The Inn at Willa Bay: A Willa Bay Novel
Page 19
“I know.” Meg smiled at her, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Her sister’s outburst had made everything in her life come into focus. “And you know what? I’m not going back to Portland.”
Libby tilted her head to the side. “You’re not? But I heard you got a job offer for some fancy restaurant there.”
How had her sister heard about the job at La Lobessa? News traveled fast in a small town, and in her family particularly.
“Just an offer for an interview, but I’m not going to take it.” Meg straightened her spine. “I want to be here to see my nieces and nephews grow up, and to be here for my friends and family – including you.”
“But what about your career?” Libby reached for her wine.
Meg shrugged. “I have a good job right now, and I’m sure something else will come up in the future. I’m not worried about it.”
“Okay.” Libby gave her a tentative smile. “I’m glad you’re staying. I’ve hated being upset with you, and I hope things can go back to the way they used to be.”
“I’d like that.” Meg stood. “Now, let’s get this kitchen cleaned up before the little monsters come back wanting dessert.”
Libby laughed. Together, they put away the leftovers and rinsed off the dishes, chatting rapid-fire like they used to when they were younger. By the time Meg left, Libby seemed fully recovered, but Meg knew her sister’s fears about her husband lurked below the surface. Meg had always thought her sister was the one person in the world who didn’t need anyone’s help, but tonight’s dinner had changed that perception. Meg intended to be there for Libby and the rest of her family and friends, whatever the future might bring. If staying in Willa Bay could achieve that, it was the right decision for her future, no matter how it affected her career.
23
Zoe
“It feels weird to be going through Celia’s stuff,” Meg whispered.
“I know.” Zoe took a suitcase out of the closet in Celia’s room and eyed the clothes hanging on the rod. What did her friend need while she was in the rehabilitation center? After Celia had woken up, Zoe had only spent enough time in her bedroom to grab a few things for her to wear. “What should we bring her?”
“Some shirts, and maybe some skirts or pants that will be loose over her leg?” Meg said. “Maybe a comfortable dress?”
Zoe grabbed everything that looked like it might work and brought them over to the bed, folding each item before placing it in the suitcase. “There.” She looked around the room and picked up the framed photo of Charlie that sat on the nightstand. “I know she wanted this, but didn’t she say something about a photo album?”
Meg nodded. “In the bottom drawer of her dresser.” She walked over to the tall five-drawer dresser and slid the bottom one out.
Zoe laid the framed photo in the suitcase and crossed the room to look in the drawer too. “That looks like a photo album.” She pointed at a worn, brown leather book.
Meg took it out and opened it. “It looks like some really old photos of Celia with a young man. Maybe that’s Artie?”
“Maybe.” Zoe took the album from her to examine the photos. “It must be. Look at how they’re staring at each other with so much love.”
“Just the way you do with Shawn,” Meg teased.
Zoe’s face burned, but she didn’t say anything. Although she’d eventually agreed with Shawn that Celia would need to move, things between them were still a little awkward. She flipped pages, stopping at a postcard of the Inn at Willa Bay that was printed on linen-style paper.
“It was so beautiful,” Zoe said. It pained her to compare the Inn now to how it was pictured in the photo.
“Wow.” Meg looked over shoulder. “Can you imagine what it was like to stay here back then?”
“I hope whoever buys this place decides to fix it up and not demolish it.” Zoe’s stomach twisted. Celia’s property was one of the largest in the area, and with its view of the bay, it was likely to attract the attention of some big developers. All of the historic cottages and the main building at the Inn at Willa Bay could soon be nothing but a memory.
Meg rested her hand on Zoe’s back and smiled at her sadly. “You never know. It could happen.”
Zoe stood and took the photo album over to the bed, setting it in the suitcase on top of the clothes and the photo of Charlie. She pushed the lid of the suitcase down and zipped it, then lowered it to the floor. “That should be it. I’ll take this over to Celia later today.” She looked over at Meg. “Do you want some coffee? I think Shawn put a pot on before he left for the hardware store.”
“Sure,” Meg said.
They walked out to the kitchen together, with Zoe rolling the suitcase along the floor behind her. The coffee pot was still full, so they each took a cup out to the porch, where they sat in chairs overlooking the bay.
“I’m going to miss this.” Zoe sipped her coffee and gazed out at the water. Gentle waves lapped at the shore, and the late afternoon rays of sun warmed the flowerbeds below the porch causing an intoxicating floral aroma to permeate the air. “I could seriously sit out here forever.”
“Do you know where you’re going to move to when the property goes on the market?” Meg kicked her feet up onto a footrest.
“Nope. I’ve thought about it a little, but with everything going on at work, I haven’t made any decisions.” Zoe leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to allow the warm day and the rhythm of the waves lull her into relaxation.
“Any decisions about what?” Shawn asked from the lawn below them, a few feet away.
Zoe’s eyes popped open and she sat up. “Shawn, you scared me.”
Beside Zoe, Meg chuckled a little.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You looked so peaceful up there.” He joined them on the porch, pulling up a chair to sit nearby. “Man, it’s days like this that I really wish I could afford to buy this place.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Zoe said wistfully.
“Maybe you should buy it,” Shawn said.
Zoe laughed. “And maybe I should buy myself an island where I can do nothing but count my money all day.” She looked over at him, expecting to see him smiling, but he wasn’t laughing.
She sat up straight in her chair. “You’re serious, aren’t you? How could I possibly buy the Inn? Even if Celia accepted payments, I couldn’t settle the tax debt before the county seizes the property, or afford the maintenance this place needs.” Her words spilled out faster with each thought. “And what bank would loan me the money?”
“Didn’t your brother offer to help you buy a business?” Shawn asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Meg chimed in. “What about Luke?”
Zoe stared at each of them in turn. Were they crazy? They weren’t talking about having her brother lend her a few hundred dollars. Celia’s property was worth more like a few million dollars.
“I can’t ask him for that much money,” Zoe said. “It’s too much.” She’d made her own way in life so far, and she intended to continue that way.
“You’d pay it back once the Inn was up and running,” Meg said. “Think of how popular the Lodge is. With all of the cottages here and the Inn itself, you could have triple the number of guests per night than the Lodge.” She stood, spinning around to point to the far side of the house. “You could even have a small restaurant here, in the old barn. It has a great view of the water, and there’s plenty of parking. With all the guests the Inn can accommodate, you’d have built-in customers.”
Excitement swelled in Zoe’s chest as she visualized everything Meg was saying. She could bring the Inn back to its former beauty. But was it too much to ask of Luke? From what he’d said to her when she’d seen him in Candle Beach, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility for him to afford the property. Still, it was so much money to borrow from him with no guarantee she could ever pay it back.
Shawn reached forward to cover her hand with his, squeezing her fingers gently. “Zoe?”
“I truly think you should consider buying the property. Think of what it would mean to Celia to see this place up and running again.” He ran his thumb over the top of her hand as he spoke, sending tingles up her arm.
She forced herself to think clearly. She had to consider Celia. What would her landlord think of this whole crazy scheme? The Inn was all that Celia had left, but selling to Zoe had to be a better option than losing the property to a developer who’d tear the whole thing down and put up a bunch of cookie-cutter mini-mansions.
“Are you going to ask Luke if he’ll help you buy it?” Meg’s voice cut through Zoe’s thoughts.
Zoe looked around, her excitement deflating as she remembered all the work it would take to renovate the property. She was used to planning events, so managing a big project didn’t scare her, but still …
“I’ll ask,” she said. “But on two conditions.” She grinned at them.
Meg cocked her head to the side. “What are they?”
Zoe looked at Shawn, then Meg. “That Shawn will help with the renovations and that both of you will come on as my business partners. And maybe Cassie too.”
Shawn nodded. “I’m up for it. I’d love to make this place shine again, and I’d love to do this for my grandmother.”
Meg eyed her with skepticism. “I’m a chef. What do I know about running an inn?”
“Remember that restaurant you said would do well here?” Zoe asked. “Well, I’m going to hold you to that. As soon as we can get the main guesthouse fixed up, we can start on turning the barn into the nicest restaurant in all of Willa Bay.” She eyed Meg. “Provided, of course, that I can get Luke to invest in the property in the first place.”
Meg’s face lit up. “My own restaurant? Here in Willa Bay?” She scooted forward on her chair. “We could be like Suki and Lorelai on Gilmore Girls, running an inn and restaurant together. Do you really think we can do this?”
Zoe took a deep breath. “I don’t see why not. I’m going to give my brother a call to see if it’s even a possibility. If he gives us the green light, all of us can head over to the rehabilitation center to talk to Celia.
To gain some privacy while she spoke with Luke, Zoe walked over to the stairs down to the beach. She dialed her brother and held the phone to her ear as she descended, admiring the work that Shawn had put into the steps and railings. Given a chance, he would do an excellent job of renovating the Inn.
Her heart hammered harder in her chest with every ring. Finally, after about five rings, Luke answered.
“Hey, Zoe, what’s up?” People jabbered in the background and she had a hard time hearing him.
“Are you at work?” Despite being a closet millionaire and having employees to help run the BBQ food truck he owned in Candle Beach, he often worked there himself.
“Yeah, why? Can you hear me okay?”
“Not really. I can call back later.” She hated to put off asking him, but she didn’t want to bother him either.
“It’s fine. Give me a minute.” The noise levels decreased, and his voice came over the line again. “Is this better? I walked down the block a bit.”
“Yes, thank you.” She paused. Asking her brother for something this big was one of the most difficult things she’d ever done in her life. She knew he was happy to help her, but she still didn’t like the idea of needing his help. “I have an investment proposition for you.”
“Really? What is it?” His voice rang with surprise, likely because she didn’t usually ask him for anything.
“You know the cottage where I live, right?” she asked. Luke had visited her in Willa Bay a few times over the years and stayed at her house.
“Right. What about it?”
“Well, I’m not sure how much of the property you saw when you were here, but it used to be part of an old inn that was popular back in the early to mid-1900s.”
“I remember seeing a couple other small houses there and the big place where your landlord lives,” Luke said. She pictured him pacing along the sidewalk below the lot where he parked his food truck.
Zoe pushed forward. “I didn’t tell you when I was in Candle Beach, but my landlord had an accident and is now in a rehabilitation center to get physical therapy for her hip. She’s fine,” she added hurriedly, “but the property isn’t. When she was in the hospital, I learned that she hasn’t paid taxes on it for years, and the county will seize it soon for back taxes.”
“So, you want me to help her pay her taxes?” Luke asked. “If that’s what you need, I can do it.”
“No.” She breathed in the salt air, letting it fill her lungs and refresh her courage. “I’d like to buy the property and restore it back to how it used to be.” Even though she knew he couldn’t see her, she swept her hand out in front of her as she spun around in a circle to see the bay, the inn, and a glimpse of the cottages through the trees. “Willa Bay is growing, and I think with a proper renovation, we could have a successful resort and restaurant here. I haven’t talked to my landlord yet about it, but I think she’d agree to sell to me.”
“Okay. You want me to buy the Inn.” Luke was quiet for a moment.
Zoe tried to wait out his pause, but she couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “I know this is a huge investment, and if you can’t afford it, I totally understand. But you’d offered to help me start a business, and I just thought I’d ask—”
“Zoe, stop,” Luke said. “I did say I’d help you, and I meant it. I’m not worried about how much it costs. I’m sure I can swing the purchase price and fund the renovations. I trust you. If you say it’s a good investment, I’m sure it is. But it sounds like you need to work out some of the details with the current owner. Why don’t you discuss it with her and then we can go from there? Once you’ve agreed on a purchase price, I’ll have my real estate attorney draw up the paperwork. Does that sound good?”
It sounded better than good. Zoe was floating on air at the thought of saving the Inn. “Yes. I’ll talk to her today. But there’s something else – I’d like to bring in a few of my friends as business partners, if you don’t mind.”
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” Luke’s voice warmed. “And, sis, I’m really glad you called me. I feel like we haven’t spent enough time together in the last few years.”
“I know,” Zoe said. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.”
“Would it be okay if Charlotte and I come up to visit you on Thursday?” he asked. “I know you have work, but maybe we could meet you for dinner?”
“I’d love that.” Zoe grinned. “I’m off at five, so let’s meet at my cottage around five fifteen, and I can show you around your new investment.”
He chuckled. “I look forward to seeing it.”
“I’ll see you on Thursday. Thank you again.”
“See you then.”
The call ended, and Zoe hung back by the edge of the cliff for a moment, taking it all in.
This beautiful location could be hers. The feeling was heady, and she wanted to share it with Shawn and Meg. She ran across the lawn to the porch, where they were eagerly waiting to find out how her discussion with Luke had gone.
“He said yes!” she shouted. “Let’s go talk to Celia.”
Meg and Shawn looked at her, wide-eyed, then both sat back in their chairs, probably experiencing that same life-changing feeling she’d had.
Meg stood from her chair. “I’ll go get her suitcase.”
She went inside, and Shawn walked down the front steps to meet Zoe on the lawn. He reached out and captured Zoe around her waist, pulling her close to him. Her heart beat double-time as she looked into his eyes. He bent down and tentatively touched his lips to hers. She leaned into him, snaking her hands around his neck. Sensing her approval, he deepened the kiss. She closed her eyes, letting the dizzying sensation of being close to him sweep over her and blend enticingly with her excitement abo
ut the Inn. After a while, he broke the kiss, but continued to hold her against him.
“I take it you’re not upset with me anymore?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry I got so angry with you. I wanted Celia to be able to come home, and I didn’t want to accept that it wouldn’t work out.”
He laughed and tenderly brushed a stray wisp of hair away from her face. “Well, it turns out that you may have been right. If I make the main house more accessible, what do you think about having Celia continue to live in her own bedroom? We’ll be around all the time in case she needs help, and she’ll love interacting with the guests once we open the Inn to the public.”
Zoe stared at him in wonder. “I hadn’t thought about it yet, but that’s a great idea.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I can’t wait to tell Celia.”
Meg clambered down the steps, holding the suitcase. “I’m so excited. I can’t believe this might actually happen.”
Shawn held his key-ring up in the air. “I’m ready if you are.” He grabbed the suitcase from Meg and set it in the trunk of his car.
As he got into the driver’s seat, Meg whispered to Zoe, “Are you two together now? I saw you kissing.”
“I hope so.” Zoe’s heart soared, thinking about the kiss she’d shared with Shawn. When she’d first talked to him, she’d never have guessed how much she would grow to care for him. Seeing his kindness toward Celia, a woman he’d never met before, had endeared him to her in a way she hadn’t expected.
“It’s about time.” Meg hopped into the back of the car, leaving the front passenger seat for Zoe.
Zoe climbed in and looked over at Shawn. He smiled at her, leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, then turned the key in the ignition. Zoe relaxed against the leather seat and let her thoughts drift to the future as they headed down Willa Bay Drive to see Celia.