Chapter Thirteen

As Cleo turns Sonya’s impromptu cookout into a mini-event, Sonya helps prep and looks forward to Winter’s visit, while mild disturbances from Dobbs keep her on edge. After finishing website work and readying Winter’s room with heirlooms and flowers, Sonya surveys the house’s warm, lived-in touches.

Looking out, Sonya and Cleo see Jack playing fetch with Yoda. Jack smiles, waves, then walks into the shed and vanishes, a hopeful sign of trust and growing light. Winter arrives with homemade bread, approving Owen’s lawn chairs. The three women share wine, then make peach ice cream together, turning the kitchen into a cheerful, music-backed party.

That night, distant piano and weeping drift through the house without pulling Sonya. She dreams vividly of Hugh Poole defying a storm to bring home the ship he built for his wife, Marianne, who waits on the widow’s walk, pregnant and steadfast. In the morning, Winter and Sonya sit with coffee; Winter admits she placed a photo of Sonya and her father out “for Clover.” In return, the photo is replaced with a framed four-leaf clover as Alanis Morissette plays, a tender exchange that comforts Winter.

They note the patio pots are already watered—Eleanor’s quiet care—before deciding on ice cream for breakfast. Trey and Owen arrive with their dogs, and Cleo, fully in charge, assigns stations for the barbecue: tables, carving area, bar, and music. Sonya dresses the tables with checks and mason jars while Trey helps and she shares plans to tell him good stories later.

Family begins to arrive. Anna brings cream puffs, Owen heads to the grill, and Sonya runs the bar with Bellinis and hard lemonade. Ace and Paula reminisce about Collin’s earlier restoration gathering, recognizing how Sonya and Cleo have revived the manor’s spirit. The chapter closes with the house bustling, connections strengthened, and the light inside the manor clearly growing.