The Sunset Cottages: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  “How is Meg doing?” Libby asked, deftly changing the subject. “I’m looking forward to seeing her tonight. It’s been a while since I had a chance to talk to her.”

  Debbie was grateful for a new topic of conversation. “She’s anxiously awaiting the day when she and Tia get to move into their cottage.”

  “I’ll bet.” Libby laughed. “I’m sure she’s eager to have her own place again.”

  “Hey.” Debbie frowned at her. “Our garage apartment isn’t so bad.”

  “No, of course not.” Libby’s lips quivered like she was trying not to smile. “But I’m sure Meg will enjoy having more privacy and a bigger living area.”

  “I suppose.” Debbie was glad that her middle daughter would be moving into a cottage on the Inn’s property along with her co-worker, Tia, but Meg had been living at her parents’ house since she’d returned home to Willa Bay about two years ago, and Debbie would sorely miss seeing her on an almost-daily basis. She tried to console herself with the thought that Meg’s cottage at the Inn would only be a few minutes away, and she’d still get to see her often.

  Her youngest daughter, Sam, was an entirely different case. Sam tended to be more independent, and now that she’d taken a job at a private school north of town, Debbie hadn’t seen her in weeks. Tonight she’d have a chance to see both of them, but after that, she may not see either of her younger girls until Thanksgiving.

  She glanced at Libby, who had moved back over to the center island and was scoring slices of the galette with the tip of a sharp knife. Thank goodness for Libby. When Debbie had undergone cancer treatments, her eldest daughter had been there for her every step of the way. Even with all of her own responsibilities at home, Libby had always been her rock.

  Libby carried two slices of the galette over to the table as Debbie stacked the papers atop the book and set them on an empty counter to make room for the dessert.

  With a flourish, Libby set the small plates on the table. “Be honest with me. I don’t want to bring this to the party tonight if it’s gross.”

  “I will.” Debbie admired the neatly layered apples nestled into a golden brown crust. “It looks good, if nothing else.”

  They both tucked their forks into it at the same time.

  “Not bad,” Libby said before scooping up another forkful.

  Debbie nodded. “I think we should add this to the catering menu for next autumn. It would make a nice seasonal dessert option.”

  Libby flushed, but said nothing as she focused on her next bite. Her daughter wasn’t usually so modest when praised, and Debbie peered at her more closely. Something was off with her today, but Debbie couldn’t put her finger on it. When Libby had acted this way over the summer, it had been because she thought Gabe was having an affair.

  Debbie’s heart plummeted, and she scanned Libby’s face. “Is everything okay with you and Gabe?”

  Libby looked up abruptly and cocked her head to the side. “Yeah. Things are better than ever between us. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’re acting oddly.”

  Libby set her fork down and jumped up from her seat. “I’m going to get another cup of coffee. Do you want one?”

  Debbie grabbed her arm and said firmly, “Libby. If something is wrong, you need to tell me.”

  If it wasn’t something to do with Gabe, what was it? Was Libby sick? Debbie had gone to a geneticist after her cancer diagnosis, and they’d determined that the type of breast cancer she’d had wasn’t hereditary, but that didn’t make her worry any less about the health of her daughters.

  Libby plopped down on the chair and met Debbie’s gaze. “I didn’t want to say anything to you until it was final – and it’s not final yet – but the company Gabe works for is thinking about transferring him to Boise.” She looked down at her half-eaten dessert and said in a low voice, “That’s one of the reasons why I went with Gabe to Idaho.”

  “I thought he had training to go to there,” Debbie said.

  “He did.” Libby’s voice was firm as she reached out to touch Debbie’s hand. “But they’d already been talking about him taking a position there.” She hung her head. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I know you depend on me for the catering business.”

  Debbie couldn’t do much more than stare at her daughter. It was true, Libby had recently taken a more active role in the business and had increased their bookings for the coming year. But it wasn’t just that. Part of the reason Debbie had wanted to take a step back was to spend time with her grandkids. If Libby’s family was all living in Boise, how often would she see any of them?

  Libby took a deep breath. “Like I said, it’s not final yet. They said they’d let us know by Christmas. But Gabe had such a difficult time finding a job before landing this one, and we just don’t know if we can say no if they decide to transfer him.”

  Debbie nodded. Libby and Gabe needed to do what was best for their family. However, that didn’t make the potential loss any less painful. It seemed like all three of her girls were moving on and needing her less and less as the years passed. Libby loved living in Willa Bay though, and Debbie had thought that, of all of the girls, her oldest would be the one who’d stay in town forever.

  “I’d hoped to not have to say anything to you until we knew more about what was going on,” Libby said sadly. “I know you have a lot on your plate right now.”

  “I do.” Debbie forced herself to smile at her daughter, even though painful waves of uncertainty ricocheted throughout her body. “But I want to be here for you and I’m glad to know what’s going on in your life. This must be a very difficult decision for both of you.”

  “It is.” Libby sighed and looped her index finger around the handle of her coffee mug, shifting the ceramic cup slightly on the table. “We haven’t even told the kids yet. It didn’t make sense to worry them about something that might never happen.” Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “I’m really sorry, Mom.”

  “Don’t be,” Debbie said briskly. “Everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to.”

  Libby rewarded her with a teary smile. Debbie got up and hugged her more tightly than she needed to, but she wanted to remember the feeling of her daughter’s embrace if she did end up moving away. Debbie snuck a peek at the papers she’d set on the counter. With this new information, her future seemed even more complicated. How was she going to make everything work?

  7

  Cassie

  Cassie peered into the glass case set into the Sea Star Bakery’s front counter and frowned. It was close to the five o’clock closing time on Sunday, and a few pies, two trays of cookies, and numerous other baked goods still remained. She’d have to sell them at a discount the next day, and every cent she lost cut into her bottom line. She hadn’t expected that it would take this long to get a handle on customer demand, though she supposed that was all part of the first year of owning a retail business.

  She pulled out the tray that had once held peanut butter cookies, but now only held crumbs. Well, at least those were a hit. The bell above the door chimed and Cassie looked up to see two women in their mid-sixties walk into the lobby.

  “Do you have any of those Nanaimo bars left?” Mary Spencer called out as they approached the counter.

  Cassie looked pointedly at her remaining inventory. “None in the case.”

  Mary’s face fell. She and Linda Dawes came in every Sunday and Thursday to get a late afternoon treat and a cup of coffee, and the sweet, creamy bars were one of her favorites. “I was really looking forward to having one.” She sighed dramatically. “Oh well.”

  Cassie gave her an impish grin and ducked below the counter to retrieve a small box made out of thin yellow paperboard. “There might not be any in the case, but I had a feeling you’d be by, so I saved two.”

  Mary’s eyes widened as she took the box from Cassie. Opening it, she gushed, “These look so good. Thank you, Cassie.”

  “No problem.” Cassie glanced at the day’s leftovers again
. She may have misjudged the popularity of oatmeal raisin cookies for the Sunday crowd, but at least she’d made this customer’s day.

  Linda picked out a chocolate-drizzled bearclaw and the two women paid for their food.

  While Cassie poured their coffee, Mary covered one side of her mouth and said, “Don’t tell Edgar, but I like your pastries better.”

  Cassie’s spirits rose. Edgar Johnson’s baking skills had been well-respected, and she knew many hadn’t been happy when he’d sold the bakery to Cassie prior to his retirement to sunny Arizona. “Thanks.” She set the two coffee mugs on the counter and lowered her voice to a whisper. “And I won’t tell anyone you said that.”

  They all laughed, and the two women took their snacks over to one of the tables near the window. Cassie took a clean rag and wiped off any stray crumbs from the counter. The kindness of her customers continued to astound her. Oh sure, once in a while there were some bad apples that she just couldn’t make happy, but for the most part, the townspeople seemed pleased with the transition from Edgar’s business to hers.

  At five o’clock, Cassie flipped the sign next to the door to “Closed” and got to work cleaning everything. She’d be back there to bake at four o’clock the next morning, and hated to find things still a mess from the night before. Tonight, though, she moved at a faster pace than normal. She and the other members of the Wedding Crashers, along with their significant others, had been invited for a casual potluck dinner party at the Inn at Willa Bay.

  She’d been looking forward to the party all week. The kids didn’t have school on Monday because of a teacher in-service training day, so it was the perfect time for them to have a long visit with Kyle’s parents. Cassie was excited for the prospect of an evening with other adults. In the back of the bakery, she’d already packed away a three-layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a selection of small pies – her contribution to the night’s festivities.

  Cassie finished mopping and stood up straight, using the long handle as a prop as she stretched out her back. The space might be small, but cleaning it every night was no joke. Luckily, she’d been able to hire someone to help during the week, but she’d have to increase her profits if she wanted to keep her assistant. She eyed the clock on the wall – just after six. Kyle should be here soon to pick her up.

  After putting away the cleaning supplies, changing into a dress she knew Kyle loved, and fixing her hair, he still hadn’t shown up. Concern gnawed at her stomach. She was a born worrier and hated when people were late, because her mind always leapt to the worst-case scenario. She couldn’t stop herself from wondering if Kyle had not only been in an accident, but that he’d forgotten they had plans – or both.

  He wouldn’t have forgotten, right? The churning in her stomach intensified as she pulled her cell phone out of her apron pocket and checked for messages. None.

  She turned off the lights in the bakery’s lobby and tapped Kyle’s name at the top of her list of recent calls. Just when she was sure it would go to voicemail, he finally answered.

  “Hey, Cass.” He yawned. “Sorry, things are crazy at work right now.”

  “So you’re not coming to the dinner party tonight?” She couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice, and that only made her feel worse.

  “Dinner party?” He sounded more awake now. “Was that tonight? I thought it was next week.”

  Anger flared through her brain and she wanted to spew it back to him. He’d known how important this gathering was to her – at least she’d thought he had. She pressed her teeth together so tightly that they hurt, but it gave her the few seconds she needed to regain her composure.

  Before she could speak, he said, “I’m so sorry, Cassie.” He sighed. “I’ve been so busy, and I completely forgot. The kids were at my parents’ this weekend and I had a ton of work to catch up on.”

  “They were at your parents’ house so we could go to the dinner party together – without them.” She paced along the hallway and around the small bathroom, pausing when she caught her reflection in the full-length mirror. So much for trying to look nice for him. She sighed. “Can you come now?”

  He paused for a little too long. “I really can’t. I have too much work to do.” His voice softened. “I am so sorry. Can you tell everyone that I hope they have a good time and I wish I could be there?”

  She closed her eyes. He wished he could be there? She’d wanted him there – wanted to spend time with him. She felt the old pain surfacing. This was just like the old days when he’d prioritized work over everything else. If he’d told her weeks ago that he wouldn’t be able to make it, that would be one thing, but he’d flat out gotten so wrapped up in his work that he’d forgotten about his commitment to her.

  “Sure, I’ll tell them. I guess I’ll see you some other time.” She hung up on him before he could respond, the passive-aggressive action making her feel slightly better.

  Now what? Her car was in the shop getting some much-needed work done. She normally walked the short distance from her house to the bakery on Main Street and had planned on Kyle picking her up tonight, so finding a loaner car hadn’t been necessary. The Inn was only a couple of miles away, but there was no way she was going to walk there with the cake and pies, especially in the dark.

  Zoe, Shawn, Celia, and Tia lived at the resort, so she didn’t want to ask them for a ride to get there. Meg, Samantha, and Debbie had planned to get there early to set things up. Maybe Libby hadn’t left yet?

  Ten minutes later, Libby and her husband, Gabe, pulled their sedan into the alley behind the bakery. Libby waved enthusiastically at Cassie from the car.

  Gabe rolled down his window and asked, “Do you need help carrying anything?”

  “Uh…” Cassie looked at the stack of pies, then the cake she’d stored in a plastic container with a handle for easy transportation. She’d have to make two trips.

  Before she could answer, Libby popped out of her car and jogged over to the bakery’s back door in two-inch heels, the skirt of her violet-and-turquoise dress swirling around her calves. Cassie had admired Meg’s older sister’s style since they were kids, and her ensemble tonight didn’t disappoint. How was it that Libby had four kids and still managed to look so put together? Cassie only had Jace and Amanda, and felt frumpy most of the time.

  She looked down at the pink sundress and black cardigan she’d put on. This was one of her best outfits and she’d actually put effort into getting ready tonight. Another flash of irritation toward Kyle shot through her.

  Libby picked up the stack of pies and walked back to the car with her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. She opened the trunk and set them inside. Cassie followed her, wavering slightly as her own kitten heels caught on a chunk of loose cement. She placed the cake next to a wrapped pie plate and two foil-covered dishes that exuded an enticing aroma of curry spices and fresh herbs. Yum! All of the Briggs women were excellent cooks, and Cassie was looking forward to sampling everything they brought tonight.

  Libby waited for Cassie to step back after settling the cake carrier, then shut the trunk.

  Cassie got into the back seat of the sedan, stretched the seatbelt across her chest, and leaned forward. “Thank you for giving me a ride.”

  “Of course.” Gabe grinned at her in the rearview mirror. “You caught us right before we left. We were going to leave earlier, but somebody took forever to get dressed.”

  “Hey.” Libby gave him a fond slug in the arm. “It’s not often that I have more than five minutes all to myself. I think we need to leave the kids with your parents more often.”

  Cassie’s heart twinged at the playful interaction between the two of them. Libby and Gabe had been married for over a decade. What was their secret for making it work for so many years?

  When they arrived at the party, Gabe stopped in the Inn’s circular driveway. “I’ll let the two of you off here with the food and then go park in the lot.”

  “Sounds good.” Libby got
out of the car and walked around to the trunk, where she carefully stacked her three dishes on top of each other and lifted them out.

  Cassie removed the cake and stared at the small pies, wondering how she was going to carry all of them at once.

  “Do you need some help?” a man asked from behind her.

  She looked up to see Meg’s boyfriend, Taylor, standing there, his long arms outstretched.

  “Yes. Thank you.” She sighed in relief. “You’re an angel.”

  He grinned. “I think my sisters might disagree with that assessment, but I’ll take it.”

  Meg appeared next to him. “I can take something too.”

  “Great!” Libby gestured to her dishes. “Can you carry one of these?”

  Meg sniffed the air. “Did you bring your famous chicken curry?”

  “Yep,” Libby said. “The one in the middle.”

  Meg slid it out her sister’s arms and pulled up a corner of the foil covering. “Yum. I’m totally stealing this recipe from you for the restaurant.”

  “Steal away,” Libby said. “But you have to name it after me.”

  “Deal,” Meg said. “I’ll call it Chicken ala Libby.”

  “Uh…” Libby wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure about that one.”

  The sisters laughed in unison, and they all walked toward the big white tent set up on the lawn. Cassie paused about ten feet away to admire how the billowy tent glowed from within. The night was clear and crisp, with stars twinkling high overhead. If it weren’t for the chill in the air, it could have very well been the middle of summer.

  Inside the tent, Debbie was in charge, instructing people where to put their food. Savory items went on the left side of a long table, with desserts at the other end. Cassie set down her carrot cake and looked around. Their party was much smaller than the tent’s maximum capacity, and everything had been arranged in one half of the space to create a more intimate setting.