Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Faith hurried up to the front doors of The Lighthouse Grill, grinning with expectation.
She always loved stopping by the pub after it had formally closed for the night.
It made her feel special that she was allowed in even when the general public wasn’t.
Tonight she was especially excited, since she was there to meet with Vivian and talk to her about her grand idea that she hoped would help lift the spirits of the entire town.
She peered through the windows of the restaurant, thinking to herself that the dining room looked cozy and inviting with the lights dimmed.
The fireplace was still lively with a crackling, glowing fire, and it made the restaurant look like some kind of cottage.
She tugged open the front door and grinned when she saw Vivian.
If The Lighthouse Grill was a cottage, then Vivian was the kind-hearted healer who lived in it.
Faith had often thought to herself that Vivian had the kindest eyes out of everyone she knew.
Vivian might not have distributed herbal tonics to her friends and neighbors, but she provided hot food and a place to gather and feel a sense of community.
Faith knew that Vivian loved running the restaurant especially because of the joy that it brought to her town, and Faith felt proud to be related to the open-hearted, hardworking woman who was smiling at her.
“Hi, Faith,” Vivian said, giving her a big hug. “I got us a couple of slices of key lime pie to munch on while we chat. That’s your favorite, right?”
“Aww! Yes.” Faith pressed a hand to her chest. “Thank you, that was so thoughtful.”
“No trouble at all.” Vivian led the way to the cozy booth by the fireplace where she’d set the plates of key lime pie. “I’m excited to hear about this idea you’ve come up with. You said it’s something to help cheer up the town after the storm?”
Faith nodded. “That’s right—well, that, and to express my gratitude to everyone. I just feel like there are so many things that I—well, let me start at the beginning.” She laughed. “I want to do something because of how much everyone in this town means to me, especially the Owens family.”
Clearly touched, Vivian reached across the table and squeezed Faith’s hand. “We’re so happy you moved here,” she assured Faith. “Life is so much better with you in town.”
Tears filled Faith’s eyes, and she blinked them back as she smiled.
“After my parents passed unexpectedly, I had such tough and lonely years. I threw myself into my work so hard I stopped making room for anything else in my life. I had nothing to focus on besides my job, and I was starting to convince myself that I would be lonely for the rest of my life.” She took a deep breath. “Thank God for that panic attack.”
She laughed again, shaking her head. “It was the wakeup call I needed, thinking it was a heart attack. I knew that I needed to change my whole life in order to bring down my stress levels, like the doctor ordered me to. I could have ended up anywhere, but I knew that you were here in Rosewood Beach—my long-lost family. It was a risky decision to come out here and look for you, since I had no idea if you would want me in your lives or not, but you did.”
“We absolutely did.” Vivian squeezed Faith’s hand again.
“We were taken aback by your sudden arrival, it’s true, but it soon became clear you’re the kind of person we would want to be a part of our community even if you weren’t family.
You’re so kind and considerate, Faith. You have a bright light that’s a joy to be around. ”
“Thank you. I feel so honored to have been welcomed into the Rosewood Beach community so warmly. As soon as I moved here, whole new possibilities opened up to me. I began to see life in a completely different light, and I felt embraced by Rosewood Beach as a whole.” She looked down at her key lime pie and smiled as she twirled a fork in the whipped cream that had been generously heaped on the top of it.
“I dearly wish to do something that will celebrate the beautifully welcoming atmosphere that the people of this community cultivate.”
“That sounds wonderful to me,” Vivian assured her. “I love it when our town comes together.”
Faith nodded eagerly. “I had an idea, but I’ll need your help with it.
I want to have a gathering at The Lighthouse Grill where we can all get together—the entire town!
I want to host an event to honor everyone in town, but especially you guys, the Owens family.
You’ve done so much for me and for so many people in town.
And I think that coming together after the storm is just what everyone needs.
People need their spirits lifted and they need to feel like things are happy and normal again, if only for one night—to remind them that once the repairs are all finished, we all will get back on our feet and things really will feel good and right again. ”
“Yes!” Vivian clapped her hands together enthusiastically. “Faith, that’s a wonderful idea. I would love to help you. The doors of The Lighthouse Grill are open for this well-meaning endeavor.”
They began to eat their pie in earnest as they schemed up a menu for the event together. Faith had been thinking the food offerings could be dessert-only, but Vivian wanted to offer savory options as well, such as hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie boards.
“We can bring out Grandma’s award-winning Swedish meatball recipe,” Vivian said eagerly as she jotted down another note on her cellphone. “It’s got such an amazing sauce—mm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I’ll probably go home and whip up a batch just so I can eat some tonight.”
Faith laughed. “Sounds amazing. And maybe we could have some savory pies along with the sweet pies—I hear Tom makes a mean quiche.”
“Oh, yes! And we can make mini quiches using the muffin pans.” Vivian jotted down another note. “That will be fantastic.”
Faith was just about to suggest doughnut holes when there was a knock on the front door.
“Huh,” Vivian said, turning around curiously and peering at the doorway. “I wonder who that is. Most people in town know we’re closed so they wouldn’t have come here at this hour—and if it was one of my kids, they wouldn’t bother knocking, they’d just come in.”
Faith, who was leaning to the side to get a look at the person through the front window, let out a gasp of delight.
“It’s Delilah!” She still wasn’t over the fact that Delilah, one of her favorite movie stars and a woman who she had admired immensely all of her life, was now one of her dear friends and neighbors.
She still got a thrill every time she saw the glamorous and yet down-to-earth movie star.
“Come in, Delilah!” Vivian called out.
A moment later the movie star blew in along with a strong gust of spring wind. She was wearing a green cashmere scarf, and as soon as she’d gotten the door closed, she adjusted its placement while laughing.
“What brings you in?” Vivian asked, standing up to give her a hug. “Would you like some pie?”
“Oh, thank you, but I just had some ice cream with Tom so I’m all good,” Delilah said, grinning and hugging Faith in turn. “I saw that your lights were on so I decided to knock and see if you need any help distributing food tomorrow.”
Vivian shook her head, smiling. “No, actually we don’t. As soon as word spread that we’ve been passing out meals to our needy families, we got a surge of volunteers. We’ve got all the help we need tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Delilah’s smile was dazzling. “That’s why I love this town so much. People are always ready to help each other out.”
“Speaking of loving our town,” Faith said, bouncing up and down on her heels and unable to keep back her excitement over her idea for the town party, “Vivian and I were just talking about a gathering here at The Lighthouse Grill that would celebrate the whole town and bring people together after the storm.”
“It’s all Faith’s idea,” Vivian said proudly. “She came up with it. We’ll just be hosting it here. I think it’s a lovely thought.”
“So do I!” Delilah said warmly.
Faith grinned. “I’ve felt so welcomed by the people of our town, and I wanted to give back. This place allowed me to become the woman I am now, and I’m forever grateful for that.”
Delilah placed her hand on her heart, looking touched.
“I feel the same way,” she said earnestly.
“I can completely relate to what you just said. Rosewood Beach was so wholly accepting of me, even though I’m an outsider.
I think that having a gathering to celebrate the spirit of Rosewood Beach is just the thing, especially now that people are struggling with the aftermath of the storm. Sounds perfect.”
All three women shared a smile, and Faith knew instinctively that the party was going to be a wonderful success, and just what everyone in town needed.