Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Marsha stood in the doorway of her house, waving goodbye as Johanna pulled out of the driveway and drove away. She smiled quietly to herself, reflecting as she had many times before that she was very lucky to have found such a good friend in Johanna.

She closed the door and turned to smile at Willis, who was approaching her along the hallway behind her.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" she asked him as he enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Oh, fine." Willis usually spoke gruffly about his work, as if it was some kind of wild animal he had wrestled. "Business was good at The Crab today, even better than it's been all week. This is the best January we've ever had. Then I stopped by The Homestead Grill just now to fix a leak in their ceiling."

"Blueberry Bay is lucky to have you," she told him adoringly.

"Oh, shucks," he said, kissing her nose.

"Heard from Hannah and Luke lately?" she asked as they walked into the kitchen together, holding hands.

"Hannah just texted me." He always got a special sparkle in his eyes when he talked about his daughter. "She said that the semester is going great so far, and she misses us already."

Hannah Jenkins and her boyfriend Luke Ward had just returned to college after visiting in Blueberry Bay over the holidays. Marsha thought they were an adorable young couple, and she was especially fond of Hannah, who was energetic and passionate, and had helped bring her and Willis back together after they'd been separated for many years.

"Oh, well please tell her I miss her too," she said warmly as she opened the refrigerator, preparing to start making dinner. "And Luke. They're both such fine young people."

"I couldn't agree more." He leaned against the counter, smiling. He'd learned that Marsha liked to run her own kitchen, and that if she wanted help with anything, she'd ask him. She liked to give him a break from cooking, since as the top chef at The Crab, he usually cooked all day. "At first, when they first started going out together, I figured it might just be young love. Probably my grumpy dad instincts, not wanting to let go of my daughter." He chuckled. "But now I'm starting to think that Luke and Hannah might be looking at a future together. I get that impression from the way they interact, don't you?"

She nodded. "I do. They seem very serious about each other. They joke and laugh a lot, but there's that undercurrent of commitment."

He nodded. "I think so too. And I'm happy for them. I approve of Luke—I like him a lot. He's a fine young man. Hard-working, bright—and he truly cares for Hannah. I know he would make her happy."

"Look at you," she teased, her eyes shining. "You've become a romantic!"

"Harumph," he said playfully. "Only on rare occasions."

As she continued to make dinner—a spicy Chicken Tagine with almonds and apricots—they both were companionably silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. She thought about how excited she was for Luke and Hannah—she herself was undoubtedly a romantic. She felt so incredibly lucky that she'd been reunited with her lost love Willis after so many years. Now her days were filled with love and companionship.

As she was musing about love, she thought about Johanna. Her friend lived alone, and had done so for many years. Marsha could see what a kind, generous woman Johanna was at her core, and she felt that any man would be lucky to be in a relationship with someone as smart and determined as Johanna.

"Speaking of being romantic," she said, smiling as she sprinkled spices over the chicken, "I want there to be someone for Johanna too."

He lifted his eyebrows curiously. "You mean in general, or are you saying that you want to set Johanna up with someone?"

"I want to set her up with someone." She laughed. "If I can. I guess I don't really know many eligible bachelors, but there's got to be someone out there for her. The least I can do is inspire her to go seek out someone on her own, you know?"

He chuckled. "You want to play matchmaker, huh?"

"Any interest in playing matchmaker with me?" She waggled her brows.

"Oh, I don't know that it's a good idea," he said gruffly. "It's her life, after all. I don't think it's our place to meddle. Shouldn't people just mind their own business?"

"Hmm," she said, smiling coyly as she poked the sizzling food with a wooden spoon. "A lot of people meddled in order to bring us together. Are you sorry they didn't mind their own business?"

"No, definitely not." He grinned at her as he stepped across the kitchen to envelope her in a hug. "I'm very glad that Hannah and Olivia played matchmaker for us."

"So you'll help me matchmake Johanna?"

"Sure." He chuckled. "If I can think of anyone I know who might be—oh!" His eyes lit up suddenly, and she grinned, sensing that he'd gotten an idea.

"You thought of someone?" she promoted eagerly.

He nodded, grinning back at her. "My friend Everett Howell. He's a local fisherman. I think you might have met him?"

"Everett… oh yes! I remember him. Brown hair, broad shoulders… he was wearing that red cap, wasn't he?"

"That's the guy. Looks like he just stepped out of Moby Dick or something. He's pretty rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart."

"He's nice! I remember him being funny too. Besides, what a great name—Everett Howell. It sounds like the kind of name Johanna would like."

He laughed. "Everett's name may sound fancy, but he's about as far from fancy as people get. Do you really think those two could ever hit it off?"

"Only one way to find out." She lifted a shoulder, feeling especially cheerful.

"You're a romantic, you are."

"Well." She kissed his cheek. "You must also be a romantic at heart, since you're helping me with my matchmaking plans."

"Well." He pulled her in for a sweet kiss. "You've made me believe in love again, Marsha Dunlap."

Her heart filled with warmth as she gazed up into his eyes.

"Oh, I'm the luckiest woman in the world," she murmured.

He shook his head. "No, you're a saint who puts up with grumpy old me."

"Luckiest woman in the world," she insisted, and they embraced again.