Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
M illie’s mouth dropped open as she listened to Linda talk about Kristin’s ex-husband. She was in such shock that she could barely speak, only snapping out of it when she heard Linda calling her name.
“Millie! Are you listening to me?”
Millie nodded, but fear had gripped her, leaving her unable to do much else. After a few minutes, when she finally regained her composure, she gave Linda a piece of her mind.
“You had no right to dig deep on this. Now, we’re all at risk. I say we walk away and not look back.”
“What are you talking about? No one is at risk here. All I know is that he’s getting out of jail, and there’s a possibility he might come looking for Kristin, but we don’t know that for certain.”
“Did Kristin tell you this, or are you letting your imagination run away with you again?”
“Of course she didn’t tell me. She doesn’t even know I know anything about her ex-husband.”
“Well, maybe you’re wrong about this. Not that it matters anyway, because you’re going to call her and tell her that we can’t make Thanksgiving dinner. We have to back off on this, Linda. Someone might get hurt, and it’s not going to be me.”
Millie started to walk away, but Linda grabbed her shirt and pulled her back. “We can’t do that. I gave her my turkey!”
Millie rolled her eyes, “So, we’ll have lobster instead.”
“Lobster for Thanksgiving? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Millie was beside herself, trying to convince Linda. She didn’t know what to do.
“Listen to me. Kristin’s husband won’t be released for another week. No one is in danger today. Let’s just enjoy the day and then, if you still feel this way, we’ll stay out of it.”
Millie had no choice but to go along. She opened the oven and pulled out the still warm apple pie.
“Oh, that smells wonderful,” Linda said.
Trying to muster a smile, Millie said, “Thanks. Let’s hope we’re still alive by dessert so we can enjoy it.”
Chelsea and Steven arrived at the Key Lime Garden Inn, and Maggie ran to greet them.
“Steven, I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
“Same here,” he said. “I’m sorry about my schedule these days. We should have met earlier, but it seems like I’m always on the road these days.”
“I kept telling him he had to make time to meet my best friend,” Chelsea added.
Steven laughed. “I was worried she’d stop seeing me if I didn’t make it a priority. Anyway, thanks for letting me join your family celebration.”
“We’re happy to have you,” she said.
Paolo joined them. “This is my husband, Paolo.”
“Happy Thanksgiving. Glad you could be with us today,” Paolo said, shaking Steven’s hand. “This is good timing. The turkey is just about ready. Come and meet the rest of the family.”
Crawford and Ciara, Byron Jameson, Sarah and Trevor, along with their children, were sitting in the living room. Chelsea introduced Steven and then was about to take him to the kitchen to meet Grandma Sarah, when she joined the group.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Garrison,” he said.
Grandma nodded, and then looked at Chelsea. “It’s nice to see you both. Come on, sit down. Dinner is ready.”
She returned to the kitchen and then carried the bowl of mashed potatoes to the table, returning to the kitchen for the gravy boat.
Grandma Sarah sighed. “Didn’t you all hear me? I’m taking the turkey out of the oven. Everyone, come to the table. Dinner is ready.”
Iris and Maggie had spent the morning preparing the Thanksgiving dinner and making sure there were twelve place settings with autumn decorations around the room.
“Thanks for letting me crash your Thanksgiving dinner, Maggie,” Iris said.
“My goodness, Iris. You haven’t crashed anything. You’re not only family, but you’ve also helped me cook this wonderful dinner.”
“Where does your family live?” Grandma Sarah asked.
“My father died when I was thirteen, and my mother lives in Connecticut. We…don’t really talk much these days.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize,” Grandma Sarah said.
Iris shook her head. “It’s okay.”
“Where is Riley today?” Sarah asked, putting Little Maggie into the booster seat.
“She’s at her parents’ place. She’s introducing her boyfriend, Andrew, to them,” Maggie answered.
“Oh, that’s a big deal. Do you think he’s going to propose?”
Iris smiled. “I’d be surprised if Riley doesn’t come to work on Monday morning with a ring on her finger.”
When everyone finally came to the table, Maggie got up from her chair and looked at her guests.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to say a few words. First, I’m so happy to have you all here at our home. You are family to Paolo and me. Your presence is a lovely reminder that family is more than just being related by blood. At the Key Lime Garden Inn, we consider everyone who visits as part of our extended family. No matter where you live, you remain in our hearts throughout the year. Paolo and I are always eternally grateful for our blessings. This year, we are especially blessed that Paolo has recovered nicely from his surgery and that his kidney donation was able to save someone we love very much.”Maggie raised her glass. “Happy Thanksgiving family.”
She made sure to look at Byron to make sure he understood he was not alone. It was his first Thanksgiving without his wife, and Maggie understood how difficult the day must be for him. She was glad he had accepted her invitation.
Byron smiled at her and raised his glass. Maggie was surprised, but happy to see his glass had only water in it.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Maggie,” he said.
Paolo stood at the end of the table and began carving the turkey.
Maggie looked at Crawford, who was building his plate with mashed potatoes, green beans and stuffing.
“I hear Jacqui is bringing Joshua to meet her parents.”
Crawford nodded. “She is indeed. I think she felt a bit of trepidation about it though. At least, that’s what Joshua told me. I think my son is serious about her.”
“I wished my sister luck when she told me about it. Our father isn’t an easy man to get along with,” Trevor said.
Sarah looked at him, and Maggie could tell there was something they weren’t telling her.
“What’s going on?” she said, looking at Sarah.
Trevor sighed. “I might as well tell you all. I quit my job.”
Noah, who hadn’t been paying attention, suddenly looked up at his father. “You don’t work with Grandpa anymore?”
“No, but that only means I’m not going to that office anymore. We’ll all still see Grandpa, just like before.”
“What?” Maggie asked. “When did this happen?”
Sarah looked at her mother. “Last week. It’s all right. Everything is fine. We’re going to take some time to think about our next steps.”
Trevor looked at Maggie. “I’m sorry to spring this on everyone today of all days.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you told us. Do you have any idea what you’d like to do?”
“The thing is, I never should have taken that job in the first place. We’ve been having problems for a long time, but I never spoke up. Dad and I have different ideas about how the family business should run, but it’s still his to do as he pleases. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Mom, you know what Trevor used to do for work before he went to work for his father, right? Do you remember?”
Maggie laughed. “I sure do. Those were the days when you thought he was arrogant and wild.”
“I’m going to have to correct you, Maggie. Those were the days when I was doing what I believed in.”
“Sorry for interrupting you, Trevor, but what was it that you loved about your work before?” Steven asked.
Trevor sighed. “It seems like forever ago, but I’ve always put my desire to help others before money. I volunteered a lot, worked for Oxfam. When I started working for my father, I wanted us to build affordable housing. We do have one completed development that I’m proud of, but…well, my father’s desire for making lots of money has gotten in the way of that business model.”
“So, do you want to continue to help people? What about helping the environment simultaneously?” Steven asked.
Trevor smiled. “Even better, but I’m not sure my father gives a hoot about the environment.”
“I didn’t mean working for your father. I mean, how about coming to work for me?”
Everyone turned to look at Steven. Trevor laughed, thinking he was joking.
“I’m serious. Thompson Green Developments has projects in major cities across the U.S. With a presence in eco-friendly urban renewal and high-end residential communities, we focus on sustainable living structures.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” Crawford asked.
“It means we build homes with materials that don’t harm the environment. For instance, you know those huge shipping containers you see on cargo ships? Well, when they’re done using them, they end up in landfills and take forever to decompose. We use them to build homes that look similar to a small modular house.”
“You’re kidding?” Paolo asked. “People live in shipping containers?”
Steven nodded. “They do. We also build Straw Bale homes, Earthships and Tiny Homes. I’ve got a photo album in my car if you’d like to see what these homes look like.”
“I’d love to take a look,” Trevor answered.
“So would I,” Paolo added.
Steven nodded. “Great.” He looked at Trevor. “Maybe we can talk more about what you want your career to look like?”
Trevor smiled. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
Sarah and Maggie looked at each other and smiled. The prospect of Trevor working with Steven Ellis Thompson was a dream come true. Maggie couldn’t believe their good fortune. Steven’s company seemed a perfect fit for Trevor’s interests, and although she couldn’t prove it, Maggie believed Chelsea had something to do with it.
How could she have known? Other than Sarah, none of us knew about Trevor quitting his job until only a few minutes ago.
Maggie looked at her best friend and searched her face for any sign that her instincts were correct. Chelsea focused on her food and never looked over at Maggie during Steven and Trevor’s conversation, which seemed odd. It was almost as if Chelsea deliberately ignored her, confirming Maggie’s suspicions.
It was the kind of gesture her friend would make without expecting anything in return. This selflessness filled Maggie's heart with gratitude for the people in her life. She cherished not only receiving their love and support, but also the chance to pay it forward to others who needed to feel that they mattered.
Byron mattered, and so did Emily, Daniel’s daughter. Giving people what they needed was important to Maggie. In Emily’s case, it was a kidney, in Byron’s, a chance to belong to something bigger than himself.
In what often seemed like the world spinning out of control with no ability to stop it, Maggie suddenly saw her life as a journey with purpose. Nothing was random at all, and she couldn’t wait to see where the journey took them.
She thought of her family in Massachusetts and couldn’t wait to have everyone she loved with her this Christmas. Captiva Island would once again be the center of their lives, and the place they all thought of as their second home.
For Maggie, however, it was where she belonged for the rest of her life. She’d grow old running the Key Lime Garden Inn, and there was nothing random about that.