“I was going to get a room at the inn.”
“Nonsense. You’re staying with me,” Isla said firmly.
“Well, ok, if you insist.” Blake laughed as she shook her head. She’d hoped her mother might be accommodating, but she would have entirely understood if Isla wasn’t ready for Blake to move in for the next few weeks. “Is that going to be ok with Vera? And the kids? With Mason?”
Blake’s voice caught in her throat at the mention of her younger sister that she hadn’t seen in decades. Mason was three years old when their father took Blake, so the sisters never had a chance to get to know each other. Not the way Blake had always wanted to get to know her sister. She’d attempted to find Mason on social media over the years, but her searches always came up short. It wasn’t until a few hours ago she realized it was because Mason and Isla had taken Isla’s maiden name instead.
“Vera will be elated, and the kids will think it’s awesome to meet their big sister.” Isla smiled sadly at her. “And Mason,” she dreamily sighed, “she’ll probably say something sarcastic and act like it’s not a big deal that you’re here, but trust me, we have talked about this day for years.”
“I can’t wait to see her.” Her heart ached over the prospect of seeing her sister again. Blake had spent many days and nights wondering what her sister was doing. She wondered if Mason ever thought about her, too. “And your other kids. I can’t wait to meet them. How many kids do you and Vera have again?”
“Three. We have our twins, Brayden and Ellie, who are fourteen, and our youngest is Everleigh. She’s eight. They’re annoyingly well-behaved, thanks to Vera, and they’re so smart that I stopped being able to help them with homework years ago. And Mason is Mason. She started a not-for-profit organization about eight years ago and is also infuriatingly smart.” Isla patted Blake’s thigh as she stood. “I gotta turn the lights off and lock up here, and then we can get going. Did you drive here?”
“No, I took an Uber. Can I help with anything here?”
“No, that’s ok. My office is in the back if you wanna go back there and wait while I lock up out here.” As Isla walked over to the front door to let the hostess out, Blake walked through the kitchen door and into the restaurant’s kitchen. She found Isla’s office quickly and she scanned the room. Her heart skipped a beat at the various pictures of herself scattered around the wall. She recognized one of them from when she was younger, and she and her mother were holding up a giant catfish after Blake’s first time fishing. Pictures of Blake at various award shows and on talk shows over the years pulled a sad smile from Blake. Isla had loved her; she still loved her. It made Blake wish she could go back and change everything about her past to be raised by Isla.
Blake admired the rest of the photos on Isla’s wall of her family and what she’d assumed to be some of the staff’s families. She laughed at the silly pictures of Isla and Vera’s kids over the years, and her heart ached for the fact she’d missed out on watching them grow up in person. The pictures of Mason hurt her heart the worst; her younger sister looked so much like her there was no denying that bloodline.
But one photo in particular caught Blake’s attention.
It was one of the gorgeous women she’d seen earlier in the bar holding a newborn baby. Isla was beside her with one arm over the woman’s shoulder and another under the baby. She was kissing the woman on the cheek, and they both looked so happy. Blake wondered what the story was there.
“You ready?” Isla tapped on the doorframe with her knuckles.
“Yeah.” Pulling herself away from the photo, Blake followed Isla out into the back parking lot. They made the drive to the farmhouse on the outskirts of town in complete silence. Blake was in awe of the blue siding house that was larger than she had expected. A vast covered porch had a handful of rocking chairs scattered on it haphazardly, along with a pair of porch swings on either end. In the glow of the nearly full moon, the house was the most beautiful place Blake had ever seen.
“This is home.” Isla put the Jeep into Park as they got out. Opening the back door, Blake pulled her suitcase out and slung the backpack onto her back. “We bought it years ago before we had the kids and fixed it up to be exactly the house we wanted.”
“It’s perfect.” Blake stood beside her as she admired the house. “I love the color.”
“Vera picked it out.” Without a word, Isla took the suitcase from Blake and pulled it up the driveway toward the three stairs leading up to the porch. “I was against it at first but seeing it all painted changed my mind.” Isla lunged the suitcase up the stairs with a grunt. “Did you pack the entire country of Canada in here?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nonsense; I’m getting old. That’s all.”
“Please,” Blake scoffed. “I can only hope I look half as good at your age.”
“It’s the Irish blood.” With a wink, Isla hesitantly opened the front door. “The kids are asleep, but Vera might still be up. Let me see if I can find her while you wait in here, ok?”
Blake nodded as she followed Isla inside the farmhouse. It opened up into a large living room with three gorgeous pillars separating the kitchen and dining room. A small hallway led to the back patio, and an office sat to the entryway’s left. She mindlessly walked into the pale-yellow painted living room, taking in the whole place. On one wall was a stunning floor-to-ceiling bookcase with books and photographs all over it. A stone-colored, L-shaped sectional sat in front of a decently sized television along with two reclining chairs. Throw pillows covered the furniture, and Blake was sure she’d never seen that many pillows outside a store.
In one corner sat a baby grand piano, and Blake let her hands graze over the keys as she walked by. Vaguely, she could remember her mother teaching her how to play on that piano, and Blake tried not to let her emotions get the best of her, especially if she was going to meet her mother’s wife. Walking through the living room to the kitchen, she let her hand run over the back of the couch and along the molding on the pillar as she imagined what life would have been like if she’d been able to grow up with Isla and Vera in their gorgeous farmhouse.
“Blake?” She turned toward Isla’s voice as she entered the kitchen with a gorgeous blonde trailing behind her, whom Blake knew was Vera. When Vera’s eyes met Blake, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Vera, this is Blake. Blake, this is my wife, Vera.”
“It is so great to meet you.” Without any hesitation, Vera closed the gap between them and pulled Blake into a tight hug. Blake was unsure how to respond; she wasn’t used to people being genuinely happy to see her when they weren’t waiting in line at a fan convention. Slowly and uncertainly, Blake put her arms around Vera and hugged her back. Vera pulled away slightly as she framed Blake’s face with her hands. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Um, yeah. Me too.”
“Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat if you are.”
“Baby,” Isla came up behind Vera and wrapped her arms around her waist, “it’s almost midnight. I’m sure Blake is tired, aren’t you, honey?” She nodded a few times as Blake grinned.
“I am tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Ok, well,” Vera clasped her hands together. “We have a guest room downstairs that is already ready for company, and you’re welcome to use that. Or,” she looked at Isla, then back at Blake, “we have an apartment over the garage we can clean out if you want to stay longer.”
“Baby.” Playfully, Isla put a hand over Vera’s mouth as she kissed her cheek. “Come on, Blake. I’ll show you the guest room.” Blake followed behind Isla and Vera, hand in hand, to the surprisingly roomy guest bedroom at the back of the house, off the hallway from the kitchen. It was painted a baby blue color with a navy-blue comforter and matching pillows on the twin-size bed. “The bathroom is across the hall, and there are clean towels in the hall closet. There’re also toiletries and everything under the sink if you forgot to pack anything. If you need anything else, let us kn
ow.”
“Yes, we’ll be happy to get you anything you need.”
“Thank you both.” Blake set the backpack on the bed as she nodded. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets. Vera beamed with happiness as she looped her arm around Isla’s. The three stood in awkward silence for a few moments before Isla clasped her hands together.
“Well, we’ll let you get some sleep. Our bedroom is at the top of the stairs on the left if you need anything. The kids will be up around six to get ready for school so, I’m sorry in advance if they wake you.” She snapped her fingers together. “Oh, and do you like dogs?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Good; we have two retrievers around here somewhere. One is a Golden – Holly – and she’s a pregnant goofball who’s probably lounging around here somewhere. And don’t let her sad eyes fool you. She has definitely already eaten.”
“Noted,” Blake said with a laugh.
“And our youngest, Everleigh, has a service dog. She has diabetes, and the dog notifies her when her blood sugar drops. Her name is Nala, and she’s a black lab.” The news of her youngest sister was so nonchalant that Blake didn’t ask further questions.
“Blake, what do you eat for breakfast?” Vera piped in.
“Um, anything is fine. I’m not a picky eater.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Baby, why don’t you go get one of those warm blankets from our closet and bring it down here for Blake.” Nodding quickly, Vera turned on her heels and was out the door quickly. “I’m sorry about my wife; she can get over-excited, and when that happens, her hostess mode goes into overdrive. She’s spent almost as much time missing you as I have.”
“I think she’s sweet.”
“She’s the best,” Isla’s voice was dreamy. She walked out in the hallway for a brief moment as she pulled Blake’s suitcase into the room. “I don’t know if this is something you’d be interested in, but I usually go for a run or sometimes a walk in the morning around the farm with Holly. It’s quiet and peaceful and gives me a good start to the day. If you’re ever interested in joining me.”
“Do you think you could keep up with me?” Blake teased as Isla laughed.
“Oh, little girl, the real question is can you keep up with me?”
“Here you go,” Vera walked back into the room carrying a large buffalo plaid Sherpa blanket. She handed it to Blake before retreating to the door beside Isla. “Well, you have a good night, Blake. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes, have a good night, honey.” Isla nodded at Blake. Blake could tell she wanted to either hug her or say something else, but instead, she took Vera’s hand as they walked out the door together. Looking back over her shoulder before she pulled the door closed behind her, Isla smiled at Blake.
Once the door was closed, Blake collapsed onto the bed. Her body was exhausted from the emotional whirlwind she’d been on for the last twelve hours, and she needed sleep. Kicking off her shoes and curling up onto the bed, Blake snuggled up with the warmest blanket ever and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 4
Rock N Rolls was nearly empty by the time Alexis arrived at the corner diner. The lunch crowd had dispersed, and it was too early for even the early dinner crowd, which was precisely why she and Sophia often chose three p.m. as the time for their lunch dates. It gave them some quiet time and allowed Sophia to finish up all her classes at the university. As the dean of the English department, Sophia often worked long hours, and it was up to Emily and Alexis to ensure she left the office some days.
“Hey, Lex,” Julia D’Amaro, the owner of the diner, called out to her from behind the counter. She nodded toward the back of the restaurant with her chin. “Sophia’s already ordered yours.”
Alexis followed her gaze to find Sophia sitting in the corner booth, sipping on what Alexis knew was sparkling water. She waved an elegant hand at her as Alexis smiled her thanks to Julia. Sliding into the booth across from Sophia, Alexis’s heart warmed at the sight of the strawberry chicken salad that was her absolute favorite meal, possibly ever. Coupled with the half tea, half lemonade she knew was in the Rock N Rolls branded compostable cup, Alexis thanked her lucky stars once more for having Sophia as a best friend.
At twenty-seven years her senior, Alexis never imagined Sophia would have grown into such a massive part of her life a mere six years ago when Sopia and Emily had started dating. Throughout Alexis’s darkest dark days, Sophia had been there and stood by her as she clawed herself out of her hell. She knew that she wouldn’t be alive or where she was today without Sophia, and Alexis liked to think Sophia thought the same about her. After all, they’d worked hard to get the other to come out from behind the walls they’d built around their hearts, and the result was absolute trust between them.
“You are the best. Have I said that today?” Alexis picked up the fork sitting beside her salad bowl, quickly stabbed a piece of grilled chicken, and stuffed it into her mouth. “I’m so glad Em and Maddie took Harper to the park today because I so needed the time to clean the apartment.”
“Honestly, Alexis, you fuss at Harper for talking with her mouth full.” Her brown eyes were sparkling. “The least you could do is set an example.”
“Sorry.” Alexis swallowed and pointed her fork at Sophia. Dressed to the nines, Sophia wore an emerald green button-up blouse that was gorgeous on her. “You look beautiful today.”
“I’m flattered, but in a very committed relationship,” Sophia smirked at her comment and gave Alexis a wink as she took a bite of her salad. “Emily and I are going to a play in Portland tonight, and I wasn’t sure I’d have time to change before we left. I still have to get back to the office and finish grading my advanced novel-writing students’ final project. And let me tell you,” Sophia pointed a spinach-covered fork at Alexis as she rolled her eyes, “there are none of them that are actually advanced.”
“So, none of them are future published novelists?”
“Some of them could if they’d get their heads out of their asses long enough to take my critiques as my way of trying to help them.” Another eye roll. “Honestly, none of them are as talented as you.”
“Psst,” Alexis scoffed. “I write fanfic on the internet. I highly doubt I’m at the level of your senior-level students.”
“You write yourself off too quickly, mon amour.” Sophia shook her head as she put a few croutons onto her fork and transferred them over to Alexis’s plate. She knew they were her favorite, and the small gesture made Alexis smile. “I still think you should go back and finish your degree. You’re too talented to keep all that potential bottled up.”
Over the years, Alexis had considered going back to college and finishing her creative writing degree but had never acted on it. She’d been two years into her studies when the events that led to Harper had transpired, and Alexis had dropped out of school. Alexis knew that she’d have more free time to focus on schoolwork with Harper starting kindergarten in the fall. But the thought of going back to school was so daunting that Alexis pushed it back into the recesses of her brain.
“Oh, did Emily tell you who came into the bar last night?”
“No, by the time I pried myself out of Harper’s teeny-tiny bed when you got home, she was already asleep. Who showed up?” Sophia became tense for a brief moment. “Was it Sam?”
“Gosh, no.” Alexis rapidly shook her head to calm Sophia down. Emily’s dad had been abusive to her growing up, and the two were not on good terms. He kept his distance from Emily anymore, primarily thanks to Sophia’s withering stares and not-so-subtle threats for him to never come around again. “No. But it’s someone related to someone at the bar.”
“Oh, for the love of god, Alexis, stop beating around the bush and tell me.”
“Blake Calloway.”
Sophia’s mouth hung wide open as her eyes grew bigger. She knew about the whole Blake story from Isla and knew that it was a huge deal that Blake had showed up in the Cove. Of course, Sophia was
also a closeted fangirl and would never openly show excitement for meeting a celebrity. But Alexis could see the enthusiasm in her face.
“You mean you waited all this time to tell me that?” She pointed her fork at Alexis once again and narrowed her eyes. “This is like the time you were having contractions all day and about birthed Harper in my Tesla.”
“Oh, please.” She waved a dismissive hand at Sophia. “In my defense, I figured Emily would have told you, so I didn’t think about it until right now.”
“How can you not think about the fact that Blake Calloway showed up at the bar?” Sophia picked up her fork and took another bite of her salad. “Tell me,” Sophia leaned onto the table as her voice dropped slightly, “is she as gorgeous in person as she looks on the screen?”
“Honestly,” Alexis blushed, “she’s even prettier in person.”
“I knew it.” As she nodded proudly, Sophia’s smirk spread on her lips. She settled back into the booth smugly. “So, tell me. Is Isla ok? Did Blake say anything to you? Oh! Did she see you?”
“What does that even mean?”
“Just that if your eyes met across the bar, I can see her falling for you.”
“What’s in this?” Alexis picked up Sophia’s drink cup and took a sniff sarcastically.
“I’m serious, mon amour. Remember what I said earlier about writing yourself off too quickly? This,” yet another fork wave at Alexis, “is what I’m talking about.”
“Ok, there is a huge difference in me not thinking my writing is that great and you being delusional enough to think that someone like Blake freakin’ Calloway would be interested in someone like me.”
They both knew each other well enough that although Alexis knew Sophia wanted to protest, she wasn’t going to. At least not right then. No, she’d wait for the perfect moment to recall their conversation and try to convince Alexis she was worthy of someone like Blake.
Which, of course, Alexis knew she wasn’t.
But none of that mattered anyway. Alexis’s walls were up so high that there was no way anyone would ever be able to scale them. Least of all one of Hollywood’s top actresses.
State of Grace: A Moonflower Cove Romance Page 3
