Changing Tides

by Meredith Summers

  “I hope I’m not bothering you, but I wanted to call and talk instead of texting.”

  “Is something wrong with your mom?”

  “Oh. No, nothing like that. Nothing’s wrong. Actually, I wanted to ask for your help.”

  “My help?” Maxi’s spirits lifted. “With what?”

  Maxi had helped decorate Addie’s room, and she’d loved the challenge. Perhaps Jane wanted her input at the inn. Right about now any project would be exciting.

  “I put in an application at that wedding website that you mentioned. And I was thinking if we’re going to have weddings, I’m going to need some advice on how to decorate the place for them.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Maxi couldn’t be happier for her friend. She knew Jane sometimes liked to follow the safe path, but she had a feeling that hosting weddings and other events at Tides was going to help pull them through. And she really wanted Jane to pull Tides through, not only so that Addie could stay at Tall Pines but for Jane to feel like she’d accomplished something. “I’m happy to help with anything. Do you want to get together and talk about it in person?”

  “I’d love to. I have to visit Mom this afternoon, and my sister is coming tonight. So I won’t have time today, but would you mind coming over tomorrow around ten?”

  “Mind? I’d love it.”

  Maxi made a cup of coffee and sat at her kitchen counter, her outlook brightening. Helping Jane with the weddings would give her a purpose, a goal. She’d had too much time on her hands lately, and maybe she’d been seeing problems where there were none. Hopefully having something to focus on other than her empty nest would prove that things at home weren’t as bad as she’d thought.

  Chapter 10

  Jane’s office at Tides was on the third floor. It was small, but all she really needed was a desk. Despite the small size, Jane liked it because it had an oval window beside the desk that looked out at the ocean. Jane didn’t have time to look at the ocean, though. She was busy uploading the photos she’d taken of the guest rooms, the dining room, and the other parts of the inn that were in good repair, as well as the sandcastle cake, to the wedding venue website.

  She hoped that the angle of a quaint oceanside inn offering lobster-bake weddings on the beach along with sandcastle wedding cakes would be enough to pique someone’s interest.

  Jane looked over the form, making sure everything was correct. Was this the right thing to do? It was scary venturing into new territory, but what was the worst that could happen?

  As she scoured the rest of the form, she noticed that the coastal wedding–listing website had a section for a link to her own website where the interested parties could reach her to ask for more info to book a wedding.

  Darn it! She still had the old Tides website, and now she wanted to create a special section for weddings. Glancing at her email folder, she saw the third website developer had replied. Bad news. They were booked for a month.

  She sighed, the old chair creaking as she leaned back. She looked out the window at the ocean. Now what was she going to do? She’d googled web designers in the area and come up empty. She supposed she didn’t have to use someone local, though. Maybe she should expand her search.

  A golden blur running on the beach caught her eye. Was that Cooper? She leaned forward, recognizing the tall figure of Mike as he threw a stick to the dog. The anxiety that had been roiling inside her eased. Just seeing the dog calmed her, as it probably did for many people. Maybe Claire was right and having a dog at the inn could be a benefit that would attract animal lovers.

  But there wouldn’t be any inn if she didn’t get a website designer. Wait a minute… hadn’t Mike said that he was a freelance programmer? Programmers made websites, didn’t they? Jane pushed up from the desk and hurried outside.

  Cooper spotted Jane coming down the beach from two hundred yards away and made a beeline toward her, water flying off his fur as he ran. Jane crouched as the big dog practically bowled her over. She petted his wet and salty fur.

  Beyond Cooper, Mike waved, jogging to catch up.

  “Cooper sure has taken a liking to you,” Mike said. “Fancy meeting you out here again.”

  Jane stood and looked down at Cooper, whose adoring brown eyes gazed back. “The feeling is mutual.” Cooper nuzzled her hand, and she stroked his ears. “Actually, it’s not a coincidence that I ran into you out here.”

  Mike’s lips quirked in a grin. “Oh?”

  His smile held a hint of flirtation that made butterflies swarm in Jane’s stomach. This was crazy. She wasn’t interested in Mike that way. She hadn’t been interested in anyone that way since her husband and wasn’t about to start now. “I was looking for you because I remembered you mentioned that you were a computer programmer.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I do back in Seattle.” Now Mike looked intrigued and maybe a bit confused.

  “Well, it so happens that I need a website for Tides.” Jane turned and pointed back toward the inn. “I was wondering if that’s the sort of work you did, and if so, would you be looking for extra work while you’re out here?”

  “Yeah, I could do that. I’m pretty experienced with websites.”

  “Great.” Jane kicked at a small white shell that had rolled up in the surf. Now for the hard part: the payment. Did freelance web designers charge a lot? Could Jane afford it? She didn’t have much of a choice. If she didn’t get the website in place, there would be no weddings booked, and not having an online booking system was a deterrent for guests who wanted to reserve a room online. “Great. What would you charge?”

  Mike’s gaze flicked to the inn, his expression uncertain, as if he could see how it needed repairs from here. “Charge? Well, to be honest, I’m not used to charging individual people. I usually work for companies, but I heard that Tides serves a hell of a good breakfast.”

  What did breakfast have to do with websites? “Yeah, we do.”

  “How about you just pay me with breakfast?” At Jane’s skeptical look, he raised his hand. “No, no, I’m serious. I don’t know how to cook, and I’m tired of cereal. You’re not far down the beach, and I could get my morning walk in then stop for breakfast. That would be worth it for me.”

  “I hardly think a few breakfasts would pay your fee.”

  “You let me worry about that. Honestly, it’s not a lot of work, and it would be more of a burden for me to have to come up with the invoices and so on for taxes. This would work out a lot better for me. When do you want to go over what you need?”

  Somehow Mike made it sound like she was doing him a favor when she was sure it was the other way around. Jane couldn’t afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I need something as soon as possible, so could we meet tomorrow? I’m busy in the morning, but I’ll have our cook, Brenda, whip up something special for you, and maybe we could meet around eleven thirty?”

  Mike rubbed his belly. “My mouth is watering already. Tomorrow it is.”

  “Great. See you then.”

  Jane stuck out her hand, and they shook to seal the deal. She headed back to Tides, her heart a little lighter not only for seeing Cooper but for securing a great deal on getting the website done.

  Mike watched Jane walk back to Tides, his hand still warm from their handshake. He was looking forward to the idea of working on the website, and not just because he’d get a hot breakfast. Spending more time with Jane definitely appealed to him. He didn’t really need an extra job, but he could create websites in his sleep. She’d been right about the breakfasts not covering his fees—he charged a lot—but he didn’t care about the money. He’d sensed that Tides wasn’t doing that well and didn’t want to take her money.

  Cooper trotted along behind Jane.

  “Cooper, back here!” Mike whistled for the dog, who stopped short, his attention wavering between Jane and Mike.

  Jane turned and waved.

  Mike picked up a stick and threw it, making the decision for the dog, who immediately raced in the direction of
the stick.

  Mike headed back toward his cottage throwing the stick, Cooper racing ahead then bringing it back. He was due to visit Gramps in an hour, and he wanted to go in and shower first. But Cooper needed to burn off some energy. Being cooped up in that small cottage all day wasn’t good for him. He wouldn’t be happy in Mike’s apartment in Seattle, that was for sure.

  “Mr. Henderson! Yoo-hoo!”

  The woman Mike had rented his cottage from was standing on the deck waving him in. And not in a friendly nice-to-see-you way either. Judging by the rigid position of her body and the sour look on her face, she was not happy about something.

  Chapter 11

  Jane had been on pins and needles waiting for her sister to arrive.

  She’d straightened the living room, dusted the foyer, and was now standing in the doorway picking away at the silver-foiled chocolate candy kisses that sat in the crystal ball on the table.

  Her eyes drifted to the missing spindle on the stairs, the peeling paint on the old crown moldings, and the water stain in the upper corner on the wallpaper.

  When had all this deterioration happened? Over the years, things had fallen into disrepair little by little, and she hadn’t noticed. She didn't want Andie to think that she'd let the family business become run-down. Of course, it didn't help that Brenda had pointed out a bad Yelp review stating the inn was in bad shape earlier that afternoon.

  Think positive.

  She had a lot to look forward to. Mike was going to work on the website, and she was sure he would get that done quickly. Chandler Vanbeck was checking in tomorrow, so at least they'd have two guests and the place wouldn't be totally empty.

  Maxi was coming to help plan how to decorate for the weddings, and she’d submitted the application. Things were on an upswing.

  Finally, a blue Volkswagen Jetta rental pulled up in front of the inn. Jane swiped at her mouth to remove any chocolate and smoothed her white linen shirt as she watched her sister get out of the car.

  Strange feelings of warmth mixed with betrayal bubbled up. Jane could hardly blame her sister for leaving to pursue her dream career in New York, but she could've come back more frequently and at least shown a mild interest in the family business.

  Still, her career must have agreed with her because Andie looked fabulous. She was wearing a sky-blue silk top over black capris with beaded black flip-flops on her feet. The sun hadn't quite set yet, and her large sunglasses and sleek dark hair that fell below her shoulders made her look like she should be featured in a magazine. Was her hair that color naturally? Jane touched her own pixie cut self-consciously. She’d let her hair go silver, but maybe she should have dyed it? She was the younger sister but felt like she looked like an old lady compared to Andie.

  Jane took a deep breath and rushed outside to greet her sister.

  Andie felt a surprising rush of emotion as she looked up at the big old house that had been so much a part of her life when she was younger. Even though she hadn’t spent much time here in recent decades, it still felt familiar.

  The old place was looking a little more dilapidated than when she’d seen it a year ago, but Andie didn’t see any of that. All she saw was the porch she and her sister, Jane, had played on as kids, the garden her mother had lovingly tended, and the gorgeous cobalt-blue Atlantic Ocean beyond the building.

  As she stepped out of the car, the salty sea smell hit her, and the sound of the waves calmed her. She immediately felt like a weight had been lifted. She was home.

  Jane came rushing out of the front door. She looked good. She’d cut her hair, and it suited her. The casual shorts and linen shirt would make some people look dumpy, but not Jane. Jane looked classy.

  Feelings of guilt replaced all those cozy feelings of home when she saw the look of strain on her sister’s face. She should’ve been here to help more often.

  They exchanged an awkward hug, and Andie resisted the urge to hold Jane close and apologize. Once, when they were younger, she would’ve known the right thing to say, but now she barely knew her little sister.

  “Did you have a good flight?” Jane asked.

  “Great. No turbulence.” Andie popped open the trunk and hefted out her suitcase. “The place looks great.”

  Jane’s forehead creased, and she turned to look at Tides. “Thanks.”

  Andie closed the trunk then stood there. “So, tell me the truth, sis. How is Mom?”

  Jane shrugged. “She has her good days and her bad days. But she’s getting very good care at Tall Pines. It’s really the best place for her. I tried to keep her here at home as long as I could.”

  Andie felt terrible. Jane had struggled to keep their mom at home, and she could only imagine what that had been like. “It does sound like the best place. Are we going to see her tonight?”

  Jane grabbed the suitcase and lugged it up the steps before Andie could stop her. “No, she has a routine over there. They eat dinner in twenty minutes, and then after that she’s usually tired and goes to bed. I thought it was better not to disrupt that, so I figured we’d go early tomorrow morning.” Jane turned to look at her. “I have some muffins and tea in the kitchen. I thought maybe you’d be hungry after traveling.”

  Andie smiled. She was starving. “That sounds great.”

  Andie followed Jane through the inn, taking note of the peeling paint and stained wallpaper. She didn’t say a word, though. “How are things going here?”

  “Great. I’ve got some ideas to bring in new business. You know, kind of modernize the place. Mom let things go a little bit, but I’m on top of it.”

  Andie sensed that her sister wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She should’ve come back to help before this, but she’d been too wrapped up in her career and her stupid affair with Doug. Her sister had had a lot to handle here, but Jane had never let on how bad things had gotten. She’d never asked Andie for anything. Had she been such a bad sister over the years that Jane didn’t even feel comfortable reaching out to her for help anymore?

  “Sit down at the table and tell me how things are going with you.” Jane poured the tea into dainty cups that Andie remembered their grandmother serving them tea in. A plate with hand-painted forget-me-nots sat in the middle of the table, loaded with pastries. Andie chose an almond croissant.

  “Things are going pretty much the same.” Andie bit into the buttery, flaky croissant. “This is delicious.”

  “My friend Claire makes them at her bakery. You remember Claire, don’t you?”

  “Oh yeah, of course.”

  They chatted for an hour, getting caught up. Jane told her about helping their mom and how she was planning to host weddings and events to bring in more money. It sounded like Jane did have things under control, and that eased Andie’s guilt a bit.

  It was dark when Jane showed her to her room. It was the room she had slept in as a kid when they would stay here with their grandparents in the off-season, when the inn didn’t have many guests. The floral wallpaper and creaky wooden floors brought a rush of cozy memories. The room was on the east side facing the ocean, and a bright crescent moon was high in the sky, sending golden light onto the flickering waves. She pulled out her phone expecting a text from Doug, but there was nothing.

  Andie cracked the window open, letting in the scent of the ocean and listening to the surf. She sat on the edge of the bed and took it all in, a peaceful feeling of calm coming over her. Should she be more upset that Doug had let her go without even saying goodbye and hadn’t texted her? Maybe she wasn’t as attached to him as she’d thought.

  She put her clothes away and crawled between the crisp linen sheets that still smelled of Grandma’s detergent. Much to her surprise, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 12

  Early the next morning, Jane drove Andie to Tall Pines. Somehow she thought the visit there would be less stressful with Andie at her side.

  Don’t get too used to it. Jane had no idea how long her sister would stay; they hadn’t
broached the subject the previous evening.

  “This place is really nice.” Andie surveyed the foyer with its muted soft-tone carpeting; soothing, slate-gray walls; and charming water fountain. “It must be expensive.”

  Jane paused. Was her sister going to complain about the cost? But when she looked at Andie, she only saw concern in her expression. “I’m hoping all the new things I have planned for Tides will cover Mom’s care.”

  “Oh, good. I don’t know much about the finances but wasn’t sure. Didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s all being taken care of.” Jane crossed her fingers even though it wasn’t exactly a lie because she was trying to take care of it.

  Laughter peeled out of Addie’s room, and the two sisters exchanged a bemused glance. When they got to the doorway, they saw that Rob and Claire were there. Rob was kneeling down in front of Addie, flirting with her in that kind way he had. Naturally Addie was eating it all up.

  “Andie, you remember my friend Claire, right?” Jane said gesturing toward Claire.

  “Of course. How are you?” The two women shook hands, and then Jane introduced Andie to Rob, who stood to greet her.

  “It’s so nice of you guys to come and visit Mom,” Jane said.

  Claire gave her a hug. “Of course. She’s like a second mother to me. Plus, I had some extra chocolate chip muffins.”

  “We’ll let you visit with your mom alone.” Rob took Claire’s hand and led her from the room.

  “Make sure you let Sadie Thompson know that Rob is my guy, and get back my sweater!” Addie yelled after them as they left.

  Andie shot Jane a look of confusion. “Rob is her guy?”

  Jane shrugged. “Sometimes Mom thinks so. We just let her think what she wants.”