Maggie lifted the thick, pillowy flatbread off the skillet with a large spatula and gently slid it into the basket Cassie held aloft. Her movements seemed smoother and more spritely than ever. Traveling suited her. In the few years since she’d retired and sold her bakery to Cassie and Eliza, she’d gone on an Alaskan cruise, toured Greece, India, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. In addition to smiling more often, her formerly round, soft figure looked leaner and stronger, and her skin glowed with a rosy hue.
For a brief moment, Cassie wondered if a grandchild would put a damper on her travels, which clearly made her happy. This baby would impact more lives than hers and Luke’s.
“Sorry I’m late.” Penny swept into the kitchen carrying a large cardboard box. “I was waiting for Colt, but he’s still at the restaurant, so I decided to drive separately.” Her tone was apologetic with a whisper of disappointment. She set the box on the counter.
“That’s all right, dear.” Maggie welcomed her daughter-in-law with a kiss on the cheek.
“Maggie, you look fantastic.” Penny admired the older woman’s flowy pant suit printed with a pretty floral pattern. “Costa Rica suits you.”
“Thank you, dear. Must be all the sunshine and tropical air.” She patted her short-cropped ebony curls. “But the humidity did a number on my hair.” The dark coils shimmered with streaks of silver and had a little extra flounce than usual.
“Your hair looks wonderful, as always.” Penny slipped around the kitchen island to give Cassie a hug. “Long time no see,” she said with a smile.
“Any more thoughts on the riddle?” Cassie asked, returning her embrace.
“Not yet.”
“Riddle?” Maggie slid a cinnamon coffee cake out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool.
Taking turns, Cassie and Penny regaled Maggie with the details of their treasure hunt, ending with the most recent clue.
“How curious,” Maggie mused. “It sounds like a tricky one, but you girls will figure it out.” She gazed at them with motherly affection. “I’m really proud of you both for stepping in to protect the library. Bryce’s mother, Anne, would be mortified that he even considered selling it.” She shook her head, clicking her tongue to make atsk-tsksound. “I blame the father for how that boy turned out. Two peas in a pod, those two. I could say more, but it’s not polite to speak ill of the departed.”
“How about some good news, then?” Penny opened the flaps of the cardboard box. “Wait until you see what I brought.”
“What is it?” Cassie took a peek inside.
“Maggie’s cuckoo clock. It had been acting up, so I sent it to a repair shop I’ve worked with before. I used my dad’s name, and they not only fixed the mechanism, they refurbished the entire thing. It looks brand-new. It took two weeks, but I didn’t think you’d mind, Maggie, since you weren’t home.”
Maggie wiped her hands on her apron before coming over to take a look. Her full heart-shaped face broke into a smile. “Penny, it looks beautiful! Like the day I first stumbled upon it in theWeihnachtsmarkt.” Her features softened at the memory. “Leonard used to fix it whenever it went on the fritz, even though the noise drove him batty. He’d be pleased to see how well they took care of it.”
For a moment, Maggie seemed to travel back to the past, and not for the first time, Cassie wished she’d been able to meet Luke’s father. His parents had shared a special bond, one she hoped she and Luke would emulate for their own children one day.
Their first Christmas together, Cassie had gifted Luke a cuckoo clock as an expression of her unconditional love. In return, he’d given her a hand-carved ornament shaped like her grandmother’s cottage. Inside, she found a dainty gold necklace. Her fingertips instinctively found the small pendant at her throat, tracing the outline of the solid gold coffee cup, landing on the tiny diamond in the center.
These early years of courtship and marriage had been filled with romance and thoughtful gestures. Would all that change when long strolls by the river and intimate, late-night meals became midnight feedings and the constant consoling of a crying infant?
“Luke, dear,” Maggie called to her son in the adjacent dining room where she’d tasked him with setting the table.
Cassie’s pulse stuttered as he strode into the kitchen. He’d worn her favorite forest green button-down that highlighted the gold flecks in his hazel eyes.
He caught her staring and tossed her a wink, making her stomach flutter. He’d been giddy all evening, eager to share the news with his family. Once Colt arrived, they’d all be present, ready for the big reveal. Well, everyone except her mother.
Not for the first time, Cassie wished her mother could be a part of these gatherings. She wanted to share this piece of her life with her, to merge her two families, new and old. It had never seemed possible before, but maybe now, there was hope?
“Will you hang this back on the wall for me?” Maggie asked, gingerly removing the clock from the cardboard box.
“Sure thing.” Luke lifted it from his mother’s hands, flashing a grin at Penny. “You had them remove the sound box, right?”
“Sorry, that cost extra,” Penny teased.
Everyone, including Maggie, shared a lighthearted laugh.
“What’d I miss?” Colt Davis breezed into the room as if he weren’t almost forty minutes late.
“Nothing,” Penny quipped, stiffening as Colt bent to kiss her hello.
Cassie immediately sensed Penny’s annoyance at her husband’s tardiness, but the second their lips met, she melted in his arms. Whatever issues they had, clearly no love was lost.
