“Wait a minute! Did you say something about the original bathrooms?” Andie asked.
“Yeah, I guess there’s something grandfathered in. But this place didn’t have bathrooms originally, remember? Gramps added them with his father when indoor plumbing took off.”
“I remember. They had to reconfigure some bedrooms to turn it into an inn with private baths for every room,” Andie said. “I’m not sure, though. All might not be lost yet.”
“I doubt that. The guy was pretty sure that we couldn’t get a special meeting.” Jane cocked her head and squinted at Andie. “Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“It was nothing.” Andie spun on her heel and started walking away. “Don’t cancel the wedding or do anything drastic until you talk to me.”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
“I’ll tell you later tonight! Until then, keep the faith.”
As Andie hurried out to her car, she opened the air-travel app on her phone and canceled the plane ticket. She didn’t want to say anything to Jane because she didn’t want to get her hopes up, but if Andie’s plan worked, Jane was going to need her help for this wedding—and maybe even beyond.
The drama with the bathrooms had made Jane and Cooper late for the weekly meeting with Maxi and Claire at Sandcastles. She’d walked from Tides because she needed the time to think, not only about the bathroom situation but also about Andie’s parting words. What in the world was she up to?
Maxi and Claire were already seated at a table on the sidewalk with a tray of pastries and mugs of coffee in front of them when she got there. They were midconversation, talking animatedly and gesturing. Jane slipped into a chair, and Cooper flopped down at her feet.
“And we can make the sandcastle cake with the colored frosting to match the wedding colors.” Claire slid the tray of pastries over toward Jane. “Don’t you think that would be great, Jane? Add a personal touch?”
“And I was thinking I could make a few special pillows to match the wedding party. It would bring all the decor together and make the weddings at Tides really special,” Maxi added. “We could place them on the rockers on the back porch.”
Her friends were so excited about the wedding that Jane almost didn’t have the heart tell them about the bathroom problem. “Those sound like great ideas, but I’m afraid there might not be a wedding. At least not this summer.”
Their faces fell. “What? Why?”
Jane told them about her visit with Bob and the issue with the bathrooms. “The client specified no porta potties, so I’m not sure what to do. I can email them and see if they’ll make an exception given the tight schedule, but she seemed pretty adamant.”
“There must be something we can do,” Claire said.
Jane picked a pistachio muffin off the tray and broke it in half. “Andie said she had some kind of idea, but she wouldn’t say what it was, so I don’t know if it’s anything good.”
Claire pursed her lips. “Well, at least she’s trying to help now.”
Maxi patted Jane’s hand. “Don’t give up. Something else will come along.”
Jane sighed. “I know. It’s just disappointing.” She bit into the muffin and chewed for a few seconds. “At least I have a good website now.”
“Oh? So Mike made the website? I’ll have to check that out. He did a good job?”
“Yep. He put in everything I wanted and did it really quick too.” Jane bent down and patted Cooper’s head. “Thing is, he won’t take any payment. Just breakfast every morning at the inn.”
Claire and Maxi exchanged a look.
“He’s been coming over every morning?” Maxi leaned forward. “Tell us more.”
“There’s nothing really to tell.” Clearly Maxi thought there was more going on between her and Mike, and Jane wasn’t sure how to address that. Jane suddenly felt flustered, tongue-tied.
Luckily, Hailey saved Jane from having to answer more questions. As she carefully stepped over Cooper to top off their coffees, Maxi’s attention switched to the young single mother.
“Hailey, I was cleaning out some of the closets at home, and I found these old toys from when my daughters were kids.” Maxi rummaged in her giant tote bag, pulling out pencils, sketches, notebooks, erasers. Finally, she pulled out a little pink gift bag and presented it to Hailey. “Do you think Jennifer would like them?”
Hailey peered into the bag. “Yes, she loves dolls. That’s so nice of you to think of her.”
Maxi shrugged. “Well, it’s not like my girls are going to use them, and I hate to see them go to waste.”
Maxi’s expression was somber. Why was she cleaning out her house? Jane knew that her friend cherished the childhood memories of her kids and was surprised to see her giving things away. Though she supposed one couldn’t hold on to that stuff forever, and it wasn’t unusual for her to bring gifts for Jennifer. Maybe it helped Maxi not feel so much like her nest was empty to know that the dolls went to good use.
Maxi started putting things back in her bag, and Jane saw that as the perfect opportunity to take the focus off herself. She turned to Claire. “Did Maxi tell you what my new guest, Chandler Vanbeck, said about her sketches?”
Claire looked at Maxi. “No? Who is Chandler Vanbeck, and when did he see your sketches?”
Maxi waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. They fell out of my bag when I was at Tides trying to come up with ideas for the wedding.”
“It’s not nothing,” Jane said. “Andie said that Chandler is a renowned art critic. He saw Maxi’s sketch and said it was quite good.”
Claire sipped her coffee. “Well, that’s no surprise. We all know Maxi is a fantastic artist.”
“Oh, come on! It was just a rough sketch. He was probably just trying to be nice.” Maxi tried to brush it off as if it was nothing, but Jane got this feeling that she was actually pleased and proud.
“I think you should do something with your artwork. Maybe have an art show or something. Don’t you think, Claire?” Jane turned to look at Claire, but her friend’s attention was riveted on something behind Jane. Jane turned to see Rob Bradford coming over from his bread store across the street.
“Hi, ladies,” Rob said, his kind smile lighting his face. He nodded to Jane and Maxi, and then his eyes locked on Claire as if she were the Hope Diamond. He skirted around the plants, came over to the table, and kissed her on the cheek, causing her face to turn scarlet.
“Hi, Rob. How’s the bread business?” Maxi asked.
“Pretty good. I was just going out to run some errands. Do you need anything, Claire?”
“No, thanks.”
Rob raised his brows at Jane and Maxi. “Anyone else?”
“Nope, I’m good,” Maxi said.
“Me too,” Jane added.
“Okay, I’ll leave you ladies to your coffee.” Rob walked off, hands in his pockets, whistling.
“He comes over and asks if you need errands run?” Maxi said. “Looks like things are really cooking up with him.”
Claire squirmed primly in her chair. “He was just being neighborly.”
“Yeah, sure,” Maxi said. “No matter how you slice it, I think there’s some heat in the kitchen.”
Jane sipped her coffee, enjoying Claire’s discomfort. It was hilarious that she was pretending her relationship with Rob was no big deal but couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “I can’t blame you, Claire. Rob’s a nice guy, and the fact that he knows how to cook is just the icing on top.”
“Okay, guys. Stop!” Claire waved her hands, and they all burst out laughing.
Jane’s heart lifted. Her friends were happy and doing well. She’d been a bit worried about Maxi, but looking at her now, there was nothing to worry about. Surely that person she’d seen at the cottage with Sandee really hadn’t been James. It was all just her imagination.
Everyone was doing good… except her. Jane’s gaze dropped to her muffin, and she shoved another piece in her mouth, remembering
how she’d used the deposit for the wedding to pay for the food delivery. If she canceled the wedding, she’d have to give the deposit back. Where would she get the money for that?
Hopefully, whatever Andie was up to would pan out. It was her only hope.
Chapter 22
The finances looked grim. Jane had tried jiggling this and moving that, but every way she looked at it, she came up short. The pinging of her phone with a text from Mike was a welcome distraction.
Can I pick up Cooper to visit Gramps?
Jane could use a break, so she messaged back suggesting she join them. She was due to visit her mother.
“Why don’t you come in and meet Gramps real quick?” Mike asked as they walked into the foyer of Tall Pines.
“Okay. I guess it would be nice to know some of the other residents.”
Mike led the way, and as they passed the locked door that led to the dementia wing, his face softened. “I’m sorry that your mom is in the dementia section. That must be hard. At least Gramps is still fairly sharp. He forgets stuff every once in a while and has trouble with self-care, but I’m grateful he’s not worse.”
Jane’s hand automatically felt for the comfort of Cooper’s head. “Thanks. It’s hard sometimes, but she can be lucid at times. I have to hang on to that. She seems to like it here, so that’s a relief.” Jane pushed away thoughts of how the money would run out in six months if she didn’t find a way to get Tides profitable.
When they got closer to Gramps’s room, Cooper sped up, running in ahead of them.
Mike and Jane got to the door in time to see his grandfather bent over, petting the dog, a look of pure joy on his face. Mike’s grandfather was a thin man with a wrinkled, weathered face and a full head of silvery hair.
“Have you been a good boy?” Gramps asked, happily accepting Cooper’s kisses. He glanced up at them. “Hi, Michael.” His gaze drifted to Jane. “Who is this?”
Jane stepped in and held out her hand. “Jane Miller.”
He put his hand in hers. It was worn and calloused but warm and friendly. “George Henderson.” His eyes drifted to Mike. “I see you finally found yourself someone suitable.”
“Oh no. We’re not…” Jane looked from George to Mike, not knowing what to say.
“Cooper is staying with Jane. And Jane’s mother is here in the dementia wing, so we decided to come together,” Mike said.
“Oh, I see.” George’s eyes twinkled, and he winked at Mike, as if not quite believing his explanation. Then he cocked his head to the side and looked at Jane. “Did you say your last name was Miller? Are you from Lobster Bay?”
Jane had kept her maiden name even when she’d been married. Though Miller was a common name, her family was well-known in Lobster Bay, and she was proud of it.
“Yes. My family has owned Tides, the inn on the beach, for generations.”
“Yes… yes. I knew your grandparents. Frank and Delta, right? Frank did me a big favor once. I’ll never forget that,” George said.
“That sounds like Gramps,” Jane said proudly. Her grandparents and her parents were all about helping people when they could. “Well, I’ll let you two visit.” She turned to Mike. “Should I meet you in the lobby?”
“Yeah. How does an hour sound?” Mike asked.
“Sounds good.” Jane took off back toward the dementia wing.
Mike was lucky his grandfather still had his memories, but she was lucky, too, because Addie still remembered sometimes. Jane had seen that some of the other patients here were much, much worse, and she decided to be grateful for what she had.
Her mother was in her room this time, asleep in the chair with a book in her hand. She looked peaceful, like a child without any worries. Perhaps that was what she was. Maybe being in the state that she was in and being well cared for wasn’t so bad after all. The painting she’d seen Addie doing the other day was hanging on the wall, fresh laundry sat folded on top of the bureau, and the room was clean.
“You watch out for that one.” A woman with a walker was approaching from the other end of the hall. “She’s got sticky fingers.”
“Sticky fingers?” Jane asked.
“Steals things.” The woman stopped at the door. “In fact, I think she has my sweater.”
The woman started into the room. Just then a nurse came along and grabbed her gently by the elbow. “Now, Sadie, come along. Didn’t you want to go to the puzzle room?”
Sadie scowled at the nurse. “Puzzle room? Oh yeah. I did. That’s right. I’m working on that piece with the moose in it.”
She let the nurse lead her away. As they were walking down the hall, Jane heard her ask, “Say, have you seen my sweater with the seashell buttons?”
Addie had been awakened by the noise, and she smiled at Jane benignly. Jane’s stomach swooped. Addie didn’t recognize her.
“Hello,” Addie said in her polite tone reserved for strangers.
“Hi.” Jane stepped over to the painting and pointed at it. “This is a lovely painting. Did you do it?”
Addie smiled proudly. “Yes. Do you see how I made the highlights and contrasted the colors?”
“I do.” Jane noticed the lunch tray on her desk. “Did you have a good lunch? What was it today?”
Addie frowned, as if trying to remember, then she brightened. “Oh yes, it was very good. Hot dogs. I like mine a bit crispier, but what can you do? The service in this hotel isn’t like the Park Plaza.”
Jane sat on the end of the bed, and her mother put the book aside. “Now, was there something you wanted to talk to me about? You’ll have to make it quick. We have a sing-along before supper, and I don’t want to miss it.”
Chapter 23
Maxi stared at the ocean beyond the wall of glass windows in her living room. It was suppertime, and the summer sun was low in the sky, bouncing off the waves and turning the sail on the boat in the distance bright white. What color blue would she use to capture that scene if she were painting. Cerulean? No, it was lighter. Maybe manganese with a touch of green.
She turned away from the window, her thoughts turning to her friend. Jane had talked a good talk at Sandcastles that morning, but Maxi could see she was worried about Tides. Jane needed the money from the wedding to keep Tides going. Jane wouldn’t burden Maxi or Claire with her problems, but Maxi wished there was some way she could help. Maybe she could approach James about giving Jane a low-interest loan. If James ever came home. These days he hardly ever showed up for dinner.
As if trying to prove her a liar, the front door opened. He smiled when he saw her, just like old times. It was as if nothing was wrong, which made Maxi wonder if something actually was wrong or if it was all her imagination.
“Hey, honey.” As he walked toward her, she was struck by how handsome he was. Over the last years, he’d gained a few wrinkles, a couple of extra pounds, and some gray hair, but he still made her heart beat faster, just like he had when they’d first met. He came over and kissed her cheek, the spicy smell of his aftershave bringing up all kinds of emotions. Funny, he wasn’t acting like a man who was having an affair.
“Something smells great. What’s for supper?”
“Pot roast.” Maxi wasn’t sure why she still cooked big meals. With the kids gone and James working late most nights, it was usually a waste. But old habits die hard. Or was she just desperate to have things return to the way they were before?
He looked pleased. “My favorite. Roasted potatoes too?”
Maxi nodded. “The way you like them.”
“Can I help you with anything?” He took his jacket off, folded it precisely, then laid it over the back of the sofa.
“I guess you could set the table.” Maxi didn’t bother setting the table anymore, since she never knew if he would be home.
She followed him to the kitchen and checked on the potatoes while he pulled out plates, silverware, and glassware.
“How was your day?” he asked as he meticulously placed the items on the modern granite
table.
“Great. You?” Did you inspect any beach cottages with Sandee Harris?
James shrugged. “Boring. You want wine?”
“Sure.”
They ate, settling into the familiar routine, just like thousands of meals they’d eaten before. It was as if nothing was wrong, and Maxi again wondered if she was just being overly sensitive. Emboldened by their closeness, or maybe by the wine, she asked, “I was wondering, were you at one of the beach cottages the other day?”
James glanced away, taking a sip of wine. “The cottages? No. Why would I be at a cottage?”
Maxi studied him for a second, her heart breaking. After thirty years, she knew all his tells. James was lying.
“Oh, no reason.” She focused on her pot roast, trying to keep tears at bay as she moved the pieces from one side of the plate to the other. Her appetite was gone. An awkward silence fell.
Why hadn’t she asked him point-blank about Sandee? What was wrong with her? Didn’t she have the guts to confront him?
But she had no evidence. Even Jane was now saying that it wasn’t James that she’d seen. And a business card was hardly proof of anything. What if she accused him and was wrong? Infidelity was a pretty serious accusation, and it would definitely put a wedge between them. No, she’d watch and wait until she could get solid evidence. Meanwhile, she’d use the time to get all her ducks in a row, make sure he didn’t control the finances so he could cut her out.
Once she had evidence and things were set so that she’d come out of this with her fair share, she would confront him. She had no intention of turning into one of those wives who just ignored her husband’s infidelities.
Chapter 24
“I’m almost done with these spindles on the main stairs. What do you think?” Sally stood back, admiring her handiwork.
Jane was impressed. The turnings in the spindles matched exactly. “Nice job.”
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