Mia and Izzy were there, too, with their neighbor, Ben. He was getting ready to head back to Manhattan for the winter and was still hoping to eventually spend more and more time on Nantucket. Paula noticed with interest that he and Hallie were engaged in a spirited conversation and seemed to be hitting it off.

“It really is good to be back,” David said. He’d walked over to where Paula was opening a new bottle of wine. Everyone else was gathered around the food table in the living room. And there was so much food, everyone had brought an appetizer or dessert.

“It’s too bad your mom and dad couldn’t make it,” Paula said.

“We’ll see them tomorrow. I think this many people might be overwhelming for my mother, and stressful for my dad, worrying about her. They’re really doing great, though.”

David’s mother was stable and her doctor was pleased that her disease seemed to be staying steady instead of getting progressively worse.

“Just think, this time next week, we’ll be in Rome,” Paula said.

David grinned. “We’re going to eat our way through Italy, and then London and Paris, too.”

They were leaving on Sunday for Paula’s dream vacation, made even better because David was going with her. They were going for two weeks. She hadn’t taken that much time off at once in years.

“It’s perfect. We’ll be home just in time for Christmas,” she said

David laughed and looked up. “Speaking of Christmas…” They were standing under one of the several sprigs of mistletoe that Paula hung earlier.

“Merry Christmas, Paula,” he said softly

And then he kissed her.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. If you’d like to keep in touch, please visit my website for updates on new releases.

Watch for Nantucket News, book 7 in my Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series. To receive a notification when that is available or the preorder goes live, join my mailing list.

If you haven’t started that series, click here for The Nantucket Inn.

If you like a little mystery in your women’s fiction, please check out my newest release, Plymouth Undercover, set in my hometown.

Have you read The Restaurant yet? That is my biggest seller so far.

Thanks so much!

Pam

About the Author

Pamela M. Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women's fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends.

She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.