CHAPTERONE
“Move it, or lose it.”
Bunny Howard said the words out loud to herself as she snugged her thick wool sweater tighter and trudged down the beach, her shoes making imprints in the soft sand. At least that was what she’d read about staying young and active while aging. Bunny was about to turn seventy, and she intended to be the youngest seventy she could. “Seventy is the new fifty” was her motto.
Bunny loved her life. She had everything she could want and wanted to keep it that way. She had her independence and her creative endeavors, like crossword puzzles and painting, and she was hardly ever lonely because she had wonderful neighbors who were more like family. There was one thing she could use more of, though—mental activity. But that was where the new Lobster Bay Book Club came in. And that was where she was headed right now.
There would be plenty of mental stimulation as they discussed the protagonists and underlying themes of each book they read. Bunny could hardly wait to get started. They’d chosen a murder mystery by Edward Kingsley for the first book. She’d devoured the book in two days and couldn’t wait to tell the group how she’d deciphered the clues in order to figure out the identity of the killer early on in the book.
In keeping with her health initiative, she’d parked her car in the public beach parking lot, which was fairly empty this time of year since it was the first week in October. Walking down the beach was always such a pleasant task, except maybe when it was windy and cold, like now. Not to mention it was getting dark. Bunny glanced behind her at the empty lot, envisioning how that might feel a little threatening when she had to walk back to her car after dark.
“No worries,” she said out loud. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Tides, the quaint seaside inn where the book club’s first meeting was being held, came into view. The old Victorian was one of the oldest buildings on the beach and fit right in with its large turret, wide back deck, and widow’s walk at the very top of the roof. Tables were still set up on the back deck for guests to enjoy breakfasts outside. It was early fall, and there were still some nice days left to eat outside while gazing at the ocean.
Lights were on inside, and she could see people moving about. Claire from Sandcastles Bakery was standing in the dining room. Hopefully, she’d brought some of her delicious pastries. Andie, one of the sisters who owned the inn, was stacking coffee mugs on the sideboard next to a big coffee urn. Some of Bunny’s neighbors were there, too, including Sheila Donahue and Olga Svenson. Liz Weston, the new gal who had moved in next door to Bunny, was setting out some napkins and plates. She worked at Tides part-time, so she’d probably stayed on after work.
Bunny tucked the hardcover book she’d been carrying under her arm and paused at the bottom of the steps to the deck. Cooper, Jane’s golden retriever, trotted over. His friendly face, with his golden fur and soulful brown eyes, gazed through the glass at her.
She paused, putting one hand on the side of the house for balance as she lifted her left foot to dump sand out of her shoe.
“Bunny? What are you doing back here? You could have come in the front.” Jane, the other sister who ran the inn, opened the door for her.
Bunny nodded back toward the ocean. “I walked down the beach. Gotta get my steps in.”
Cooper rushed out to escort her up the steps, and she bent to pet him as the smell of coffee and muffins tugged her inside.
“Bunny!” Emma Chamberlain turned from the corner where she’d been talking to Hailey Robinson. Emma was Bunny’s neighbor and had recently become good friends with Hailey, who worked for Claire at Sandcastles Bakery. The two had bonded over being single mothers with preteen girls. “I would have given you a ride.”
“Thanks. I actually parked in the public lot and walked down the beach.” Bunny received Emma’s hug a little awkwardly. Even though they were very close as neighbors, she did find Emma to be a little overenthusiastic in the hugging department. But it was hard to fault the girl with her bright blue eyes and zest for life.
“Walked down the beach, you say?” Olga Svenson peered at Bunny from over her reading glasses. “You go, girl! That’s how I got to be so spry at my age. You have to keep moving.”
Olga, another of Bunny’s neighbors, was ninety going on thirty. She lived alone and refused to move despite her children practically begging. She did pretty well on her own, and everyone in the neighborhood looked out for her.
“I can give you a ride back to your car after if you want.” Liz appeared at Bunny’s side. She glanced out the doors toward the ocean. “It will be pitch-black by the time we’re done.”
“Thanks. I might take you up on that.” Bunny tried to make it sound like she wasn’t afraid of walking down the lonely beach alone in the dark, but she was secretly relieved.
Liz held out a tray loaded with little pieces of toast topped with basil, mozzarella, and grape tomato halves. “Have one.”
Bunny grabbed a napkin then one of the hors d’oeuvres and popped it into her mouth. “Delish! Are the tomatoes from your garden?”
Bunny knew Liz’s garden well since she’d helped plant and harvest it and was lucky enough to be able to take as much as she wanted.
“Yep, there are still a few last tomatoes left.”
Hailey came to stand beside them. “Watch out for those weird-looking pastries.” She whispered, pointing to a try of something that looked like orange Danish. “Claire is experimenting with recipes for fall, and those are sweet potato Danish.” She made a face.
Bunny noticed the tray was still full, while the brownies beside it were going fast. “Should I have brought something?”
“Oh no! You know Claire—she always brings stuff from the bakery, and I just didn’t want all the tomatoes to go bad. No one else brought anything. If we all did, there would be way too much food,” Liz assured her.
“That’s the thing about tomatoes. They all seem to ripen at once. And these were late bloomers,” Bunny said as she edged toward the brownies.
“Okay! Everyone. Let’s get the discussion going. Grab a plate of food and something to drink and follow me.”
Jane led them to a cozy room in the back of the inn. Bunny had been to Tides a few times but mostly to the larger rooms in the front. This one had a large stone fireplace and window seats. Chairs were set in a circle, and small tables had been placed thoughtfully so everyone would have something to put their snacks on.
