The Inn at Willa Bay: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  Zoe smothered a grin as she swiveled her chair to face the wall behind her desk and inserted the documents they’d just signed into the copier. The lovebirds were still kissing when she turned back around.

  She cleared her throat. “Here you go.” She held out the copies she’d made. “Feel free to call me if you have any questions, and I’ll be reaching out to you in the fall to work on the details of your wedding.”

  “Thank you so much,” the woman gushed. “I’m seriously so excited about this! My friends are going to be so jealous.”

  The man stood and offered his hand to his fiancée to help her up. Zoe walked them through the maze of back hallways to the main lobby. The bride-to-be never stopped smiling the entire time, and her happiness was contagious. This was a part of the job that Zoe loved – making people happy and excited about their future.

  She returned to her office and recorded all the information about the couple’s wedding, then reviewed the events for the upcoming week. They weren’t yet in the heart of the wedding season, but things were getting busier. She had a retirement party, a fiftieth anniversary, and three weddings this week. Four out of the five events would be catered in-house, which always added another dimension to event planning.

  One of the honorees at the anniversary dinner had some food allergies, and she jotted down a reminder to talk to Taylor about the menu. She’d noted the allergies previously, but she liked to double-check details like that. Having a party guest leave the Lodge in an ambulance wouldn’t be good for anyone.

  A flashing light on her desk phone followed by a loud ring pulled her attention away from the anniversary party to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Zoe, it’s George. Can you come down to my office for a minute? I want to talk to you about something.”

  Zoe’s heart thudded so loudly that the phone receiver pressed against her ear seemed to amplify it. Was this it? Was George finally promoting her to the event manager position?

  “Zoe? Are you there?”

  “Yes. Sorry. I’ll come down to your office right now.” She hung up the phone and stood, steadying herself against the desk. Her legs wobbled, and blood pounded in her ears. She’d waited years for this opportunity, and now it was all coming true.

  Zoe knocked on George’s closed door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Zoe pushed open the door with a smile on her face, unable to hold back her excitement. She stepped inside – and stopped short.

  A man was sitting across from her boss.

  “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were meeting with someone.” Had she misheard George’s request for her to come to his office? Maybe he’d said to come later. She glanced at the stranger, who looked vaguely familiar to her.

  “Actually, I called you down here to introduce you to my son-in-law, Pearson Jones.” George gestured to the man across from him. “Pearson, this is Zoe Tisdale, the Lodge’s event coordinator.”

  This wasn’t about the promotion. Her excitement deflated like an old helium balloon, but she tried to hide her disappointment. “It’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to Pearson.

  He returned the handshake with limp fingers. “Nice to meet you too.”

  Zoe stepped back and looked at George. “I heard your daughter and son-in-law were moving back to town. That’s so exciting for you all.”

  George gave her a tight-lipped smile. “It is. My wife is thrilled.” He eyed Pearson, then looked back at Zoe and took a deep breath. “I wanted to introduce you to Pearson because he’s going to be coming on board as our new event manager when Joan leaves.”

  Zoe froze in place, unable to do anything but stare at George. She must have heard him incorrectly. “Excuse me, but did you say he’s been hired as the new event manager?”

  George nodded. “Joan will begin training him tomorrow.” He folded his hands on the desk, rubbing one thumb against the other but not making eye contact with her. “I’ve told him how great you are at your job and how lucky he’ll be to have you at his side.” He looked up at her. “I know the two of you will make a wonderful team.”

  Zoe’s stomach churned from the rollercoaster of emotions. She looked over at Pearson, who flashed her an oily grin. She quickly averted her eyes. “I’m sure we will,” she managed to eke out. She had to get out of there before she threw up. “I’ve got some things to finish up before the end of the day. Pearson, it’s nice to meet you.” She put her hand on the doorframe and used it to propel herself out of the office, closing the door before George could respond.

  Unshed tears clouded her vision as she made her way back to her office on autopilot. She closed the door tightly behind her and collapsed into her desk chair. His son-in-law? Seriously? She’d been working toward this promotion for years and hadn’t seen this coming. Now she’d be forced to work with Pearson when he took over the job that should have been hers.

  She still had work to do, but when she tried to focus on the computer screen, her head throbbed, and the words swam in front of her eyes. Reluctantly, she saved the document she was working on and turned the computer off. It was after five o’clock, and while she’d usually be there for several more hours at this time of year, she decided to call it quits for the day.

  Zoe grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door and peeked into the hallway to make sure it was empty. She didn’t think she could handle seeing George or Pearson again that evening. If Meg or Cassie had been there, she may have ducked into the kitchen to tell them the bad news, but the restaurant was closed for dinner on Mondays, and Cassie had left hours ago.

  The drive home was a blur, but Zoe’s death grip on the steering wheel had her arms and hands aching by the time she pulled into the driveway leading to the old Inn and her cottage. As she passed by Celia’s home, a flash of white caught her eye.

  Pebbles barked and pawed frantically at her from inside the front window. Every time she’d seen the little dog before, he’d been glued to Celia’s side. Icy fear arced through her heart, obliterating any thoughts of the lost promotion.

  She slammed on the brakes, threw the car into park, ripped the keys out of the ignition, then ran up the walkway to the old inn, taking the porch steps two at a time. Pebbles continued to bark insistently. Zoe tried the doorknob, but it didn’t turn.

  She held a hand over her eyes to peer through the dirt-smudged panes of the front window. Behind the glass, Pebbles whined and raced backward into the room. Zoe followed him with her eyes – all the way to a body lying prone on the rug in front of the sofa.

  Her chest tightened. Something had happened to Celia. She had to get in the house somehow.

  Celia had once made an offhand remark about her spare key being inside a hide-a-key rock that was so realistic, she couldn’t remember which one it was. Zoe took one last look through the window, then scanned the garden and walkway for a rock big enough to conceal a house key. A few were stacked up next to the steps, so she scrambled down and started flipping them over. The third one was lighter than the others and revealed a little door underneath that she quickly slid open.

  She jiggled the key in the lock until the knob finally gave, then ducked inside and swung the door shut behind her so Pebbles couldn’t escape. She crossed the entry hall to the living room in five long steps.

  Celia was stretched out on the rug with her leg bent at an awkward angle, her body unmoving. A knot on the side of her head protruded through her thinning white hair.

  Zoe sucked in her breath and sent up a silent prayer: Please, please let her be alive.

  She fell to her knees and felt Celia’s wrist for a pulse. It was there, but thready. Celia didn’t respond to her touch. Zoe nudged her shoulder gently, but didn’t dare try to move her.

  She yanked the phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed 911. “It’s my neighbor. I think she must have fallen and hit her head. She’s breathing, but not responding to anything.” Zoe relayed the address and other necessary information to the operator, who gave her instruct
ions to not move Celia and to stay with her until help arrived.

  Like I would leave her alone like this. Zoe sat back against the front of the couch, her fingers resting lightly on Celia’s hand as if she could keep her alive with that small contact. Pebbles lay on the floor near Celia, resting his head on his paws to stare mournfully at his mistress.

  When the paramedics arrived, they took Celia’s vitals and quickly assessed her injuries. “There’s a possible cranial contusion, and her hip may be fractured,” said a female EMT, who looked to be in her forties. The younger, male paramedic with her nodded, and they worked together to ease Celia into a scoop stretcher to take her to the ambulance.

  “We’re taking her to the county hospital,” the man said. “You can meet us there.”

  Zoe nodded. “I’ll be right behind you.” She watched them slam the back doors of the ambulance, then closed her eyes for a moment. Please let her be okay.

  She quickly said goodbye to Pebbles and locked the front door. As she got into her car, sirens screamed as the ambulance roared down the driveway, the driver swerving to avoid as many potholes as possible. When they reached the main road, they sped off, and Zoe followed as quickly as she dared to drive. When she reached the hospital, they were still in the process of getting Celia checked in.

  “Are you Ms. James’s emergency contact?” The woman behind the emergency room registration desk asked.

  Zoe shook her head. “No. I rent a cottage from her, and I’m the one who found her.” She choked back tears. “I don’t know who to contact.” The noise of the waiting room seemed to close in on her like she’d been dropped into a hive of angry bees. “Is she okay? Can I see her?”

  “We’re taking good care of her, and we’ll let you know as soon as we have some information. Does Ms. James have any relatives?” The woman held out a clipboard with a thick stack of papers on it, the glittering, multicolored rings on her fingers a stark contrast to the harsh lighting and sterile, cream-colored walls.

  Zoe took the clipboard without thinking and glanced at the first page which asked for the patient’s name, address, insurance, allergies, etc. She could manage the name and address, but beyond that, she was clueless.

  “I don’t know if she has relatives.” The realization stunned her. How had she lived next door to Celia for so long without finding out such a key piece of information?

  The woman gave her a sympathetic look. “Let’s have you fill out what you can of the paperwork. That’ll give you some time to think about who to call.”

  Zoe eyed the forms again. “I’ll try.”

  The woman’s question about relatives ping-ponged in Zoe’s brain as she filled out what she knew about Celia – which wasn’t much. Celia’s closest friend was Elizabeth Arnold, Meg’s grandmother. Maybe she’d have a better idea of who to contact.

  She turned in the forms to the woman behind the counter and dialed Meg.

  “Hey, Zoe, what’s up?” Meg sounded out of breath. “I just got back from a run. It’s so gorgeous out tonight. All of the trees are getting their leaves back, and it’s so green everywhere.”

  “Um.” Zoe paused. “I’m actually calling because something happened to Celia.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line, then Meg said in a quiet voice, “Is … is she okay?”

  “I don’t know yet. I found her on her living room floor when I came home from work.” Zoe remembered the terror she’d felt at that moment, and her lip quivered. “She was breathing, but unconscious. I’m at the hospital now.”

  “Oh no.” Meg’s next words came out in a rush. “Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to come to the hospital and wait with you?”

  Zoe considered Meg’s offer. It had been a pretty horrible day, and although Meg was one of her best friends, she didn’t think she could face talking to anyone yet about what had happened at work. “I think I’m okay here. I’ll call you if I change my mind. But I was hoping to get your grandmother’s phone number from you. When I was filling out Celia’s intake forms, I realized I didn’t have any clue who to call in an emergency.”

  “Of course. Let me pull it up.” Meg was quiet for a moment, then she rattled off the ten-digit phone number. “Nana Elizabeth is in Arizona right now, though, so I’m not sure how much help she’ll be.”

  Zoe’s heart sank. She’d forgotten Elizabeth and her husband were snowbirds who escaped to Arizona every winter. “Well, maybe she’ll at least be able to tell me if there’s someone I should notify.”

  “I hope so. You know, I never thought about it before either, but Celia’s never talked much about anything personal. She’s always quick to comfort any of us, but I don’t know much about her life, other than she’s lived at the old Inn for as long as I can remember.” Meg’s voice cracked. “I wish now that I’d thought to ask her.”

  “Me too.” Zoe sighed. It wasn’t something she could change at this point. “I’m going to give your grandmother a call and see if she can help.”

  “Let me know if you change your mind about me coming to the hospital. I’ll let my family and Cassie know, too, but we’ll wait for you to let us know if it’s okay to come.”

  “Thanks.” A tear dripped down Zoe’s cheek, and she swiped at it with the back of her hand. “I’ll call when I know something.”

  She hung up and immediately dialed Elizabeth Arnold.

  “Hello?” A woman answered brightly.

  “Mrs. Arnold? It’s Zoe Tisdale, Meg’s friend in Willa Bay.”

  “Oh yes, Zoe.” Her demeanor changed, and concern tinged her words. “Is everything okay with Meg? Or the other girls?”

  “Yes, they’re fine. I’m calling about Celia.” She hurried to add, “She’s alive, but in the hospital.”

  “Oh goodness. What happened? Is she okay?”

  Zoe took a deep breath. “It looked like she fell at home. I found her unconscious and called an ambulance. I’m at the ER, but they haven’t let me see her yet.”

  “So, you don’t know anything?” Elizabeth asked. Her voice was muffled as she told someone next to her that Celia was in the hospital.

  “No. Nothing yet.”

  “Well, she’s alive. That’s something.”

  “The thing is, I’m not sure who to notify. They want to know her emergency contact. If she makes it—” Zoe choked on the words. “The paramedics thought her leg looked broken, so she may need surgery. There will be decisions to make.”

  “Oh.”

  Elizabeth was silent for so long that Zoe said, “Hello? Are you still there?”

  “I’m still here.” Elizabeth sighed. “You know Celia’s a very private person, right?”

  “Right.” Where was Elizabeth going with this?

  “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but I think Celia would want him to know.”

  Him? “I’m sorry, who?” Zoe asked.

  “Look in the old sewing desk. She keeps her address book there. Call Shawn.”

  “Do you know his last name?” Zoe had never heard Celia mention a Shawn before.

  “Sorry, honey. That’s all I know.” She uttered a long sigh. “I hope I don’t regret this.”

  “Who is this Shawn guy?” Zoe asked.

  “I can’t say. If … When Celia wakes up, she can tell you.” Elizabeth sighed again. “Just call him and tell him that Celia’s in the hospital, and he’s her emergency contact.”

  “Okay.” Zoe was intensely curious, but she didn’t think Elizabeth was going to divulge any further information about the man. “I’ll go to her house and call him. Thanks, Elizabeth.”

  “Of course. And Zoe? Please let me know as soon as you have any news about Celia. She’s been a dear friend of mine for as long as I can remember.”

  “I will.” Zoe ended the call and walked over to the front desk. There were two people in front of her: a man with blood dripping from his thumb, and a woman wearing a face mask. When it was her turn, she approached the woman behind the desk. “Do you have any up
date on Celia James?”

  The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, we don’t know anything yet. Have a seat and we’ll let you know when we do. Did you find her emergency contact yet?”

  “I need to go home and find her address book.” Zoe glanced at the full waiting room. “I should be back in about an hour and half, but if there’s news about Celia, can you please call me?”

  “I can do that.” The woman pulled up Celia’s chart and noted Zoe’s phone number. “Drive carefully, please. We don’t want to see you arrive in an ambulance too.”

  Zoe managed a wan smile. “I will. Thank you.” She walked out of the ER, then broke into a jog as she crossed the parking lot to her car. Remembering the woman’s advice, she drove the speed limit all the way back to Celia’s house.

  The spare key was still in her jeans pocket. When she opened the door, Pebbles was waiting in the entry hall. He tried to nose past her, seeking his mistress. Zoe’s heart broke.

  “Sorry, Pebbles.” She stroked his coarse fur, but he kept looking around as if Celia was hiding behind her. “Your mama will be home soon.” I hope.

  Breathe, Zoe, she reminded herself. She was there on a mission. She needed to find Shawn’s phone number quickly and get back to the hospital.

  She petted Pebbles again, then went into the living room, studiously averting her eyes from the spot on the floor where Celia had lain earlier. She pulled on the center drawer of the antique sewing table, but it didn’t budge. With some coaxing, it finally creaked open, revealing a thin local phone book and Celia’s address book.

  She flipped through the pages, which, judging by the volume of crossed out addresses and phone numbers, had been used for at least the last thirty years. She’d be lucky to find Shawn’s phone number in all of this mess.

  Pebbles nudged her leg, and when she looked down to pet him, Shawn’s name jumped off the page. Found it.

  There was nothing special about how Celia had noted his name – nothing to indicate how she knew him. But Elizabeth had told her that he was Celia’s emergency contact. The area code was for the region of Washington State just south of Seattle. Zoe dialed his number and waited. It rang six times before he answered.