Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Beth was having a wonderful evening so far. The wine and cheese hour had been a success and she always loved spending time with her girls and her grandchildren. The twins were at a fun age and they looked adorable in their matching red velvet dresses with their black tights and boots. They wore black wool peacoats and had red hats and mittens.
Beth looked around, but didn’t see Sean anywhere yet. It was crowded, though, and it wasn’t like they had any definite plans to meet up. Still, she’d hoped that she would run into him. But once the tree was lit and the crowds dispersed to stroll along and visit the shops, there was still no sign of Sean. She was disappointed but put it out of her mind and focused on having fun with her family. She was glad that she was able to move about more easily now on the crutches, too.
They stopped into the candy store, which was giving out samples of fudge. It was really good and Beth bought some to nibble on later. She offered to get some for the girls but Amy shook her head. “I think they’ve had enough sugar with the hot chocolate. I want them to eat dinner when we get home.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come out to dinner with us?” Riley asked Amy.
“No, I think it’s best if we get the girls home. It’s so busy tonight, we’ll never get seated if all of us go.”
Beth knew she was right. She was happy that they’d been able to join them for the tree lighting.
“Don’t forget, you’re coming to our house for Sunday dinner this week,” Amy reminded her.
Beth smiled. “I’m looking forward to it. Let me know what I can bring.”
“Maybe something for dessert?” Amy suggested.
“We can make chocolate-chip cookies or brownies,” Riley said.
“Either sounds good to me,” Amy replied.
When they exited the candy store, Beth felt her stomach do a flip when she spotted Sean, walking with an older woman. They were heading her way and he smiled when he saw her.
“I thought I’d missed you,” he said when they reached her. “Beth, this is my mother, Angela.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Angela said. She was soft-spoken with sharp eyes that swept over the group and took it all in. Beth introduced her to everyone. She noticed that Angela was about the same age as Franny, and Angela had known Franny’s sister. The two of them were chatting away like they’d know each other for ages. A few minutes later, Amy said she and Rob were going to take off.
“I think Luke and I are going to head home as well. It was great to meet you all,” Aidan said.
That left Riley, Jack, Franny, Sean, and Angela. “We were thinking of grabbing a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?” Beth asked.
Sean hesitated and seemed unsure, but Angela answered without hesitation. “We’d love to. I’m starving actually. Where are we going?”
The Chatham Squire was across the street, so they decided to try that first. There were six of them, so they had to put their name in. “I don’t think it will be too long,” the hostess said. “We have a larger party that is on dessert now.”
They made their way toward the back of the bar so they would be out of the way.
“What would everyone like? This round is on me,” Sean said.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Beth protested.
But Angela laughed. “Yes, he does, actually. I’ll have a Chardonnay.”
They all told Sean what they wanted and he went to the bar and placed their order. Jack helped him to deliver the drinks and they’d only had them for a few minutes when the hostess came and found them to let them know their table was ready.
She led them to a big round table in a corner. Franny and Angela sat next to each other. Sean sat next to his mother on Beth’s right, with Riley to her left. She noticed with amusement that Franny and Angela were deep in conversation.
“From what I can gather, they know some of the same people, or used to. My mother is about Franny’s age, I think, and they went to high school together,” Sean said.
“Ah. It really is a small world,” Beth replied.
Their server told them about the specials, which were grilled swordfish or a New York strip steak with two sautéed shrimp. Beth and Riley both went with lobster rolls. Franny got the fish and chips, Angela went with a scallop roll, Sean got a burger, and Jack ordered a fried fisherman’s platter.
“Riley says the seafood in Chatham is great, so I figured this way I can try it all,” he said.
“Do you like seafood?” Beth asked Sean.
He laughed. “You’d think I would, growing up here, but I can’t stand any of it. I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy. That strip steak sounded good, but I was in the mood for a burger.”
“How did your other project go?” Beth asked him.
“Good. It was a quick and easy one. I just needed to install some crown moldings in a few rooms. A friend recently bought a house and wanted to make a few updates.”
“I love crown moldings.”
“Yeah, it turned out nice. Really dresses up a room,” Sean agreed.
“Is this normally a slow time of year for you?” Beth wondered.
He nodded. “It is. Spring, summer, even fall is very busy, and a lot of my work is outside. Then it slows way down in the winter months. Which is fine by me. I usually enjoy the quiet and take a little time off. Sometimes I go south for a few weeks.”
“He visits me,” Angela said. “I have a condo in Naples, Florida, and usually head down after the holidays in January and stay through April. By then, I’m ready to come back to the Cape.”
The way his mother spoke, it didn’t sound like Sean had a girlfriend as she made it seem like Sean visited alone. She wondered how long he’d been divorced. But she didn’t want to ask in front of everyone. That seemed too nosy and too personal. So, instead, she asked how he knew Ryan, Jess’s boyfriend.
“Ryan and I go way back. We grew up on the same street. I’ve met Jess a few times. She said the two of you are good friends?”
Beth nodded. “We are. We lost touch for years when she moved to Charleston after graduating college and getting married. But we reconnected again when she got divorced and moved home.”
They continued chatting and she learned that he was a few years ahead of her in school, which is why she hadn’t known him growing up. Their food arrived soon after and they all dug in. Beth laughed at the expression on Jack’s face when they set the fisherman’s platter in front of him. It was a huge tower of fried seafood, clams, shrimp, scallops, and fish, topped with fried onion rings and fries on the side.
Jack loved it. They all did. Beth wasn’t sure yet what she thought of Jack. He seemed nice enough, but there was something there she couldn’t put her finger on. She wasn’t sure he was quite right for Riley. Though she couldn’t say why not. Maybe she just didn’t know him well enough yet to judge. They hadn’t had a chance to talk much since he’d arrived. Hopefully she’d get a chance to dig a little deeper over the weekend. As long as he made Riley happy, that was the main thing.
“Do you have a busy week next week?” Beth asked Sean.
“I do. I’m normally pretty fully booked, this past week was unusual with the cancellation. That doesn’t happen often.”
She smiled. “Well, it worked out very well for me. I’m so grateful you could fit us in.”
“I’m glad you could get those two rooms rented. Weekends like this don’t come along often in the winter,” Sean said.
“You’re so right about that. It has been slow. Riley has been a godsend. She did something with online marketing that really helped to get the word out. I’m lucky to have her around for the next few weeks.”
Riley overheard and smiled her way. “It’s fun for me, too. It’s nice seeing how the marketing can directly affect a small business. I don’t usually see that part.”
“What kind of a company do you work for?” Sean asked.
“I worked for a marketing agency, so we had lots of clients. We did the marketing, but never directly saw the results. They just laid off my whole team, so I’m job searching at the moment.”
Sean looked sympathetic. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you find something good soon.”
“Thanks. I had a phone interview earlier and I just got an email before we left that they want to do a video call next week. So, that’s a start, at least.”
“Oh, that’s great news, honey.” Beth was happy for her. She knew how stressful it was to be out of a job and looking for a new one. Riley didn’t seem too worried about it yet, which was a good thing. Beth was sure she’d find something pretty quickly.
“I don’t think Riley will have any trouble finding something new.” Jack echoed her thoughts and Beth liked that he sounded so confident. “I told her we have an opening at my company she should apply for, too. It just opened up.”
“I’ll definitely check that out,” Riley said.
Beth couldn’t help wondering if that was a good idea. She thought it might be too close for comfort to be working at the same company as someone Riley was dating. But maybe it would be fine. She knew Jack worked for a very successful law firm. No doubt the benefits there were good. Beth also wondered if Riley’s career growth might be limited at a law firm. But Riley was smart to look into it and explore as many options as possible.
When they finished, Jack packed up his leftovers. He’d barely eaten half of his meal, which was huge.
“It was very good. Riley was right about the seafood here,” he said.
When the server brought their bill, Jack took it and handed her his credit card before any of them had a chance to even reach for their wallets. Sean frowned and Beth could tell he wasn’t comfortable with it.
“Can we split it at least?” He handed Jack his credit card but Jack waved it away.
“I’ve got it. Least I can do, since Beth has welcomed me into her home for the weekend,” he said.
“All right. Thank you, then,” Sean said.
They all chimed in, thanking him, and Jack smiled and looked pleased. When the server handed him back his credit card, Beth noticed that it was a Black Mastercard, one of the special invite-only cards. Beth appreciated the gesture, it was very nice of him. And she knew he could easily afford it. Riley had told her once what Jack’s salary was and it was a huge amount, even for New York City where everything was so expensive. Being a corporate litigation attorney at a top law firm in the city paid very well indeed. And Riley had said that when Jack made partner, his salary would go way up and he would share in firm profits each year, which would be a significant amount. If things progressed with Riley, they would be just fine financially. Beth still wasn’t sure about him, though.
When they stepped outside, it had started to snow while they were eating and the ground was covered in a fine dusting of snow. Sean looked concerned when he saw it.
“Will you be able to manage okay with your crutches?”
Beth tested the ground and it didn’t seem slippery yet. “As long as I go slowly, I should be fine. We’re parked at the inn so it’s just a short walk.”
“We parked down that way, too, a little beyond the inn.”
They set off walking in pairs along the sidewalk. Riley and Jack took the lead, followed by Angela and Franny, who were laughing and chatting up a storm. Beth went slowly and it really wasn’t too bad. Though it wouldn’t be much longer before it would be slippery. The snow was coming down more heavily now, in big, fat flakes. She loved to see it and it added to the magic and festivity of the evening. Now that she’d had a chance to chat with Sean, she liked him even more, and she wasn’t sure but she thought she possibly sensed a spark of interest from him, as well.
They chatted easily as they walked, and the time went by almost too quickly for Beth. In less than ten minutes they reached the inn. Angela and Franny were still chatting away and Riley and Jack were already at Riley’s car. Sean stopped for a moment, to say good night.
“Thanks for inviting us to join you. That was a fun time. And my mother enjoyed it.” He grinned. “It looks like she and Franny are best friends.”
“I’m glad to see it,” Beth said. “Franny could use a friend here. She’s going to be in Chatham through the holidays.”
“What would you say about having dinner again soon—but just the two of us?” Sean asked.
Beth smiled and felt a rush of happiness. “I’d really like that.”
“Great, I’ll give you a call in a few days and we’ll make a plan.”
Beth said goodbye to Angela and carefully made her way to Riley’s car and climbed in the back seat with her crutches. She felt very full and content—and excited about what was to come. It had been a magical evening, more than she’d expected.