Making Waves

by Meredith Summers

  “Well, it’s nice to see the inn teeming with guests again,” she said as she filled the coffeepot and adjusted the pastries on the tray.

  Jane simply smiled at her.

  “Boy, that was a challenge getting those two feuding aunts into satisfactory rooms, but I managed to do it. Guess working with difficult antique clients paid off.” Andie picked a snickerdoodle off the tray. “It is good to see the inn full, though.”

  Jane wasn’t so sure. “Paying guests are always nice.”

  The crunch of tires on the driveway signaled the arrival of a black sedan. A woman stepped out. She wore a hat with large flowers on it, dark sunglasses, and an expensive Chanel suit.

  “Is that the bridezilla?” Brenda whispered.

  Jane wiped sweaty palms on her slacks. “No. Worse. It’s her mother.”

  Marilyn Lambert sailed into the foyer, looking over the tops of her sunglasses to appraise the three of them then whipping them off to look around. Her gaze fell on the tray of snacks, and she muttered something that sounded like “pedestrian.”

  Brenda took in a deep breath. No doubt she was preparing to give Marilyn a piece of her mind, but Andie pushed her back into the kitchen before a fight could break out.

  Jane stepped forward and held out her hand. “Welcome to Tides. I’m Jane Miller.”

  Marilyn gave a limp handshake. “Marilyn Lambert. The place seems... adequate. I’d like a tour of the wedding venue after I check in.”

  “Of course. Let me get you situated, and then I’ll be waiting down here for you.” Jane moved behind the desk, dread building in her chest. Pleasing Marilyn Lambert was not going to be easy.

  Jane got Marilyn checked into her room and then checked on Cooper, who she’d put in her office in order to keep him from getting underfoot while the guests were arriving.

  Andie poked her head in. “Everything going okay?”

  “Yes. I’m meeting Marilyn downstairs after she freshens up.”

  “Need help?”

  “Maybe you could help keep Cooper out of sight. It might be best to keep him from running around trying to greet all the guests.” Jane would have liked to pawn the job of showing Marilyn around off on Andie, but since she’d been the one to originally book the wedding and talk to Marilyn and Courtney, she felt it was her responsibility.

  “Of course.” Andie clipped the leash to his collar. “I’ll make sure he stays to himself.”

  Jane got to the foyer at the same time as Marilyn.

  “I’d like to see the table-scape, if I may.” Marilyn looked at Jane as if she were an indentured servant.

  “We have an example out on the back porch.” Jane led the way.

  “The back porch? I thought there was a tent.” Marilyn ran her finger along the surface of a sideboard then inspected it for dust. Jane half expected her to whip out a white glove.

  “There will be, but it’s being set up tomorrow morning.”

  Marilyn frowned. “So I can’t see the actual setup right now.”

  “The rental company said that setting it up the morning of the event would be best so that everything is crisp and fresh for the wedding itself. Since it’s in the evening, I think that makes sense, don’t you?”

  “I suppose.” Marilyn looked around the room as Jane held the French doors to the back porch open, hoping to distract her with the gorgeous ocean view.

  “Luckily it’s outside and not in here. So many knickknacks. They collect dust, you know. I hate dust. I like things spic-and-span clean. I don’t allow clutter.” Marilyn waved toward a sideboard that held Grandma Miller’s collection of flow blue plates. “Or pets. Dust and dander are so dirty.”

  As she swept out onto the back deck, Jane saw Andie disappearing with Cooper on the other side of the inn just in the nick of time.

  Thankfully, Marilyn approved of the table setting, albeit a bit grudgingly. They proceeded to walk across the garden to the bathroom. Jane stopped at the arbor.

  “Here’s the arbor where the bride and groom will say their vows facing the ocean, and the tent will be directly behind it,” Jane said.

  Marilyn looked around. “I suppose it’s pretty. Those roses are a bit unusual.”

  “Yes, we worked on the arbor specifically to your daughter’s instructions.”

  “Well, we’ll see how she likes it. Now the bathrooms?” Marilyn raised her brows at Jane. “I hope those will be clean and uncluttered, unlike the main house.”

  Uncluttered? Darn! Jane pictured the starfish and shells she’d placed on the vanities as she led Marilyn toward the building.

  Maxi puttered around the cottage, basking in happy memories from the art gallery opening the previous night. Too bad those memories were mixed with worry about James.

  She’d been happy with the way her paintings had come out and thrilled at the compliments she’d received, and when she’d seen James, she felt like things were okay between them and all the tension from their misunderstanding had melted away. Then why did he leave?

  Rembrandt skittered down the hall, batting a plastic bottle top in front of him. She knelt and scooped the cat up and held him in her arms like a baby as she talked to him.

  “Did I miss the signs with James? I thought he wanted to reconcile, but was he really there to tell me things were over?”

  Rembrandt wriggled, and she put him down. He trotted to his food dish.

  “And what about that day at the Purple Blueberry?” She got cat food out of the fridge and spooned some into the dish.

  James had been seeking her out, she knew. And he’d reached out to Jane and Claire to help him. He’d had a wardrobe makeover, for crying out loud!

  No. She was sure he wasn’t breaking things off. Something must have made him leave though... Crap! It was because of Chandler, of course. Chandler had dragged her off, and James must have gotten jealous.

  She hoped he hadn’t gotten the wrong impression, though she was sure that Chandler had been flirty. He’d almost seemed possessive when he’d carted her away.

  She’d tried to give off the vibe that she wasn’t interested, as Andie had suggested, but her vibe-giving skills were rusty. Though something must have worked, because at the end of the night, he’d been so busy talking to some blonde that he’d hardly even acknowledged Maxi to say good night.

  Maxi took out her paints and a fresh canvas. Painting always helped her think, and she needed to figure out the best way to reconcile with James in a way that would solidify their relationship and not leave a lot of unanswered questions.

  “I suppose the building is cute in a commonplace sort of way.” Marilyn eyed the bathhouse with a scowl on her face.

  Jane bit her lip to remain quiet. Andie and Maxi had put a lot of time into the design, and Jane thought the sailboat shutters and window boxes were quaint. But if Marilyn didn’t approve of the outside, she surely wouldn’t like the way Jane had set decorative shells and starfish around the inside.

  Jane pushed the door open, gesturing for Marilyn to go inside, and closed her eyes, waiting for her words of disapproval.

  “Huh, it’s very clean. Sparse. I’m surprised, considering how cluttered the house was.” Marilyn’s praise held a grudging tone.

  Huh? Jane opened her eyes and peeked in. Where were the shells that she’d lined up on the vanity? And the dozens of starfish she’d stood upright on the shelves? Had Andie overheard Marilyn taking about dust and clutter and rushed in to remove them?

  Marilyn opened each stall door, nodding her approval. Finally she turned to Jane.

  “I suppose this will suffice.” She glanced out the window. “Courtney should be here soon, and we’ll have to show it all to her, but I wanted to have a look at things beforehand so I could try to rectify any shortcomings before she saw them. I don't want my little girl to be disappointed.”

  “Of course.” Jane felt bad for Courtney to have such a meddling mother, though it was nice that Marilyn didn't want her daughter to suffer any disappointment on her big day.r />
  Marilyn led the way outside. She paused at the garden, her gaze resting on the large area to the side where the tent would be set up.

  “What about the dance floor?” She narrowed her eyes at Jane as if eager to discover a flaw with the plan.

  “That will be set up under the tent. We have a gorgeous wooden floor that will be perfect.”

  “Oh, well I suppose I can wait to see—”

  “Woof!”

  Cooper came bounding toward them, his leash trailing from his collar.

  Marilyn’s eyes widened as the dog brushed past her on his way to Jane’s side. He pushed his head under Jane’s hand as she grabbed for his leash.

  “Is that creature yours?”

  “Well, yes... but—”

  Andie came around the side of the house, juggling a handful of shells and starfish. That explained where the shells from the bathroom had gone. “Sorry. I had my hands full, and the leash slipped out.”

  Cooper strained to sniff at Marilyn, and she jumped back. Jane tugged on the leash to rein him in.

  “I certainly hope that’s not going to be here for the wedding!” Marilyn pointed at Cooper.

  Apparently Cooper didn’t register Marilyn’s dislike for him because he wagged his tail and strained to get at her even harder.

  “He won’t be at the wedding. We’ll keep him inside.”

  “Oh no. This won’t do. Not at all. I think—”

  “Hey! Mom!”

  All three of them swiveled toward the driveway on the other side of the garden, where a young woman waved cheerily. She started toward them, her long honey-blond hair bouncing like in a shampoo commercial as she hurried across the garden. At least she had normal taste in clothes, judging by her plain tan shirt and khaki capris.

  Jane’s stomach twisted as Courtney hurried toward them. What if their bridezilla hated dogs as much as her mother did?

  James woke up determined to get Maxi back. Jane’s invitation to the wedding had provided him an opportunity. Sally had said he’d have to get out of his comfort zone, and he knew exactly what to do.

  “We’ll show her how much we love her, right, Picasso?”

  Picasso simply slitted one eye open from his position atop the cashmere sweater vest that James had placed on the bed.

  After the hairball incident, James had no desire to wear that sweater again. It didn’t go with his new less-fussy look anyway. He’d hand-washed it and then given it to Picasso to lie on. The cat seemed pleased.

  James felt nervous about his plan. He’d definitely be out of his comfort zone, but he knew it was something Maxi wanted. And he’d worked hard to gain the new skill that would hopefully prove to her that he had changed and was willing to work toward their relationship. Now if she just didn’t show up at the wedding with another date, everything might just work out.

  He got his most impressive dress shoes out of the closet and started to polish them. He still had a lot of work to do to perfect his plan and only one day in which to do it.

  Jane had expected Courtney to be a sourpuss like her mother, but she actually seemed rather cheery as she approached the group. On the other hand, she was happy to see her mother, which Jane took as a bad sign because if the two of them were anything alike, she was in for a rough road ahead.

  “Great to see you, dear!” Marilyn hugged Courtney and then air-kissed her cheek.

  “Hi. I’m Jane. We talked on the phone a few times.” Jane stuck out her hand.

  “Yes, I remember. Nice to meet you.” Courtney’s handshake was firm, her smile genuine. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. “Sorry to be such a stickler on the phone, but Mother wanted everything to be perfect.”

  Aha! So maybe it was the mother all along.

  “Yes, I did. Nothing is too good for my darling daughter.” Marilyn sniffed. “But I’m afraid there’s a little problem, dear.” She nodded toward Cooper.

  Courtney’s eyes widened, apparently noticing the dog for the first time. “Oh! A dog!”

  She crouched down, holding her hand out for Cooper, who was delighted to sniff. Once they were acquainted, Jane eased up on the leash, and Courtney hugged the dog. She looked up at Jane. “Does he live here?”

  Jane nodded.

  “He's gorgeous. Do you think he could be a ring bearer?”

  Stunned, Jane answered, “Sure. He’s pretty smart. I’m sure we can train him.”

  Courtney stood, brushed off her slacks, and hooked her arm through her mother’s. “Perfect. Then I guess I’ll check in and then take a look at what you have set up for the wedding. The property is lovely, and I’m sure what you have will be just wonderful.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jane was so busy the rest of the day and into the next that she barely registered the hours ticking by. It turned out that Courtney really wasn’t as bad as her mother.

  Brenda made a quick ring box and pillow to attach to Cooper’s collar, and Courtney helped Andie and Jane train him to walk down the aisle behind her. He learned quickly, but it was one thing to do it with empty chairs and another to do it while the tent was full of guests that could distract him. Jane could only keep her fingers crossed.

  The guests all seemed happy, and the couple looked enamored with each other at the small rehearsal dinner held on the back deck of Tides the night before the wedding.

  Even the feuding aunts had found common ground. It turned out they both loved dogs and had tolerated each other’s presence, since they both wanted to be near Cooper. Jane had even overheard them reminiscing pleasantly about family dogs they'd had in the past.

  When the moment finally came for the wedding, Jane was relieved and somewhat eager to get it over with.

  She stood at the back of the tent and watched the couple exchange vows. Cooper stood between them, patiently waiting for the ring exchange.

  “See, I knew he’d do a good job.” Mike took her hand. “Everything worked out just perfect.”

  “I guess.” Jane watched as the groom kissed the bride, and the crowd erupted in applause. “Now let’s hope the reception and dinner goes smoothly.”

  Several yards away on the beach, the Lobster Bay Clambake Company was tending to the steaming pit they’d dug in the sand and lined with seaweed for the lobsters. Two industrial-sized grills were set up for steak. Waitstaff circled in the tent with trays of hors d’oeuvres as the crowd moved from the seating area to mingle under the tent.

  The band had taken their place in the corner and was starting to get set up. Fairy lights twinkled along the edges of the tent. Sheer drapes hung in the corners billowed exotically in the sea breeze. Above the ocean, the first stars were just starting to appear in the cerulean sky.

  The guests seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the bride was beaming, which eased some of Jane’s nerves. Never having hosted a wedding before, she had no idea if she was doing things right, but so far, so good. Over to the side, she spotted Claire’s sandcastle cake. It looked magnificent with its blue sugar-coated icing and really did match the bridesmaid dresses.

  “Let’s go to the table. I want to tell Claire how much Courtney loved her cake.” Jane tugged Mike over to the round table in the back designated for Jane and her friends. Claire and Rob were seated at the table, their heads bent together in private conversation. Maxi sat next to Claire, a champagne flute in her hand as she scanned the crowd.

  Andie was standing beside the table talking to the two feuding aunts, who were laughing together about something. Apparently, they’d forgotten about their feud.

  Most of the guests were standing in small groups, while a few were seated at the tables. The bride was circulating with the groom in tow. The only person not laughing and talking was Marilyn. She was seated at the head table by herself with a sour look on her face. Jane wasn’t surprised about that.

  As she approached their table, James came up beside her.

  “Wish me luck.” He winked at Jane as he went over to Maxi then took her hand and led her to the dance fl
oor just as the band started to play.

  Jane squeezed Mike’s hand as she watched the couple. “Ahh, see, you were right. Everything is working out just perfect.”

  Maxi’s heart fluttered as James took her in his arms on the dance floor. James wasn’t much of a dancer, but she appreciated the effort.

  James looked over at the band and nodded. How odd. Did he know them or...?

  They started playing a song she associated with the tango, and James held her hand out in a tango pose. What in the world? James didn’t know how to dance the tango.

  She played along, shocked when he started to whirl her around in perfect sync with the music.

  “When in the world did you learn how to tango?” Maxi had to admit, he was pretty good at it. She’d learned years ago, and her steps were a little rusty, but James was leading beautifully.

  James laughed. “You always wanted to take ballroom dancing, and since I’m a klutz, I figured I’d get a head start.”

  “You took lessons?”

  James nodded. Their eyes locked. His were filled with love and a little uncertainty. She reached up and touched his face. “For me?”

  “Anything for you.”

  “Oh, James, I’ve been so stupid.”

  “No, you haven’t. You’ve just been doing what you wanted. All the years you sacrificed to raise the kids, I was too blind to notice that you’d done nothing for yourself. I had my dream career and what I wanted, but you nurtured everyone else at the expense of your own dreams. Now it’s your time to do things for you.” He twirled her away then scooped her back into his arms.

  “You mean you don’t mind if I paint, or have a cottage studio, or hang out at the Purple Blueberry?”

  “Not at all. Well, maybe hanging out at the Purple Blueberry might take some getting used to.” He dipped her skillfully. It was impressive how much he’d learned in a short time. How long had he been taking lessons? Surely he wasn’t taking them before she left. “I’m hoping I’ll be able to join you at all those things.”