Page 56 of Moonlit Harbor Nights

“And we don’t like that.” Cedric shook his head as well. “We’ve all tried the McCormicks’ new menu here and there, and we’ve all come to the conclusion that the food, even though the menu items might be almost exactly the same as yours, is not nearly as good. And we wanted you to know that those knock-off versions of your family recipes will never replace The Lighthouse Grill for any of us.”

“Not even remotely,” Janet chimed in. “I don’t know a single person in town who’s been to the McCormick place more than a couple of times. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize that not only are they copycatting your menu, their food really isn’t very good.”

“Tastes fake,” called out someone from the crowd who Julia couldn’t see.

“And besides,” said Janet, “that place doesn’t have nearly as much charm as this one does.”

“What we’re trying to say, Vivian,” Cedric said with a grin, “is that we’re loyal to you.”

The crowd cheered their agreement, and Julia found herself laughing with happiness as she looked over at her mother and saw tears brimming in Vivian’s eyes.

Terrence stepped over to Vivian with a grin on his face. “See, Vivian?” he said softly. “You’re one of the good people, too—and your customers clearly know it.”

Julia wondered what he meant exactly, but the way her mother smiled at him made it clear that she did know.

“You’re all wonderful!” Julia called out. “Pie on the house for everybody!”

The crowd cheered again, and started to disperse to tables and booths, taking food menus with them from the front table.

“We should be celebrating Julia’s engagement as well!” Janet called out. “To Cooper Harris!”

The crowd cheered and whooped loudly, since most of them hadn’t heard the news yet. Several people came forward to hug Julia or shake her hand and ask to see the ring.

Julia laughed, her heart full of happiness. She looked over at her mother, who looked radiant with joy. It was clear that Vivian’s heart was bursting with happiness as well.

Julia looked around the room that was suddenly full of happy customers ordering dinner. The sound of laughter and chatting filled The Lighthouse Grill. Julia felt a sense of pride in her family and her community that ached sweetly in her chest.

It all worked out,she thought, gazing at their friends and loyal customers with tears in her eyes.Once again, community and family have won the day.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Here’s the tea!”

Vivian stepped into her living room, bearing a tray of steaming mugs of tea. She had a radiant smile on her face, and she was wearing a yellow sweater, which added to the cheerful nature of her appearance.

“Yay, thanks, Mom!” Hazel hopped up from where she was sitting on the couch and came over to her mother. “Which one is mine?”

“This one—the lavender blueberry.” Vivian knew exactly which mugs held which type of tea bag and who they were for. There was a honey chai turmeric for Julia, an earl gray for Cooper, peppermint for Samantha, mango ginger for Alexis, and chamomile for Terrence. Jacob and Grayson had declined her offer of tea, but knew they could help themselves to the pot of decaf coffee that was keeping warm in the kitchen.

“We should have texted Dean and Noelle to see if they wanted any tea,” Hazel said, going to sit back down on the couch. There was a game of Monopoly spread out on the coffee table, and she glanced at it with a competitive expression, checking to see what Jacob had done on his turn.

“Dean’s never been one for tea, but I bet Noelle would like some,” Vivian said, setting the tray down on a small table set at the end of the couch. “I’ll ask her when they get here.”

“Thanks, Grandma!” Samantha scampered up to get her mug of tea. “Ah, I love peppermint. The rest of you people are crazy. Peppermint is the only kind of tea that goes with brownies and ice cream.”

“Sam, don’t be rude!” Hazel gasped, but everyone else was laughing at the pre-teen’s comment.

“She’s got a point,” Terrence said, the corners of his mustache curving upward in a small smile. “Chamomile tea is hardly famous for being a good pairing with a brownie sundae.”

Vivian shook her head, chuckling, as she picked up her own mug from the end of the coffee table. She was still sipping on a cup of decaf coffee that she’d been drinking ever since before dinner. She’d wanted a little bit of caffeine while she was getting ready to serve her family and Terrence. She’d cooked them all chicken fajitas with a side of homemade fries. In the center of the table, she’d had dishes of both the pub’s secret sauce and their garlic aioli. Most people had used the sauces to dip their fries in, but a few people had tried them in their fajitas and proclaimed it to be delicious.

“Well, I think Terrence might be about to discover that chamomile tea is an excellent pairing with brownies and ice cream.” Vivian winked at her friend, and he grinned at her. The two of them had become good pals since the revelation of Alan’s betrayal. She’d been very much enjoying his company, feeling that having someone kind and good-hearted in her corner made her life richer.

“You’re a braver man than I am, Terrence,” Grayson said with a grin. “I think I’ll stick with coffee. Is there still some in the kitchen, Vivian?”

“Yes, there’s a couple of cups left in the pot.”

“I’ll come with you,” Jacob said. “I consumed that brownie sundae with the speed of a gorilla. Now my tastebuds are asking for coffee.”

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