The Art of Seashells (The Adams Family of Bluestar Island #1)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

S he’d done it.

A big smile pulled at Lily Adams lips. Her feet barely touched the front steps of city hall as she rushed down them. She’d filled out the necessary paperwork and paid the entry fee.

It was official now. Her smile broadened.

She was entered in Bluestar Island’s very first art competition.

There was just one itty-bitty problem… She didn’t have a painting to enter. At least not yet.

Nothing like dragging her feet to the deadline and then deciding to go for it. But she still had four weeks to create her entry. It wasn’t much time to create a truly inspiring painting, but it wasn’t impossible. She just had to find her inspiration—that was easier said than done.

She’d already wasted so many years telling herself she would pursue her art someday. Well, someday had finally arrived.

As she made her way toward Beachcomber Park, she enjoyed the late summer sun on her face. The gentle ocean breeze rushed over her skin. It kept the temperature comfortable as she smiled and said hello to the passersby.

She couldn’t believe the end of summer was almost upon them. The season had been extremely busy between her business and…her family. The truth was that it had been a devastating year for her family.

One random February day, her father had passed away. There was no warning. No time for goodbyes. Months later, the aftershock of his loss was still being felt by her family.

Maybe it hadn’t affected her as much as some of her other siblings, as she was no longer a part of the family business. The Island Market had been around for generations and expanded from its humble beginning as a fish market. Now the place included groceries, prepared foods and a small bakery.

Passed down from her great grandfather to her grandfather to her father, the market was now run by her siblings.

There was Neil. He was the oldest and the market’s manager.

Next was Caleb. He was a fisherman who supplied the market with a lot of their fish.

Then came her. She was the oldest girl and she used to work there as a teenager.

Next was Jenna, who was the market’s front-end supervisor.

Myra was next in line. She ran the market’s kitchen with their prepared foods and small bakery.

And the baby in the family was Darby. Much like Lily, Darby left the family business to start her own small business.

They all missed their father. He’d been an active part of their lives. And with him gone, there was a large gaping hole in their lives.

Not wanting to get caught up in the grief that would come over her at the most unexpected times, she took the familiar pain and stuffed it back into her tattered heart. She would deal with it later.

“What are you doing all alone over here?”

The familiar voice drew Lily from her thoughts. She stopped and turned to find her sister behind her. Jenna stood there with a smile as she held a frozen lemonade with a little blue paper parasol sticking out of the clear plastic cup.

Her sister was a few years younger than herself.

Their mother liked to say they looked similar.

Lily never saw it. They both had brown eyes, but other than that Jenna was a couple inches shorter than she was.

Lily had grown out her dark hair into a short bob, whereas her sister wore natural curls that brushed the tops of her shoulders.

Lily didn’t have the patience to deal with styling her hair regularly.

Jenna made it look effortless, and the curls looked beautiful on her.

“I’m just taking in the carnival before heading back to the shop,” Lily said.

There was a big celebration that weekend for the grand opening of Bluestar’s new hospital. The facility was a welcome addition to the community. It would mean less trips to the mainland for medical care.

“I just made the rounds,” Jenna said. “It turned out really well.”

“Maybe next time you should enter the grand prix.” She was only teasing her sister.

Jenna smiled as her cheeks plumped up, and her smooth skin crinkled in the corners of her eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind. So long as you buy the antique car.”

“I’ll hop right on that as soon as I win the lottery.”

Jenna continued to smile as she nodded. “So, you’re all alone?”

Her sister knew very well that Lily had been dumped by her longtime boyfriend a month ago, and she wasn’t ready to dive back into the dating pool. It wasn’t that she was nursing a broken heart. It was more that there wasn’t anyone that made her want to put her heart on the line.

Even though her parents, who had been married for too many years to count, made a devoted relationship look so easy, she wasn’t sure romance was in the cards for her.

Instead, she was focusing her energy on preparing for the art exhibition.

Just the thought of putting her art out there for her friends and loved ones to see—to judge—made her stomach quiver.

“Lily?” Jenna sent her a concerned look.

“Sorry.” She blinked and focused her thoughts. “It’s just been a busy week. I’m a little tired.”

“But you’re your own boss. You should give yourself the day off.”

Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Being my own boss means that I can’t take the day off if I want my business to thrive. It means working late to restock the shelves, place supply orders and a whole bunch of other things.”

“Still, at least you aren’t working in the family business.” Jenna sighed. “Without Dad there, it’s just not the same at the market.”

Lily nodded. “I understand. Nothing is the same without him.”

Just that morning, she’d been rearranging the front of her shop, and she’d paused to admire the wood shelves her father had taken time to build for her. He had always been so good with his hands and the first to lend a hand when she needed it.

Just then the music from the grandstand stopped. Lily glanced up to see Mayor Tony Banks make his way onto the stage. He was a few years older than her and her brother’s best friend since kindergarten.

Tony’s honey-brown face with his blue eyes and strong jawline created a strikingly handsome look. But when her gaze reached to his red bowtie, her nose curled up. Seriously? She resisted the urge to shake her head.

No one in their thirties wore a bowtie unless they were forced to for a wedding, and even then, the guys she knew ditched them as soon as the last photo was taken.

But not Tony Banks. The man wore them every day.

She’d always wanted to ask him why he wore them, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. It was obvious he liked them.

With a mic in hand, the mayor said, “I hope everyone is having fun at the carnival.”

When a loud round of applause sounded, Lily joined in.

The truth of the matter was that Aster Bell, the island’s events coordinator, had done an outstanding job organizing the hospital celebration.

Between the mayor and Aster, they were breathing new life into the island.

They were drawing in new tourists and attracting return visitors, which was helping all of the local businesses.

After announcing the winners of Bluestar’s first vintage grand prix, the mayor said, “And now Aster Bell is here to tell you about Bluestar’s next event.”

The mayor stepped aside as a very pregnant Aster made her way onto the stage.

Lily remembered when she had first met Aster a few years ago.

Back then Aster’s hair had been short and bleach-blond.

Now Aster had returned to her natural golden-brown color, and her loose curls now hung past her shoulders.

Even though Aster was smiling, she didn’t look so good. Lily peered closer and noticed that her friend was looking a bit pale. Maybe it was just that she was tired from the pressure of running this event while being pregnant and having two kids at home. It would be a lot for anyone.

Aster accepted the mic and stepped to the front of the stage. As she looked out over the crowd, her smile broadened. “Hi, everyone. Isn’t it a beautiful day for a carnival?”

The audience, including Lily, erupted in cheers and clapping. She was so happy her friend’s efforts were being met with such enthusiasm.

“I won’t take much of your time. I wanted to tell you that we’re going to have the very first Bluestar Arts Festival next month.

If you’re an artist, you’ll need to hurry as the deadline to enter is tomorrow.

Just stop by my office in city hall, and I’ll get you all set up.

” Aster hesitated and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Boy, is it hot out here.”

Lily once more sensed there was something wrong with her friend. She leaned over and gently nudged her sister. “Does Aster look all right to you?”

Jenna frowned. “No.”

Just then Aster crumpled to the stage.