by Anne Canadeo
“Mom . . . you made it. Wow . . . thank you so much.”
Lucy hugged her mother tight and Isabel hugged her back, then looked up smiling.
“I’d definitely planned to be here. But I did want to surprise you. It took a bit of maneuvering. But it was more than worth it to see the expression on your beautiful face.”
Her mother patted Lucy’s cheek, as if she were a little girl again. “Where has the time gone? It seems like you and Ellen were just . . . well, Dara’s age. I don’t feel any older at all,” she said with a laugh.
“You don’t seem any older, Mom. Keep up the good work. A good sign for me and Ellen,” Lucy added, glancing at her sister.
Her mother had waited to have children. “Until I was ready to be a good mother. Not because somebody said I had to,” she always told Lucy. She’d been even older than Lucy when Ellen was born. It was uncommon in her era, but not at all now. If Lucy could remain as curious, active, and inspired as her mother was still, she knew she would be a happy woman.
The guests had filtered out to the deck and the beach, where there appeared to be enough food and drink to last all weekend.
There was music and dancing and the guests just did as they pleased. It was just the kind of party Lucy would have planned, given the chance. Matt knew her so well in that way.
It was after midnight when the last guests said their goodbyes and drifted home. There had been some help cleaning up, but she and Matt agreed to just leave the rest for the morning. The beach house was theirs for the weekend—a gift from her friends. Maggie and Charles had brought Dara to her mother’s house earlier, leaving Lucy and Matt all alone.
They collapsed side by side on the couch, their feet up on a hassock, and stared out at the perfect view. The moon, almost full, hung against the inky black sky, right above the water. A shimmery silver beam of moonlight rested on the waves, stretching from the shore to the horizon, like a path to a far-off dreamland.
“What a great night,” Lucy said, then sighed. “This was the best birthday gift anyone ever gave me,” she said sincerely.
Matt met her gaze, his eyes sparkling. “But this isn’t your birthday gift, Lucy. Not the whole thing anyway,” he added.
“There’s more?” Lucy watched him curiously but couldn’t tell what he was up to now.
“Absolutely. Come out on the deck.” He jumped up from the couch and pulled her hand. “Close your eyes.”
“Um . . . okay.” Lucy made her way outside with Matt gently leading her. She felt the warm wood of the deck under her bare feet.
“Can I look now?”
“Just a second.” He left her for a moment and she heard some rustling sounds. “Okay, you can look now.”
She dropped her hands and saw a sleek, ultra-expensive bicycle with all the extra accessories one could ever hope for. She knew that she should be bursting with joy at the sight, from the high-tech toe clips to the shiny handlebars that had been custom-fit to her reach and height.
Still, she secretly wished the extra gift had come in a small velvet jeweler’s box. But she quickly rallied and showed her delight.
“You got the bike after all? You didn’t have to do that,” she insisted.
“Not had to. Wanted to. I promised you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but . . . well, the party was more than enough of a birthday present.”
“Oh, Lucy . . . just go ahead and try it. Stop arguing with me.” He laughed.
Lucy had already walked over to the bike and ran her hand over the smooth black seat, eyeing the many fine touches in the mechanism and gears. “Dana is going to be so jealous. She may never cycle with me again.”
“I got this gadget to clip on your helmet, with a little rearview mirror . . . oh, and here’s the bottle I was telling you about. The latest technology.” He pulled a slim chrome water bottle from the holder just below the handlebars.
“It has a filter so you never have to worry about refilling it.”
Lucy took the bottle in her hand. “Nice.”
“Open it, let’s see how it works,” he said eagerly.
She glanced at him. He did get excited about these little interesting inventions. Lucy unscrewed the top and the much-lauded filter, all fifty pieces of it, came apart in her hand.
“For goodness’ sakes . . . I hope I can get this back together. Did it come with instructions?” She glanced up at him.
“I’m not sure. Open your hand, let’s see what fell out.”
Lucy opened her palm. Matt was good at puzzles. She was about to hand him the entire mess when he suddenly pulled one piece out.
“Interesting . . . what have we here?”
He held up a gold ring, with a bright round ruby displayed in a vintage setting.
Lucy gasped. She suddenly couldn’t breathe. She finally shrieked with shock and heard Matt laughing softly.
“You . . . you . . . You got me a ring!?”
“Uh-huh. Like it?”
Lucy’s face crumpled; she felt she was about to cry. “It’s perfect,” she nearly wailed. “Just . . . just . . . what I wanted.”
“Oh . . . great. I wasn’t exactly sure,” he admitted. He sighed and let out a long, slow breath. “But I am sure—completely and utterly positive—that you are the wisest, funniest, sweetest, most lovable person I have ever known and I could not imagine my life, my future, without you. I love you completely, with all my heart and soul, and would be the happiest, luckiest guy in the world if you would spend the rest of your life with me. Will you, Lucy? Will you marry me?”
Lucy couldn’t speak. She met Matt’s gaze. “I love you absolutely and totally, too . . . and I would love to marry you.”
He sighed and slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her close and lifted her off her feet. After they shared a deep, long kiss, he looked down at her and laughed.
“See, I told you not to worry. And that we’d talk and work it out.”
Lucy laughed. “Yes, you did. And you said ‘it was complicated.’ Maybe you meant that water bottle?”
“True . . . but the rest is easy. Just like riding a bike.”
He kissed her again and Lucy couldn’t remember what she’d been worrying about.
Chapter Thirteen
On Monday afternoon, after returning home and coming back to reality as much as she was able, Lucy sent a group text to her friends, thanking them again for helping with the party and for the wonderful present of the beach house.
We really do have to go out there together some weekend before the summer is over. It’s perfect. If anyone is around tomorrow a.m., would love to meet up at the shop.
She not only wanted to take her bike for a test spin but was dying to tell everyone the big news. And show off her ring, if she was absolutely truthful.
Her friends responded almost instantly, confirming they’d be there. Lucy set out early, expecting to be the first to arrive, except for Maggie. But as she glided up to the shop, she found all her friends waiting on the porch. They clapped as she swooped into the driveway.
“Way to go!” Suzanne called out. “Woo-hoo.”
“What a set of wheels, Lucy,” Dana shouted.
Lucy very gently rested the new bike against the fence and pulled off her helmet. She grabbed her water bottle and carried it up to the porch.
“It’s not only pretty, it’s a supersmooth ride. What a difference. I feel like I’m pedaling on a cloud,” she said, thankful to step into the shade.
“I’ll have to pad that fence,” Maggie noted. “I don’t want your bike getting scratched. Maybe a sheath of velvet?” she mused in a serious tone.
“Just the thing. I’d appreciate it.”
“So . . . great party, great gift,” Suzanne said with a shrug.
Lucy knew what she was really thinking and could see how hard she was trying to hold back.
“Yes, the best birthday I’ve ever had,” Lucy agreed. “Not to mention all the trimmings. Like these spiffy new gloves.” Lucy waved a ha
nd, showing off her riding gloves.
“Yes, totally spiffy. You’re all . . . spiffed up,” Suzanne said drily.
Lucy held her hand up and slowly tugged off her left glove. “They really protect my hands. I don’t know how I got along without them.”
She held out her bare hand, practically pushing it into Suzanne’s face.
Finally Suzanne saw the ring. Her jaw dropped open and her mouth formed a small, silent O.
“Oh my God! Look at this!” she grabbed Lucy’s hand and was practically slinging her around the porch. “Lucy got a ring! They’re engaged!”
She turned and stared at Lucy. “You are . . . aren’t you?”
Her tone was suddenly fretful, wondering if she’d made some mistake.
“We’re engaged,” Lucy echoed, nodding.
The rest of her friends jumped with gleeful squeals and surrounded her in a group hug that nearly knocked her off her feet.
“I’m so happy for you,” Dana said sincerely.
“I knew Matt would come through. He’s a good guy,” Phoebe offered.
“I had a feeling something like this was going to happen,” Maggie added. “Tell us all the details now. We want to hear everything.”
Lucy had a feeling they’d ask her that. She carefully described how Matt had waited until they were alone and brought her outside to see the new bike, then hid the ring in that silly water bottle.
“Aw. That is so cute.” Suzanne was practically gushing. “Just like a chick flick,” she reminded Lucy.
“Yeah . . . just like it. Except that for a few days, it was more like one of those indie movies where the girl gets dumped. At least from my point of view. I did have a serious conversation with Matt about our relationship. I never got to tell you,” she added. “And it wasn’t exactly reassuring. In fact, I wasn’t sure if we were still going to be together for my real birthday,” she added, which was coming up on Thursday.
“But he pulled up his boots and came through for you,” Suzanne said.
“Actually, he told me that he had been planning to propose on my birthday for a while and wanted it to be a surprise. When I asked for the bike, he thought it was the perfect cover for his real gift. So, no, the ‘Big Talk’ had nothing to do with it. But he didn’t want to spoil the surprise, so he put me off. Very effectively, I must add.”
“I think it’s very romantic that he went to all the trouble to surprise you. Even if it did make you a little nervous.” Maggie smiled down at her knitting, looking very pleased by the news.
“It was romantic. I feel like we were away for a month. Instead of a weekend.”
“Also, as it should be,” Dana said with a soft smile.
“You do have a certain glow, Queenie,” Suzanne noted. “Not just from the sun.”
Lucy felt herself blush. Now she was really glowing, she’d bet, but before Suzanne could tease her more, she quickly changed the subject.
“What’s going on around here? Any news about the Gordons?” she asked as she took a seat.
“You probably heard last week on the news, both Dale and Richard have entered pleas of ‘not guilty,’ ” Dana replied.
“Yes, I did hear that. Though I wasn’t really following as closely as I have the last few weeks.”
A bit burned-out from her own adventure with Richard, she knew.
Suzanne picked up a huge cup of some sort of icy coffee drink and stirred it briskly with her straw. Lucy could only imagine what it was called—a “Mocha-Mumbo-Jumbo with Extra Cream”?
“Why do you think they did that? I mean, it seems like there’s solid evidence stacked up against both of them,” she said.
“And I heard that Dale, at least, gave a full confession,” Maggie added.
“I think Richard did, too, finally,” Dana said. “The thing is, if they simply enter a plea of guilty, there will be no trial. Richard will get life imprisonment. Possibly, death. Dale is a minor. It’s different for him. He’s been sent to a juvenile detention facility in Worcester, where he’ll undergo a month of psychiatric observation. His attorneys hope some diagnosis helps his case. I think both are hoping for a better chance at a lighter sentence with a jury who might have compassion for the family’s story.”
“I feel terrible for both of them,” Lucy said, “but especially for Dale. He is so young.”
Maggie sighed and put her work aside. “The Gordons’ story is definitely one worthy of compassion, for all, if ever I heard one.”
“How is Nora holding up?” Lucy asked. “How is she managing without Richard . . . and with everything that’s happened.”
“She’s staying with her sister, who lives near Worcester. So she can visit Dale,” Maggie said. “Edie and her daughters are helping her, too. Edie says Nora never wants to come back to Plum Harbor. She’s closed the shop permanently and Edie is trying to find a buyer for her.”
“That makes sense. Of course she’d want to get away from here. All the attention right now, for one thing,” Phoebe said. “It must be just awful and she’s not that tightly wound.”
“One way of putting it,” Maggie murmured.
“I hate to gossip but . . . how does she feel about Richard now? Did Edie say, Maggie?” Lucy asked. “Does Nora visit him at all?”
“That’s a good question. I don’t know. Perhaps she has some empathy for his impulse to seek vengeance on the man who more or less took their son’s life. Even if she’s repulsed by the actual act. I’ve sometimes wondered if Nora was surprised to learn what Richard did. It does seem now that he had a split personality . . . or at least, a very dark side he didn’t show to the world at large. But maybe she was well aware of that side of him?”
“I’ve wondered that, too.” Dana suddenly turned to Lucy. “With all this happy news, you never told us about your encounter with Richard at the wood shop. The day the Gordons got arrested.”
“You mean the day Lucy nabbed Richard Gordon, almost single-handed?” Phoebe corrected.
“Not quite,” Lucy said with a harsh laugh. “More like the day I narrowly escaped becoming his next victim . . . ”
Lucy finally told her friends the whole story about her visit to the wood shop the morning of Nora’s arrest and about facing down Richard there. And then how Dale arrived and the two men battled fiercely, her fate hanging in the balance.
“It’s impossible to say now; everything happened so quickly. But it seemed like Richard was winning. I don’t know what would have happened if Charles hadn’t felt some tingle of police officer intuition when he spotted my bike and Richard’s van in the alley.”
“He’s got a real knack for that.” Maggie’s tone was quiet but proud.
“Yes, he does,” Lucy said. “He was also more open to hearing out my theories than I expected. I did make sure he knew that you didn’t have anything to do with my snooping, Maggie,” Lucy added.
“Thanks, but Charles and I have come to terms about all that. He more or less admitted to me that you helped him sort out this massive tangle. And he gave me a little credit, too. Totally undeserved,” she quickly added. “I don’t think he’ll ever encourage my snooping. But it does look like he’s decided to live with it.”
“It comes with the package and he definitely likes the rest of that,” Suzanne said tartly.
Maggie just laughed. “I suppose you could put it that way.”
“And we definitely welcome you back to the fold.” Dana had been knitting steadily, working on a new project that Lucy didn’t recognize.
“Making something new?” Lucy asked. “I didn’t know you finished your tote.”
“I did . . . I’m just waiting for Maggie to help me felt it.” She glanced in Maggie’s direction.
Lucy sighed. “I didn’t sew mine up yet. My life has been so exciting lately.”
“Well, get a move on. We’ll felt them all together. In the shop,” Maggie suggested.
“Will you still put mine in the window?” Lucy asked.
“I’ve saved the
spot. But it can’t stay empty forever,” Maggie reminded her.
“I’ll finish this week, by Thursday night.”
“All right. Why don’t you all aim for that; we’ll have a combination happy birthday and felting party then, I guess.” Maggie shrugged.
As much as Lucy had loved her big surprise party, she was still looking forward to the more intimate celebration with her very best friends.
“Good deadline, Maggie. I like it. Right, Lucy?” Suzanne said pointedly.
“Sounds perfect. And my mom will be here visiting by then. She’s with Ellen now in Lexington but she’s coming to Plum Harbor for a week. So she’ll be at this party, too.”
“The more the merrier. I like your mom, Lucy. She’s really cool,” Phoebe said.
“Another party? I thought you girls just had one.” Edie had come halfway up the walk without anyone noticing her, which was a bit remarkable, Lucy realized.
“It’s Lucy’s real birthday on Thursday and we’re going to have some cake and champagne . . . and felt our totes,” Maggie explained.
“Would you like to come, Edie?” Lucy said. “We’d love it if you could join us.”
Edie looked surprised by the invitation, and touched. “I’d love to, dear. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to your big surprise party on the beach. I heard it was epic.”
Lucy was surprised to hear the bit of slang from Edie. Outdated as it was.
“More than epic. I’d say a milestone.” Suzanne waxed poetic. “Lucy and Matt are engaged. He proposed right after the guests all left.”
Edie stared at Lucy in happy surprise. “He did? Way to go, girl!” She hugged Lucy to her ample chest and Lucy thought she might be smothered in a cloud of flowery perfume. “I’m tickled pink,” Edie said, finally releasing her.
