The Chesapeake Diaries Series 7-Book Bundle: Coming HOme, Home Again, Almost Home, Hometown Girl, Home for the Summer, The Long Way Home, At the River's Edge (150 page)

“Surprise!” a hundred voices yelled as Curtis appeared at the top of the steps.

Curtis looked around as if not quite understanding at first that the surprise was for him. When the lights finally went on, he placed a hand over his heart.

“Oh, my. For me?” He glanced from familiar face to familiar face. “Oh, my, what a surprise. Did you do this, son?” He grabbed Jesse by the arm.

“With much help from Violet,” Jesse told him. “And Brooke helped to organize things here.”

“What a wonderful surprise.” Curtis hugged his grandson. “Thank you, Jess. This was very thoughtful of you. Very thoughtful.” He pounded Jesse on the back several times before being engulfed by well-wishers.

“You pulled it off.” Brooke stepped back from the crowd and elbowed Jesse. “He was really surprised.”

“I’m not so sure,” Jesse leaned over to confide. “He’s been smiling a lot since I picked him up. Humming and smiling. Not his usual demeanor.”

“How would he have known?”

“Someone could have spilled it to him.” Jesse eyed Violet suspiciously. “There’s my number one suspect. There, did you see that? They just winked at each other.”

“That doesn’t mean a thing.” Brooke waved a dismissive hand. “They could be sharing a joke.”

“I suppose. And I guess it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that everyone came and he’s happy with the whole thing.”

“I agree.” Brooke nodded. “Did you see your uncle Mike is here with his wife? Andrea looks pretty good, I think. Better than she did the last time I saw her, anyway.”

“I’m going to go over and say hello. It’s embarrassing, but I’ve never met her,” Jesse said.

“Then go. You’ll love her. Everyone loves her. Andrea is one of those peaceful people who seems to bring calm into every room she’s in.”

“I’ll get Sophie. She’ll want to meet her, too.”

“She’s being introduced to the MacGregor clan,” Brooke pointed out, “and if the look on her face is
any indication, she’s flat-out dazzled at meeting not only Dallas, but Berry as well.”

“I was flat-out dazzled the first time I met them, too. Dallas is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, and Berry is a big-screen legend. Her movies are classics.”

“She was quite the thing in her day,” Brooke agreed. “Jess, didn’t you hire a string quartet for tonight?”

He looked around the room. “I did, but they’re obviously not here.”

“You go visit with your guests. I’ll check with Lola and see if she’s heard anything,” she told him.

“Thanks.” He leaned down and kissed the side of her face. “I could not have done this without you. I will be forever in your debt.”

“Good.” She smiled. “I’ll be sure to think of some way for you to repay me.”

“You could make me your sex slave,” he offered. “It’s probably going to take me years to pay off that debt, but I’m a man who believes in settling his accounts. So what do you say?”

“I think we can probably work something out.”

He grinned and went off to get Sophie.

Brooke found Lola, who was just on her way into the room to let Jesse know that the musicians had called and were stuck in traffic because of an accident on Route 50 but would be here as soon as possible, most likely before dinner was served. Lola suggested they extend the cocktail hour by another thirty minutes to give the quartet time to arrive and set up. Brooke told her that she thought it was a good way to handle the situation but that Lola needed to check with Jesse.

“Who is that?” Jason appeared at Brooke’s elbow. “The woman you were just talking to. Who is she?”

“Lola, grandniece of the original Lola who opened this restaurant long before either of us was born,” Brooke told him. “Why?”

Jason shrugged. “Just wondering.”

Clay wandered over and handed her a glass of wine. “You look like you could use a little refreshment.”

“Thanks, but I only drink club soda while I’m working,” she replied.

“You’re working?” He frowned.

“Until the desserts are served, I consider myself at work.”

“I’ll get you a club soda from the bar,” Jason told her. “I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks, Jace, I appre …” Brooke’s attention was drawn to the top of the stairs, where a small crowd of late arrivals had stopped and appeared to be lost. A petite woman with long blond hair, a dark-eyed woman Brooke recognized from channel-surfing, and a tall dark-haired man who looked an awful lot like Jesse.

“Excuse me.” Brooke patted her brother on the arm and started toward the stairwell.

“Who are those people?” Clay asked.

Brooke turned to him and said, “I believe they’re long-lost relatives.”

She made her way through the crowd to where the six newcomers stood. The half siblings and their spouses, she assumed.

“Hi, I’m Brooke,” she greeted them. “I’m a friend of Jesse’s. You are …”

“Late,” the dark-haired man told her. “We were stuck in traffic.”

“I heard there was an accident on Route 50,” she replied, and he nodded.

“That was the one.” He extended a hand. “I’m Nick Enright. This is my wife, India … my sister Georgia … her husband, Matt … my sister Zoey … and her husband, Ben.”

Brooke tried to put the faces with the correct names.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” she said. “I know Jesse will be so happy to see you.”

The three Enright siblings exchanged glances.

“We’re looking forward to meeting him, too,” Zoey said.

“Why don’t you come in and get something from the bar,” Brooke suggested. “I’ll find Jesse and Sophie and let them know that you’re here. Then I’m sure you’ll want to say hello to your grandfather.”

Brooke met Jesse halfway across the room.

“Jess, you have company.”

“I see. I see that we do. Where’s Sophie?” he said without taking his eyes from his brother and sisters.

“I’ll find her. Now take a deep breath and go introduce yourself.”

She watched him make his way through the crowd, his eyes on the bar. Brooke scanned the room for Sophie, and found her talking to Cameron O’Connor.

“Jesse wants you to meet him at the bar,” Brooke told Sophie. “There are some people he wants you to meet.”

Sophie turned and glanced over toward the bar, and her mouth dropped slightly. “Is that them?” she asked. “Is that …”

Brooke nodded. “That’s them. Go say hello.”

“Holy crap, I never thought for a second that they’d show up,” Sophie muttered.

“Well, they did.” Brooke laughed. “Go.”

Sophie excused herself and made a beeline for the bar.

Cam, being taller than most people, had a clear view of the room. Brooke expected him to ask about the late arrivals. But instead his eyes followed Sophie.

You and just about every other single guy here
. Brooke smiled to herself. She’d be surprised if every single guy there wasn’t watching Sophie’s every move. Cam hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

“So you think you’ll have enough of a crew to start work on the tenant house this week?” Brooke asked.

Cam continued to stare at the bar. Brooke waved a hand in front of his face.

“Cam. I asked you a question.”

“What? Oh. Right. Yeah, business is going fine,” he told her.

“That wasn’t the question.”

“Oh. What was it?”

Brooke laughed and repeated it for him.

“Oh, yeah. I’m having some materials delivered on Monday so we’re all ready to go first thing Tuesday morning.”

“Great. I’m anxious to move in.”

“Must be tough living at home after living on your own.”

“It hasn’t been too bad. We all have our own agendas and try not to get in each other’s way. Clay has been great, but Mom will be moved out by Thanksgiving and I’m hoping to follow her in the not-too-distant
future.” She poked him in the chest. “That depends on you, though, so keep to the schedule.”

“I’ll do my best.” Brooke couldn’t help but notice that his eyes drifted back toward the bar again.

“I’m going to excuse myself and go say hello to the guest of honor,” she told him.

Curtis Enright sat in a club chair that was festooned in balloons. Jesse had tied so many onto the back of the chair that they almost formed a solid barricade behind his grandfather. Well, she had told him to tie a bunch of them on.

“Hello, Mr. Enright,” she greeted him.

“There’s the girl who made all this possible.” He reached out and took her hands in his.

She bent down and kissed his cheek. “Are you having a happy day, Mr. Enright?”

“One of the happiest days I can remember,” he replied. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you did to make this happen. Jesse tells me you pretty much played field general in getting this off the ground.”

“I’ve had a little more experience giving parties than Jesse has. He just needed a little direction.”

“That’s not how I heard it, but thank you for your part in making this such a fine evening, Brooke.” He patted her hand, then looking beyond her, froze. Brooke didn’t need to turn around to know what was going on.

“Pop, you have some visitors.” Jesse placed a hand on the back of Brooke’s neck.

“I see that I do.” Curtis stood unsteadily, and Nick reached out a hand to help him up. Curtis attempted to clear his throat but failed. Tears formed in the corners
of his eyes and he struggled for words that did not readily come.

“How are you, Pop?” Nick asked.

Curtis tried again to clear his throat. Finally, he said, “I’m overcome. I’m simply overcome …”

“Take a deep breath,” Jesse told him, then teased, “It isn’t like you to be at a loss for words.”

“It’s a first.” Curtis looked from one to the other of his grandchildren from whom he’d been estranged for so long. “It’s good to see you again. It’s good to see you all.”

Brooke backed away to give Curtis a few minutes with his grandchildren. She mingled with the crowd and stopped to talk with friends, but every once in a while she glanced back at the small group.
How strange to have a brother or a sister you never met before
, she thought.
How strange to have to meet your siblings for the first time as adults—and to have a grandparent you barely remembered and didn’t know
.

All appeared to be going well, though, she thought, observing occasional laughter from the Enrights, a sure sign that if anyone had any hidden resentment, they weren’t likely to air it right then and there, for which she was grateful. She hadn’t wanted anything to mar the gift that Jesse was offering his grandfather, and was happy to see that so far, nothing had.

By ten o’clock, dinner had been served and the dessert table had been wheeled out. Brooke’s cupcakes were a clear hit, and the leftovers were boxed up to go home with Curtis, who only halfheartedly protested. By eleven, the party had officially come to a
conclusion, and there was a long line of well-wishers bidding good night to the host and the birthday boy.

“Pop invited us back to the house,” Jesse told Brooke as the last guests were drifting out. “Nick, Georgia, Zoey, Sophie, me. Want to come?”

Brooke debated with herself, then said, “No, I think I’ll pass. I think this is a night for you and your siblings to get acquainted.” When Jesse started to protest, she added, “You don’t know how this will go. At some point, there may be some discussion that isn’t meant for anyone but family. I think I should bow out.”

“Tomorrow, then?” He nuzzled the side of her face. “I’ve been looking forward to getting you alone tonight. Want to go back to my house and wait for me there?”

She shook her head, no. “You’ll be thinking that I’m waiting and maybe leave before you should. I’ll see you tomorrow. We can catch up then.”

“All right.” He kissed her. “Thanks.”

She nodded and watched him help his grandfather down the steps.

“Brooke’s not coming?” she heard Curtis ask.

“She’s tired,” Jesse explained. “She baked up a storm this week …”

“So, you need a lift?” Clay handed her coat to her.

“I do, thanks. Just give me a minute to gather all my trays and things.”

“I’ll help.”

They set about packing up her cupcake stands and cake stands and Clay took everything down to the car.

“Where’s the van?” she asked.

“After I dropped you off earlier, I drove it home
and picked up my car.” Clay grinned. “Say whatever you want, but that thing is no chick magnet.”

“And when it was rusty and mottled white it was?”

“A guy could hope.”

“Where’s Jason?” She looked around as they headed out.

“He’s downstairs at the bar. I told him I’d drive you home and then come back.”

They went out through the back way and packed everything into the trunk of Clay’s car. On the way home, he asked, “Not that it’s any of my business, but why aren’t you off with Jesse tonight? You two having a disagreement?”

“Not at all. His grandfather invited all of the grandkids over to his place after the party, and yes, I was invited to go.”

“So why didn’t you? Is the bloom off the rose? He getting too interested and you’re shutting him out?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m reminding you of the conversation we had some weeks ago about how you don’t give guys a chance, and how you dump anyone who shows any real interest in you.”

“For your information, I’m not dumping Jesse. I just felt that since Curtis hadn’t seen three of his grandchildren in many years, it was a time and place for just them. They’re Jesse’s half siblings from a marriage his dad had before he married Jess’s mother. Neither he nor Sophie had ever met them before, though they knew they were out there somewhere. I’d have felt like an intruder. People might be wanting to say some things that should be said among family members only. I didn’t feel I should go.”

“That was nice of you, but you still—”

“And as for Jesse …” She hesitated.

“Yes, go on. As for Jesse …?”

“The bloom is definitely not off the rose, and that’s all I’m saying about that.” She looked out the window as they pulled up the long lane leading to the farmhouse. “You were right about something, back then. When we talked. You said I only went out with guys who asked me so that I could say that I went, but that I didn’t give anyone a chance. You were right, of course. I didn’t want anyone to care. I didn’t want to care about anyone, ever again.”