“Won’t it be cute in the nursery? It’ll be such a neat story to tell them. Kimmy’s been so anxious for those babies to be born. I can’t wait to hold them and squeeze them.” Becky looked like she could burst from all the joy.
“You’re going to be a wonderful grandmother.” Maeve hugged her, then paused. “I have to ask. Where did you find the shell?”
“That’s the craziest part. I’d gone down to the pier to give Kimmy’s husband, Nate, an update on her condition, and while I was waiting for him to paddle in, there it was, right in the sand by the pylon. It was the bright pink that caught my eye.”
“Right there at the pier? That’s amazing.” Maeve was surprised she hadn’t seen it herself.
“Some people are such skeptics. This lady yesterday just about accused me of writing the message myself. I told her this wasn’t the first shell someone had found around here.”
“Don’t let her bother you. That shell was found by the right person at the right time. Everything is going to be fine. I just know it.” It is a wonder how those shells make their way into the hands that need them most.
She looked up at Becky, knowing how precious Kimmy was to her. “May I leave a little note for Kimmy?”
“She’d love that. You know how much she adores you. You were one of her biggest fans when she was actively competing.”
Maeve wrote a note wishing Kimmy well and reminding her how lucky the twins would be to share her love for the beach and the ocean by living on Whelk’s Island. “Let me know when she’s accepting visitors. I’d love to see her. I’m so happy for the whole family.”
“Thank you, Maeve. I’d better get back to those customers and see if I can salvage a sale to pay for those twins. They require a ton of stuff.”
Maeve walked out of the surf shop with joy bubbling in her heart. Kimmy would be fine. The heavenly shade of pink in that shell only confirmed what she’d been thinking since she found her own pink treasures down on the beach earlier: twin girls.
Whelk’s Island was growing, and in a good way.
10
That evening, Amanda rearranged the kitchen. There was no reason not to use the space she’d had built for her business. They could use the room for a homework station for Hailey or more storage. She regretted not having done enough research and planning to pass the inspection required for a cottage food business in the first place.
Rookie mistake. Jack would have never missed that detail.
Dried herbs had seemed like such an easy option, and she loved working with them. Even though she’d made certain she could partition Denali’s access from the kitchen area she planned for her business, it was a direct violation for him to be in the house at all.
She thought of rehoming Denali, but she couldn’t deprive the kids of him. Jack had specifically picked out that dog for them. It was their last gift from him. She wouldn’t give up her dream, though. Somehow, someday, she’d figure out a way to make it happen.
The kids were still playing in their room, so she took advantage of the extra time to package dried herbs, then jar some of the new salt she’d made. In a couple of weeks, she’d try it on a few dishes.
She hoped for good results. If nothing else, her family ate well. She was proud of herself for not letting her kids live on hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese. That in itself was a win.
Jack used to tease her that she’d have inventory to supply the world before she ever sold the first jar if she didn’t start advertising them. The plan had been to take the different mixes to the farmers market as a testing ground, but that was the summer Jack never came home. Another year had passed since then, and here she was still experimenting.
She lifted her chin as she often did when she spoke to Jack. “I’ll sell them one day.”
It wouldn’t be this year, but she’d find a way to rent a space that met the state requirements. For now, she could give the salts as Christmas gifts to the new friends she’d make at work. And she’d concentrate on designing the website. Those were things she could do now, and maybe even build up some early reviews and clientele.
The thought of new people in her life warmed her. She picked up one of the jars. Elegant yet simple. She and Jack had looked through the catalog many times before making a decision. Even coming up with the recipes to test each new flavor was backed by hours of thought and methodical measurement. A flash of a memory—Jack sitting there, pretending to be nervous about trying yet another dish. Then slowly savoring each bite as serious as a judge on one of those cooking shows.
She put a lot of work into coming up with good recipes to use her herbal salts in, and Jack had been a big part of that. She sank into the loving memory for a moment. Enjoying it. He’d always been her biggest cheerleader.
Recipe cards! Why hadn’t she made that connection before? She could offer a monthly subscription service. There are opportunities here. No, I won’t give up the dream, Jack.
Amanda grabbed a notebook and jotted down the ideas. How she wished she’d been able to make it happen this year. Everything will fall into place when it is supposed to.
She climbed on the step stool and tucked the new batch in the cupboard. Jars filled the shelves of the double cabinet.
She took three different jars down from the cabinet shelf: one sweet, a citrus, and a savory blend. She placed them on the counter. They might make
