Page 79 of The Spotted Cottage By the Sea
Epilogue
Eliza got the honor of helping Granny with the Thanksgiving turkey, an honor she would never allow her sisters to forget.
“I guess I’m just Granny’s right-hand woman,” she said as she carried plates into the kitchen.
“Yeah, yeah.” Emma waved a hand. “As soon as I finish school, I’m going to move in with Granny to overtake you as the favorite.”
“Ha!” Shelby flipped the water on in the sink. “I bet I could get the crown in no time.”
The kitchen was too small for all of them and their bickering, but no one was going to budge, particularly not Eliza.
She was the one who owed Granny the most. The past few months had been a dream – living with her at the cottage and working at the tea shop. Eliza never thought she could be this happy.
Mackenzie bumped Shelby with her hip and managed to grab the sponge. “While you suckers are fighting over details, I’m going to buy Granny a dishwasher and become the real hero.”
Granny burst into the kitchen and let out a huff. “Leave all of that! I’ll wash it later.”
Mackenzie pretended not to hear her, handing a large platter to Shelby to dry.
“Listen, girls!” Granny clapped her hands. “I’ve got pies at the tea shop and we have to take them over.”
“Take them where?” Eliza asked.
“To Russell’s, of course,” she said. “I didn’t tell your mom, but I arranged for a little dessert for us all to share.”
“Uh…” Emma narrowed her eyes. “Does Russell know about this, or are we about to crash his family’s Thanksgiving?”
“He’s the one who suggested it,” Granny said simply, pulling on her coat. “Come on!”
Shelby threw the dish towel onto the counter. “Do you think Holly will be there?”
“Of course not,” Mackenzie snapped, still scrubbing. “Why would he have his ex-wife at his house on Thanksgiving?”
“She will be,” Granny said with a smile. “Let’s go, girls. Get your mother.”
Eliza went down to fetch her. She was in the basement, blissfully unaware of Granny’s plans.
“I have a few options for games we can play,” she said, coming up the stairs. “You can talk amongst yourselves and pick.”
The girls were darting back and forth, grabbing coats and shoes, elbowing each other and arguing.
“What’s going on?” her mom asked.
“We’re going to Russell’s,” Granny said.
“What?”
Granny pulled her coat off the hook and handed it to her. “I made six pies.”
“What?”
“Well, we can’t very well go over empty-handed! And I don’t think Holly made any pies.” Granny shook her head. “Everyone ready?”
“Patty. We can’t just go over to Russell’s.”
“Yes, we can. He invited us.”
“When did he invite us?”
