The Inn at Willa Bay: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  Zoe wasn’t sure what to say. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Okay then. Let’s try to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He looked around the room, as if noticing the flashing monitors for the first time. “Is there someone I should talk to?”

  “The doctor just came by for his last round of the night. You can talk to him in the morning. Celia hasn’t woken up since her fall, so I think we should let her rest. We can head to her house now to see if we can figure out why she listed you as her emergency contact.” Zoe sensed that Elizabeth Arnold knew who Shawn was to Celia but didn’t want to betray her friend’s secrets, even in this situation. If she was going to tell Zoe about Shawn, she would have done so earlier. It was up to them to figure it out on their own.

  Shawn hesitated. “I don’t know how I feel about searching her house without her permission.”

  Zoe sighed and glanced at Celia. “I don’t either, but we don’t know when she’ll wake up. It could be tomorrow or it could be next year. If we’re going to make decisions for her, I’d like to have a good understanding of the situation.”

  He nodded. “I’ll defer to you then.”

  Zoe said goodbye to Celia, and they left her room.

  “I’m going to let the nurses know we’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Zoe said over her shoulder.

  Shawn didn’t say anything, but his footsteps were heavy behind hers as he followed her to the nurses station. Things weren’t going according to plan at all, but she had a feeling that this was going to be an interesting evening.

  9

  Shawn

  Shawn watched through the passenger side mirror as the hospital disappeared behind them. He’d hoped when he saw Celia for the first time that he would instantly recognize her, and the mystery would be solved. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to remember her, she was still a stranger to him.

  Although his mother had kept careful photo albums of him and his younger sister, Jessa, when they were kids, there were few pictures of his mother’s family. He couldn’t remember ever seeing a photo of the woman who lay in that hospital bed, even allowing for the passage of decades.

  He turned away from the window and looked over at Zoe. “Do you have any recommendations for a hotel I can stay at?”

  She took her attention away from the road to eye him with surprise. “Oh. I guess I assumed you’d stay at Celia’s house. I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.” She glanced at the road and then back at him. “Is that okay with you? I don’t think Celia would mind, and there are plenty of extra bedrooms.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. For once in his life, he wasn’t sure what to say. It felt odd to stay in a stranger’s house while she was in the hospital. Would Celia want him to be there?

  Zoe seemed to sense his discomfort. “It’s not that late yet. How about we come back to this a little later?”

  He nodded and returned his gaze to the window. “Is this Willa Bay here?”

  “No, the hospital is in Skamish, but we’ll be in Willa Bay soon.” She drove along a four-lane highway for a few more minutes, then turned off onto a two-lane country road.

  The sun was low in the sky but provided enough light to show off the tulip fields on either side of the road. The variety of colors almost took his breath away. Although he’d spent years of his life in Washington State before he’d enlisted in the Army, he’d never been to this part of it.

  “I feel like I’m in Holland,” he said. “I keep expecting to see windmills or something.”

  She laughed. “I hear that a lot.” The tulips fields disappeared from sight and she turned down a street with cute shops lining both sides. “Actually, a lot of people in the US will order tulips from Holland, only to find out they were actually grown right here in Willa Bay.” She pointed at the shops and the body of water behind them. “This is Main Street here, and that’s the Willomish River.”

  “Is Celia’s house close to town?” He wasn’t sure what to expect from her place. Zoe had mentioned there being extra bedrooms, but maybe he’d be better off in a hotel than intruding on Celia’s personal space.

  “It’s a bit out of town, but within walking distance.” The row of stores ended, and Zoe turned left onto a street that bordered the bay. Shawn watched in amazement as they passed driveways so long that he couldn’t even see the mansions he imagined were at the end of them.

  Zoe left the main road, and the car jolted over terrain rough enough to make his teeth click together. He placed his hands on the dashboard to brace himself.

  She eyed his outstretched arms and shot him an impish grin. “Sorry, this road badly needs to be re-graveled. You get used to it.”

  “Does Celia live off of this road?” He couldn’t see anything but trees and brush.

  “This is her driveway.”

  His jaw dropped, and he turned to stare at her. “Celia owns this?”

  She nodded. A tall blue building came into view, and Zoe parked in front of the walkway that led up to it. Shawn’s eyes were so wide now that he had to force himself to blink. “What is this place?”

  “It’s the old Inn at Willa Bay. Celia and her husband, Charlie, ran it until he died about ten years ago.” She got out of the car and walked to the edge of the lawn, scanning the property with a wistful smile on her face. “It’s seen better days, but it’s still beautiful. I do wish I could have seen it when it was in full swing though.”

  He nodded. The stately Victorian was painted a cerulean blue that matched the waters of the bay behind it. The sun was setting over Willa Bay, staining the sky with shades of orange, pink, and purple that rivaled the tulips he’d seen earlier. He whistled. This place must have been something in its day.

  “Would you mind if I took a quick look around outside? I’d love to check it out while there’s still enough light to see.” He’d developed an appreciation for old houses when he was a kid. His dad had changed duty stations every few years, but had always made sure to get an older house with character for his family, whether it be on post or in one of the surrounding communities. Jack Curtin claimed that living in a house with history was good for one’s soul.

  Zoe admired the sunset for a moment, then said, “Sure. I need to go inside to feed Celia’s dog though. He’s probably starving.” She climbed up the stairs and inserted a key into the lock.

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said.

  She nodded and went inside, the door creaking behind her as it closed. He walked toward the corner of the house, circling a massive rhododendron bush covered in bright pink blooms. The grass was soft, almost soggy under his feet, and he wondered if it had rained earlier in the day. He rubbed his right knee, which hurt from the long plane ride and the change in climate between Charleston and Seattle. The chilly weather and frequent rain were two things about the Pacific Northwest that he hadn’t missed in his travels around the world.

  A wide porch wrapped prettily around the side of the house, but upon inspection, he could see that the railings were rotting in places. Even in the waning light, the peeling paint and cloudy windows were apparent. Celia hadn’t been spending much time or money maintaining this place, not that he could blame her – it couldn’t be cheap to own a house of this size.

  Around back, he climbed up on the porch, testing it one foot at a time to make sure the boards wouldn’t give under his weight. From here, the view of the sunset over the bay was breathtaking. He paused for a moment to take it all in. A soft breeze rustled the bushes nearby, carrying with it the aroma of the sea and reminding him a little of Charleston. He leaned against a post and stared out at the large island across the bay without really seeing it.

  He’d dropped everything in Charleston to come to Willa Bay and he still didn’t know who Celia was. Was she a long-lost relative like his father had asserted ages ago? Or was she a family friend? How did she have his phone number and address? If only his father was home so he could ask him.

 
He thought about contacting his sister, but he was fairly certain she knew less about Celia than he did, if anything at all. Besides, she was stationed in the Middle East, and he didn’t want to bother her with this whole thing until he had more information to share.

  A dog barked excitedly inside the house, and he reluctantly turned away from the view of the bay. If he and Zoe were going to discover anything tonight about his relationship with Celia, they should get started soon.

  Zoe had left the door unlocked for him, so he didn’t bother knocking before he entered the house. He stepped from the porch into a brightly lit entry hall. There appeared to be a living room off to the left, a staircase to the next floor just past that, and a closed door on his right. The house was chilly, but he didn’t mind. He followed the laughter that echoed down the hallway from what he assumed was the kitchen.

  “Shawn? Is that you?” Zoe’s voice traveled down the hall. “I’m in here with Pebbles.”

  He dutifully followed her voice, finding himself in a large kitchen that hadn’t been updated in several decades. Zoe was standing in front of a pot of coffee that had just started to percolate. In one corner of the room, a dog was noisily scarfing down a portion of kibble.

  “I think Pebbles misses Celia,” she said. “He was right behind the door when I came in, and he hasn’t left my side except to eat.” As if on cue, the dog finished his food and trotted over to stand by Zoe.

  Although he preferred larger dogs himself, he had to admit Pebbles was cute, with his rumpled fur and leathery black nose.

  “Will he let me pet him?” Shawn asked.

  She nodded. “He’s really friendly.” She leaned down to pet the dog. “Hey, buddy, this is Celia’s friend, Shawn.”

  Shawn didn’t know that “friend” was an accurate description for his relationship with Celia, but he didn’t think the dog would care about semantics. Shawn walked over to Pebbles and knelt on the floor, running his hand over the dog’s head. “Hi, Pebbles.” The dog licked Shawn’s face, leaving a trail of slobber across his nose.

  Zoe covered her mouth, but couldn’t hide the way the smile lit up her face. He liked the way the corners of her eyes crinkled as she tried not to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, pressing his lips together to keep his face expressionless. “Haven’t you ever been bathed by a dog?”

  She broke out into laughter. “I’ve never really had a dog before, so I don’t usually get that close. Is it normal for them to do that?”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes. If they really like you.” He rubbed Pebbles’s head again and was rewarded by more slobber, this time across his fingers.

  She wrinkled her nose. “I think I’ll pass on the dog bath.” She motioned to the coffee pot, which was now about half-full. “Do you want any? I know it’s later in the evening, but I thought we might need a boost.”

  A woman after his own heart. “I never say no to a cup of coffee.” He’d gone too many nights in the military without sleep and was no stranger to caffeine.

  She poured coffee into a cup and handed it to him. “I think there’s cream in the fridge, and I saw some sugar on the counter.”

  “No thanks. I drink it black.”

  She nodded approvingly as she poured herself a cup. “I do too. I guess growing up in the Northwest has made me a coffee snob, because I like to taste the coffee beans and not have their flavor obscured by anything else.”

  “I spent many years in Tacoma, but my love for plain coffee is more due to the lack of availability of cream or sugar in places I’ve been.” He sipped the strong brew. “When I was overseas in the Army, it was just easier to drink it black.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Ah. The military. That explains a lot.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Explains what?”

  “The short haircut and the fact that you live in Charleston but have a local phone number.” She frowned. “I’m sorry I called you so late last night. I had no idea you were across the country.”

  “That’s quite all right.” He flashed her a smile. “I’m a night owl, and I’m glad you called then. If you’d waited until today, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get a flight out to Seattle until tomorrow.”

  “Why did you come out here if you don’t know Celia?” Her dark-blue eyes searched his face as she leaned against the counter.

  “Curiosity, I suppose.” He finished drinking his coffee and set the cup on the counter near the sink. “I’ve always wondered who she was, and I’d just finished up the house I was renovating in Charleston, so I was about to be out of a job and a place to live. It seemed like a good time to visit my dad too. He still lives in Tacoma.”

  Her eyes lit up. “He knows about Celia, right? Didn’t you mention him talking to your mom about her?”

  “I’m sure he knows, but he’s off at his fishing cabin near Mount Rainier right now. The property is off-grid, and I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

  “Oh.” She looked into her coffee cup, then back up at him. “So that’s not going to help us at all.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. We’ll have to figure it out some other way.”

  She finished her coffee, rinsed out both cups, and placed them in the dishwasher. “Okay. I think we should start with the desk in the living room. That’s where I found your phone number.”

  “How did you know where to look?” he asked.

  “Celia’s oldest friend, Elizabeth, told me to find you in Celia’s address book.” She sighed. “But she already felt bad enough telling me that you existed. I don’t think she’ll divulge any more information about why you’re the emergency contact.”

  “Geez. This is nuts.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the floor. Now that he was out of the service, he’d let his hair grow a little longer, but the length still felt weird after so many years of biweekly buzz cuts.

  “No kidding.” She walked past him into the hallway with Pebbles trailing closely behind.

  He followed her, but from this angle, the framed pictures on the hallway walls caught his eye. He pointed at a photo of a smiling couple in their early forties. “Is this Celia and her husband?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I never met Charlie, but I heard he was a nice man. They didn’t meet until she was in her late thirties, and they never had any kids.” She peered at him. “Do you recognize either of them?”

  He struggled to identify the happy couple, but couldn’t reconcile them with anything in his memories. “Sorry. No.”

  She sighed. “It was worth a shot.”

  He pointed at one of the group photos. “Is that you?”

  She moved closer. “Yeah. That’s Celia and me, with some of the others in our group. We’re all involved in the wedding industry here, so we call ourselves the Wedding Crashers.”

  “Celia’s still active in the community? That’s impressive.” His gaze moved over each one of the women in the picture. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zoe smile at the photo.

  “She is. She was instrumental in making Willa Bay the wedding capital of the Pacific Northwest, and she’s continued to support it ever since.”

  “I thought she owned the Inn.” He studied the other photos on the wall.

  “She does. But before our town became known for weddings, it was a resort community for city dwellers. When it became easier to travel out of the state, the industry declined. Celia didn’t own the Inn at that point, but she lived and worked here. It was her idea to promote it as a wedding destination, and the idea caught on with the rest of the town.”

  The Inn must have been a beautiful location for a wedding. Although it was dark outside, he’d seen enough to know that the flowers, trees, grass, and view of the bay would be a perfect backdrop for a ceremony or reception.

  “So, what happened to the Inn? Why did Celia close it down?”

  Zoe straightened one of the picture frames. “Her husband died, and it just got to be too much for her to manage on her own. I’m sure she could
have gotten someone to help, but I think she shut down a little when he passed away. It’s been this way for as long as I’ve known her. Sad, though, huh?”

  He nodded and moved down the hallway, away from the pictures. He ran his hand over the carved wooden balustrade of the staircase. Craftsmanship like that wasn’t easy to find anymore. “This place deserves to be seen by people.”

  Zoe just smiled. “I’m curious to find out what’s in her desk. I only looked through it briefly when I was searching for her address book.” She walked over to the desk and pulled out the drawer. “There’s nothing much in here.” Disappointment etched her face.

  Shawn picked up an address book from the top of the desk. “Is this where you found my phone number?”

  She nodded and reached for it. “I’ll show you.” She flipped to a page near the back of the book and handed it to him.

  His name and cell number were printed in scrawly blue lettering. “How did Celia get this?

  “I don’t know. Cell numbers aren’t usually listed anywhere.”

  Shawn turned the page and found familiar names staring up at him. He stabbed his finger at the entry. “And my parents and sister are in here too.” If only his dad were around to ask. It was killing him to not know why Celia had contact information for all of them.

  “I think we should go through these next.” Zoe held out a stack of photo albums and set them in the middle of the couch, taking a seat on an end cushion. She opened the first one, revealing recent images of herself and the other Wedding Crashers.

  He sat at the other end of the couch. One by one, they scoured the albums, but the oldest began with Celia and Charlie’s wedding around forty-five years ago. Other than Celia and Zoe, he didn’t recognize anyone in the photos.

  “It’s no use.” He leaned back against the couch. “It’s getting late, and I haven’t eaten all day. Do you want to go grab something to eat?” She hesitated, and he realized she might think he was asking her on a date. Normally, he wouldn’t be opposed to that, but this wasn’t the right place or time. “I mean, I don’t have a car right now, so I’d appreciate the ride.” He avoided looking at her directly.