Winter at the Beach

by Sheila Roberts

  “I don’t want to freak you out,” he said, “but don’t hold your breath waiting for the power to come back on. We’re at the end of the world down here, and it might take a while.”

  Even when you weren’t at the end of the world it took a while. All those beautiful green trees that made the Pacific Northwest so lovely also created problems when they came down in a storm, taking out power lines right and left.

  “We’d better get more gas for the generator,” she said.

  “Uh, Jenna, the pumps aren’t going to be working with no power.”

  Oh, yeah, that.

  “I got some extra, but you’d better be thinking about a Plan B.”

  Plan B? The generator was Plan B.

  “And you should probably invest in something bigger for the next time. Meanwhile, don’t worry,” he added. “We’ll get through this.”

  Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one running the place.

  “Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be in my room.”

  Probably reading a book by candlelight. Seth Waters might have had a job that used more brawn than brain, but he never let his brain stay idle. If he hadn’t done jail time, he could have been a teacher, a college professor perhaps. It saddened her to think that one hasty decision could have had such huge lifelong consequences. But then, wasn’t that how it worked? Every choice, big or small, had consequences.

  She shrugged off her philosophical moment, thanked him, then got the oil lamp and lantern from the garage and beat it back to the house to help put together goody plates for their guests. Celeste and Aunt Edie had lit several candles, and now the fragrances of cinnamon and pine swirled through the house.

  Celeste set a match to the paper and kindling in the woodstove and shut the door. “Okay, we’re ready to go.”

  “Good,” said Jenna. “Let’s get those cookie plates made up.” And think of a Plan B. Blink, blink, blink.

  Electricity was on in the motel to keep the guests from stumbling around in the dark, but Aunt Edie didn’t have a generator for the house, and the kitchen felt eerie with only scented candles for light and the fridge silent.

  “Oh, wonderful, more light to work by,” she said as Jenna set the oil lamp on the kitchen counter. Not that the dim glow of candlelight had stopped her aunt from working. She had the kitchen table covered with little red paper plates and plastic wrap and ribbons.

  Jenna put oil in the lamp and lit it, and the room’s glow became less eerie. Celeste returned, and the three women got busy loading cookies onto the plates and wrapping them festively. Aunt Edie put the corn chowder on the woodstove to stay hot while they worked. Jenna couldn’t help wondering what the people staying at the motel would be doing for dinner. If the power was out all over town, how long would the restaurants be operational? She hoped some of them would be able to stay open.

  Of course, Pete put in an appearance. “Power’s out everywhere,” he reported.

  “Are any of the restaurants serving?” Jenna asked.

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. The Drunken Sailor’s got an emergency menu—sandwiches and chips and pop.”

  “Is the grocery store open?” Aunt Edie asked.

  “It looked kind of dim in there,” Pete said, “but I think so. They’ll probably only take cash.”

  “I have some cash in my purse,” said Aunt Edie.

  “Then you and Pete had better run to the store and see if you can stock up on bread and peanut butter and bottled juice,” Jenna said. “If the power doesn’t come back soon, we have to be ready to feed people.”

  “Okay,” Pete said. “But how you gonna keep ’em warm if the generator’s not working?”

  There went the nervous tic. Blink, blink, blink. “We’ll have to...” Jenna stalled. What would they do?

  “We’ll have to put people up here at the house,” said Aunt Edie.

  Twenty rooms’ worth? “Where would we put them all?”

  “I can bunk in with Edie,” Pete offered, making Celeste snicker and Aunt Edie blush and Jenna remember the red panties her aunt had bought.

  “We may need to house some of the women in my room,” Aunt Edie said.

  Pete frowned. “It’s gonna get cold in my room in the motel.”

  “You can sleep on a cot in here,” Jenna told him. She might not have been Pete’s number one fan, but she didn’t want him freezing to death, either.

  Hmm. Pete unsupervised in the kitchen. Maybe that wasn’t such a smart idea. She’d bunk Seth in there as well, to keep an eye on him. “Seth can sleep here, too.”

  “You still got a lot of people to find beds for,” Pete said.

  There was a long moment of silence in the kitchen before Aunt Edie said, “Well, in hard times we all pull together. I’m thinking we might have to ask some of our friends to make room.”

  Okay, there it was, Plan B. Jenna hated to drag other people into her drama, but when it came to keeping her guests warm, she had no pride. And no choice.

  Brody was her first call. “You having fun over there?” he asked as she waved goodbye to Aunt Edie and Pete, on their way to the store for supplies.

  “Oh, yeah. Loads. We’ve got the motel generator running, but if this power outage lasts for more than a day, we could be in trouble.”

  “You’re right. The pumps at the gas station aren’t working.”

  So she’d heard. “I’m trying to get a backup plan in place. If worse comes to worst, could you take a few people at your house? You’ve got a fireplace, so they won’t freeze. I’ll pay you,” she added. There went her profits. But oh, well. Profits were overrated.

  “Sure. And no need to pay me. This is what we do down here.”

  “Thank you,” she breathed.

  “Oh, wait. What was I thinking? Yeah, you should pay me. With a kiss.”

  “You never miss a beat, do you?” she teased. Actually, she could have kissed him right then and there, she was so relieved. At least she had one place lined up.

  “Nope,” he said. “In the meantime, you need anything?”

  “Xanax would be nice.”

  “I’ll come over later with some wine,” he promised. “And chocolate.”

  That sounded good to her. She thanked him and called Tyrella, who assured her she could fit several people in her house. “I’ve got a woodstove and a store of extra gas for the generator, and my fridge and freezer are full. Bring ’em on,” she said.

  Courtney was also fine with taking in some boarders. “May as well. I think my plans for Christmas just went up in smoke now that the road’s closed.”

  “The guy you met online?” Jenna remembered Courtney had planned to see him before Christmas Eve.

  “Looks like he’ll have to wait to meet me in the new year. Meanwhile, if any hot single guys checked in on your shift, I’ll be happy to take them off your hands.”

  “Two did, but I think they’re gay.”

  Courtney heaved a dramatic sigh. “All the best ones are. Oh, well, maybe they’re into fashion.”

  “If they are. I’ll send them to you.”

  “I’ll take whoever. I’ve got candles, a woodstove and enough canned tuna to last for a couple of days. And plenty of instant coffee and tea bags.”

  Jenna thanked her and told her to go home. At this point there was no need to keep the office open. Each room had Jenna’s cell phone listed as an emergency number, and they were now officially in emergency mode.

  “Fine with me. I’m going to crawl under my blankets and work on some new designs.”

  Okay, among all of them, they should be able to take care of everyone. If it came to that. Maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe the power outage would be an easy fix. One could always hope.

  Jenna and Celeste finished with the plates, laying them carefully in Aunt Edie’s covered wicker picnic basket. “You want me t
o help you distribute them?” Celeste asked.

  “No. You spent enough time out in the storm today.” Had the parade only been a few hours ago? It felt like ages.

  Jenna pulled on her coat and went out into the cold to make her deliveries and reassure everyone that all would be well.

  Some of the people weren’t in their rooms, probably out looking for food. She made a note of the ones who were missing so she could go back later. The newlyweds were happy with the cookies and not remotely bothered by the fact that the lights in their room were dimmer than normal and that the restaurants would most likely be offering only emergency menus. Living on love.

  Darrell Wilson, the man who’d planned the getaway for his wife, opened the door looking like a weary soldier peeking out from the trenches. She caught a glimpse of his wife, lying in bed, tucked under blankets, and wondered if the woman still wasn’t feeling well.

  “I brought you some cookies, courtesy of the inn,” Jenna said. “I’m sorry the power’s gone out.”

  “It’s okay,” he said with a fatalistic shrug. “How long does it normally stay out down here?”

  “Hard to say.” There. How was that for a nice, evasive answer? “But don’t worry. If it’s out for longer than we expect and our generator runs out of gas, we’ll have someplace for you to stay. I’ll keep you posted.” Then, concerned about his wife, she asked, “Is Mrs. Wilson feeling all right?”

  “As well as can be expected,” he said.

  “If you need some medicine...” Aunt Edie had enough cold remedies in her medicine cabinet to treat half the residents of Moonlight Harbor.

  He shook his head. “She had chemo earlier this week.”

  Cancer. Everyone’s bogeyman. “I’m so sorry,” Jenna said. As if this poor couple didn’t already have enough to deal with, now they were stuck in a motel running on half power. She hadn’t caused the storm or the power outage, but she couldn’t help feeling somehow responsible for their misery.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “Thanks for the cookies. Kat will love them.”

  What a nice man. If only everyone else would be as nice. Jenna suspected they wouldn’t, though.

  The two families who’d come down together were returning to their rooms just as she walked up with her basket of goodies. She noticed they had a couple of grocery bags and breathed a sigh of relief. At least they had food. And heat and light.

  “I wanted to check on you folks and make sure you’re okay,” she said.

  “We’re fine,” said the pleasant woman.

  “Sort of,” added the frowning one.

  Jenna reached into her basket and pulled out two plates of cookies. “I brought you all some cookies.”

  “Yay!” crowed one of the boys.

  “Cookies!” cried the little girl, jumping up and down.

  “Never mind the cookies,” said the crabby woman. “How long is the power going to be out?”

  The burning question. Jenna gave her vague answer, knowing it wouldn’t make this woman happy.

  Sure enough. It didn’t. “When will the road get cleared so we can get out of here?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  “I wish I knew,” Jenna said. “Of course, I’ll be in touch as soon as I learn something.”

  “Oh, well, you’ve got a generator so we’re good to go,” the pleasant woman said.

  “Only until the gas runs out,” her husband put in.

  “If that happens, we’ll have homes for everyone,” Jenna assured them. “Our house has a woodstove and emergency supplies.” Or they would have, once Aunt Edie got home.

  “Hey, a real adventure,” said the other man, and the frowner frowned at him.

  “It probably won’t come to that,” Jenna said. Please let it be true.

  “It’s cold out here,” said the grump. “Open the door, Greg.”

  The younger man obliged, and his wife went into their room, the little girl skipping behind her. He followed, looking sheepish.

  The other woman turned to Jenna. “Thanks for the cookies. You’re really going the extra mile, and we appreciate it.”

  Some of them did. Jenna thanked her and went on to the next room, where the two sisters were staying. “Wow!” said Karen, taking Jenna’s plate of cookies. “Look at this, Lisa,” she said as her sister came to stand next to her. “Sustenance. We’re saved.”

  Jenna caught sight of a take-out bag from Sandy’s sitting on the bed. “It looks like you already saved yourselves.”

  “That’s just sandwiches. We didn’t get dessert,” Karen said. “This is going to be a real treat.” Then she moved on to the question of the day. “Any idea when the power might come back?”

  “I wish I did,” Jenna said. “But don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.” Oh, yeah. Jolly Roger with his repetitious phrases had nothing on her. Next she’d be saying, “Give me whiskey.”

  “You are taking good care of us,” the woman said. “Thanks.”

  Those words were balm to her frazzled spirit. The wind was bitterly cold and the rain was trying to slash Jenna’s cheeks, but she left the sisters feeling warmed and encouraged.

  * * *

  “That was sweet of them,” Lisa said as the sisters returned to their card game. They added the cookies to the feast they’d spread out on Karen’s bed, and she took one.

  “Yes, it was,” Karen agreed. “So, who cares if the power’s out?” she said and helped herself to a brownie. She did love her creature comforts, but she could manage when she had to. “We’ve got food, we’ve got cards.” And, in spite of the storm, she was having fun.

  “Sunshine on a rainy day,” crooned Lisa, and played a card. Her cell phone rang. “Oh, boy. It’s the husband patrol,” she said, and put the phone on speaker. “Hi, babe. Miss me?”

  “I heard you’ve got a major storm down there. Are you girls okay?”

  “Of course, we are. And in case you want to talk dirty to me, don’t. We’re in the middle of a high-stakes card game, and you’re on speaker.”

  “So, power’s on? You’ve got heat?”

  “We’ve got heat.”

  “And power?”

  “They have a generator.”

  “So, no power. You need to come home.”

  “Oh, yes, we want to be out driving around in this,” Karen muttered.

  “We can’t,” Lisa told him. “The only road out of town has trees across it, and there are power lines down.”

  Dean swore. “Why isn’t someone getting them off the road?”

  “I’m sure someone will as soon as the storm blows over. Anyway, you wouldn’t want us out in this. We’d probably have a tree come down on us.”

  There was silence on the other end, and Karen could picture Dean with the proverbial steam coming out of his ears. His wife in a mess, without him there to save the day. The man pictured himself as a senior version of a Marvel action hero.

  “Deano, it’ll be okay,” Lisa said, as reassuringly as she could.

  “I don’t like this. I wish I was down there with you.”

  “Don’t worry. We’re totally fine.”

  “Until their generator runs out of gas.”

  “The woman who runs the hotel has that covered. She just stopped by with cookies.”

  “Cookies. Great. You may wind up freezing to death down there with no power, but at least you’ll have cookies.”

  “We’re not freezing to death. Like I told you, we’re fine.”

  “I worry about you,” he said.

  “I know, and I’m glad you do, but there’s no need.”

  “Well, you’d better charge your phone while you’ve got power.”

  “I will,” Lisa assured him, then quickly changed the subject. “How was your dinner?”

  “Good, but lonely. I miss you.”

  “Oh, bro
ther.”

  “I do.”

  “You’ll survive.”

  “Yeah, well, I hope you do, too.”

  “Bye, Deano. Love you,” Lisa said and ended the call. “I wonder how long it’ll be until we hear from Doug.”

  “I give him ten minutes.”

  It was five. Karen didn’t put him on speaker.

  “Dean says you guys are stranded down there with no power.”

  “There’s a generator here,” Karen told him, “and we have light and heat and we’re eating cookies.”

  “And playing cards,” Lisa threw in. “Hi, Doug.”

  “Lisa says hi,” Karen relayed.

  “Never mind that. You need to come home as soon as the road is clear,” said Doug.

  “We will,” she told him. “Don’t worry.”

  “Don’t worry? You two are down there pulling a Lucy and Ethel, and you tell me not to worry?”

  “We didn’t cause the storm, Doug,” Karen said irritably, and Lisa shook her head. “And quit calling us Lucy and Ethel. It’s not cute anymore.”

  “I knew something would happen,” he muttered. “Your sister comes up with these harebrained schemes and you go along with them.”

  “Taking a trip to the beach is hardly harebrained. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and pressed the off button.

  Lisa raised an eyebrow. “Harebrained?”

  “You know how he gets,” Karen said in her husband’s defense.

  “Yeah, controlling. I don’t understand why you let him get away with it. He can be such a jerk.”

  Doug had his faults, but nobody got to diss him except her, not even her little sister. “Look who’s talking! Whose husband called first? And you can thank Dean for getting Doug all stirred up.”

  “As if Dean’s to blame for Doug being insulting? Dean was worried.”

  “Well, so’s Doug.”

  “No, he’s just spoiled. The only thing he’s worried about is that you won’t be home in time to make his dinner tomorrow.”

  “You know, your husband’s not so perfect, either,” Karen said.

  “At least he doesn’t call people names.”