Winter at the Beach

by Sheila Roberts

  Courtney took the newlyweds and the two hot guys who were stylishly dressed and who Jenna figured might enjoy hanging out with a clothing designer.

  The sisters, Karen and Lisa, had arrived, along with the other pair, Sarah and Taylor, the frowner, and their families. “You’ll all be staying in our house, which is the one right across the parking lot,” she said, pointing.

  “A giant slumber party,” joked Sarah.

  The frowner kept her frown in place. Oh, boy. She was going to be good for morale. That one Jenna would’ve loved to farm out to someone else, but it would have been a rotten way to repay her friends for their kindness.

  “Come on, grumpy,” said her sister, “let’s go get our stuff.” Yep, only sisters got away with name-calling.

  And that was it. Everyone had a place to stay. Something to be grateful for. Jenna took her lantern and left the office, falling in step behind the two families and their three little kids.

  Aunt Edie was at the door to welcome everyone. She was wearing red slacks and a black sweatshirt and a Santa hat, which didn’t go well with her hair or her coral lipstick. She’d completed her ensemble with her blinking Christmas-light necklace. It wasn’t an outfit Courtney would approve of, but it did look festive.

  “We’re so glad to have you here with us,” she said to the newcomers. “Gentlemen, you’ll be sleeping in my niece’s office here. Ladies, you’re all upstairs and Celeste will show you to your rooms. After you’ve put away your things, everyone come on into the living room where we’ve got a good fire going in the woodstove. I have water on for hot chocolate and hot buttered rum.”

  One of the men rubbed his hands together. “All right. I haven’t had hot buttered rum in years.”

  “Just give me the rum,” the pill said under her breath as the women followed Celeste upstairs, leaving Jenna with a strong desire to bitch-slap her.

  Darrell Wilson and his wife, whom he’d introduced as Kat, were already in the living room. She was ensconced on the couch with a blanket over her and a steaming mug of something. She had dark circles under her eyes, but she was smiling. Jenna walked over and introduced herself.

  “Your motel is charming,” the woman told her.

  “I’m sorry you haven’t seen it at its best.”

  “Oh, I think I have,” Kat said. “You’ve been nothing but kind, and you’re certainly going the extra mile for us.”

  “Well, we can’t have you all freezing to death in your rooms,” Jenna said. Death! Why had she said that? Her cheeks burst into flames.

  “It would make for bad reviews on Yelp,” Kat remarked, and the corners of her lips turned up.

  Yelp. Let’s not think about that, either.

  The families were back now, the children bounding into the room with enough energy to power up all of Moonlight Harbor. If only they could find a way to harness that.

  The parents followed at a more sedate pace and squeezed onto the couch and into the chairs, while the kids hit the floor. One of the boys spotted the pretzels and dived into the bowl.

  “Christopher,” his mother scolded. “Wait until you’re offered.”

  He looked guilty and dropped his handful back into the bowl.

  “Don’t do that once you’ve taken them,” she groaned and leaned over to fish out the contaminated ones.

  “It’s all right,” said Aunt Edie. “Little boys love to eat.”

  The other boy positioned himself in front of Jolly Roger’s cage. “Does your bird talk?”

  “Yes, he does,” said Aunt Edie, and the little girl came to the cage to check out Roger, too.

  “Ask him if he’s a pretty bird,” Celeste suggested.

  “Are you a pretty bird?” asked the boy.

  “Roger’s a pretty bird,” Roger said, bobbing his head. “Give me whiskey.”

  That made the boy laugh. “What else can he say?”

  “Ralph, Ralph,” cried the bird. “Call the cops.”

  That had all three children giggling.

  The giggles were overridden by the sound of thumping and a surprised screech. Jenna turned to see that one of the other sisters—Karen—had tripped on her way down the stairs and was bouncing down them like an oversize, misshapen beach ball. She landed with an oomph, her sister hurrying down the stairs after her.

  The noble, kindhearted side of Jenna thought, Oh, no! The terrified motel manager side of her thought, Don’t sue! Both sides rushed to help the woman and ask, “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” Karen assured her. “Just didn’t watch where I was going.” She tried to take a step and winced.

  “Are you okay?” asked her sister.

  “It’s nothing, probably just a mild sprain. And we’re not telling Doug about this,” Karen added.

  “For sure,” her sister agreed.

  Between Jenna and Lisa, they managed to get the injured party to the couch, where she joined Kat Wilson. Celeste brought a footstool, then vanished upstairs to the bathroom to find some Advil while Jenna hurried to the kitchen to get ice from the freezer while there was still ice to be had.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jenna said as she put the ice pack she’d made on the woman’s ankle.

  It was hard to tell if the ankle was swelling or not since Karen wasn’t exactly small. What if it was broken? They had insurance. They’d be fine. Please don’t let it be broken.

  “It’s nothing, really. I’m a klutz.”

  Such a good sport. Jenna could have kissed her.

  Meanwhile, Aunt Edie was taking drink orders.

  “The hot buttered rum is wonderful,” said Kat Wilson.

  “Now, that sounds like the perfect cure for what ails me,” the accident victim said with a nod.

  The other adults decided they’d try it, too, and Jenna was pleased to see that they were all smiling. Even the frowner managed a faint one, which gave Jenna hope that maybe they’d all survive being stranded in such close proximity.

  As Aunt Edie distributed drinks, she told her captive audience the history of the motel. “My husband and I were one of the first ones to build a motel down here,” she said. “He’s gone now, God rest his soul, but I have my lovely niece to help me. We’ve only recently renovated it. I hope you all like your rooms.”

  The rooms they weren’t in. They needed a change of subject fast.

  Celeste the party-planner came to the rescue. “What’s not to like about being at the beach? When the weather’s nice,” she added and was rewarded with a few chuckles. “I can tell you all, I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl, and Moonlight Harbor is the best place in the world. Well, next to Disneyland,” she said, and winked at the kids. “But obviously, Mother Nature didn’t get the memo that we were having a festival this weekend, and managed to mess things up. Still, my aunt’s got plenty of wood in the stove and we’ve got plenty of hot buttered rum. So we may as well party while we’re here.”

  “Good idea,” Karen approved.

  Celeste smiled, happy to find a kindred spirit. “I’m thinking it would be good to get to know each other a little bit. Let’s go around the room and exchange names and where we’re from. And what we like to do for fun.”

  She smiled at everyone around the room, and they all smiled back. Even the grump managed to force a smile. Jenna couldn’t help admiring her younger sister for her ability to insert enjoyment into any situation.

  “I’ll go first,” Celeste said, reminding Jenna of when they were kids.

  No matter what game they played, her sister had always wanted to go first. This time Celeste was making a concerted effort to break the ice, and Jenna appreciated it. Ice-breaking wasn’t her specialty.

  “I’m Celeste,” she said. “Aunt Edie is my great-aunt, and Jenna here is my sister. My older sister,” she added with a teasing smile. That brought out some chuckles and she continue
d, “I came down for the festival. You may have seen me riding on the Driftwood Inn float. I was the frozen mermaid,” she finished, shaking her head and bringing out more chuckles. She leaned over to Jenna and gave her a goofy stare. “And who are you?”

  “You’ve all met me,” Jenna said. Oh, how she wished it had been under different circumstances. “I recently started managing the Driftwood Inn.” So pleeease be patient with me.

  “She’s also a massage therapist,” Celeste said. “If any of you are feeling stressed, she can help you relax.”

  “I’m sure I must be feeling stressed,” joked Lisa.

  “Just for that, you have to go next,” Celeste said, pointing at her.

  “I’m Lisa Whitaker, and I came down with my older sister, Karen, for a girls’ weekend,” she said, following in Celeste’s teasing footsteps by emphasizing older and making her sister frown. “The klutz,” she added.

  “Are you sure you didn’t push me?” joked her sister.

  “I’m still in the will, right? Inheriting everything?” Lisa joked in response.

  “Including Doug.”

  “Never mind. Take me out of the will.”

  “And what do you like to do for fun?” Celeste prompted. “When you’re not trying to bump off your sis.”

  “I love to play tennis and dance,” Lisa said. “And read. We both do.” She smiled at her sibling.

  “My wife’s a big reader,” put in Darrell Wilson. “She has a blog.”

  “Yeah? What’s your blog?” Lisa asked.

  “Under the Covers with Kat.”

  “Oh, my gosh! Really? I follow that blog,” said Karen. “I’m Karen Owens. I’ve actually won a couple of your book giveaways.”

  “Karen Crazy Quilter?” asked Kat.

  Karen nodded eagerly. Then her smile grew pinched. “I’ve been reading about your battle with cancer. I just want you to know how much I admire you.”

  Kat blushed at that. “There’s nothing admirable about having cancer.”

  “There is when you’re fighting it with such a good attitude,” said Karen.

  Kat’s fingers slipped up to touch the black knit cap on her head as she murmured a thank-you, and Jenna, seeing her discomfort, moved them on.

  Introductions continued. Sarah and Taylor and their husbands, Chris and Greg, were from the Seattle area.

  “When you’re not coming to the beach for adventure, what do you do for fun?” Celeste asked Sarah.

  “I like to read, go out to lunch with my girlfriends whenever I can,” Sarah said. “I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I need a break every once in a while.”

  Celeste turned to the sister. “What about you, Taylor?”

  “I’m a real estate agent,” the woman said.

  “Oh, very cool. I’d have done that,” Karen told her, “except drawing up those contracts looked way too complicated.”

  “So she settled for being a math teacher,” Lisa said. “Which is so much easier than writing contracts, right?” she teased.

  “You’d have had no problem with real estate,” Taylor said to her.

  “My husband, Darrell, is a math teacher,” Kat said.

  “Come to the dark side. We have pi,” Darrell quipped.

  “Oh, yes,” Karen said. “But I’m retired now. I’m done with the dark side.”

  “Sometimes I’d like to be,” Darrell said. “But we need the insurance.” The minute the words were out of his mouth, he looked like he wished he could swallow his tongue.

  His wife reached out a hand to him and he took it. “He’s my hero,” she said.

  “That’s what guys like to hear,” said the man named Greg.

  “Just for that, you’ll have to go next,” Celeste told him. “But first.” She turned her attention to the kids. “Okay, guys, tell us who your favorite comic book hero is.”

  The kids, who had gone through the snacks and were starting to look bored, came to life and joined the conversation. The adults listened indulgently and soon were sharing more about themselves.

  The Marshes and the Browns had never been to Moonlight Harbor. They’d taken advantage of Jenna’s Groupon offer and come down for the festival. The older sister, Sarah, and her husband, Chris, seemed amiable and happily married. Her younger sister, Taylor, and her husband, Greg, were along for the ride but not enjoying it. While the other couples sat close with arms around each other, Greg sat on one side of the room and Taylor was on the floor with their daughter. There was no smile for him, no softening of her features when he talked. They were the powder keg couple, ready to blow up at any minute. They were trying to hide the tension between them, but ever since her divorce Jenna had developed a sixth sense for that sort of thing. She could feel it, almost hear it thrumming. She only hoped their toxicity didn’t ruin this forced togetherness for everyone else.

  “What do you do for a living?” Darrell asked Greg.

  “Actually, I’ve just started a company.”

  “Trying to,” his wife corrected, looking far from happy about it.

  Ah. There it was, the match to the powder keg. “Well,” Jenna said heartily. “I’m sure you’re all hungry. We do have food on hand for anyone who doesn’t want to go out in search of it—tuna or peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, some fruit and chips. We’ll have a spread set up for you on the dining table in a few minutes.”

  “Sounds great to me,” said Karen Owens. “I’m in for the night. And we have beef jerky we can share.”

  “Plus cookies,” added her sister, Lisa. “Not that they’re as good as what we’ve had here.”

  “We’re in for the night, too,” Darrell Wilson said.

  “And us,” said Chris Brown.

  The moment of tension passed, and Jenna let out in inward sigh of relief. Maybe, if the subject of Greg Marsh’s business was avoided, everyone would have a nice evening.

  She checked in with Brody as she and Aunt Edie prepared the evening feast. “What are you feeding the multitude over there?”

  “Got the grill up and running, and we’re barbecuing salmon,” he said.

  Brody’s guests had landed at the five-star house. Lucky them. She called Tyrella and learned she was serving homemade potato soup and French bread. Courtney had fruit, brie cheese and crackers, as well as wine for her gang. The two men had also contributed wine, and the newlyweds had brought leftover wedding cake.

  And Jenna was serving tuna sandwiches. She hoped none of the guests had an opportunity to compare their culinary experiences. We have hot buttered rum, she reminded herself, and took comfort in that.

  “Tuna sandwiches are great,” Seth told her when he came in. “Everybody loves tuna sandwiches.”

  It would appear that way. No one complained about the food they were offered, not even Taylor, as they gathered around the spread on the dining table. Maybe listening to Pete, who was always around for the food, had inhibited her.

  “This storm is nothing,” he said, as he grabbed a sandwich. “You know, back in the forties in Eastern Washington, nobody had power. Ever. My gram cooked on a woodstove all her life.”

  “Well, I’m glad I don’t normally have to,” Aunt Edie said. “I like my modern conveniences.”

  “Women today are spoiled,” Pete said, earning nasty looks from all the women present. It was time for Pete to go to his kitchen bunk.

  After dinner, Karen and Lisa shared their cookies and some of their chocolate, which made the kids happy, and Celeste, who taught first grade and loved kids, played games with them, which made them even happier.

  Around nine, Kat excused herself. “I hate to leave, but I’m kind of tired.”

  Kind of? The poor woman looked like a zombie.

  “Of course,” Jenna said, ready to escort her upstairs.

  “I’ll see you to your room, babe,” said Darrell, and since Celeste h
ad already given Kat towels and showed her where she was going to sleep, Jenna stayed put and let them have some privacy.

  Not that there’d be much privacy for anyone. Kat was in Sabrina’s room with Sarah and Taylor, sleeping in Sabrina’s bed while the sisters shared an inflatable mattress. Karen and Lisa were stuck in the doll room with Jenna and Celeste. The kids were going to be put in the office to sleep until the grown-ups went to bed, then the dads would cart them into the living room, where they could stay warm by the woodstove. Chris and Greg would take the office and Pete was bunking on a cot in the kitchen with Seth. In short, there’d be bodies everywhere. It made Jenna think of youth group lock-ins at church when she was a teenager, giant non-slumber parties where the kids would spend the night in the church and stay up until dawn playing games. She’d loved those parties.

  But she’d known everyone there. This she wasn’t so sure about.

  The grown-ups got the kids settled, then hung out a little longer to visit, enjoying another drink and, in Karen’s case, more Advil. By ten thirty, everyone was pretty much done for the day, and people scattered to their respective sleeping corners.

  “This is an interesting room,” Karen said diplomatically as she and her sister and Celeste and Jenna settled in for the night. They’d given the guests the bed and they were on the floor with another air mattress, right next to the three-foot-high doll.

  “My aunt’s a doll collector,” Jenna explained.

  “They don’t come alive at night, do they?” Lisa asked, eyeing the clown doll on the dresser. “That little guy makes me think of a Stephen King book I read.”

  “Don’t worry,” Celeste said. “They’re very quiet.”

  Lisa slid down in the bed and pulled the covers over her face. “Don’t let him get me, Celeste,” she said, and Celeste giggled.

  “Oh, brother,” Karen said in disgust. “Shutting off the light now, which means it’s time for you to shut your mouth.”

  Yep, it wasn’t hard to tell who the younger sisters were in this room. Jenna dug deeper under her covers and smiled. These two made good roommates. She hoped everyone in the other room was adjusting, as well.