Chapter 29

"Don't run so fast, Pearl! Wait for us!" Caitlin called to her daughter, who was practically sprinting across the park in her dog costume.

"She's going to make everyone who's afraid of dogs nervous about being chased," Michael joked, and Caitlin laughed.

"She's so unbelievably adorable in that costume," she said, beaming.

They were on their way to get changed back into their regular clothes after the contest. Although their costumes were fun, they didn't want to wear them all day.

As soon as they were back in street clothes, they stopped by Caitlin's car to drop their costumes off in the trunk.

"I want to go and play the games," Pearl said, hopping up and down. She was now wearing a yellow sundress and sandals, but she seemed to be wanting to act like a rabbit instead of a dog. "Can I go, Mom?"

"Yes, I guess so," Caitlin said. "What do you think, Michael?"

"I think that would be okay, Pearl," he said, smiling at the little girl. "But be careful, and stay in the park and near the people you know, okay? We'll catch up with you in a little bit."

"Okay, Dad!" Pearl called and took off across the park.

Michael turned to Caitlin, looking stunned. His cheeks were slightly flushed. "I didn't tell her to say that or anything," he stammered, seeming to be worried that Caitlin wouldn't be okay with what Pearl had just called him.

She beamed at him, her heart full.

"It's fine," she told him gently. "I like that Pearl sees you as a father figure."

He smiled down at her warmly, unspoken emotions shining in his eyes. She knew that they were both thinking that someday he might be Pearl's stepfather.

They started across the park. Caitlin smiled at all of the exciting and colorful things that were surrounding them. She'd known the Summer Smash was going to be a good time, but it had exceeded her expectations.

"Thank you again for doing the costume contest with us," she said to Michael. She wrapped an arm around him, hugging him sideways as they walked.

"Of course." He grinned at her. "Sorry we only got second place."

She hugged him tighter. "Coming in second still feels like coming in first, as long as it's with you."

The look in his eyes got even warmer and he hugged her back. "I feel the same."

* * *

Hannah took a deep breath, enjoying the salty smell of the sea mixed with all the sweet and savory aromas of the food. Everyone was in high spirits and having a great time, and she thought to herself that this was one of the best Blueberry Bay events she'd ever been to.

She noticed Paige and Josie sitting at a picnic table, enjoying plates of potluck food, and she hurried over to join them.

"Hey," she said, sliding onto the bench across from them. "How are you guys?"

"Great!" Paige grinned at her. "How are you?"

"Good! This has been a really fun day so far. What did you decide to do for school?"

"I've enrolled in Flourish Baking School," Paige said, her eyes shining, "and I'm signed up to take business classes with their partner college in Providence."

Hannah reached across the table and squeezed her friend's hand. "That's awesome! I'm so excited for you!"

At that moment, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and it caught her attention. When she turned, she saw her father and Marsha walking close by.

They were holding hands.

Her heart did a somersault, and she immediately stood up. "I'll talk to you guys more later," she said hurriedly. "I've got to go check something quick."

"No worries!" Josie assured her. The grin on her face made Hannah think she knew exactly what she wanted to check.

Hannah hurried across the grass to Marsha and her father. They both grinned at her as they saw her approach.

"Hey, you two!" she said breathlessly. "Congratulations on winning the costume contest!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," Willis said, beaming at his daughter. He was still holding Marsha's hand.

"You know, you two really make a great team," Hannah said slyly.

"Yes, we really do," Marsha agreed, and the two of them looked lovingly at each other.

"I really hope you and Olivia won't be strangers after all this, Marsha," Hannah continued, still fishing for answers.

"Oh, we won't be," Marsha assured her. "Willis and I will be seeing a lot of each other now, so I'll get to see you a lot too. And I'm sure Olivia will come visit with me all the time."

Although no one had come right out and said the words, that was enough for Hannah to be sure that she'd succeeded in getting the two of them back together. Triumph and joy surged through her.

She gave her father a huge hug. He blushed a little, laughing.

"Thank you, Hannah," he said softly.

She grinned at him. "I love you, Dad. You two go off and enjoy more of the festival together. I'll catch up with you soon."

She watched as the couple walked away together, her eyes shining. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, and she looked up to see Luke standing next to her.

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"You look really happy." He nuzzled her nose.

"I am! It worked! Dad and Marsha got back together!"

He laughed. "Wow! For once, your mischievousness worked out for good! Still, I'll have to keep a close eye on you," he teased.

"Hey, my mischievousness always has pure intentions," she said, laughing as they started to walk across the park with their arms wrapped around each other.

"Unless you're pranking someone."

"You're right. You should keep track of me. But I'm only too happy to let you." She beamed up at him with a sappy smile on her face, and he leaned over and gave her an affectionate kiss.

I'm so lucky to have Luke in my life,she thought. And now Dad has someone wonderful too. He isn't going to be lonely anymore. I'm so happy that everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

She hugged her boyfriend as they headed toward the games area, ready to join their friends.

The series continues in A Lullaby in the Bay! Olivia settles into Blueberry Bay and has a surprising encounter with a handsome newcomer, and Alissa and Dane deal with a tricky situation.