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“Happy birthday, babe,” Noel said, wrapping her arms around Drew. “I’m sorry it isn’t the fancy catered bash I’d envisioned, but with Henry leaving, Woodlines just couldn’t pull it off.”

Drew gazed down into his gorgeous wife’s face and said, “Didn’t you know this is all I ever wanted anyway? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the effort and would have loved the raw bar, but this”—he waved at the sea of people who’d shown up for their potluck barbeque at Lin’s house—“is heaven on earth. Good burgers, good beer, good friends, and a gorgeous, loving family. What more does a guy need?”

Noel laughed. “When you put it that way, I guess not much, other than maybe a handyman to fix the chicken coop door that won’t close all the way.”

“Hey, woman, I already told you that’s because of the warped door. It’s not the builder’s fault. A new one is on the way.”

“That’s right,” Lincoln said, arriving with a fresh beer for the birthday boy. “Do not disparage the chicken coop masters.”

Noel rolled her eyes. “Whatever you two say.”

A horn beeped, and when Drew glanced up, he spotted a purple golf cart coming right for them. Wanda, the town Realtor and Abby’s best friend, was driving and blasting Pharrell Williams’s “Happy.” The cart was full of the Townsend clan’s children as they all waved their hands in the air and sang along. Wanda parked it near Abby’s old studio and then designated one of the older children as the DJ before walking over to Noel and Drew.

“We definitely weren’t going to get that if we’d had this party at Woodlines,” Drew said, grinning at Wanda. “They look like they’re having a blast.”

“They weren’t the only ones,” Wanda said as she did a little dance. “There is just nothing more fun than taking those kids for a spin.”

Noel raised her eyebrows at her. “Are you saying that’s more fun than the golf cart races?”

“Oh, hmm, you’ve got me there. I’d say it’s a toss-up then. Golf carts just bring the fun, no matter what.”

Abby walked up and gave her friend a hug. After that, everyone seemed to be talking at once. Everyone but Drew. He was just in the middle of it all, taking it in. This family that he’d married into was loud and overwhelming at times, but they were everything he’d ever wanted as a kid. His parents were great, but it had just been the three of them. Now he felt like he was related to at least half the town, and he loved every one of them.

It seemed as if it was more than one man could ever ask for.

“Hey, did you all hear that Woodlines is shutting down?” Wanda said loudly over the chatter.

“What?” Drew asked, already feeling a pang of loss for the raw bar and crab legs he loved so much. “Why?”

“Henry left,” Wanda said. “Can’t blame the guy after everything he’s been through, and the owner decided it was more than he wanted to manage after all these years, so the building was put on the market just two days ago.”

“It will probably sell fast,” Drew said. Real estate was precious in Keating Hollow, and after all the growth they’d had in the past five to seven years, nothing stayed on the market long. That was true for both commercial and residential properties.

“Oh, it did,” Wanda said with a gleam in her eye. “Do you remember that notorious show Beachside with the Buchanans ?”

“That reality show?” Abby asked. “Don’t they have like six spin-offs of that now?”

“Yep, that’s the one. And yes, they keep doing more and more shows,” Wanda said. “Their eldest appears to want to escape their fishbowl lifestyle, and he’s moving here for some peace and quiet. I’m not sure what he wants to open at Woodlines, but it sounds like maybe another farm to table place.”

“Their eldest?” Abby parroted. “You mean Anders Buchanan? The one who refused to be filmed for anything, ever , since he was like sixteen?”

“Yeah, he sued his parents to get out of it, I think,” Wanda said. “Apparently he’s looking for a quiet life away from it all, and Keating Hollow is it.”

“Has anyone told him about the recent ghost possessions?” Noel joked. “I’m not sure quiet is how I’d describe Keating Hollow these days.”

“Hey, don’t jinx it,” Drew said. “The law enforcement team is working very hard to ensure a safe and drama-free summer.”

They all looked around at each other and then burst out laughing.

“Famous last words,” Noel said and then raised her glass. “A toast to the birthday boy.”

And then all together, every person Drew loved in the world raised their glasses and said, “To Drew. Happy Birthday.”

***