Chapter Eight
Chrissie arrived at Blossoms early on Tuesday morning hoping to have a few minutes to talk to Sophie before Dana got there.
She’d been awake the previous two nights, thinking about Jared’s invitation and vacillating between accepting and making an excuse as to why she couldn’t go to his father’s wedding. She really wanted to go, even though at first she’d had a hard time admitting why, but in the end it seemed flat-out stupid to lie to herself. She liked him. A lot. And she was attracted to him—who wouldn’t be? She hadn’t wanted to, hadn’t wanted to like or be attracted to anyone—but there it was. He was everything she needed to stay away from, and yet she felt like she was under some kind of a spell.
If he’d been trying hard to make her like him, if he’d come on really strong, or if he’d tried to seduce her, she’d have felt entirely different. But he’d done none of those things. He’d simply been a nice, friendly guy who said he enjoyed her company. Chrissie couldn’t deny that she liked his. The fact that he was movie-star handsome and had a great sense of humor and a phenomenal build should have been in his favor. But she’d thought the same about Doug when they first met, and those things that had caught her eye in the beginning hadn’t served her well after a while. With Doug, it had all been only skin deep.
Jared isn’t Doug.
She’d spent the past two nights telling herself that fact. So while she reminded herself of the similarities, she also reminded herself of their differences. Doug had been a flatterer, a man who always told you what he thought you wanted to hear. At least, in the beginning he had. After a while, he no longer bothered to tell her she looked pretty, maybe because she’d stopped caring how she looked.
Things had become so strained that shortly before she left, she’d asked him why he stayed with her if he was as bored by her as he’d professed to be.
He’d grabbed her ponytail and pulled her head back as far as it would go, exposing her neck. For one terrifying second, she’d envisioned a knife in his hand, saw her own blood spatter across the room.
“Because you belong to me,” he’d told her. Long moments passed before he’d set her free.
That was when she knew the time for her to leave was closer than it had ever been. The day she’d planned for would come sooner rather than later. Within a week, she was gone, but the memory of that mind-numbing fear had never gone away.
But Jared was nothing like Doug. And the chance to attend such a fun, happy event with Jared, even as a friend, was almost too tempting to pass up.
She decided she’d leave it up to the fates. If she asked for that weekend off and Sophie said no, then that would be her answer to Jared as well.
“He invited you to his father’s wedding to Delia?” Sophie had looked more than a little surprised, though she did try to cover it. “That’s fabulous! You’re going to have such a good time. Those Enrights know how to party, believe me. Have you met Delia before?”
Chrissie shook her head, surprised by Sophie’s easy acquiescence. On the one hand, she was relieved of making a decision. On the other, now she had to go.
“. . . and he’s just darling,” Sophie was saying.
“Wait . . . who?”
“Nick Enright. Delia’s son. He’s a marine biologist, works along the Delaware Bay. His wife, India, is an attorney; she’s from Devlin’s Light. They have a son who must be twelve or so, a daughter who’s maybe eight, and they adopted a young girl named Corri, who’s in her teens.” Sophie went into an explanation about Corri’s roots—she was the adopted daughter of India’s deceased brother—even as the thought swirled around in Chrissie’s head that she was actually going to do this.
“Chrissie, you look shocked. You didn’t really think I’d say no, did you?”
“I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe since I’ve only been working here a few weeks, you’re not obligated to give me time off.”
“I’d never want to be responsible for anyone missing out on a weekend like that,” Sophie assured her.
“A weekend like what?” Dana came into the kitchen.
Before Chrissie could respond, Sophie said, “Jared Chandler asked Chrissie to be his date for his father’s wedding to Delia Enright.”
Dana frowned. “I thought you said you were just friends.”
“We are just friends. He didn’t want to take a date date, but he had to bring someone to keep the tables balanced or something.” Chrissie felt compelled to repeat, “We really are just friends. He’s in a pinch and asked me to bail him out. That’s all.”
“I’m his friend and he didn’t ask me,” Dana pouted.
“Take it up with him, because honestly, I don’t know why he asked me except—” Chrissie began, then stopped. Dana had a point. He could have asked her or anyone else, but he’d chosen Chrissie. “Except that we really are good friends. I think he didn’t want pressure from anyone who’d expect anything of him. End of story.”
“End my butt. It won’t be the end until after the wedding and we hear all about who wore what. That’s a pretty fancy crew, you know.” Sophie slipped her apron over her head and studied the blackboard where the night before she’d posted today’s specials. “Delia’s daughter Zoey is a host on one of the shopping channels and she’s married to a guy who used to race Formula One. Her other daughter was a professional ballerina and she’s married to a vet. These people dress up. I mean designer duds.”
“Then I probably should tell Jared no. I have absolutely nothing to wear to something like that.” Chrissie’s heart sank. She’d just accepted the fact that she was going, gave herself permission to get excited at the prospect, and then, bam. Back to earth.
“Go see our friend Vanessa at Bling. Tell her what you’re going to be doing, and I promise she will fix you up. Maybe not with Versace and Dior, but she sources things for her shop from little-known designers who’ve yet to make their name.”
“I don’t know . . .” Chrissie had no idea what such a venture would cost.
“Go talk to Ness. Trust me. She’ll move heaven and earth to help you. She has the biggest heart in the world and she’s sharp as a tack. She’ll know what to do.”
• • •
VANESSA HAD KNOWN exactly what to do.
“Find out what you’re going to be doing every day,” Vanessa had told Chrissie after she’d explained her situation. “Then you bring that list back in here and we’ll find you just what you need. You tell Jared you want to know what, where, and what time of day.”
“I don’t know if he even knows.”
“Then tell him to find out.”
Chrissie must have been staring at her blankly because Vanessa explained, “There’s bound to be a rehearsal dinner and it’ll probably be the night before the wedding, right? Ask where it’s going to be and how dressy. If it’s going to be a barbecue in the backyard, you wouldn’t pack a cocktail dress. But if it’s a fancy restaurant . . .”
“I got it.” The fog that had been in Chrissie’s head began to clear. It was simply a matter of logic. Jared would give her the info, she’d pass it on to Vanessa, and then she’d shop.
She was actually looking forward to it. She’d looked around Vanessa’s store and been dazzled by the beautiful clothes and accessories, the shoes and the jewelry. The thought of buying some of those beautiful things, of wearing them while she was with Jared and his family, was at once intimidating and exhilarating. New Chrissie could hardly wait to shop.
When she met up with Jared on Wednesday outside Scoop, before he could even ask her what she’d decided, she suggested they go inside, order, then sit at one of the tables instead of walking or opting for a bench outside.
“I need to go over a few things with you,” she told him.
“Okay.” He looked puzzled but agreed.
There was a line when they got inside, which gave them plenty of time to read the specials for the day, and for Chrissie to run through exactly what she was going to say. She didn’t want him to think she was as excited as she was—so not cool, she’d decided. But on the other hand, she didn’t want to come off as if she thought she was doing him a favor by going, even if she was.
“If it’s Chrissie, it must be Wednesday.” Steffie stood behind the counter with an ice cream scoop in her raised hand.
“It is on both counts. One scoop of strawberry rhubarb cheesecake in a dish, please.” Chrissie stepped aside so Jared could place his order.
“Mexican hot chocolate for me.”
“The usual three in a dish?” Steffie asked.
Jared nodded. “Perfect.”
“So I hear congratulations are in order, Jared.” Steffie handed Chrissie’s order over the top of the counter. “Your dad is marrying a famous lady.” She piled his ice cream into a dish. “We love Delia here. She brought in a couple of her grandkids last time she was in St. Dennis. Cute kids.” She passed Jared his order, then took a few steps toward the cash register.
“Yup. Another week and a half and I’ll have a stepmother,” he said. “Wait, scratch that. I’m not allowed to use that word. Delia’s made it clear there will be no ‘steps’ in the family.”
“Aw, that’s nice.” Steffie glanced at the door as the bell rang for the fourth time in as many minutes. “Must be getting warmer outside. The place is filling up. I’d love to hear about the wedding, but I’m afraid the crowd would get rowdy.”
Jared paid for the ice cream, and when Chrissie protested, he told her she could buy next time. Since it appeared there most likely would be a next time, she nodded and staked a claim to a table.
“So.” Jared sat with his back to the wall and an uncertain expression on his face. “You’re either going to break my heart or make my day. What’s it going to be?”
“I asked Sophie if I could have the time off and she agreed. So yes, I’ll go to your dad’s wedding with you.”
“Yes!” His smile went all the way to his eyes. “Thank you. You’re going to make a lot of people very happy, not the least of whom would be me and my dad and my step—ah, Delia.”
Chrissie was surprised by how happy he looked. Genuinely happy that she was going with him. If she said it wasn’t an ego boost, she’d be lying.
“Thanks, Chris. I really appreciate you doing this. If you ever need a favor . . .”
“Actually, I do.” She took a small pad of paper and a pen from her bag. “I need you to tell me what we’re going to be doing every day, and what the dress code is.”
“Huh?” He looked confused.
“I need to know what to pack.” She didn’t want to admit she’d be shopping for just about everything she’d be bringing with her.
“Oh. Well, I know there’s a rehearsal dinner on Friday night, and the wedding’s on Saturday. Does that help?”
“I sort of figured those out for myself. No, I need to know about Thursday. What time are we going? Is there something planned during the day? That night? Casual? Formal? Somewhere in between?”
“You’re starting to sound like every other girl I ever knew,” he said.
“It’s what any girl would ask when going away to spend four days with people she’s never met, especially when one of those people happens to be an internationally acclaimed author. So can you find out those things and let me know?”
“Sure.” He looked slightly peeved at the prospect.
Chrissie laughed in spite of the fact that she could see he was perplexed. “Look, you have a sister, right? Just ask her.”
His face relaxed a little. “That’s a good idea. Better yet, how ’bout I ask Rachel to call you and she can tell you what she’s bringing?”
“That would be great, thanks.” She picked up the pad and the pen and started to drop them into her bag. “Should I write you a memo?”
“No, I’ll remember. I have to call Dad anyway so he can tell Delia I will be bringing a friend to their festivities.” His ice cream had started to melt, so he began to work on it. “Chrissie, thanks, I really am happy that you’re going with me. Not just to please my dad and Delia, but because I know we’ll have a good time.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I really am.”
• • •
AND SHE WAS. She was glad the decision had been made, and happy when Rachel, Jared’s sister, called the following night.
“I knew there was someone,” she told Chrissie. “I knew he’d break down and ask you to go with him. As soon as he said, ‘There was this friend . . .’ Well, Jared doesn’t have women friends, so of course we were all wondering what he was hiding.”
“Oh no. He’s not hiding anything. We really are just friends. He wasn’t kidding,” Chrissie protested.
“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Rachel paused. “We’re all looking forward to meeting the woman Jared claims is ‘just a friend.’ ”
“Oh, no pressure.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that . . . I guess you’d have to know how Jared’s always been about women.”
“Someone did describe him as a bit of a playboy.”
“Playboy works. Not in a bad ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ way, but he’s always been sort of lighthearted about his relationships. I never saw him in a serious relationship, so I don’t even know what that would look like. But I digress. I’m sure you’re fabulous and we’ll all love you. If you’re a strong enough woman to take on a relationship of any sort with my brother, you must be quite a girl.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Now, I did manage to get an itinerary out of Delia, so take this down . . .”
Rachel ran through the weekend’s events and Chrissie made notes. By the time the weekend had been laid out for her, Chrissie felt slightly deflated. There were so many things planned, so many choices of activities for the afternoons, her head was spinning.
“I’m packing a nice outfit for Thursday night—something I can wear anyplace that I can change the look of with different shoes—but am going with a casual sundress for the day. Delia lives in Chester County, and there’s so much to see there, lots of great sightseeing, depending on your interests. Dressy for Friday night, very dressy but not floor length for the wedding, though some others may choose to wear something long. Totally casual for Sunday. Does that help?” Rachel asked.
“Enormously. Thank you so much. I think I can work with this.” Or at least, Vanessa will.
• • •
CHRISSIE CALLED BLING on Friday morning and gave Vanessa the outline for the weekend.
“Come in on Sunday morning,” Vanessa told her. “I’ll have a bunch of things for you to try on. And don’t feel you have to buy everything, or anything, for that matter. I’ll be the first to admit I love clothes—hence my choice of profession—and I love to find things for other people to love. But even if you don’t find something you want to buy, you can get an idea of what’s available, what’s in style this season.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help so much. I’ll see you on Sunday morning.” Chrissie ended the call determined to find at least one thing to buy from Bling.
She’d gone through the clothes she owned, what she’d brought with her as well as the pieces she bought after she moved to the island. Aside from a few basics, there wasn’t a whole lot she’d want to take with her for the wedding weekend.
A pair of shorts, a few casual tops, walking shoes in case they did some exploring, and a pair of sandals that weren’t particularly great looking but that she had a fondness for and were comfortable to walk in. She’d set them on the chair in her bedroom and regarded the small pile of clothing. Definitely not enough to take her through a weekend where many of the other women would be wearing designer clothes.
She checked her bank account and found she had more in reserve than she’d remembered. Then again, she’d had few expenses since she moved to Maryland, and there’d been that generous severance from Rob plus what she’d been earning at Blossoms. Armed with her checkbook and an open mind, Chrissie drove into St. Dennis on Sunday morning. She found a parking place directly in front of the store since it was early and the church parking lots would be filled at this time of the day. Most of the shops on Charles Street didn’t open until noon on Sunday, and the only business that seemed to be busy at that hour was Cuppachino, the coffee shop directly across the street from Bling. Chrissie locked her car, and after a brief pause to admire Bling’s front window, which sported a few things from the fashion show, she knocked on the locked door.
“Sorry,” Vanessa said as she unlocked it. “We normally don’t open on Sunday until twelve, but I wanted you to have enough time to try on some things that I think will be lovely on you.”
Vanessa ushered Chrissie to the main section of the store, where she had a rack of pretty things on display. Chrissie’s head began to spin.
“I thought we might want to go event by event, starting with Thursday.” Vanessa stepped aside so Chrissie could look through the rack. “Any idea what you might be doing in the afternoon?”
“I think we’re not leaving till around four. Jared said we’ll get there in time for dinner and hang out with his family afterward,” Chrissie said.
“So that’s good. You only need something for the trip there and something for dinner.” Vanessa pulled out several dresses from the rack. “Any of these speak to you?”
Before Chrissie could take a look, the door of the store opened and closed.
“Hey, we’re here.” Lis came into view, followed by Cass.
“What are you doing here?” Chrissie tried to remember if she’d mentioned her shopping excursion to either of them.
“When Gigi told me you were going to shop for some new things to wear next weekend, well, we had to be here.” Something in the glass jewelry case caught Lis’s eye and she paused for a moment.
“We thought we’d do a sort of girls’ day. Girls’ morning. Whatever.” Cass placed a bag on the counter. “Coffee, scones, a few Danish tossed in for good luck.” She handed Chrissie a paper cup of coffee. “Drink up. Then let’s see what you decided to try on.”
“Nothing yet. I haven’t had a chance to look.” Chrissie took a sip of coffee and put the cup down on the counter. It was delicious, but so were the four dresses Lis pulled out from the rack.
“Any one of these would be perfect on you.” Lis held up a blue sheath.
“We’re going day by day, so we’re on Thursday dinner and probably hanging out at Delia’s house,” Chrissie said as she began to go through the dresses. After she’d rejected them all as too dressy, Vanessa brought out several more.
“I still like the blue one.” Lis held the dress up in front of Chrissie. “It’s so pretty.”
“It is,” Chrissie agreed as she searched the rack. “But it’s just not me. Maybe it’s that ruffle around the neckline. I can’t see myself in it.”
Chrissie lifted a light gray dress of slightly marled cotton knit from the rack. It was fitted, sleeveless, and had a high neckline. “I think I’d like to try this.”
“It’s kind of plain,” Cass said, then hastened to add, “but you could dress it up with a belt or a scarf.”
“I want to try it.” Chrissie held it up to her body.
“The dressing room is to the right in the back room.” Vanessa pointed the way.
Once in the dressing room, Chrissie took a deep breath. She’d wanted not to feel overwhelmed by this totally new experience of shopping in a high-end boutique, one that had opened just for her. She was determined to enjoy herself, especially now that Lis and Cass were there, both of whom she felt sure had shopped here more than once.
She took off the white T-shirt and navy shorts she wore, and slipped the dress over her head. When she turned to look in the mirror, she did a double take.
The dress was slightly fitted to her body but not tight, so unlike most of her things, which were somewhat baggy. She’d been browbeaten for so long by Doug not to show off her body, she’d forgotten what it was like to wear clothes that actually fit well.
She stepped out of the dressing room in her bare feet and went into the front room, where Lis, Vanessa, and Cass were dividing up a huge scone. The three looked up when Chrissie came in.
“Well, there’s a perfect example of how a dress can look like practically nothing on the hanger and then be a wow on the right body.” Vanessa licked remnants of the scone from her fingers.
“I never would have guessed that would look so good on.” Cass nodded. “It really sets off your hair and your cute shape. You need something here, though.” She patted around the neckline. “Might be too warm for a scarf, but maybe a necklace.”
“Something fun and summery,” Lis agreed.
“I have just the thing.” Vanessa opened one of the glass cases and brought out a necklace made of five strands of coral-colored beads. “Try this.” She handed the necklace to Chrissie.
“Oh, and these shoes, Chris.” Cass lifted a pair of sandals made of multicolored strips of leather. “They have heels, but not too high, not too low. And they have that coral color in them.” She handed the shoes to Chrissie.
“These are my size,” Chrissie said. She looked to Vanessa and asked, “May I?”
“Of course.”
Chrissie slipped on the sandals while Lis fastened the necklace at the nape of her neck.
“Gorgeous,” Cass said.
“That outfit’s a winner, Chrissie,” Vanessa said. “Look in the big mirror behind you to get the full effect.”
Chrissie stood there for a moment, then pulled the elastic from her hair and let the long blond strands fall over her shoulder. She hardly recognized herself.
“Done. I love everything—the dress, the shoes, the necklace. I’m taking these.” Chrissie removed the necklace, then the shoes, and handed them all to Vanessa.
“Great choice.” Vanessa placed them on the counter. “Now. Friday. Friday night.”
“Rachel said there was a lot to see around Delia’s place. I checked out the area on the internet and found some Revolutionary War battlefields and a place with lots of gardens,” Chrissie recalled. “So I’m guessing some sightseeing during the day, something sort of dressy at night.”
They went through the entire weekend, event by event, just as Vanessa had suggested, and by the time Chrissie was finished shopping, she’d picked out a pretty sundress for Friday during the day and a beautiful silk dress in a medium shade of pink for Friday night. For the Saturday wedding, she’d chosen a dress in a shimmery blue-green that seemed to change with the light. It had thin straps and came to a V in the front that was, in Lis’s words, deep enough to be interesting but not so deep as to get her in serious trouble. As soon as Chrissie had seen it, she’d known it was the right one.
“These shoes.” Lis handed her a pair from the display. “With that dress. Put ’em on, please.”
Chrissie did.
“I should have had you modeling in my show a few weeks ago. I will remember this for next time.” Vanessa straightened out one of Chrissie’s straps. “You wear everything so well. And those just sell the whole picture.”
“You need long, sparkly earrings, and nothing else.” Lis scanned the glass cases for something she deemed suitable.
“I have a pair of long gold earrings that look like they’ve been woven from solid strands. They’re just the thing. I’ll loan them to you,” Cass said.
“I’d be afraid of losing them, but thanks,” Chrissie told her.
“No, that dress needs those earrings. Trust me. You have to wear them,” Cass insisted.
“I’ll try them on. Thanks.”
They finished the scones and the coffee, and Cass cleaned up the counter while Vanessa added up Chrissie’s purchases and Chrissie held her breath. She knew the total was going to be steep, but she didn’t care as long as she could cover it with a check. She’d set a spending limit for the day, and she was determined not to exceed it.
“Of course, you get the friends-and-family discount,” Vanessa told her before she handed over the bill. “And I took a little extra off because it was fun for me. I never get to shop with my girlfriends anymore.”
“Maybe because you don’t have to go anywhere to shop,” Cass pointed out. “And because when we shop here, there are always a dozen other people shopping at the same time.”
“Yeah, the rest of us don’t get the royal treatment that Chrissie got. No fair.” Lis pretended to be put out.
“Maybe we should do this more often,” Vanessa said as she began to bag Chrissie’s things. “Open early on Sundays for private shopping.” She nodded. “I like it.”
“I like it, too. It’s more fun this way.” Lis turned her attention to the short skirts that were hanging on a nearby rack, then began to search through a pile of colorful T-shirts. “As long as I’m here, I think I’ll pick up a shirt or two.”
“Let me see that light green one, please.” Chrissie held out her hand.
It would be cute with her denim skirt, which she’d decided she’d take with her for the weekend. She asked Vanessa to add it and a pair of white cotton shorts to her total, since—surprise—she hadn’t reached her self-imposed limit. She knew that happy fact was due to the generous discount Vanessa had given her.
“Vanessa, this was the most fun.” Chrissie gathered the bags that held her shoes and the jewelry she’d bought and the garment bags containing the dresses. “I’d hug you, but I have no hands left for hugging.”
“I’ll hug you, then.” Vanessa did just that. “If I don’t see you before Thursday, have the best time of your life. Imagine how much fun you’re going to have. Delia is a delightful woman—she shops here when she’s in town—and her daughters are just as much fun.”
“I want to hug you, too.” Lis set down the shorts she was considering and put her arms around Chrissie. “Thanks for letting us crash your party this morning. It’s been fun. We’ll definitely do this again.”
“Thanks for bringing the refreshments,” Chrissie said as Lis squeezed her.
“I might as well, too.” Cass hugged her when Lis stepped away. “You’re going to wow everyone with that beautiful blue-green dress. It’s a shame you and Jared are only friends. He’s going to be knocked out and not know what to do about it.”
“The idea isn’t to knock him out,” Chrissie said before she left. “I wanted to knock me out. I wanted to feel good about the way I look. For me. Not for Jared.”
“You go, girl.” Cass held up a thumb.
“Oh, wait. Your hair.” Lis came to the door. “What are you going to do about your hair?”
“And makeup?” Cass asked. “Do you even own any makeup besides mascara? And how old is it, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Before Chrissie actually got out the door, Lis had made an appointment for her to have her hair trimmed and highlighted on Wednesday after Chrissie was finished working, and Cass promised to bring her some makeup samples to try out later that day.
“I have tons of stuff,” Cass told her. “As much as I hate to admit I have a weakness, I am a makeup junkie. I order tons of kits, then end up using two or three things, so I have stuff that’s never been used.”
“I’ve never worn a lot of makeup,” Chrissie said.
“The trick to wearing makeup is to look as if you’re not wearing any. You want to look like Chrissie, but better. I’ll show you,” Cass promised.
“Do you need help getting to your car?” Vanessa asked.
“No, I’m good,” Chrissie told her, “but thanks. I’m right out front.”
Chrissie said her good-byes and somehow made it to the car with all her goodies without dropping anything. She probably could have used a hand, but after two hours of girl talk, as fun as it had been, she was ready to go back to the island. She’d just started the engine and snapped on her seat belt when her phone rang.
“Hey, Chrissie. It’s Jared. I was just wondering if you were planning on another of your tours today.”
“Ah, actually, no. I have some things I want to catch up on at the store since I’ll be away for a few days. I want to make sure things are set up for Gigi, and I want to bake some stuff ahead of time.” She thought about the hair appointment Lis had made for her with her hairdresser, a woman who worked out of her home and was available 24/7 according to Lis. “No ice cream on Wednesday, either, I’m afraid.”
“Oh. Well, okay.” To her genuine surprise, he sounded disappointed. “So I guess I’ll see you on Thursday. I’ll get back to you with a more exact time, but it looks like around four in the afternoon.”
“I promised Gigi I’d make oyster fritters for her for tonight, and I’m on my way to the market now. Do you want to join us around seven?” Actually, she’d told Ruby she’d make oyster fritters the following night, but all of a sudden tonight sounded so much better, especially if Jared could join them.
“Yeah, I’d really like that. Thanks. Can I bring anything?”
“Beer, maybe?” She tried to remember if there’d been any left from the last time Lis and Alec had stopped over.
“You got it. I’ll see you at seven.”
He hung up right about the same time she did, and just as Cass was coming out of Bling.
She called to Cass, who walked over to the car.
“Since you’re coming over to the store later anyway for a makeup tutorial, why not bring Owen and plan on staying for dinner? I’m going to pick up some oysters.”
“We’d love to. Funny thing, but Owen just asked this morning if we could have oysters for dinner. Thanks. What’s a good time?”
“Dinner’s at seven, but you can come earlier if you want.”
“Will do. Thanks again. You saved me a trip to the market. Want me to bring dessert?”
“I’m going to be baking all day for the store, so I’ve got that covered. You could bring a salad, though.”
“Consider it done. We’ll see you then.”
Chrissie turned off the ignition, got out of the car and locked it, then walked three storefronts to the market, where she bought oysters and a big bag of green beans, some grape tomatoes, a bag of lemons, and a couple of green onions. She tucked the packages into the back of her car and returned to the island.
“Gonna have some company, looks like.” Ruby walked into the kitchen just as Chrissie began to clean and shuck the oysters.
“Owen and Cass.” Then as if it was an afterthought, she added, “And Jared said he loved oyster fritters, so I invited him, too.”
“Good. I like that boy. He has him some good manners. Got a good aura, too.”
Chrissie put down her shucking knife and turned around. “Gigi, I have never heard you use that word before.”
“Manners? Manners be important. I been telling you that since you were knee high.”
Chrissie laughed. “You know what I mean. Aura. I’ve never heard you say that someone had an aura.”
“Well, now you have.”
“Do I have an aura?”
Ruby seemed to be studying her. Finally, she said, “Yes, but be different from the one you had when you got here.”
“Why? How’s it different?”
“Don’t be asking me to tell you things you already know.” Ruby shuffled in her white-sneakered feet to the door that led out to the store. “You be smart enough to figure that out on your own.”
• • •
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, Chrissie baked. She made two kinds of brownies, chocolate chip scones, and two kinds of cookies. She froze the brownies and the cookies and wrapped the scones tightly for the following morning. She’d still need something for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning, but those were all night-before goodies. The brownies and the cookies were for Gigi to sell while she was gone. There was no way she could leave her great-grandmother to a potential mutiny. The watermen were a tough crew, and she’d readily admit she’d spoiled them. She couldn’t in good conscience leave them without their morning snacks.
She finished the baking and cleaned up the kitchen and was preparing to cook the dinner when she heard footsteps on the back porch. She looked out the window and saw Owen and Cass at the door.
“It’s open,” she called to them.
“I heard there’d be oyster fritters,” Owen said by way of a greeting.
“There will be. I was just going to start getting them ready,” Chrissie told him. “And you’re welcome.”
“Thanks.” He grinned and looked around. “Where’s Chandler? Gigi said he was coming to dinner.”
“I told him seven.”
“Why? I’m hungry now. And what’s going on with you two anyway? Cass says you’re going away with him for four days. You know what you’re doing, Chris?”
“One, I baked all day, so you can wait another hour just like everyone else. And two, there’s nothing going on. Jared has to bring a date to his father’s wedding and he just invited me as a friend. So it’s not like a romantic four days, it’s a friends-and-family-having-fun weekend.”
“Chandler doesn’t know how to be friends with a woman,” Owen cautioned. “I’ve known him a long time, Chris.”
“Well, he knows how to be friends with me. Now, go inside and talk to Gigi,” Chrissie said.
“Yes, please. Chrissie and I are going to play with makeup.” Cass nudged him in the direction of the store.
“Maybe I want to play with makeup,” he told her.
“It’s Chrissie’s turn tonight. Go.” Cass pointed to the door.
“Yes, dear.” He went into the store.
“No one’s buying that meek-little-man act,” Chrissie called after him. “Just so you know.”
“Okay, so what do we want to do first?” Cass studied Chrissie’s face. “Maybe some foundation just to smooth out your coloring a little. Go wash your face, then come back.”
“I don’t really have time to—”
“So dinner’s three minutes late. Go. We can’t experiment on a sweaty face.”
“Sorry. I’ve been baking.” Chrissie put the bowl of cleaned oysters into the refrigerator, then washed her hands.
“I’ll be right back.” She went into Gigi’s bathroom and washed her face with the soap from the dish on the sink counter.
When she came back out, Cass said, “Perfect. Now, sit down.”
“I can’t. I have to make dinner,” Chrissie protested.
Cass went to the sink and rinsed the green beans in a colander, then dumped them into a bowl. She placed the bowl on the table and got out a pot.
“Sit down and snap the ends off these.” Cass put the pot on the table next to the bowl. “In the meantime, I’m going to play with your face.”
“Okay, but be gentle.” Chrissie picked up a couple of green beans from the bowl. “And don’t get too crazy. I don’t want to scare off Jared, now that I’m looking forward to this trip. I saw some photos of Delia’s home online and it looks amazing. It’s like a true estate, with grounds and outbuildings.”
“Take pictures on your phone and send them back while you’re away so I can live vicariously through you. Now, close your eyes. I want to try this color foundation.”
Chrissie snapped while Cass applied the liquid to her entire face and blended it with a small sponge, then stood back to assess the results.
“The color’s good, so we’ll put this aside for you to take. You definitely need some blush, though.” She tried and rejected several shades before settling on a rose. “You can use just a touch of this during the day, then layer a little more on for evening.” She set it next to the bottle of foundation.
“Cass, I really should be starting dinner.” Chrissie started to get up.
Cass pushed her back down. “Stay where you are. I’m not finished. Eyes. Close them.” As with the blush, Cass tried several different eye shadows, removing the ones she didn’t like and applying another choice. When she found something that pleased her, she added it to the collection on the side of the table.
“Eyeliner, mascara, then we’re done.”
“Cass . . .”
“Don’t want to hear it. Close your eyes and keep them closed.” Cass vacillated between two shades of eyeliner, then made a choice. “Open your eyes. Yeah, that’s the right one. Now keep them open.”
“Are you almost finished?” Chrissie was getting antsy. The last thing she wanted was for Jared to come in and find Cass showing her how to apply makeup.
“Just need the mascara. Keep your eyes open.”
Chrissie felt the brush on her lashes. When Cass finished, she took a step back to admire her handiwork.
“Terrific. You look beautiful,” Cass announced. “Like Chrissie, but more so; we’ve enhanced your Chrissieness.”
“Let me see.” Chrissie went into the bathroom and stared at her face.
Cass was right. She did look like herself, only more so. There was nothing overt that screamed makeup, just soft colors on her cheeks, and her eyes looked bigger, prettier, the green more pronounced.
“So what do you think?” Cass stood with her arms folded over her chest, a knowing smirk on her face.
“You were right. About everything. I like what you did.”
“Want me to show you how to do it all yourself?” Cass asked.
Chrissie shook her head. “No, I remember how. I just haven’t done it in forever.”
“Then I’ll leave these things with you. Anything else I can do?” Cass snapped her fingers. “Oh, the earrings.”
She took a small jeweler’s box from her bag and handed it to Chrissie. “Try them on.”
Chrissie pushed back her hair and slid the long, shimmery gold earrings into the holes in her lobes.
“They are going to be perfect with that shiny dress. I wouldn’t wear another thing, honestly. Maybe a pretty ring, a thin bracelet or three, and you are set.”
Chrissie didn’t want to admit she didn’t own a ring that would do justice to the dress, so she merely nodded.
“I love the earrings. Are you sure you want to loan them out?”
“Absolutely. I love them on you.” Cass gave her a quick hug. “I will want to see pictures of you in that dress, though. Make sure you take some.”
“I will. Thanks again. For everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Cass started to return all the rejected blushes and eye shadows to the bag she’d brought them in. “Now, let’s do something about getting dinner ready.”
Chrissie had just finished preparing the oysters for frying when she heard the bell in the store ring. A moment later, she heard Jared and Owen talking, then Cass went in to say hello and take drink orders.
Minutes later, both men came into the kitchen.
“Gigi wants to eat outside on the back porch,” Owen told her. “She wants us to take a table and some chairs out.”
“In the storage room.” Chrissie turned around and smiled. “Hi, Jared.”
“Hey, Chris.” He tilted his head, looking at her as if he hadn’t seen her before.
“Looks like Gigi’s going to make you work for your dinner.” She gestured toward the storage room at the back of Ruby’s apartment. “Owen, I think she probably wants the long walnut table, but she probably doesn’t care which chairs.”
“I know which one. We’ve used it before. Come on, Jared. It’s going to take both of us. That table is solid and weighs a ton.” Owen opened the storage room door, and Jared followed after one look back at Chrissie.
Cass giggled softly. “He’s looking at you like, ‘I know that’s you but something is different.’ See what just a little of the right makeup can do?”
“I didn’t want it to do anything as far as Jared’s concerned. I just want to be able to hold my own among all the other women who are going to be at the wedding.”
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” Cass whispered in her ear as Owen and Jared brought the table out of the back room.
“Man, you weren’t kidding,” Jared was saying. “This thing is heavy.”
“Solid walnut, bro. Gigi’s grandfather made this about a thousand years ago,” Owen told him.
“More like about a hundred and fifty years, but a little exaggeration never hurt,” Cass said.
They took the table out to the back porch and Cass followed to move rocking chairs out of the way. Soon they had the table set up and chairs in place, and Cass proceeded to set the table for dinner while Owen grabbed a few beers and poured a glass of iced tea for Ruby before he and Jared went back into the store.
“What can I do next?” Cass asked.
“Just put the green beans in a bowl and take those out, and I’ll be along with the oysters. I just have a few more to fry, so get the salad out, tell the guys to bring Gigi, and get drinks onto the table. By the time you’ve done all that, the oysters will be ready.” Chrissie looked over her shoulder at Cass. “Aren’t you glad you asked?”
“I’ve got it under control. Always glad to help when the reward is a delicious dinner. And I know this dinner will be amazing.” Cass left the room to alert the others that it was time.
Chrissie piled the platter with the oyster fritters and cut lemon wedges to serve with them. She scattered grape tomatoes and finely chopped green onions over the oysters, and when she was satisfied with the way it looked, she carried it out to the porch. She served Gigi first, and then the platter was passed around the table.
She sat next to Gigi and across from Jared.
“Wow, you really do make the best oyster fritters on the planet,” Jared exclaimed once he’d tasted one. “You should do these for Blossoms.” He met her eyes across the table. “Does Sophie know you can do this?”
Chrissie shrugged and tried not to show how the praise made her feel slightly embarrassed. “I may have mentioned it.”
“I think you should do more than mention it. You’re sitting on a gold mine here,” he told her.
“Speaking of gold mines, did you hear about the Spanish ship that was just located down in the Keys?” Owen asked.
“I did. Not one of our jobs, unfortunately,” Jared said.
From there the conversation turned to the job they were on, when they might resume, what the latest word was from the agency that was reviewing the situation. By the time dessert was served—a plate of brownies Chrissie’d reserved for the purpose—she was ready to pass out. It had been an eventful and very busy day, from shopping to baking to cooking.
“You look wiped out, girl,” Cass said as they were clearing the table. “Why don’t you head on upstairs and go to bed? You worked like a dog today, all that baking you did, then dinner.”
“That would be rude,” Chrissie replied.
“No, it wouldn’t be.” Jared put one hand on her shoulder, and with the other, took the plates from her hands. “Ruby told me all you’d been up to today. It would be ruder if you collapsed and we had to revive you.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” She addressed the question to Cass. “I hate leaving you with this mess.”
“Those oysters were worth it. Totally. I’ll wash and these two clowns can dry,” Cass said.
“Okay, if you’re sure . . .”
“We’re positive,” Owen told her. “Go.”
“And if all I have to do for a meal like this is to dry dishes,” Jared said, “count me in.”
“See you all later.” Chrissie stopped to hug Ruby on her way out of the room. “Don’t eat all the brownies, Gigi.”
Ruby cut a brownie in half and took a bite. “You be minding your own business.”
Chrissie laughed and left the room, all the while knowing Jared’s gaze followed her. If she hadn’t been so tired, she’d have probably given more thought to that. As it was, it was all she could do to climb the steps to the second floor, toss off her clothes, and fall into bed.