“Miss Davies,” the receptionist stopped her.
“Call me Carrie, please”
“Hold on and we can get you some tableware from the kitchen.”
“There’s no need to go to that trouble.”
“Not at all – won’t be long”
A couple of minutes later she returned with a tray, the tableware and a glass of white wine.
“Terri said the wine was with our compliments”
Carrie thanked her for the gesture and carefully walked upstairs. Her guest room had a seated area and Carrie sat down to enjoy the pasta in the rich sauce with clams. Sipping the wine a perfect accompaniment. The restaurant had included some salad and bread rolls too. Hmm it was yum! She ate with vigour trying to forget the earlier call with home. After finishing the meal she took her tray downstairs not wanting to leave her remnants for the staff at the Inn to clear away from the hallway.
“Oh Hi Terri,” she greeted the owner. “Thanks for the wine, it was lovely and the recommendation for dinner. I am full!”
“That’s what we are here for, satisfied customers! Let me take that tray from you. Wait a sec, I won’t be a minute”
“Okay”
“We might as well finish this, I’m off the clock now, although running a business like this is 24/7 but I love it!”
Terri was holding the bottle of wine and two glasses. Carrie followed her though the door marked ‘staff only’ towards her rooms. The room was decorated much in the same Victorian style as the inn but the sofa was large and welcoming. Modern influences with the lamps and pictures. A roaring fire with the logs crackling.
“I thought you could do with some company”
“I appreciate the offer, thanks. It’s nice to have a chat with someone other than myself!”
“So, what brings you to the Cape? Most folks have a reason I find. For me I was in advertising but what’s that saying when life gives you lemons you make lemonade, well life gave me an Inn so I became an Inn keeper. It was a family business, needed a little TLC and somehow I agreed to help out. That was about 10 years ago now!”
“It’s a lovely Inn. There’s something about this place that draws to you to it. I can understand that.”
Carrie settled into the sofa. “Is there a Mr Terri or someone special in your life?”
“Ha not with a job like this! I think it’s called a lifestyle choice. So what’s your story Carrie?”
“I don’t know where to begin, so much has happened”
“Start at the beginning then, a good a place as any to start”
Carrie questioned her sanity at sitting with a stranger but it seemed right. Terri was easy to talk to and Carrie began at the beginning. A sip of wine first.
“I met Rob at a works event. I was 23, a little spoilt, a little immature but the baby of the family. He was 35, played rugby – hmm a little like your American football, big and stocky, clear blue blue eyes but he really wasn’t my type. I usually went for a more groomed and boy band type. Ha!”
“Oh man trouble then Carrie??”
Carrie shook her head.
“No, not like that, yes he broke my heart but he didn’t mean to. I know he really didn’t mean to. I fell for him hard. He wooed me and we finally got married a couple of years later. A big fairy tale wedding. Lots of family and friends sharing our day. I was so happy to be his wife.” Carries voice wobbled on the last word.
Terri topped the glasses with more wine.
“Go on,” she prompted.
“We had lots of love and laughter together but no babies. We were going to try though; I finally got him to agree. There was always going to be another year that we would wait. Trips to take, places to see before our live would change and work was always manic for Rob. He had a lot of responsibility. Babies would have completed us. He made me happy and safe. Like nothing could harm us. I was content. Content is such an old fashioned word – isn’t it?”
“Carrie, if it’s too painful we can talk another time”
“No, let me finish. It all changed. I said goodbye that morning, we had a discussion over cooking or eating out for dinner. Collecting the dry cleaning. Normal stuff. Then a brief kiss and I left. I had a spa day arranged with my Mum and Sister – then it was all over – contentment shattered.”
“What happened? Did he leave you?”
Carrie nodded.
“The police arrived and my world was shattered, my safe world would never be the same again. A terrible, terrible car accident and Rob was gone, forever. I never got to say goodbye.” Tears slipped down her cheeks and she wiped them away.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to blub that all-out”
“Carrie, I’m sure you needed to talk it out. He sounds like he was a good man”
“He was Terri, but I can’t let go of the pain. I’ve tried this last sixteen months to grieve and heal. Too many memories, everywhere I go at home, work and places we would visit together.”
Terri poured them another glass and the bottle was finished. Over the last glass she told Terri about her visit to Belles, the psychic and finally the lighthouse book.
“Carrie you don’t seem the impulsive type to me. I can understand why your family are concerned. This is out of character for you.”
“Thanks for listening Terri”
“I have a better idea; let me help you with your trips to the lighthouses.”
“I bow to your local knowledge; I will take you up in that offer. I’ve got a few more days of my trip left.”
“Sounds like a plan! Let’s get together after the morning rush tomorrow; things are kind of slow around here in the Cape on Mondays”
Carrie returned to her room, declining the offer of anything further to drink. Terri was a lovely woman, easy to speak to. She had opened up more in the last couple of hours with a stranger – no not a stranger – a new friend that she had in months. It was dark when she returned to her room; she turned on a few of the table lamps and curled up on the sofa. Her mobile flashing with text alerts.
“Carrie, what did you say to upset Mum?”
Two minutes later
“Carrie, answer me!”
Another one minute later – her sister getting impatient now.
“I know you must be screening your texts but a reply wouldn’t go a miss!!!!!”
Carrie took a bottle of water from the small fridge in her room then typed a reply to her sister.
“Hi Sis, just saw your text left my phone in my room. Sorry if Mum was upset. Not my intention. Off to bed. Catch up with you tomorrow. Kisses to Harry. Cx”
She finished the water and started preparing for bed. Her routine of cleansing and moisturising her face a ritual she could do on autopilot. Now where was that lip butter she bought earlier. The brown paper bag was filled with the goodies she had purchased and found the little pot of scrub. Mmm a fruity taste.
Beep – a reply from her sister.
“Ok. Goodnight. Cx”
Oh well her sister must be in a huff with her now, great.
After removing the mountain of cushions from the bed she finally settled under the crisp white Egyptian cotton bedding. Hoping sleep would come quickly. There at pride of place was ‘Rob’ the position of the cylinder elevated above her on the bedside table, watching over her almost.
“Goodnight my darling”
Carrie fell into a deep sleep but it was soon curtailed as she slipped into the familiar nightmare. That breakfast journey in the car travelling to work together. Chatting, laughing, Rob singing. Then the bang of the car crashing and the blood. So much blood and glass everywhere. Then she woke, her screams muffled into the pillow. Thankfully not loud enough to bring embarrassment to herself or other guests. She found her mobile to check the time 3.14am. Always the same dream and the same time that she woke.
She went to the bathroom washed away the traces of her tears. Poured a little water to drink and returned to bed. Sleep claimed her for another couple of hours as she was exhausted. The emot
ional dream always drained her. It was 5.30am when she woke again. Time for a walk to clear the cobwebs away and the lingering remnants of the dream.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
She could see from the raised position of her room the little road leading to the beach and rock pools. She dressed in dark blue jeans, a soft light blue chambray shirt and a grey sweater for a bit of warmth. On her feet she wore her converse for comfort to complete her outfit for the walking she was going to do. After brushing her hair she pulled a little from the side and braded a small section from the side of her face leaving the rest of her hair loose. Rubbed on a little of the lip butter to keep her lips from drying out in the sea air. She picked up her mobile added it to the $20 in her pocket. Emergency money if got lost and needed a taxi back to the inn. She locked the door and headed to reception to hand her key in.
Charlie was behind the reception desk when she handed over her key. They had met the night before when she was returning to her room after her chat with Terri.
“Good Morning Charlie, just going for a walk along the beach”
“Good Morning Carrie, It’s a lovely day for it. Breakfast is 8.00 to 09.30am. Just in case you didn’t know”
“Thanks for the reminder Charlie”
Within ten minutes she was walking along the beach. She couldn’t see anyone else at this early hour. The sand was hard beneath her feet the closer she got to the water’s edge. The waves lapping gently towards her. To her right in the distance she could see the distinctive white and red stripes of a lighthouse.
To her left an impressive Cape Cod style shingle style Victorian manor house. The paintwork a sage green with white trim with trees shielding the property from view from the beachfront. Along with some outbuildings. It was partitioned off but still gave a generous area of beach to walk through without intruding on the private property. The sand dune and grass offering a natural barrier. She couldn’t see any signs indicating it was a hotel. It must be someone’s amazing home with its own deck board path leading down to the beach. But straight ahead nothing but the sea – no boats on the landscape – just blue sea. Sea and miles and miles of beach. The beach was made up of shingle, sand and seaweed but was easy to walk through.
“Whoosh” the air was knocked out of her in surprise as there was a push to the back of her legs buckling her knees. She turned around not knowing what to expect – then looked down.
“Oh” A dog. A big golden retriever dog which was holding a large stick in its mouth which he promptly dropped at her feet.
“Hello boy” she patted is head – assuming he was a boy – and rubbed his ears. He had a beautiful golden coat and was obviously well cared for. A leather collar round his neck so he wasn’t a stray with a red and white scarf round his neck.
“Do you want to play? Eh?”
She picked up the stick and threw it as far as she could. The dog was friendly and eager to repeat the game. The sound of someone whistling interrupted the play. The dog immediately stopped.
Carrie turned to follow the direction of the sound of the whistle and where the dog her new playmate had gone. The wind once again knocked out her sails.
“Oh My” she said under her breath.
A tall man was walking towards her with the dog now at his side. He walked with an air of assurance and confidence. The closer he got the clearer his features became. He was handsome. Had the kind of Hollywood good looks that took your breath away as hers just did. Dressed casually in jeans and a v-neck loose white t-shirt against his olive skin. His jet black hair a little long at his collar. A day’s growth on his face giving him a scruffy yet sexy look at this early hour. Sexy? Where the hell did that come from? She couldn’t tell the colour of his eyes from the distance – not yet. The dog ran ahead back to Carrie.
“Hi, I see you’ve met my dog?”
“Hello” she replied. His eyes were brown, a deep chocolate brown.
The dog ran away and returned with another stick and Carrie laughed.
“I think I’ve just made a new friend”
“A friend for life if you keep throwing that stick”
“I’m Nico” he introduced himself. Carrie shook his hand and then snatched it away. Goosebumps. She was close enough to smell his aftershave, sharp and citrusy. Yikes.
“I’m Carrie”
“And this guy is Beauregard the 3rd – Beau for short”
Carrie knelt in the sand and took the offered paw and shook it.
“Nice to meet you too Beau!”
The dog nudged his head against Carries hand, inviting her to rub and pet his ears again.
Sometime later she stood up, brushed the sand from her knees. Tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that the wind had blown free.
“You’re not from around here, not with that accent”
“No, I’m not; I guess I’ve wandered a little far from home. Just another tourist visiting New England”
“Well traveller, where is home for you?”
“Home is Scotland, and you?”
“Born and raised here in the Cape”
“You are very lucky, what I’ve seen briefly it looks like a charming place to live”
“It’s a great place to live, what part of Scotland are you from?”
“Glasgow” it was generic enough a town to say.
She was rambling; oh this was strange, she had spoken with a man before, just not this particular man. “I’m proud of my hometown and country,”
“Glasgow is where my grand-mother was originally from. She met my grand-father whilst he was travelling through Europe and he swept her off her feet! They both said it was love at first sight. By the end of the week they were engaged and two months later living back in New York. They were married for nearly forty five years. ”
“That’s very romantic. Thanks for the condensed version of how they met” she joked
“They had a great marriage but a very volatile mix of Celtic and Italian blood. I miss my pops though. He passed away nearly ten years ago now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s always hard when you are close and lose someone” this she said with honesty.
“Thanks, we were close. He was a great man. One I can only hope to be one day,”
“And your grand-mother? Are you close? Sorry I’m being nosey”
“You are not being nosey, yes we are close but she is very independent and has a great circle of friends who keep her occupied. We don’t spend nearly enough time together as a family.”
“I guess it’s the same for most families, everyone has their own interests.”
Beau had returned with the stick in his mouth and dropped it at Carries feet.
“So, you wanna play? What ball or stick?” she held both and Beaus head eagerly followed her hand. She flung it again. They continued to walk slowly along the beach.
Despite his casual look she was sure he was Nico Devanti, her gossip magazine fodder and her aunt’s current employer. Time to go, time to go before she made a fool of herself and asked him if he really was Nico Devanti. Like some teenager with a boy-band crush. Sexy OMG why did that word keep popping into her head? She just hoped she didn’t blurt it out. Like some sort of crazy lady behaviour.
Cringe. She checked her wristwatch it was after seven. Oh she needed to shower before breakfast finished as she was a mess from rolling around with Beau on the sand.
“I’d better go” she bent down to pat Beau again. “’Bye Beau – oh and ‘Bye Nico”
“’Bye Carrie, enjoy your visit to the Cape”
She walked away, freaking out with herself at her reaction to meeting the clichéd tall, dark, handsome stranger. When they shook hands she felt a frisson spark through her. Distance that’s what she needed; to put some distance between her and the handsome stranger. She walked up the deck boards towards the pathway. A final look around and Nico was still where she left him. Beau was happily running around his static figure, tail wagging. He gave a wave which she returned and practically broke
into a sprint to get back to the safe haven of the Inn.
What was wrong with her? It wasn’t like it was the first time she had spoken with a man before on her own. She hoped she didn’t drool like Beau all over him. Now that would be embarrassing. He would think her a bumbling idiot.
Time for a shower, maybe she should make it a cold one! She collected her room key and raced to the sanctuary of her room. Her jeans needed washed from kneeling in the sand as they were now stained. Her wardrobe was limited as she had only planned on staying for two weeks at a maximum. She would ask Terri about laundry facilities later as she couldn’t find the usual laundry sack for the inn to organise. Hopefully Terri would still have time to help her plan the lighthouse visits as she needed to re-focus on what she was here for. She had an eventful morning already but she was showered, dressed and seated for breakfast at 08.30am.
The breakfast selection was expansive and tempting but Carrie opted for orange juice, coffee and blueberry pancakes. Yum. Newspapers were stacked but Carrie opted for the local newspaper, and then returned to her table in the window nook. Whenever she travelled she always liked to know a little bit more about the area she was staying and always found that the local paper told you everything. The Cape News latest edition was dominated by news of an electrical fire which had left several residents homeless and some businesses closed. The businesses had insurance whilst more than a few residents had none. Local residents were helping those affected but they were appealing for any donations or help that could be given.
Her breakfast had arrived and she put the newspaper aside to resume reading once she ate the delicious looking pancakes. Stacked high and drizzled with maple syrup. A sweet treat to the start of the day but not one she could indulge in every day. Carries empty plate – not a scrap left on it – was cleared quickly away. She poured another cup of coffee and returned to reading the newspaper. The paper had an easy flow to read and she now knew of an upcoming chamber of commerce charity fundraiser that had been set up in the aftermath of the fire. Tickets to buy and details of raffle prizes to be won. Even a craft fair at a local elementary school listing the stalls available. Details of this week’s band practise and an upcoming parade.
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