“I don’t admit that. I like it here, but my family and friends are in Baltimore, and I wouldn’t want to be that far away.”
“This place is paid off, Noel. It’s a cash cow!”
“It’s a ninety-year-old cow that’s falling apart. Just to fix it up to get to a place where I can sell it is going to take every dime that I get from Janet for my half of the house…if that scum-sucking slut ever does sell it. To modernize would take me another five years of just breaking even. Believe me, Andy’s done the math.”
“Andy told us that he thinks it would be a great investment for you.”
“The big tattletale! Yes, he said that, but I can make other investments with the money I get from selling, and then I’m not forced to be an innkeeper.”
“What don’t you like about it? I loved meeting all of your guests today. It’s a real nice mix you had.”
“I wouldn’t mind meeting them, either, as long as it wasn’t here. I don’t like being in their house. I know it’s my house they’re in, but it doesn’t feel like that. I tiptoe around here like I’m vandalizing the place.”
April snapped a dish towel at her sister. “Just because you’re mental is no reason to give up on this.”
“If you want to keep it in the family, I’ll happily sell it to you. I’d even carry the mortgage.”
“No,” April said thoughtfully. “Ed wouldn’t like doing this. He’s more like you are. Crotchety.” She dashed into the parlor before Noel could return the towel snapping.
“Get back in here!” Noel whispered harshly, giggling the whole time.
“You don’t have to whisper. There’s no one here. And even if there was, you don’t have to whisper.” April sat down on the sofa. “I grilled a few people this morning, and I got some info for you.”
Looking a little hesitant, Noel sat down. “Hmm,” she said, fidgeting around on the chair she’d chosen. “This is more comfortable than the chair I have in my apartment.”
“That’s one of the things I learned. People like it when you’re out here talking with them. They miss that. Max was apparently out here all day.”
“That’s just not me,” Noel said. “I’m not that kind of person.”
“Well, the good news is that the people I talked to are still happy to be here. They say you’re a better cook, and the things you make are lighter and a little healthier. Max made bacon and eggs and hash browns, and you had to be up by nine or she’d go upstairs and roust you.”
“No!”
April laughed. “They said she ran the place like a rooming house.”
“But they really liked her.”
“Yep. But they only tolerated her style because they liked her so much. They also say the place is a lot cleaner, and they love the wine and cheese. So, you’re doing a good job, little sister. But you could be doing a great job if you’d hang out more.”
“I think they’ll have to settle for sleeping in and eating when they want. This tiger can’t change her stripes.”
***
April wanted to meet Gloria, so they walked over to the bookstore, which was, because of the beautiful weather, almost empty. Noel did the introductions, then let April grill her new friend.
“What do you think of The Sandpiper?” April asked. “Don’t you think it would be a great investment for Noel to have for her retirement?”
“It worked that way for Max. Most people she knew went right into another full time job after their military service, but she felt like she was on vacation all of the time. She loved being an innkeeper,” she said, fondly.
“It sounds like she had a lot of friends,” April said.
“She sure did. You could get on her bad side, but very few people did.”
“What do you think of her friend, Toni?” April asked, making Noel wince at her sister’s obvious subterfuge.
“What do I think of her? In what way?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” April looked around the store, and Noel could tell she was trying to think of a reason that she needed to know anything at all about Toni. “We were going through some of Max’s things, and we wanted to make sure that they went to her dearest friends.”
“There’s no doubt that Toni and Max were close. Max watched over her like a mother hen.”
“Did she need watching after?”
Gloria laughed. “Nobody but Max thought so, but that didn’t stop her. She was always trying to get Toni to settle down with a nice girl.”
“Really?” Noel wanted to grab her sister by the back of her shirt and drag her out of the bookstore, but she knew that once April got going that was difficult. “But Toni didn’t want that?”
“She’s been in a few relationships, but she claims to prefer being single.”
“Was she in relationships with women from around here?”
Gloria’s puzzled look shifted from April to Noel and back again. “Yes, they were from here. Why do you want to know?”
Noel couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to intercede. Putting her arm around April, she smiled and said, “My sister sounds a little like Max. She’s always trying to scope out the field and decide who I should partner with.”
Gloria started to laugh, shaking her head. “Toni’s not one to waste your time on. Others have, and they’ve been burned.”
Noel tried to mimic Gloria’s laughter, but it was hard going. She had no intention of trying to pin Toni down, but the thought that her friend had broken a couple of hearts disquieted her.
***
April was having such a nice day that she didn’t want to leave. She talked Noel into having an early dinner, and they were sitting outdoors in the balmy evening when Noel saw Toni sauntering down the street. She was a full block away when Noel caught sight of her, coolly checking out the crowd at each restaurant she passed.
Tonight Toni wore faded red walking shorts, a short-sleeved white oxford-cloth shirt, and navy blue deck shoes. Her hair blew around in the breeze, settling right back into place when the wind stopped. She caught sight of Noel and her smile was immediate, but a little guarded.
“Hi, there,” she said when she reached them. “It’s good to see you again, April.”
“Come join us,” April said. “We just ordered.”
Toni didn’t answer immediately. She waited for a beat or two, then her eyes shifted nervously for a second. “I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on. But it was good to see you again.” She put her hand on April’s shoulder and patted it. “Have fun.” Then she was gone, walking much quicker than she had been.
Noel watched her leave, wondering what was going on with her. She wanted to thank her for the flowers, but Toni had seemed in a very big hurry. She glumly reasoned that she probably had a woman waiting for her and couldn’t waste a moment.
***
After April left, Noel walked down to Jackie’s, pleased and a little surprised to see Toni in the back, playing pool. Noel ordered a drink and chatted with Jackie, who was, in keeping with her profession, expert at making small talk.
Toni eventually walked over to the bar and sat down next to Noel. “Hi,” she said, still looking a little uncomfortable.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“You can buy me some sparkling water. I already had my beer for the day.”
Noel put in the order and, when Jackie turned away, she leaned over and said, “I loved the flowers. I would have called you yesterday, but April showed up unexpectedly and the day got away from me.”
“Oh, that’s okay. No problem.” In seconds, Toni seemed substantially more relaxed. Her smile was easy and full as Noel had come to know it. “What did you two do? Go anywhere?”
“No, but we did go through some of Max’s things. If you would, could you come up with a list of her friends in town? There isn’t much that has any monetary value, but I’m sure a lot of it would mean something to you…and her other friends.”
“Thanks,” Toni said. She looked genuinely touched. “That’s very nice of you.�
��
“I know how important you were to her, so I want to make sure you have anything of hers that you want.” Her drink was finished, and she was a little tired, so she stood up and took her keys and wallet off the bar. “Come by some time and take a look around.” She wanted to kiss Toni, at least on the cheek, but she felt odd doing so. She didn’t know if Toni liked to keep her private life private, and for all she knew, Toni had designs on the woman she was playing pool with. So, she just smiled, said goodnight to all, and left.
Furtively, Jackie had watched the entire interaction, and now she smiled knowingly, watching Toni stare at the closed door for a long time, a puzzled look on her handsome face.
***
A few days later, Heidi called Noel with a business proposition. “I’ve found someone who’s very interested in The Sandpiper. He can be in town this afternoon if that works for you.”
With no action whatsoever, Noel had almost forgotten she’d put the place up for sale. But now that she was reminded in such a surprising fashion, her palms felt sweaty, and her inclination was to say she didn’t want Heidi to show it. But she knew that was irrational, so she agreed.
She helped the cleaning crew get the rooms in shape, and they were ready by the time Noel and her client, Rod Strahorn, a hedge fund manager from Manhattan, arrived. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but when he started to walk through the house, Noel immediately got her back up.
“Heidi tells me that I can be frank with you,” he said. “She says you’re not attached to the property like most owners are.”
“That’s probably true,” she cautiously agreed, not liking the tone he used.
“I’m looking for a sturdy frame that I can gut and turn into a nice summer house for my family. I’d rather go to the Hamptons, but there’s a lot of bad feeling there towards Wall Street.” His smile was vaguely feral, and Noel found it quite unattractive. He looked at the corners and the doorways, ignoring the rooms themselves. “This place might need a little shoring up, but it’s got the benefit of being a complete dump.” He grinned at Noel, and she decided that grin probably got him most of what he wanted with women. But she was immune to his charm, and felt more than a little offended. She didn’t comment, however, mostly out of deference to Heidi.
“That’s a little harsh,” Heidi said, narrowing her eyes. “Noel’s fully booked for the summer. The Sandpiper is a nice, mid-level B&B.”
“What’s the low level?” Rod joked, but only he laughed. “I’m sorry, but you’ve gotta admit this place hasn’t been updated since World War II.”
Noel privately thought it had been longer than that, but Rod looked like he was in his midthirties, and probably didn’t know when World War II had occurred. “That must not matter to you if you want to gut the place,” she said, trying to be nice.
“Oh, yeah. It doesn’t matter a bit. I’m looking for space. I want to put in five bedrooms and a big master suite. A real party house.” He grinned again. “I can just see myself out in the back with one of those huge gas grills. I’ve heard they make one that you can put a whole side of beef on.”
That sounded rather disgusting to Noel, but, once again, she didn’t comment. Rod and Heidi kept going through the house, but Noel dropped out of the tour. After he’d taken pictures with his stunningly expensive camera, he and Heidi found Noel in the kitchen, making up some cheese platters for cocktail hour.
“I’m interested,” he said without preamble. “If we can strike a deal, I’d like a thirty-day close.”
“Thirty days?” Noel was sure she was gawping, but she couldn’t help herself. She turned to Heidi. “I’ve got reservations for the rest of the summer.”
“They can be cancelled,” Heidi said, but she didn’t look happy about it.
“My guests have planned and paid for their vacations. You should have seen the letters I got when I told them I wouldn’t be open. Some of them threatened to sue!”
He laughed, completely unfazed. “There’s no constitutional right to vacation plans. If you sell the place, all bets are off. That’s not an issue.”
“It is for the people who’ve made plane reservations.”
“Well, yeah, but that’s not your problem. A lot of my clients lost their life savings when the market crashed, but I didn’t have to pay them back out of my money. Shit happens.” He looked a little puzzled, but didn’t dwell on the issue. “Good to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand. “I’ll be in touch.”
Noel couldn’t even make herself reply. She just watched them leave, thinking that Rod might be the most irritating person she’d met in years.
***
Several hours later, Heidi called to ask if she could stop by. Noel was in her apartment, and Heidi came to the door and knocked. When Noel answered, she said, “You’re the first person to come to my door.”
“You haven’t had anyone over?” Heidi looked both surprised and puzzled.
“No, you’re the first. What’s going on with Mr. Charm?”
“He’s something, isn’t he?” she said, making a face. “New money can buy anything but tact.”
“Not everything,” Noel said, reserving judgment.
“He’s offering a good price.” Heidi pulled out a purchase offer form and laid it on the desk Noel had set up. She looked at the number and whistled.
“That’s a very good price.” Immediately, she wondered if Toni could match it if she carried a second mortgage. “But I’m very hesitant to sell right now. The people who made reservations would be screwed if I didn’t honor them.”
“True.” Heidi didn’t elaborate, and Noel couldn’t tell where she stood on the issue.
“I need some time to read this over and think about it.”
“Well, you don’t have much of that. He made the offer contingent on a response by nine tonight.”
Stunned, Noel stared at her. “Can he do that?”
“He can do anything he wants. You don’t have to accept, but he can propose that you have to run through town naked while singing.”
Noel was scanning the offer. She absently shook her head, saying, “He’d regret that. I don’t sing all that well.”
***
Noel reached Heidi on her cell phone at eight that night. “Hi,” she said, feeling like she had to shout. “Can you hear me?”
“Yeah. I’m having dinner at a restaurant that didn’t seem that noisy until now. Let me go outside.” Noel waited several minutes, listening to the random sounds of a live phone being transported. “Okay. That’s better.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner. You can call me back.”
“Why not come over to Jackie’s and let me buy you a drink. Then we can chat in person.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I was just going to pay the bill. I can meet you in about fifteen minutes. Is that good?”
“That’s perfect. I’d like to talk a little bit.”
“See you there.”
Noel hung up and allocated five of her fifteen minutes fixing her hair and putting on just enough makeup to look like she wasn’t wearing any. Before she left, she spritzed a little perfume on, just in case a certain firefighter was in attendance. She didn’t know if Toni would want to be with her again, but, just in case, she wanted to look presentable.
***
Noel had to wait a few minutes, and she spent her time chatting with Jackie, who seemed to be at the bar every minute that it was open. Heidi blew in, looking a little harried. “Sorry I’m late. I was having dinner with a potential client, and she nearly talked my ear off.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I made you rush.”
“Rush? We met at five o’clock! I think we would have closed the place if you hadn’t rescued me. Thank you.” She took Noel’s hand and kissed it.
“Glad to help. Any time you want out of something, I’m glad to interrupt.”
“I might take you up on that. Now, what do you think of the offer?”
“I think it’s ver
y good,” Noel said, her lack of enthusiasm showing clearly. “But I’m not ready to…give up.” She scratched her head, her expression confused. “I don’t know why I used that phrase, but that’s what it feels like. I’m…I guess I’m beginning to get invested…both in the inn and my guests. I don’t feel right ruining all of those vacations.” She put her chin on her hand, after resting her elbow on the bar. “Dumb, huh?”
Heidi leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I was hoping you’d start to like being an inn-keeper.”
“Really? I feel bad for turning down a good offer. I know that’s gonna hurt your bottom line.”
“Buy me dinner some night. I haven’t spent much time on this deal. But let’s take it off the market until you’ve decided whether to improve it or run it, okay?”
Noel looked like she’d been pinched. “Oh, no! I’m not going to run it. But I might sell it at the end of the season. I’ve got to do some research and scope out the competition. I haven’t been treating this as an investment, but I’m going to start.”
“I think that’s a good idea. And if I get a vote, you’ll keep it.”
“You get dinner,” Noel said, “No vote.”
Part Six
Noel lay in bed that night, ruminating about her decision. She knew she’d made a financial mistake, had known that so clearly that she hadn’t even called her brother Andy to ask his advice.
She was still clear she wasn’t interested in running The Sandpiper full time. And she just wasn’t comfortable with the glad-handing she had to do to enjoy having guests. So, she had to admit that the simple truth was that she wasn’t willing to leave town when she had a chance at having a torrid summer affair. It had been many years since she’d put attraction and sex above a well-thought-out financial plan, but she kind of liked this devil-may-care attitude. April always told her that she acted more like the older sister, and she had to concede that was true. But maybe it wasn’t too late to start to be more impetuous. And she had a feeling Toni could help in that regard. She just had to hope that Toni felt the same way.
Susan X. Meagher - The Legacy Page 10