“As soon as I can take care of this list and get all the licenses and approvals I need.”
“That could take a while,” Julie cautioned. “Bureaucracy doesn’t move quickly.”
“I know. My cousin’s a lawyer. He’s warned me not to get ahead of myself.”
“And I imagine you’ll have your grandfather’s help with the renovations?” Julie said.
Carrie chuckled. “Yes, but not just because he’s an outstanding architect and has years of construction experience.”
“Then why?” Lucy asked, regarding her curiously.
“It will keep him focused on this, instead of my social life,” Carrie said candidly.
Lucy’s expression brightened. “Tell us more!”
“Stop being nosy,” Julie chided her daughter, then grinned. “Unless of course you’d like to share, Carrie. It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date I can barely remember what it was like. I yearn to live vicariously, and Lucy is pretty tight-lipped about sharing any details about the men in her life. She hasn’t brought one to the house to meet me in years.”
“Because you interrogate them,” Lucy grumbled, though her eyes were twinkling.
“Been there, done that,” Carrie said.
“So, is the father of that little boy who came to the center with you part of the social-life equation?” Julie asked.
“Now who’s being nosy?” Lucy teased.
Carrie laughed. “Let me take you on a tour of the town, then I’ll fill you in over lunch. There’s not much to tell, though.”
Though after dinner the other night, there were a few additional details. Those she thought she probably ought to keep to herself for now. To her surprise and delight, it turned out that Sam had the whole kissing thing down pat. It had taken every ounce of her willpower not to drag him inside to find out what else he’d mastered!
She caught Lucy nudging her mom.
“Carrie’s blushing. Did you notice?”
Julie laughed. “I noticed. Maybe we should skip the tour and go straight to lunch.”
“Not a chance,” Carrie said, chuckling. “I want to show off Chesapeake Shores.”
An hour later they’d had a condensed tour of the town and were seated at a waterfront table on the outside deck at Brady’s.
“This is a fantastic little town,” Julie said as she drank her iced tea. “I can see why you love it. I can’t imagine why I haven’t driven over this way in so long.”
“Well, this may be the first time, but it definitely won’t be the last,” Lucy said. “Mom, I think we should look for a house. The commute to the center wouldn’t be that awful and I’ve seen some very attractive men in town.”
“I’m too old to be looking for a man,” Julie said. “But you are right about the town. I can almost imagine how relaxing it would be to come home to a place like this after a tough day. I could see myself sitting out here with a glass of wine and unwinding.”
“My cousin Luke has a pub that’s great for unwinding and spending time hanging out with locals. Sally’s Café has its own crowd in the mornings and on weekends, especially when it’s not tourist season,” Carrie said. “You really should consider it, Julie. I love it because it’s been home for most of my life, but I’ve lived in a lot of other places and, believe me, nothing compares.”
“We’ll see,” Julie said.
“Mom, what’s holding you back?” Lucy prodded. “You hate our house. You hate the traffic and how crowded everything’s gotten.”
“But it is a much longer commute from here,” Julie protested, though not very convincingly.
“Mostly on a country road that’s not that busy,” Carrie said, adding her encouragement to Lucy’s. “And you’d get to keep an eye on me, make sure your protégé isn’t messing up.”
Julie shook her head. “I’m not worried about that. You’re going to do just fine.”
“Maybe we should back off,” Carrie suggested to Lucy. “Give her some time to draw her own conclusions.”
“Now there’s an intriguing concept,” Julie said wryly. “I raised a little bulldozer. When Lucy wants something, she tends to roll right over anyone or anything that gets in her way.”
Carrie laughed. “Welcome to my world! I have a whole slew of people in my life exactly like that. If you figure out how to stay out of the way, let me know.”
Julie nodded. “I’ll add it to those lists I’m passing along to you.” She turned her attention to the plate the waiter had just placed in front of her and sighed. “Now I am going to focus on these scallops and savor every single bite. This is so far beyond my usual salad diet I may never leave.”