Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(20)

“Well, congratulations again!”

Toy took the praise in stride. “It’ll mean I’m no longer director of the sea turtle hospital,” she explained.

“Oh.” Toy was passionate about sea turtles, loggerheads in particular. “Are you comfortable with that change?”

“I have to be. I’ll still be involved with turtles, of course, but I’ll branch out to other areas. Education, sustainable seafood, plastics in the ocean, climate change. All important areas I can dig my teeth into.”

Cara thought the job sounded challenging. Something she wouldn’t mind doing herself. “What’s the job title?”

“Conservation director. It’s a newly created position. They said they had me in mind when they designed it,” she added with a faint blush of pride. “Because education is a major component, I’ll go out to the community to speak a lot. Which means a lot of travel and late hours. That’s going to be hard to do with a family.”

“It’s a lot to juggle.”

Toy took a breath. “Right. I don’t know if—” She stopped when the front door opened.

Flo stuck her head out. “What y’all doing out there? Stop yakking and come in. Folks are waitin’ to see the guest of honor! And by that, I mean that baby!”

“Be right there,” Cara called back. Flo waved in acknowledgment. When the door closed again, she turned back to Toy. “You were saying?”

Toy kicked a pebble. “We can talk later.”

“Let’s talk now. It’s important. You don’t know if . . .” she led.

“I don’t know if I can do all that with a new baby.” She shook her head with a shrug. “Who am I kidding? I know I won’t be able to do it.”

“But you’ve been trying to have another baby for years.”

“We stopped trying last year. Then, bingo.” She laughed. “Wouldn’t you know it?”

Cara felt a pang at the irony. “When Brett and I stopped trying, I used to pray I’d miraculously get pregnant like that. You hear those stories.” She laughed shortly. “And the miracle happened to you.” She reached out to touch her arm. “And it is a miracle.”

Toy bumped her shoulder gently against Cara’s. “You got your miracle too.”

Cara smoothed Hope’s hair. “I did.”

Cara had been Toy’s mentor, an older sister, even a surrogate mother after Lovie died. She’d been the one to dispense advice. But now they seemed more like equals. The twenty-year age difference melted away. In fact, Cara felt she was the one who needed advice from Toy.

“I understand, I really do,” Cara said. “I’m trying to figure out how to work at home and make a living with a baby too. At least you have Ethan.”

“And he’s been great,” Toy was quick to say.

“He’s happy about the pregnancy?”

“Over the moon.”

Cara smiled. Of course he was happy. Ethan came from a large, boisterous family and made it no secret he wanted more children. He’d adopted Little Lovie without a second thought and loved her like his own.

“Well, then,” Cara said with undisguised relief. “I’d say you had your answer. You’ll have to do what women have done for centuries. Make it work.”

Toy snorted and handed Hope back to Cara. “Thanks. Spoken like a woman who’s been a mother for, what, six months?”

Cara laughed. “Five, but who’s counting?” The front door opened, and Emmi appeared in a pink apron. Her red hair was piled atop her head in a bun and she waved her pink-tipped fingers in the air.

“What’s taking you two so long?”

“Lucy, I’m home!” Cara called out, and Toy barked out a laugh.

“Ha-ha,” said Emmi. “Now get your butts in here. The party’s waiting for you!”

Cara walked into a home that had been transformed by fairy lights and pink crepe paper. A side table draped in a white tablecloth with pink polka dots held a large tiered cake decked with pink and lavender flowers, surrounded by champagne flutes. The next table was covered with gifts.

“Oh my. They went all out,” Toy said with wonder.

“I didn’t expect all this!” Cara exclaimed and suddenly felt sheepish for being late.

Toy went directly to the dining room table to add her covered dish to the groaning weight of platters and bowls. Drawing near, Cara saw the requisite pimento cheese sandwiches and deviled eggs, red rice and beans, pickled okra, a selection of salads, and fried chicken. A large wooden serving platter in the center of the table waited, she knew, for the steamed shrimp.

On cue, the kitchen door swung open and Ethan emerged with the steaming pot of shrimp, guests filing in behind him. Exclamations of welcome echoed throughout the room. Cara smelled the sweet scent of shellfish and Old Bay seasoning, heard the laughter, and felt herself light up with happiness. Immediately she was surrounded by such love—her brother Palmer and sister-in-law Julia, along with Linnea and Cooper. Heather and Bo Stanton were back in town with their new towheaded son, whom she’d yet to meet; he looked to be close in age to Hope. Finally, there were Flo and Emmi. Her nearest and dearest, her family. They’d been there for her through the good times and the bad. She’d loved them all before, but now, alone with a baby, she treasured them. Through a veil of tears, Cara felt humbled with gratitude.