Chapter 26
“Here’s the tea!”
Vivian stepped into her living room, bearing a tray of steaming mugs of tea. She had a radiant smile on her face, and she was wearing a yellow sweater, which added to the cheerful nature of her appearance.
“Yay, thanks, Mom!” Hazel hopped up from where she was sitting on the couch and came over to her mother. “Which one is mine?”
“This one—the lavender blueberry.” Vivian knew exactly which mugs held which type of tea bag and who they were for. There was a honey chai turmeric for Julia, an earl gray for Cooper, peppermint for Samantha, mango ginger for Alexis, and chamomile for Terrence. Jacob and Grayson had declined her offer of tea, but knew they could help themselves to the pot of decaf coffee that was keeping warm in the kitchen.
“We should have texted Dean and Noelle to see if they wanted any tea,” Hazel said, going to sit back down on the couch. There was a game of Monopoly spread out on the coffee table, and she glanced at it with a competitive expression, checking to see what Jacob had done on his turn.
“Dean’s never been one for tea, but I bet Noelle would like some,” Vivian said, setting the tray down on a small table set at the end of the couch. “I’ll ask her when they get here.”
“Thanks, Grandma!” Samantha scampered up to get her mug of tea. “Ah, I love peppermint. The rest of you people are crazy. Peppermint is the only kind of tea that goes with brownies and ice cream.”
“Sam, don’t be rude!” Hazel gasped, but everyone else was laughing at the pre-teen’s comment.
“She’s got a point,” Terrence said, the corners of his mustache curving upward in a small smile. “Chamomile tea is hardly famous for being a good pairing with a brownie sundae.”
Vivian shook her head, chuckling, as she picked up her own mug from the end of the coffee table. She was still sipping on a cup of decaf coffee that she’d been drinking ever since before dinner. She’d wanted a little bit of caffeine while she was getting ready to serve her family and Terrence. She’d cooked them all chicken fajitas with a side of homemade fries. In the center of the table, she’d had dishes of both the pub’s secret sauce and their garlic aioli. Most people had used the sauces to dip their fries in, but a few people had tried them in their fajitas and proclaimed it to be delicious.
“Well, I think Terrence might be about to discover that chamomile tea is an excellent pairing with brownies and ice cream.” Vivian winked at her friend, and he grinned at her. The two of them had become good pals since the revelation of Alan’s betrayal. She’d been very much enjoying his company, feeling that having someone kind and good-hearted in her corner made her life richer.
“You’re a braver man than I am, Terrence,” Grayson said with a grin. “I think I’ll stick with coffee. Is there still some in the kitchen, Vivian?”
“Yes, there’s a couple of cups left in the pot.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jacob said. “I consumed that brownie sundae with the speed of a gorilla. Now my tastebuds are asking for coffee.”
“Do gorillas eat ice cream fast?” Hazel asked, laughing at her boyfriend.
“Shh,” he said, stroking her head. “Don’t question my metaphor.”
Everyone else laughed and Jacob and Grayson disappeared into the kitchen. Vivian sat down next to Terrence and played her turn in Monopoly. By the time Terrence’s turn was over, Grayson and Jacob came back into the living room, laughing and clearly deep in conversation about something.
“What are you two giggling about?” Alexis asked.
“Guy stuff,” Jacob said in a deep voice, which made Grayson laugh even harder.
The two of them took their seats around the coffee table and the game resumed. After half an hour or so, Grayson said, “Oh, by the way, Vivian, we finished the last of the coffee. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” She smiled at him. “I’ll go make some more. Would anyone else like coffee?”
“Me!” Samantha said.
“No coffee for you, young lady,” Hazel told her. “You finish that peppermint tea.”
“I’d take a refill,” Jacob said.
“So would I,” said Grayson.
“And I’d love a cup,” Hazel said. “That tea made me kind of sleepy.”
“Sounds good.” Vivian smiled, standing up. “I could use a refill myself. I’ll bring out some coffee in a moment here.”
“I’ll come with you,” Terrence offered, standing up with her.
The two of them went into the cozy kitchen together. It still smelled fragrantly of spices from dinner, and Vivian let out a contented sigh as she began to rummage in the cupboard for coffee.
“What kind are you going to make?” Terrence asked her.
“The Maple Leaf decaf,” she said. “I never use coffee now that isn’t one of the kinds you brought me.”
His face lit up at her words. “I’m thrilled to hear that.”
Vivian started to brew the coffee, and Terrence helped her get mugs out of the cupboard. When the coffee was almost finished brewing, he said, “I feel very grateful that you welcomed me into this evening with your loved ones. It’s been such a wonderful time. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in years.”
She beamed at him. “There will always be a spot for you in my house. That’s what friends are for, right?”
A warm, fond look passed across his face, and his voice softened a little as he said, “Yes, I suppose so.”
Their gazes held for a suspended moment, and her heartbeat sped up a little. For a moment, she almost wondered if he might be interested in something more than that with her, but she brushed that thought aside with a slight shake of her head.
After everything that had happened with Alan, she needed a break from even thinking about dating. She needed time to get her feet back under her again, and to learn to trust her intuition once more. But in the meantime, she truly was grateful to have Terrence in her life.
With a quiet smile, she finally looked away. The sputtering of the coffee maker indicated that the brew was ready, so she poured coffee for him and for herself, then lifted her mug.
“To friendship,” she said.
“To friendship,” he echoed, returning her smile as he clinked his mug against hers.
They carried the rest of the coffee cups back out into the living room. Everyone sitting around the board game was staring intently at it as Samantha made her turn.
“And with that,” she said triumphantly, “I win!”
Everyone else groaned and cheered. Vivian laughed as she sat back down in her chair, watching her family talk animatedly together. She loved listening to the way they bantered affectionately with each other.
“I’ve figured it out, everyone,” Alexis announced as she lifted the final spoonful of her brownie sundae to her mouth. “My craving. I know what it is.”
“Yeah?” Grayson asked doubtfully, and she swatted his arm with a laugh.
“Yes! It’s brownies. Brownies of all kinds are my official craving. Any type hits the spot.”
“The mystery is solved!” Grayson exclaimed and gave his wife a kiss.
Julia gave her sister a high-five. “Maybe we should have brownies at our wedding, Cooper. You know, like a dessert bar instead of the traditional cake?”
“How about both?” Cooper took Julia’s hand in his. He looked smitten and on top of the world. “I think I still want to have traditional cake.”
“Brownie cake,” Samantha said, looking up from gleefully counting her Monopoly winnings. “Problem solved.”
Hazel and Jacob turned to each other with amused grins. Vivian thought to herself that the three of them looked like a perfect family unit, and her heart warmed at the thought of Samantha having a father. The pre-teen was clearly content to have Jacob as an addition to their family circle.
At that moment, the front door opened, and Dean and Noelle spilled inside.
“Guess what?” Noelle cried before anyone had a chance to greet them.
“I just won Monopoly!” Samantha called.
Dean grinned at his niece. “That’s awesome. But just wait until you hear this news.” He was untying his shoes like it was part of a race, and Vivian noticed with joy that his hands seemed to be strong and full of energy.
“We just heard something very interesting from Liam, that reporter friend of ours, while we were bowling,” Noelle said, kicking off her shoes and coming over to where the family was gathered. “He said he’s going to publish an article on it tomorrow. It’s official.”
“What?” Hazel asked, wide-eyed with suspense.
Dean came over to join Noelle and wrapped an arm around her. “Well, after trying out their new business model of being a restaurant and a bar, the McCormick brewery has decided it just isn’t turning enough of a profit. They’ve officially declared that they’re reverting back to their original business model, and from now on they’re only going to produce beer.”
“And stop making knockoffs of the pub’s food,” Noelle said with an impish gleam in her eyes. “Although I doubt that’s part of their official statement.”
Everyone cheered. Hazel leapt up to hug her mother and her twin, and Samantha proceeded to dance around the couch.
“This is amazing!” Alexis had tears in her eyes. “Loyalty and quality have won the day again.”
“And love,” Jacob said, nodding. “It’s clear that the people of Rosewood Beach would choose The Lighthouse Grill any day. That’s because of its history—it’s clearly a place that has a lot of love put into it, and people here know that. They’re giving that love back.”
Vivian’s heart felt as though it was glowing with golden light. She couldn’t stop smiling as she looked around the room, taking in the joy of her family and her good friend Terrence.
I live in such a wonderful town, she thought. I’m so blessed to be surrounded by all of the people in it, especially these people here in this room with me.
“To The Lighthouse Grill!” Terrence said, lifting his coffee mug for a toast.
“To The Lighthouse Grill!”
As everyone echoed his words, Vivian thought to herself that she was the luckiest woman in the world.
The series continues in Where Sea Meets Sky ! When a lonely relative of the Owens family comes to town hoping to reconnect, Vivian and her children embrace the newcomer with open arms.