure and set off the platinum of her hair and the lavender of her eyes.

  “She’d look that good in anything. An old grain sack, muddy boots, and ripped jeans—it doesn’t matter,” Steffie’d said with a sigh. “It was my luck to marry the guy whose sister was one of People magazine’s most beautiful women in the world.” She sighed. “I could hate her if she wasn’t also the nicest person I ever knew.”

  After the show ended, Lucy proposed they move to the inn’s bar for a glass of wine to top off the night. She’d asked the server to push together several tables so they could sit together, and several bottles of wine appeared—on the house, at Grace’s direction before she called it a night. Vanessa joined them after she had the clothes from the show packed up and ready to return to her shop. Her arrival was met with applause and a toast.

  “To Ness, who keeps us well dressed and stylish. May she never forget that friends-and-family discount,” Lucy said.

  Steffie entertained them with the latest antics of her two-year-old twins, Daisy and Ned, who just that morning had decided to make cookies. On the kitchen floor. With an entire bag of flour, a canister full of sugar, an entire carton of eggs, and half a stick of butter. All of which they mixed together with their bare feet.

  “I just stepped out onto the deck to take a call from one of my suppliers. I thought the kids were in the TV room watching cartoons. Came back inside to find two cherubs covered with mooshed-up eggs and butter and flour and sugar sticking to them everywhere.” She took a drink from her wineglass. “ ‘Yook, Mama! Neddie make ’ookies!’ ” She took another sip and with a wide grin added, “Wade said it took him all morning to clean up the mess.”

  “Wait, you left your husband to clean it up himself?” Chrissie asked.

  “He offered. Besides, he wasn’t going anywhere, and I had to open the shop. He’s great about stuff like that, and frankly, I wouldn’t have married him if he wasn’t. This girl has a business to run.”

  That tale was followed by Vanessa’s lamenting that her husband, Grady, a former FBI agent, was thinking about going back to the bureau.

  “I thought that wilderness guide thing he had going for him was doing well,” Lucy said.

  “It’s doing really well. He’s just getting bored. He talks to his brothers and his cousins, all of whom are agents, and he starts thinking he’s missing something.” Vanessa held her glass up to Lucy for a refill. “Once a G-man, always a G-man.”

  “Maybe he’ll get over it,” Lucy said.

  “Maybe.” Vanessa sighed, then brightened. “But someone here has good news.” She looked directly at Sophie.

  Sophie Enright Bowers, who owned Blossoms, the only eatery on River Road, laughed. “Okay, yes, fine. I’ll spill.” She took a deep breath. “Jason and I are having a baby.”

  “Which explains the glass of club soda,” Lis noted. “I was going to ask you about that. Congratulations to you both.”

  “Do you know what you’re having?” Lucy asked.

  “I do, but Jason doesn’t want to know, so I haven’t told him. I just have to be careful not to let it slip.”

  “You can tell us,” Vanessa whispered. “We won’t tell anyone.”

  Sophie laughed. “Uh-uh. Not sharing. It wouldn’t be fair to Jason. But I appreciate the offer of confidentiality.”

  Lucy made a toast to the parents-to-be, and everyone raised their glasses, then took a drink.

  “So I guess you’re going to be cutting back your hours at Blossoms,” Cass said.

  “Eventually. I’ve been having leg pain, which isn’t helped by standing in the kitchen, cooking from before dawn till two in the afternoon.” Sophie rubbed her temples with her fingers. “I love my restaurant, but this is our baby.”

  “What did the doctor say?” Steffie asked.

  “I’m going to see her on Monday.”

  “You have employees, though,” Cass pointed out. “They can take over, right? You still live upstairs from the restaurant, and Jason’s business is right next door.”

  “Joan, our other cook, is leaving in two weeks for Hawaii with her boyfriend. His father owns a pineapple grove and they’re going to work for him so the dad can retire.” It was obvious she was forcing her smile. “I’m not going to worry about it now. I’m going to assume all is going to work out and I’ll have lots of time to find someone to replace Joan.”

  Chrissie felt as if her heart stopped in her chest. She looked up to find both Cass and Lis staring at her, slight smiles on their lips, as if they knew what questions were going through Chrissie’s mind.

  How big was the restaurant? What sort of food did they serve? How many employees? How extensive was their menu?

  It was neither the time nor the place to ask. She’d check out Blossoms for herself, see what it was like, then maybe she’d approach Sophie about applying for a job when Sophie was ready to hire someone. She’d already checked out Captain Walt’s, but she thought it was too heavy on seafood. As much as she liked cooking fish, crabs, and oysters, she did prefer a little more variety in the menu. The same held true at the Blue Claw, a seafood restaurant on the highway. It was to be expected, she knew, since St. Dennis was on the Chesapeake, but still. Variety was important to her.

  The party began to break up, and after saying their good nights, Chrissie, Lis, and Cass walked out together.

  “Chrissie, do you need a ride home?” Cass asked. “Owen’s picking me up. We can drop you off.”

  “I drove, but thanks for the offer,” Chrissie replied as they crossed the lobby.

  “We should have coordinated this better,” Lis said. “I drove, too. And there’s Owen, right on time.”

  “Is that Jared he’s talking to? Damn, it is. I hope they’re not going to start diving again this week. I was hoping to put Owen to work painting the new kitchen.”

  Owen looked up and smiled broadly when he saw his wife, and it was obvious to everyone but Jared that Owen had tuned him out.

  “You ladies done for the night?” he asked, his eyes still on Cass.

  “We are,” Lis replied.

  “Hey, Chrissie.” Owen appeared to have just noticed her. “How’s Gigi this week?”


  “She’s great.” Chrissie hung back a bit, the feeling of belonging she’d sensed just a few minutes ago ebbing. Owen had had that effect on her even when they were kids. She wasn’t sure why, but she always had the feeling that he barely tolerated her, and then only because he had to.

  She turned to Lis. “Are you free for lunch tomorrow around noon?”

  “Sorry. I have an appointment at ten that will probably stretch right on into the afternoon. Thinking about a trip to Blossoms?” Lis asked.

  Chrissie nodded. “It’s okay. I can go by myself. I just thought it would be more fun if someone else was along.”

  “I’d go with you but I’m meeting my dad at one in Baltimore,” Cass told her. “Another day, though—”

  “I’m curious. I’ve heard about it but I’ve never been. I guess I just don’t think to go out River Road,” Chrissie said.

  “It’s a darling café with tons of charm and excellent food. Sophie’s really into the whole locavore thing. I think you’ll love it. Make sure you check out the St. Dennis wall.”

  “The St. Dennis wall?”

  “You’ll know it when you see it.” Lis leaned over and kissed Chrissie on the cheek. “I’m so happy you came with us tonight. I love to see you out and about. As much as we all love Gigi, you need to get a life, girl.”

  “I’m working on that, thanks.”

  The entire group headed outside, except Jared, who’d been quiet until he’d said his good nights and walked across the lobby.

  “Hey, Chrissie, I’m free for lunch tomorrow,” he called to her.

  At the sound of her name, she’d paused and turned as the others passed through the double doors just as Jared stepped into the bar area. Judging by the look on the pretty hostess’s face, he’d focused that megawatt smile on her, and whatever Chrissie’d thought to call back to him died in her throat.

  • • •

  CHRISSIE PULLED INTO the parking lot at Blossoms just before noon. There were already a dozen cars in the lot, and she had to park around the side of the building. She got out of her car and took a long look around. She’d already learned from Ruby that the building had been boarded up and pretty much abandoned when Sophie Enright—she’d been single then—had moved to St. Dennis to work with her brother Jesse in the law firm that had long been a staple in St. Dennis. Their great-great-grandfather had founded the firm in 1890, and there’d been an Enright practicing law in St. Dennis every year since. Though she’d passed the Maryland bar, Sophie’s heart wasn’t in law. Her dream was to own a small restaurant of her own. When this old building out on River Road came up for sale, she’d grabbed it, spent her time and money to renovate it, and molded it into the image she’d carried in her head. She met and fell in love with Jason Bowers, who owned the plant nursery and landscaping operation next door to the restaurant. They married, moved into the apartment on the second floor, and took care of their thriving businesses. Soon, apparently, there’d be something else for them to take care of.

  Chrissie stood for a long moment and took it all in. There were woods that led from the back of the restaurant down to the river. Behind the restaurant was a patio with several tables and a tall fence that overflowed with vines that were still a month or two from flowering. Chrissie didn’t know what kind of vine they were, but she was sure they’d flower, and in her mind’s eye she could see colorful blooms spilling over the fence. The scene was so vivid to her she had to blink, but then it was gone. She walked around to the front of the building, where a bouquet of three flowers, tied with blue ribbon, had been painted on the large square window that faced the road.

  Inside, the restaurant was alive with happy chatter. She was met by a waitress who apparently served as hostess as well.

  “Table for . . . ?” she asked.

  “One,” Chrissie told her.

  “This way.” The waitress wore a name tag on which the name Dana had been written in red ink over a sketch of the same bouquet appearing on the front window.

  Chrissie followed her to a small table with two chairs that sat next to the side window, through which she could see the nursery operation next door.

  “I’m Dana. What can I get you to drink?” The waitress handed her a menu.

  “Unsweetened iced tea, thanks.” Chrissie tried to remain calm even as she wanted to take it all in at one time. She forced a deep breath, then picked up the menu and studied it. It took her mere minutes to know that Sophie was a woman after her own heart.

  If Chrissie were to design her own restaurant and plan her own menu, it would look so very much like this. There were the staples—crab cakes, burgers, quiche, mac and cheese, crab bisque—then a special soup, salad, entrée, and dessert of the day, and everything sounded delicious.

  Dana returned to the table with Chrissie’s iced tea and a bowl that she placed in the middle of the table.

  “Roasted chickpeas,” she told Chrissie. “It’s one of our signatures.”

  “Nice.” Chrissie nodded and popped a few into her mouth. She tasted garlic and sea salt. “Perfect,” she told Dana.

  “Everyone says that.” Dana smiled. “Did you see our specials when you came in? On the board near the door?”

  “No, I missed that.”

  “Our soup today is a creamy fresh green pea with mint, and the salad is watercress with avocado and grapefruit with almonds in a citrus vinaigrette. The quiche of the day is asparagus, spring onions, and goat cheese, and our entrée is a Yukon Gold potato and sausage hash.”

  “Hmmm. Tough choice.” Chrissie frowned.

  “Oh, and you could have a small watercress side salad with any of the entrées, if you like.”

  “I would like, thank you, with the quiche.” Chrissie handed back the menu.

  “And I’d like the Jason burger and an order of potato wedges. Oh, and a cup of oyster stew, if you have any left.” Jared slid smoothly into the chair opposite Chrissie, whose jaw had started to drop. He smiled at her. “I told you I was free for lunch today.”

  “So in other words, your regular. Hi, Jared,” Dana said. “What would you like to drink with that?”

  “Hi, Dana. I’d like a beer, but since I know you don’t serve it, I’ll have a Pepsi.”

  “I’ll get your orders in right away.” Dana went off to the kitchen.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked. He was still smiling.

  “You surprised me.”

  “Why? I said I was free today. I thought you heard me.”

  “You must eat here often,” Chrissie said, “if you have a regular order.”

  “At least once a week. It’s one of my favorite places.”

  “The food must be really good then. I can’t wait to try it.”

  “You know why Sophie named it Blossoms?” he said.

  “No idea.”

  “Years ago, there were three girls in St. Dennis who were the best of friends. Rose, Lily, and Violet. Sophie’s grandmother was Rose. Violet was Rose’s best friend and the secretary at the Enright law firm for about a million years. I hear she still goes in part-time just to make sure the ‘new girl’ isn’t messing up her filing system. The ‘new girl’ is in her fifties and has been there for two years now, they tell me.”

  “So who was Lily?”

  “Lily was . . . I forget the exact relationship, but I do remember that she was related to Ellie O’Connor somehow. Ellie’s married to Cameron O’Connor, the contractor, if you ever need any carpentry work done.”

  “Thanks, but I think Alec has that covered.”

  “Right. Anyway, it’s a really long story, but Ellie inherited the house, and she says Lily’s still there, if you get my drift.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “You mean her ghost?”

  “So I’ve heard. Except Cameron called it her spirit. He plays poker with Owen, and whenever they need an extra guy, they call me. So I heard it straight from the source.”

  “I don’t believe in ghosts.”

  “I’m just t
elling you what the locals say about the place.” Dana brought his Pepsi and Chrissie’s iced tea along with a glass dish holding several kinds of sweeteners. “Just sharing a little local color with you. Now, me, I keep an open mind. I’ve seen too many things I can’t explain to never say never.”

  “So name one thing that you’ve personally seen that you can’t explain.”

  “UFOs,” he said without hesitating.

  “You saw a UFO.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Not UFO. UFOs. Plural.” He picked up a few chickpeas and rolled them around in his hand like dice.

  “Come on.”

  “Hey, you asked. I answered.” He shrugged. “Believe it or not.”

  “Not.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because . . . because there’s no proof. You’d think if they were real, there’d be some sign. Like, how come none of these supposed vehicles from out of space have ever landed somewhere?”

  “What makes you think they haven’t?”

  “Because we’d know.”

  Now he laughed. “You know, you’re quick to scoff, but you haven’t even asked me what I saw with my own eyes.”

  “Okay. What did you see? Or what do you think you saw, I guess, is the better question.”

  “The first time, I was on board one of our salvage ships off the coast of Yucatán. It was just around midnight, and I was doing my last check around the boat when I saw lights directly overhead. Seven lights. I counted them. They hovered over my ship for about five minutes. Then they took off across the sky and vanished.”

  Chrissie stared at him.

  “Anyone else witness this?”

  “Three of my crew saw them.”

  “These lights just sort of hung over your ship.”

  “Well, from time to time, one would drop down closer, then go back up again. Then a minute later, another would do the same thing.”

  “I don’t suppose you have photos.”

  “Of course I do. I sent copies to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon, but I never received an acknowledgment from either.” He tossed the chickpeas into his mouth. “And that wasn’t the only time.”