Chapter 6
Hannah gave Aunt Maddie a hug goodbye at the airport the next day.
“Have fun in New York.”
She hoped that her aunt and uncle might use the time together to work on whatever wasn’t right with their marriage. Aunt Maddie still hadn’t shared any details about what wasn’t working. And Hannah hadn’t asked.
“I will. Call me if you need me and don’t forget about Joy and Ben next door if it’s something I can’t help with.”
Hannah smiled. “Will do. I’m seeing Joy on Monday for her writing group meeting.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, have fun, honey, and I’ll see you in a week.”
“I’ll be here next Sunday.”
Hannah waved goodbye to her aunt and drove off. Since she was in Hyannis, she decided to stop by the Barnes Noble at the Cape Cod Mall and see how her book was doing there.
The mall was mobbed as usual and it was a challenge to find a parking spot. But finally, she found one and headed into the store. She found her book on the second floor in the romance section and there were only a few copies on the shelf. She didn’t know if it was because they had only ordered a few copies or if they’d had more and already sold them. She decided to introduce herself to the store manager and see if they might also consider putting some of her books on the local authors table, which was by the door where people entered.
She stopped by the information desk and asked for the manager, and when he walked over, she introduced herself.
“I grew up on the Cape, in Chatham, and I’m here for the summer so I thought I’d stop in and say hello.”
“Thank you for stopping in. Your book has sold well for us. Especially for a new author. If you’re interested in doing a signing sometime this summer, we can order extra copies and also add you to the local author table.”
“I would love that!” She handed him her card. “All my contact info is here.”
“Perfect. I’ll shoot you an email and we can pick a date that works. Saturday afternoons seem to be our best times for readings.”
“Great, I look forward to it.”
Hannah browsed around a bit after that and got herself a cup of hot cinnamon-spice tea from the cafe for her drive back to Chatham. She also picked up a new release from one of her favorite authors.
The tea smelled amazing. It was one of her favorite flavors. She sipped it slowly as she drove down Route 28 heading back to Chatham. It was a more scenic route and as she passed through all the towns on the way to Chatham—Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich—she couldn’t help notice how they’d changed over the years. Different restaurants and shops had come and gone. This time of year, things were still quiet; many of the tourist-related businesses like mini-golf hadn’t yet opened for the season. In a few more weeks everything would be open. Memorial Day weekend would welcome the beginning of the summer season. Hannah looked forward to it. She enjoyed the peace and quiet in the off-season, too, before the traffic tripled.
As she drove along she realized it had been over a week since her last panic attack, and that had been a small one that she’d felt coming and had been able to divert. She felt more relaxed now, especially after finally having two good writing days in a row. That’s why she wanted to test driving home this way. When she took the highway to Chatham, she was able to go to her aunt’s place without passing by her mother’s house. By taking Route 28, which was a main road that ran through all the towns, she would pass right by her mother’s house a few minutes after entering Chatham.
She took a deep breath as she saw the familiar landmarks, and then up ahead, her mother’s home on the right. It was a typical Cape Cod–style house, with weathered gray shingles and white shutters and a white picket fence. Her mother’s car, a baby-blue Toyota Corolla, sat in the driveway. The sight of her car made Hannah’s eyes instantly well up. It looked as though her mother was home. The house looked the same as ever, except that the grass was starting to grow a little too long and would need to be cut soon. She’d have to talk to Sara about that and see if there was someone she knew who could cut it for them.
Hannah took a deep breath and drove on. She felt a bit calmer once the house was out of sight and she was relieved that it hadn’t triggered a panic attack. She felt sad, which was normal, but she didn’t feel the awful tightening and pressure that came with a panic attack.
She stopped at the Kream ’N Kone in downtown Chatham and decided to splurge on a fried clam plate, which came with French fries, onion rings, and coleslaw. She got it to-go and ate it in the sunroom while watching the waves on the water.
She’d just finished eating when she got a message on Facebook from Joy. Don’t forget about writing group Monday afternoon. Wemeet at three and go until five. And why don’t you plan to stay for supper after that? I’m making a big pot of split pea soup and some fresh bread.
Hannah immediately wrote back. I’d love to. Thank you. What can I bring?
Nothing for supper, just yourself. For the group bring a few pages of whatever you are working on. We’ll take turns reading our work.
Perfect. See you tomorrow.Hannah didn’t want to show up empty-handed, though. So, she thought she might head to the coffee shop again tomorrow afternoon and when she left, maybe she’d buy some of their brownies to bring for dessert.
Hannah had another productive session at the coffee shop the next day and left with two thousand new words and a dozen brownies to bring to her neighbors for dessert. When she got home, she printed a few pages of her first chapter and headed next door at a few minutes before three.
There were already several people there when Hannah arrived. She handed Joy the box of brownies.
“In case we have room for dessert.”
Joy laughed. “There’s always room for dessert. Thank you, Hannah. Make yourself comfortable. We’re meeting in the family room.” Joy introduced her to the others. Vern was in his seventies and explained that he was a retired healthcare consultant who had always written a little poetry on the side and was now working on a novel. Mary was in her sixties and was also retired. She used to be an elementary school teacher. Anna was the youngest of the bunch, and looked to be about Hannah’s age. She was a stay-at-home mother of two small children.
“My husband works from home on Mondays. He was the one that insisted I come. I love my children, but I needed to get out of the house. I’ve only been coming for a few weeks, but I look forward to Mondays now.”
Joy joined them at three on the dot.
“We might as well get started. There is one more who often joins us, but she usually runs late.” It was clear that Joy did not appreciate the tardiness.
“Since Hannah is new here, I thought she could introduce herself and then we’ll get started with the writing prompt.” She nodded at Hannah to go ahead.
“Hi, I’m Hannah. I write romance—romantic comedies, actually. I’m working on my second book and I’ve had a lot of writer’s block this time. I’m spending the summer here, where I grew up, to see if a change of scenery might help.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened and a woman came rushing into the room full of apologies.
“I’m so sorry, Joy. I didn’t realize my gas was so low. I had to stop and fill up and then I think I hit every red light on the way over.”
“Have a seat, Louise. You haven’t missed anything yet. We’re about to start the writing prompt. Meet Hannah, she’s staying next door for the summer and is a published author. Hannah, meet Louise. She’s a fantastic mystery writer and she will finish her first mystery this year. Right, Louise?”
Louise ran a hand through her shoulder-length tumble of wavy gray hair. She grinned at Joy. “Yes, I will finish it this year.”
“Good. Okay, today’s prompt. The phrase is ‘Victorian house.’ Write five hundred words about a Victorian house. Go!”
Hannah picked up her pen and opened her notebook and thought about the chosen words.
“Don’t think too hard now. Just start writing whatever comes to mind and see where it takes you. This is just an exercise to warm up our writing muscles and have some fun,” Joy said. She glanced at Hannah and winked. Hannah smiled. She knew the words were mostly directed at her—a reminder to just have fun with the exercise and not take it too seriously.
And just like that an idea came to her and Hannah started scribbling. They all wrote for about ten minutes before Joy called to take another minute if they needed it to wrap up and then they’d all read their work.
Everyone read what they’d written and Hannah found it interesting how different everyone’s mini-story was. Some had a bit of romance while others had a murder happen at the Victorian house. Hannah’s went in the romance direction and she found that it was more fun than she’d expected.
For the rest of the session they took turns reading whatever they’d brought to share, and taking feedback and questions from the group. It was interesting and helpful for Hannah to listen to everyone else’s feedback.
When it came time to read her own work, she felt nervous but took a deep breath and dove in, reading the first four pages of her book. She knew it needed work. The opening scene wasn’t really working for her and she couldn’t quite figure out what it needed, what was missing.
But the feedback she received from the group helped. Anna had the most insightful comment that seemed to hit on what Hannah was sensing.
“I really liked it. But I wonder if you might give us a little more of her background in the beginning—of why what she wants matters so much. Then I think it will matter more to me, too.”
“Thank you so much. That’s really helpful.” Hannah made notes and planned to spend the next day thinking more about Anna’s suggestion.
When everyone had had a turn and had received feedback, it was almost five.
Joy stood, signaling that the meeting was over. “All right, everyone. Thanks for another good session. Same time next week?”
Everyone agreed and said their goodbyes before heading for the door. Once everyone left, Joy turned to Hannah.
“So, what did you think? Was it helpful? We’d love to have you join us again if you’re up for it.”
Hannah nodded. “I’d like to. I wasn’t sure what to think. I’ve never been to a group like this, but it was fun, and helpful, too.”
“Good. Come on out to the kitchen. You need to taste this soup and let me know if you think it needs anything.”
Hannah followed Joy into the kitchen and over to the stove where she had a pot of soup simmering. She looked around the room—it was a big, warm kitchen, with hunter-green walls, cream counters, and matching cream subway tiles. Colorful artwork hung on the walls and lush green plants filled every corner. It looked like Joy had a green thumb. Hannah’s plants never looked anything like that.
Joy dipped a spoon into the soup and handed it to Hannah. “What do you think? It’s vegetarian, so no ham, but I have another secret ingredient.”
Hannah took a taste. The soup was rich with caramelized onions, carrots, and celery, and there was something else that made it delicious. She didn’t even miss the ham.
“It’s wonderful. What is your secret ingredient?”
Joy grinned. “Sherry! Lots of it.” She walked to the spiral staircase that led down to the basement, where Ben was in his woodshop, and hollered down, “Ben, supper is ready. Come on up!”
As she walked back into the kitchen, Hannah heard the door behind her open. Spencer stepped into the room and stopped short when he saw her.
“I didn’t realize you had company over.” He didn’t look thrilled to see her and Hannah shared his feelings. Joy hadn’t mentioned that Spencer would be joining them.
“Oh, hi, honey. Hannah joined the writing group today and I asked her to stay for supper. Do you want to slice the bread for us? I made a few loaves earlier today.” Joy handed him a big crusty loaf of homemade bread and Spencer got busy slicing.
“Can I help you do anything?” Hannah asked. She suddenly felt awkward with Spencer there. The relaxed and welcoming vibe vanished when he walked into the room.
“Why don’t you help yourself to whatever you’d like to drink? I have bottled water or iced tea in the refrigerator.”
Joy filled four bowls with soup and Hannah helped her to carry them to the table. Ben joined them a moment later and Spencer brought over the cutting board with the sliced bread. Joy went back for the butter and they all sat down around the table.
“I’m so glad you could join us, Spencer.” Joy glanced at Hannah. “I called him earlier and invited him for dinner. Spencer loves my pea soup.”
He grinned and Hannah couldn’t help but notice that it made him look so much friendlier and more handsome. “I do. When she told me she’d made bread, too, it was an easy decision. Gram’s bread is the best.”
Hannah spread some butter on a slice and took a bite. “It’s so good. I’ve never made homemade bread. Is it hard to do?”
Joy laughed. “It really couldn’t be easier. Next time I make some, I’ll have you come over and watch me. It’s just a few ingredients and time.”
“I would love that.” Hannah liked cooking but living in Brooklyn in a small apartment with a tiny kitchen, she mostly got takeout or made simple things like pasta.
“Spencer, how was that event that you told me you didn’t want to go to—some networking thing at the Chatham Bars Inn. Did you end up having a good time?” Joy asked.
“I did actually. I went with Natalie from my office. She sort of dragged me there kicking and screaming.” He grinned. “But it turned out to be pretty good. We had a few drinks, a nice selection of cocktail snacks, and I met a few interesting people. One of them referred a new client to me and I am meeting with him this week.”
“So, it was worth going. That’s good,” Ben commented.
“It was. And it’s an interesting case. It’s a young Brazilian man who works for the person I met. He’s trying to sponsor him for a green card. Ernesto is a good worker and wants to stay here in the States.”
“Does he send money home to Brazil?” Joy asked.
Spencer nodded. “He does. He’s the oldest of eight children and he sends money home every week to help his mother. If he can get a green card, that will give him even more options as he can grow with the company.”
“Is there a reason why they might deny him?” Joy asked.
“Visas have been more difficult to get lately. They will have to make a case that a local person couldn’t do the job they want to have Ernesto do. They don’t make it easy to get the visas.”
“Hannah’s story is about an attorney,” Joy said.
Spencer glanced her way. “Really? What’s it about?”
Hannah took a deep breath. “It’s a romantic comedy about a female attorney who is trying to make partner. She has a crush on her coworker who is also up for partner. He’s grumpy, though, and wants nothing to do with her until they’re assigned a big case together and they have to work side by side and he realizes he’s attracted to her, too, but he resists it.”
“Oh, that sounds fun!” Joy said.
Spencer raised an eyebrow. “That’s not very realistic. Coworkers at a law firm shouldn’t date.”
This time his grandmother was the one who looked skeptical. “I think it’s more realistic than you realize. People meet at work all the time.”
Ben changed the subject to update them on a new woodworking project he’d started. After they’d all had second helpings of soup, Joy put Hannah’s brownies on the table. While they enjoyed the brownies, Joy looked deep in thought and then a smile spread across her face.
“I have the best idea. Hannah’s writing a story about an attorney and Spencer is an attorney. Spencer, why don’t you have Hannah shadow you for a week so she can really learn what an attorney does?”
The shocked expression on Spencer’s face perfectly mirrored Hannah’s own feelings.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I don’t want to be a bother,” Hannah protested.
“I don’t think that would be very… interesting for her,” Spencer added.
“Nonsense. Hannah won’t get in the way and you can make sure she gets it right, Spencer. You can have her sit in with clients and go to court with you. You mentioned you have a court date later this week, I think?”
“We do. It’s an interesting case, actually. I suppose that might be good for her to see,” Spencer admitted.
“Good! Then it’s settled. Hannah can meet you at your office tomorrow. What time should she be there?”
Spencer hesitated. “Maybe nine? I’m in earlier but my first client meeting is at nine so if you want to come a few minutes before that?”
“Okay.” Hannah recognized it was a great opportunity to really see inside a law firm and how it worked, but the idea of spending all day shadowing Spencer was a little intimidating.
And apparently he wasn’t too keen on having her spend the entire day, either. “Why don’t we do mornings for the rest of this week? That should give you enough time to get a feel for it and in the afternoon you can do your own thing, get some writing done?”
Hannah relaxed a little. That sounded better to her, too. “That’s perfect. I like to write at the coffee shop in the afternoon so I can just head over there when we finish up.”
“I guess I’ll see you early tomorrow morning then,” Spencer said.
Joy and Ben exchanged glances and looked pleased with themselves.
“See you in the morning.” Hannah made a mental note to make sure she left early enough to get there at a quarter to nine. She would be horrified to be late on her first day at Spencer’s office.