“And the first Wattle Creek managed to keep in a long time,” someone heckled.
“I guess thanks for coming. Gabriella. Georgia. No doubt this is all your doing. So thank you for organizing. Please eat the food I can see spread everywhere, enjoy. So yeah, thanks.”
People applauded, cheered, and raised their glasses.
I leaned forward and whispered, “Want a drink?”
Grace looked back at me with pleading eyes. “Need. Need a drink,” she confirmed, sounding desperate.
“I’m on it,” I promised before watching her drag her sisters into the kitchen, no doubt to ask what the hell they were thinking.
I wove my way through the people over to the cooler on the grass only to find Jake already rummaging through.
“Oh hey, Cole. How’s it going?”
“It’s been an interesting day,” I offered vaguely. “Actually, while I’ve got you, I probably need another day or two before I can pick up those chickens. I was supposed to be finishing the coop now but …”
“But you got railroaded?”
“Something like that. How’d you get dragged here?” I asked.
“Same way I always do. Kellie’s right over there.”
“Is Kellie friends with the girls?”
“Went to school with the twins.”
“Oh okay.”
“Yeah. They called her the other day and got this whole thing in motion. Grace had no idea, did she?” Jake chuckled, popping the top on his beer.
“Not a clue. She wasn’t even going to answer their call.”
“Wow. She doesn’t really seem like the surprise party kind of girl,” Jake pointed out, and I couldn’t tell him he was wrong.
“I think she was just caught off-guard. There’s a lot of people here,” I commented as I glanced around. I only recognized about half of them and I’d lived in Wattle Creek for a couple of years. Grace had only been back a few weeks, she was probably just as overwhelmed and confused as I was.
“Yeah. But her family has been around forever. Everyone knew her mom and dad. Her mom used to bake for everyone. Anytime there was a fundraiser, she was always first to put her hand up.”
“Sounds like a remarkable woman,” I commented. I didn’t know a lot about Grace’s mom but knew Grace idealized her and was terrified she’d never measure up. I just hadn’t known the whole town thought of her the same way.
“She really was. And Georgia and Gabriella have tried to keep it going. Only last month Gabriella volunteered to help the local football team raise money for new uniforms. Everyone loves them here.”
“They’re great girls.”
I was watching my words.
“And now Grace is back, they're so excited to have her home.”
Kellie wandered over, staring at her husband with hearts in her eyes. You’d never know they’d been together for years. The way they looked at each other made them look like they were still stuck in the honeymoon phase.
“Hey, Cole,” Kellie greeted, wrapping her arm around Jake’s waist and resting her other on his stomach.
“Having a good afternoon?” I asked politely.
“I am. It’s such a beautiful afternoon and I love the B&B. It’s so pretty.”
She wasn’t wrong. Even though I’d been inside and out the front, it’d been a while since I’d ventured out the back. Huge oak trees provided shade, and one even had a tire swing dangling from the branches. The lawns were perfectly mown, and the garden beds overflowed with flowers of all different colors.
