She glanced down at it, too, and smiled. When she looked up again, Kevin was gone.
And Annie went to bed to try and nap.
First thing in the morning, she would call Louisa.
Chapter 19
“Iknew I’d hear from you when you were ready,” Louisa said the next morning.
They talked for a while. Trish had been right; Louisa confirmed the fine points of the deal and encouraged Annie to say yes. “We don’t know what the future holds,” her agent said, “but this is very much a bird in hand. A very nice bird, I might add.”
Her comments mirrored Kevin’s. It’s here. Take it. Because tomorrow—or ever—might not be as lucrative.
Before ending the call, Louisa said she was looking forward to the wedding. Originally, Annie had been pleased when Louisa accepted the invitation. But now she wondered how on earth she’d be able to focus on her marriage vows with thoughts of Hollywood in the room.
Skipping breakfast, she retreated to the workshop, where she wrapped and packed until mid-afternoon, when Lucy showed up.
“School’s out,” she said. “I figured you could use my artsy-craftsy talents.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers.
Annie laughed. “You’re an angel. But first, I need lunch.”
Ten minutes later they were sitting at Annie’s table, Lucy nibbling on a cookie, while Annie made do with a cheese sandwich, to which she added a few sprigs of fresh spinach so she could tell herself that she was eating healthy.
“I’ve been thinking,” Lucy said. “Now that Francine and Bella are home, can Bella be the flower girl? My grandmother can make her a dress that looks like mine . . .”
Annie brushed a bread crumb from her lip. “Lucy, you’re a genius! What a great idea.”
Lucy grinned and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I invented the internet or anything. It seems pretty natural. Bella’s kind of your granddaughter, isn’t she?”
If she’d had a mouthful of sandwich, Annie might have choked. “Kind of,” she replied, not mentioning that she preferred to be thought of as a kindly aunt, “if you don’t take DNA into consideration. But, really, Lucy, it’s a terrific idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”
“Well, I know you weren’t sure if they’d be here, what with Francine’s . . . condition.”
There was never a moment when Annie didn’t love having Lucy for company. “I was more concerned about a blizzard that would ground the planes. But, hooray, everyone is here. And I think Bella will adore being the flower girl. And she’ll make the ceremony extra special.”
“And she’ll love the sparkles on her dress.” Lucy set down the cookie, picked out a couple of chocolate chips, and popped them into her mouth. “Speaking of the wedding, I know you must be bummed because you wanted Abigail to redesign your dress. Her boyfriend’s left the island, but she has to work on a final project for the semester . . .”
“Let’s see how it plays out,” Annie said, though in truth she was beginning to resign herself to looking ugly. Mostly because right then it just seemed easier.
“And before I forget,” Lucy said, chattering on, “Gramma wants us to come to dinner tomorrow. My dad, too. They’re dying to see your ring. She said she wants to try out recipes for the reception. She knows you’re busy, but she said you have to eat anyway, so you might as well kill two birds with one stone, not that she’d want anyone to kill anything. I think the real reason she wants to do it is because she doesn’t want Rex to upstage her cuisine.”
Annie put her elbows on the table and rested her face in her palms. With a wedding that was supposed to be low key, she feared it was on its way to getting out of hand. Especially if a feud developed over the stainless-steel, ten-burner gas stove. But no matter how many gastronomic stars Rex had collected, she would not allow Claire to be slighted. Also, if Annie went to the house for dinner, maybe she could grab some time with John and tell him about Trish’s deal. And get that resolved. Which, of course, sounded way more simple than she knew it would be.
“Tomorrow will be great,” she told Lucy. “By then I’ll need a break.” She wolfed down the last of the sandwich. “But for now, let’s think about soap. As long as you’re here, I’m going to work you like a dog.”
“Don’t ever say that in front of Restless. You know he’d rather be sleeping than working.”
* * *
By Wednesday night, thanks to Lucy’s help, Annie was almost ready for the Fair. Dinner at Earl and Claire’s turned into a merry event, with Lucy and John and Jonas and Francine. (Bella had an early supper, had said “Good night, everyone,” and been put to bed.) Claire’s “potential recipes” for the wedding turned out fantastic: roasted Camembert with an orange-cranberry compote; a spinach salad with feta cheese, pomegranates, and figs; garlic butter and herb seared scallops on riced cauliflower. And a hot chocolate bar, which was Lucy’s idea. Everything was now neatly copied and pasted into Claire’s iPad for safekeeping.
“I’ve made a two-part decision,” Annie said after they feasted. “The first part is that I’m going to announce the second part without having consulted my groom. The second part is that Claire, I want you to decide on the menu. I want you to surprise us. I know whatever you do will be wonderful.” Then she added, “As long as it isn’t too much pressure on you.”
Claire’s cheeks turned pink and her eyes widened with . . . surprise? Happiness? Hesitation?
“Well, my goodness,” she said. “I didn’t expect that. I was only trying to . . .”
“To make our wedding special,” Annie said. “And you will. I am absolutely confident.”
