The Inn at Willa Bay: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  She cut him off, terror in her voice. “Is Celia okay?”

  “Yes.” Joy bubbled up from deep inside of him, breaking the tension he’d felt since arriving in Willa Bay. “Better than okay. She’s awake.”

  “She is?” Zoe asked excitedly. “Should I come up and see her?”

  “Um,” he looked over at Celia, who was still out. “It might be better to come tomorrow. She was only awake for a few minutes, but I think it was all a little much for her. She’s sleeping now.”

  “Okay, if you think that’s best, I’ll wait until tomorrow.” She sighed in relief. “I’m so glad she’s going to be okay.”

  “Me too.” He sat down beside Celia. Now that she’d reached consciousness, it was becoming real. He had a grandmother he’d never known.

  “Did she recognize you?” Zoe asked.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “She looked at me, but she was so confused about everything. I’m not sure she even realized where she was or why she was here. The doctor seemed to think she’d feel better by tomorrow though.”

  “This will be odd for her.” Zoe was quiet for a moment. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to know about you and your sister for so long, but not feel like she could make contact with you.”

  “Yeah.” Both sets of his grandparents had died before he was a teenager, and he missed them every day. He didn’t want to be angry with his mother for hiding Celia from him for his whole life, but it seemed unfair to have missed out on so many years with his biological grandmother. He took a deep breath. All of that was behind them now, and he intended to make up for lost time with Celia.

  Celia

  In the middle of the night, Celia woke up and stared at the ceiling, slowly remembering where she was and why she was there. Earlier, waking to find herself in an unknown bed, hooked up to machines with strangers surrounding her had been the most terrifying experience of her life. She still wasn’t sure how she’d ended up there, although she had a vague recollection of knocking the remote off the end of the table and thinking she needed to pick it up. After that, everything went blank.

  And that man who’d been sitting next to her – the one who didn’t seem to be hospital staff – who had that been? He’d known how she fell, and he’d mentioned Zoe. He looked so much like her first love, Artie, that she wanted to believe it was Shawn.

  But that was crazy. What would her grandson be doing in Willa Bay? She tried to push herself up to a seated position, but was still too weak to do so.

  A thought came to her: Elizabeth. Her old friend was the only one who knew about Andrea and her kids. She would have known to tell Zoe about Shawn.

  Celia melted into the pillows. Had that been Shawn? And if so, did he know the truth about who she really was? The last address she’d had for him was in Charleston, South Carolina. Would he have come out to Washington, just to see her – especially not knowing anything about her?

  And what about Pebbles? An image of the dear little dog who’d been her constant companion for the last few years flashed through her head. Who was taking care of him? Would they be willing to continue doing so for the next few months that she’d be stuck in a convalescent home?

  Realizations came crashing into her mind like a runaway freight train. Maintaining the Inn and the surrounding grounds was difficult enough when she was living there. How would she manage everything if she was away from it for a long while? An even worse thought occurred to her – the property taxes. If she didn’t figure out a solution for paying those soon, she wouldn’t have a home to return to by the time she’d recovered.

  Her chest tightened and the machine next to her started beeping loudly. A nurse ran into the room, her rubber-bottomed shoes slapping noisily against the linoleum floor. A second nurse followed close behind her.

  “Are you okay, Mrs. James?” The first nurse turned on the overhead light to supplement the corner light left on all the time so they could see when they made rounds in the middle of the night. The machine had stopped beeping, but Celia’s stress levels were still through the roof.

  She nodded, but it took all of her energy to do so. “I’m okay.”

  The second nurse examined a printout that she pulled from the machine. “It looks like your heart rate shot up suddenly. Did something happen?” She wrapped a wide blue cuff around Celia’s arm.

  Celia shook her head and croaked out, “I woke up and worked myself up worrying about everything.”

  The nurse smiled at her and checked the readout on the cuff. “It looks like it’s coming down now. Try not to worry so much. You’ve got a great support system.”

  Celia’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. What was she talking about? “Support system?”

  “Yeah. All of your friends. There has almost always been at least one person in here with you, even though you’ve been here for over a week. They wanted to make sure someone would be here when you woke up.” The nurse wound up the blood pressure cuff and tucked it into the side of the machine next to Celia’s bed.

  A warmth ran through Celia’s body, calming her worries. Shawn, Zoe, and the other girls must have been visiting her while she was unconscious. How had they had time for that? She knew they cared about her, but how had they managed to fit in hospital visits with everything else going on in their busy lives?

  “It looks like you’re doing better now, Mrs. James.” The nurse patted Celia’s arm, which lay on top of the crisp, white hospital sheets. “Try to get some sleep.”

  Celia nodded, and the nurse turned off the overhead light and left the room. Celia thought she’d have trouble falling asleep again in the unfamiliar place, but soon she was drifting in and out of consciousness, her thoughts full of gratitude and hope for the future.

  17

  Zoe

  Zoe lounged in the hard plastic chair, flipping through the pages of a magazine to kill time. She’d woken up with the sun that morning and driven straight to the hospital to be there when Celia woke up, in case her friend was still confused. Celia’s legs rustled under the sheets, drawing Zoe’s attention. “Hey, you’re awake.”

  “Hello,” Celia said, her voice gravelly with sleep and lack of use. Her eyes opened slowly, coming to rest on Zoe.

  Zoe blinked back tears. It was good to hear her friend talking again. “We missed you.”

  Celia smiled softly at her. “I missed all of you too.” She pushed against the mattress with her hands to sit up, and Zoe helped her raise the bed and put pillows behind her back. “The nurses tell me that I was in a coma for over a week.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember much of it at all.”

  “Well, not much has happened in that week.” Zoe grinned at her. A lot had happened over the last ten days, but she certainly wasn’t going to tell Celia about everything going on at the Lodge. “Except maybe with Pebbles – he’s developed a fondness for the beach.”

  Celia laughed. “It’s been a while since I was able to get down to the beach. Those steps …”

  “Actually, about the steps,” Zoe said. “Shawn’s been working on a few things at your house, and he fixed the steps to the beach. When you get back home, you’ll be able to take Pebbles on all the beach walks he wants.”

  Celia eyed her leg ruefully. “Sounds like it’s going to be a while before I walk anywhere on my own. The doctor said I’ll be moved to a rehabilitation center tomorrow.”

  “But after that, you can come home.” Zoe tried to make her voice as positive as possible for Celia’s benefit.

  “I hope so.” Celia peered at Zoe. “So that was Shawn who was here?”

  “Yes. When you had your accident, the hospital would only let your official emergency contact make decisions about your care. I wasn’t sure who to call, but Elizabeth Arnold told me to find his phone number in your address book.”

  “I figured as much,” Celia nodded. “Does he know who I am?” she added quietly.

  Zoe wasn’t sure how much to tell her. Shawn had opted to let Celia have the day
after she woke up to recover before visiting. “Yes. He knows you’re his grandmother.”

  Celia sucked in her breath, then let it out slowly. “Good. I’m glad he knows.” She looked around the room. “Do you think he’ll be by to see me?”

  “He’s planning on being here tonight. He didn’t want his presence to upset you,” Zoe said.

  “It won’t upset me.” Celia gestured to a glass of water the nurse had set on her bedside tray. “Could you please help me with that?”

  “Of course.” Zoe lifted the glass and guided the straw into Celia’s mouth.

  “Thank you,” she said when she was done drinking. She scrutinized Zoe’s face. “I hate to ask since you’ve already done so much for me, but could you check through my mail to see if there are bills or anything else important in there?”

  Zoe was glad Celia had brought up her mail, because it had started to pile up – and after finding the notification of a late tax payment, Zoe wasn’t sure what she’d find in there. “Sure. I can do that.” She hesitated for a few seconds, unsure of how Celia would react to her next question. Finally, she blurted out, “Would you mind if Shawn and I figure out what work needs to be done to the Inn while you’re gone? He’s a good carpenter and is between projects. I think he’d love to help you out.”

  Celia pressed her lips together and inhaled deeply through her nose. “I can’t afford to pay him.” She looked close to tears at the admission.

  “I don’t think he expects any payment. He’s happy to help you.” Zoe had anticipated that this wouldn’t be an easy topic to discuss with Celia. The elderly woman hadn’t gotten any less stubborn after her accident. “Anything that he can’t do himself, we’ll put on a list to discuss later.” Zoe checked her watch. “I have an appointment to get to right now, but I’ll be back tonight.”

  “Oh.” Celia’s face fell. “I was hoping you’d stay a while.”

  Zoe smiled and stood. “I can’t monopolize your time like that – you’ve got a full roster of friends who are excited to spend time with you today. In fact, I think I hear Debbie in the hallway right now.”

  Debbie’s voice floated into the room from where she was chatting with someone at the nurses station.

  Zoe had contacted everyone to let them know that Celia was awake, and they’d sprang into action with a plan to keep her company for the daytime hours. Debbie had the first shift while Zoe met Shawn at the Inn to determine what maintenance was needed.

  Now that Celia was awake, with a three-month-long stay in a rehabilitation center in her future, decisions needed to be made about the Inn. Zoe wanted to do everything she could to ensure that it was a safe place for Celia to return home to.

  She heard the door open and gently patted Celia’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later. Have fun with the girls.”

  Celia nodded. “Thank you, dear – for everything.”

  Zoe smiled as Debbie breezed into the room, and Celia’s eyes lit up at the sight of her.

  “Celia.” Debbie leaned down to give the older woman a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “It’s good to see you.” Celia motioned to the chair next to her that Zoe had just vacated. “Have a seat and let’s catch up.”

  Zoe took one last look at Celia and left the room smiling.

  Later, when Zoe arrived at the Inn, Shawn met her at the front door with a cup of hot coffee. Pebbles bounced around their feet, nearly tripping her as she entered the house.

  “Thanks.” She accepted the coffee from him and wrapped her hands around the ceramic mug, savoring its warmth. The sun was out, but it would take another few hours before the damp, chilly morning became only a distant memory.

  “You’re welcome.” He grinned at her. “I figure we have a long day ahead of us.” He glanced around the entry hall. “From what I’ve seen, Celia’s been deferring maintenance on this place for years.”

  “Yeah. And unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like she has the funds to fix it. She was worried about paying you for the work you’ve already done.” Zoe sipped her coffee. He’d made it stronger than most people would, but it was just the way she liked it.

  Shawn looked up at the ceiling and sighed loudly. “I don’t want her to pay me back. I want to help her.”

  Zoe held up her hand. “Don’t worry, I already told her you don’t expect any payment, but I have to warn you – she’s stubborn.”

  He shook his head. “She doesn’t owe me anything. I don’t know why she gave my mother up for adoption, but I’m sure she had her reasons. If she wants to be part of my life, I’d love to be part of hers.”

  They walked into the kitchen, and Shawn refilled his cup. “This kitchen is badly in need of new flooring, a new dishwasher, and updated plumbing, at the very least. I’ve tried repairing the sink, but it’s all rusting out.”

  “Okay.” Zoe grabbed the notebook and pen she’d brought with her to track all of the repairs. “I have no clue how she’s going to pay for any of this, but let’s get a full inventory of what should be done and what is absolutely necessary for her to return home.”

  They toured the rest of the main floor, with Shawn inspecting everything in the living room, sitting room, and downstairs owner’s suite that Celia used as her bedroom. By the time they were ready to tour the upstairs, Zoe had already filled three pages with notes.

  “Ready?” Shawn asked.

  Zoe nodded. “I’ve never been up there, and I’m curious to see what it looks like.”

  “I’ve been camping out in one of the rooms, but things up there are rough. Watch your step, because some of the carpet treads aren’t glued down very well anymore, and the railing is coming loose in a few spots.” He started up the stairs, and Zoe followed behind him.

  When they got to the top, Zoe stopped to take in her surroundings. Six doors lined each side of a long, dark hallway, with a seventh at the end. Only the first door on the left was open, allowing a wide beam of light to illuminate the space. She assumed it led to the bedroom Shawn was using.

  “It’s bigger than I expected,” Zoe said.

  “Bigger means more work.” Shawn grimaced. “There are two bathrooms up here, but I don’t think they’ve been used in the last decade.”

  “Only two?” she asked. “So, there are ten bedrooms and two bathrooms?” Although they’d been built around the same time, every room in Willa Bay Lodge had ensuite bathrooms, but they’d been added at a later date to satisfy guest preferences. Evidently, Celia and her husband Charlie had never felt the need to modernize their accommodations.

  “Here’s the first of them.” He pushed open a door midway down the right side of the hallway. A dank odor of mildew wafted through the air.

  “Eww.” Zoe wrinkled up her nose.

  “Yeah. The other one’s even worse. The walls and floor all need to be replaced.” He closed the door tightly. “Want to see it?”

  “Thanks, but I’ll take your word for it.” She wrote down the number of bathrooms and made a note about their condition. “Let’s move on to the bedrooms.”

  He shrugged and went to the open door. “You can see where I’ve been staying. I’ve got it cleaned up a bit, so it shows better than the rest of them.”

  She was curious to see what his bedroom looked like. He motioned for her to enter in front of him. The double bed was neatly made, with the sheets and blankets tucked tightly under the mattress and two pillows propped against the scarred wooden headboard. The closet door was shut, most likely containing his suitcase and other belongings. A framed photo of two adults sat on top of the dresser. Other than the photo, which Zoe assumed was of his parents, there was no indication of who lived in the room.

  She walked around the foot of the bed to look out the window. Below, the freshly cut lawn gleamed with dew as it rolled down to the gazebo, ending high above the sparkling blue waters of Willa Bay. “The view from here is gorgeous. I’m not surprised the Inn was popular back in the day.” She noticed a water spot on the wallpaper and traced the leak
up to the ceiling, where an irregular shape the length of a large watermelon hung overhead. “Is the roof leaking?”

  “I hope it isn’t anymore.” He scrutinized the water damage. “I’ve patched the roof as best as I can, but it really needs to be completely replaced. It looked like it had already been patched several times over the years. In fact, I’d say that was the number one item on my list of things that absolutely need to get fixed around here.”

  She wrote “FIX ROOF” at the top of a page. “Are there other places where it’s leaked?”

  “Every room up here has some sort of water damage. I’ll show you.” He took her through the rest of the rooms, and as he pointed out the flaws in each, her hopefulness plummeted. There was already so much inside the Inn to repair. They hadn’t even gotten to the grounds or exterior maintenance. And fixing up the cottages? That was never going to happen at this rate.

  Shawn started to descend the staircase with Zoe following closely behind him. She ran her hand along the railing as she went, keeping in mind his warning about the loose carpet treads. When she was midway down the stairs, however, her left foot caught on the corner of a piece of carpet, and she lost her balance. She clutched for the railing attached to the wall, but it gave way under her weight, catapulting her forward.

  Hearing the clatter behind him, Shawn pivoted quickly and caught her with one arm, grabbing a stable portion of the railing with the other hand. He cradled her close to his chest, his eyes mere inches away from hers as he searched her face. “Are you okay?”

  Zoe clung to him for a moment without answering, one hand grasping him tightly around the neck and the other resting on his bicep, which strained under her fingers as he gripped the railing to support them. She peered past him down the steep flight of stairs. If he hadn’t caught her, she would have sustained a nasty injury in the fall.

  She shivered and leaned against him. Warmth radiated through his thin T-shirt, calming her nerves – and at the same time, reminding her how close she was to him. Her pulse quickened as she met his gaze. “I think so. Thank you for catching me.”