by Judith Keim
My new life had started with The Beach House Hotel. I didn’t know what the future held, but wherever I went, I would carry this place, this moment with me forever.
Thank you for reading Dinner at The Beach House Hotel. If you enjoyed this book, please help other readers discover it by leaving a review on your favorite site. It’s such a nice thing to do.
Enjoy an excerpt from my book, Finding Me - A Salty Key Inn Book, (Book 1 in the Salty Key Inn Series), which will be out in February 2017.
CHAPTER ONE
SHEENA
Sheena Morelli sat with her two sisters in a conference room of the Boston office of Lowell, Peabody and Wilson, a well-respected law firm, wondering why they’d been ordered to meet to discuss a legal matter with Archibald Wilson himself.
“Do either of you have any idea why we’re really here?” said her youngest sister, Regan. “The letter from Mr. Wilson said something about a reading of a will. But that doesn’t make sense to me. I didn’t even know Gavin Sullivan.”
“He’s probably some rich uncle leaving us a lot of money,” teased Darcy, the typical middle sister, who was always kidding around.
Sheena laughed with her. The three Sullivan sisters had no rich relatives that they knew of in their modest family. They were hard workers who relied on only themselves to make it through life. Well, thought Sheena, maybe Regan wasn’t as reliable as she and Darcy. As the baby of the family, Regan had always been a bit spoiled. At twenty-two and eager to escape her old life in Boston, Regan wasn’t about to spend too much time with the family. This time, though, at the formal request of Mr. Wilson, Regan had dutifully left New York City to come to “Bean Town.”
As Sheena waited in the conference room for Mr. Wilson to show up, she studied Regan out of the corner of her eye. With her long, black hair, big, violet-blue eyes, and delicate Sullivan features, she was a knockout—a Liz Taylor look-alike.
Darcy sat on the other side of Sheena in a stiff-backed chair. Studying Darcy’s blue eyes, red hair, and freckled nose, Sheena thought of her as cute...and funny...and maybe a little annoying, though everyone seemed to love Darcy’s sassy attitude. At twenty-six, Darcy claimed she hadn’t found her true calling. Whatever that meant.
Sheena had found her calling in a hurry when she got pregnant as she was starting college, where she’d planned to take nursing courses. Ironic as it was, her wanting to become a nurse and getting caught like that, had changed many things for her. Now, at thirty-six and with a sixteen-year-old son and a fourteen-year-old daughter, she still hadn’t recovered from losing her dream.
She straightened in her chair as a tall, gray-haired man entered the room carrying a file of papers.
“Good morning, ladies. I’m Archibald Wilson, the lawyer representing Gavin Sullivan. I’m pleased you all could attend this reading of his will,” he announced in a bass voice. He looked the three of them over critically. “Which one of you is Sheena Sullivan Morelli?”
She raised her hand. “I’m Sheena. Do you mean the ‘Big G’ Sullivan?”
Both of her sisters gasped. Gavin Sullivan’s name had been mentioned in the family on rare occasions, and only when her father and his two other brothers had had too many beers. And then it was never kindly.
Mr. Wilson nodded with satisfaction. “Yes, that’s my client. Sheena, though all three of you are beneficiaries, I will address you on most of the issues, as it pertains to the specific language of the will.”
Sheena sat back in her chair, her mind spinning. This scene seemed so surreal. Their father had broken his relationship with this brother years ago.
“He’s left something for us?” said Darcy. “I was only teasing about such a thing.”
The lawyer frowned at her, took a seat facing them on the other side of the small conference table, and opened the file he had carried in.
He began to speak: “I, Gavin R. Sullivan, of the State of Florida, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do make, publish, and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament...”
Certain words faded in and out of Sheena’s shocked state of mind. Though her sisters might have been too young to remember him, she had a clear image of the big, jovial man who’d captivated her with his smile, his belly laughs, and the way her father grew quiet when they were in the same room together. On one particular visit, Uncle Gavin gave her a stuffed monkey that she’d kept on her bed for years. It wasn’t until the fur on the monkey was worn off that she’d noticed a seam was tearing. One day, while she was probing the hole, a gold coin fell out.
Sheena showed the coin to her mother, who snatched it away and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone about this. It’s very valuable. Someday you’ll need it. Until then, I’ll keep it safe for you. Uncle Gavin loves you very much.” As her father walked through the doorway, her mother held a finger to her lips.
Until now, Sheena had forgotten all about the coin.
Archibald Wilson’s voice brought her back to the present. “Sheena, you, Darcy, and Regan are now the legal owners of the Salty Key Inn, but you, Sheena, will be in charge of taking over the small hotel in Florida, as your uncle directed in his will. Is that understood by the three of you?”
Sheena and her sisters dutifully bobbed their heads. The bewilderment on her sisters’ faces matched her own feelings. How in the world were the three of them going to run a hotel?
“Remember,” Mr. Wilson warned them, “the hotel may not be sold for a period of one year. And the three of you must live there together for that entire time if you are to have a share in the rest of his sizeable estate, which will remain undisclosed until the end of your year in Florida. You have just two weeks to prepare. In conversations I had with him in setting up the will, I believe Gavin Sullivan intended for this to be a life lesson for each of you.”
“Whoa! Wait a minute! What about the lease on the condo I share with two of my friends? I can’t just walk away from that,” said Darcy.
“And mine?” said Regan.
The lawyer nodded. “Read over the conditions of the will. Any expenses like that will be taken care of by Gavin’s estate. All expenses as you settle in will be handled through me. But, beware, there will be hidden tests for you throughout this entire process. Tests that could make a lot of difference to each of you.”
Sheena exchanged worried glances with her sisters. She wished she’d asked their mother for more information about the uncle she was never to mention. And now it was too late. Their mother had died a little over a year ago.
“Live together in Florida for a whole year? Was Uncle Gavin crazy when he set up this deal?” exclaimed Darcy. Her indignation was understandable.
Mr. Wilson stood. “I realize you all have a lot to talk about, a lot to think about. And let me know if you need any further clarification of the terms of the will. You are welcome to continue using this conference room. Please feel free to help yourself to any of the refreshments on the side table.” His lips curved with a touch of humor in what had been a mostly expressionless face. “Enjoy the challenge.”
After Mr. Wilson left them, Sheena sank back into her chair. Her mind raced at the thought of suddenly leaving Boston to go live with her sisters in Florida for an entire year. How could she do that? It would be difficult for her on many levels. They were sisters, after all, and like sisters everywhere, being together for too long sometimes caused battles to erupt. More than that, she had a family. And her husband, Tony, wouldn’t like the idea at all. Her children even less.
“What a joke,” said Darcy, shaking her head. “Spending every day with the two of you for an entire year? Running a hotel? No way. And, Sheena, Tony would never allow you to do something like this. You’re what he calls ‘the Mrs’. And what about the kids?”
At Darcy’s dismissive tone of voice, Sheena glared at her. “What did you mean by that ‘Mrs.’ remark?”
“Don’t take it the wrong way,” urged Regan. “It’s just that your family depends upon you for everything. Especially Ton
y.”
Deep in thought, Sheena remained quiet. Tony was a good man who prided himself on always doing the right thing. And he expected her to fulfill what he thought was her proper role.
Though their relationship was still new when she got pregnant, Tony had stepped right up and offered to marry her so all her mother’s conservative church friends wouldn’t count on their fingers how many days it took for their first baby to appear. It helped that their son, Michael Morelli, had started his life in the outside world a little late. Still, Sheena had always appreciated Tony’s consideration.
A worried sigh escaped her. She knew Tony wouldn’t support her being away from their family for an entire year. That would be going against his idea of her in the proper role of taking care of their family. And yet, with his business doing poorly recently, it might be an answer to their prayers, though Tony’s fragile ego might prevent her from saying so.
“What about you two?” Sheena asked. “You’ll have to quit your jobs. What then?”
Regan shrugged. “I don’t care. My job is boring—answering phone calls, greeting people and all. They’ll just find another receptionist to take my place.”
Darcy shook her head. “Receptionist? More like some kind of hostess with all those special meetings you helped them with. When I visited you in New York, I witnessed how it was—all those guys drooling over you as you served them drinks before they went out to some business dinner.”
A blush crept up Regan’s cheeks. Her eyes flashed a pretty violet-blue as she stared Darcy down. “Yeah? Well, it’s a decent job and respectable and safe. Those guys can look all they want, but they keep their hands off me. That’s the way I set it up, working for this company. Besides they’re all old, married men. Why would I want anything to do with men like that?”
“What about you, Darcy?” Sheena asked. “You’ve got a very good job working in IT.”
Darcy grimaced. “Actually, I don’t like it very much. Working with numbers and codes all day isn’t that exciting. Mom was always so proud of me and my job that I didn’t dare tell her I wasn’t happy there. But, with her gone, I’ve been thinking of doing something else.” She smiled. “Maybe this whole thing isn’t dumb after all. Maybe this will be the beginning of something new for all of us.”
Sheena returned her smile. Put this way, it sounded wonderful. If, only...
###
Following lunch with her sisters, Sheena took the Red Line on the T to return to Somerville, where Tony, she, and the kids shared a duplex with his parents. When they’d moved into the house as newlyweds, she and Tony had thought they’d live there just long enough to save for a small place of their own. But Rosa and Paul, Tony’s parents, were so pleased with the idea of the families living side-by-side that Tony agreed it was best for them to stay there, where everyone was available to help each other out. And with two young babies to take care of, Sheena had thought it was a good idea. Later, after Tony set up his own plumbing business, they decided to keep on renting their unit while they tried to build his business. It was very convenient not to have to worry about a mortgage payment and taxes.
It turned out to be a good decision. A lot of the houses the same size in their neighborhood were now selling in the high six figures—something they couldn’t afford. And with Tony being a plumber, they’d added a couple of bathrooms to the building, which made the house even more valuable in this close suburb of Boston.
Studying it now, Sheena supposed she was stuck there until the children were grown and gone and Tony’s parents gave up the house.
As Sheena walked up to her front door, Sheena’s mother-in-law opened the front door on her side to greet her. “Everything all right? You were standing outside looking at the house for a long time.”
Sheena smiled. “How are you, Rosa?” If she had just one word to describe Rosa it would be warmth. Short and on the well-fed side, Rosa exuded maternal, protective feelings.
“Fine, fine. Just worried about you,” Rosa answered. Her dark eyes were filled with concern.
“No need to,” Sheena said cheerfully, though she sometimes felt trapped by the idea that she couldn’t do much of anything without her mother-in-law knowing. But she’d never tell that to anyone. Rosa had been sweet to her from the time they first met. And when Sheena had produced not one, but two grandchildren to dote on, Rosa became even more of a supporter of hers.
When Sheena walked into the house, Meaghan jumped up from the couch in the living room. “Where were you, Mom? You said you’d go shopping with me for a dress for the Valentine’s dance at school.” She narrowed her hazel eyes. “Remember?”
“I had an appointment downtown and was delayed. Honestly, Meaghan, you’d think I was hours late, not just twenty minutes behind schedule.”
“I know, but Josie and Lauren have already picked out their dresses. There will be nothing good left for me if we don’t get busy.” A pout that was becoming familiar spread across her face.
Sheena sighed. “The dance isn’t for another sixteen days.” Her stomach clenched when she remembered she wouldn’t be around for the dance. Not if she was in Florida. Two weeks and she’d be gone. Meaghan had been looking forward to this dance all school year—especially after Tommy Whitehouse had invited her to it.
“Well? Are you ready now?” Meaghan said in a demanding tone Sheena found irritating.
Sheena frowned. When had Meaghan become such a brat? she thought, and immediately felt bad about viewing her teenage daughter this way. She tried to keep things smooth between them.
“Give me a minute to get out of these good clothes and I’ll be ready to go,” Sheena said and hurried into her bedroom to change. She wanted to be comfortable. Shopping with Meaghan could take hours.
Sheena was emerging from her bedroom when Michael came into the house. “Hey, Mom! I need you to wash my uniform. It has to be ready tomorrow morning. Can I borrow the car? I have to go to B-ball practice.”
“Put the uniform in the laundry room and, no, you can’t have the car. Meaghan and I are going shopping. Hurry and get ready. I’ll drop you off.”
“Mom!” wailed Meaghan. “We need to go now!”
Sheena drew a calming breath. “Michael, hurry up. We can’t wait forever.”
“Geez. Give a guy a break!” he said. “I just got home. Did you get those cookies I wanted?” A taller version of Tony, with his dark eyes and dark, curly hair, his voice even sounded the same.
Exasperated, Sheena shook her head. “No, I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store. I’ve been busy.”
Michael rolled his eyes at her.
“Don’t go there,” Sheena said, a little sharper than she’d intended.
He blinked in surprise. “Gawd! Why is everyone uptight?”
A tense few minutes later, the three of them piled into Sheena’s Ford Explorer.
After dropping Michael off at his basketball practice, she and Meaghan headed out to the Natick Mall.
As Sheena drove, she glanced at her daughter. Her fair skin, auburn hair, and Sullivan features had mixed with Tony’s darker tones and features to produce a lovely-looking young girl. Though pleased with her daughter’s appearance, Sheena was becoming more and more distressed by Meaghan’s feeling of entitlement. Tony worked hard, and they lived well, but this idea that everything was all about Meaghan was beginning to wear thin on her.
“Let’s see if we can pick up something on sale,” Sheena said. “You got a lot of nice clothes at Christmas.”
Meaghan’s lips thinned. “Mom, this dance is important. I don’t want everyone to think we’re poor.”
“Meaghan, buying something on sale doesn’t mean you’re poor,” Sheena said evenly. “It means you’re being careful with your money. And, in your case, you don’t have any money to speak of. You haven’t babysat for months.”
“How can I babysit if I’m studying for good grades? And if Tommy calls, I want to be available.”
“I have no complaints about your grade
s. You’re doing well. But for extra money, you could babysit on the weekends from time to time. Just saying.”
Meaghan let out a long sigh. “I don’t need to work. Dad’s doing okay.”
“We’ll talk about this another time,” Sheena said, telling herself to let Meaghan’s attitude go. “Let’s just have fun. Okay?”
Meaghan smiled and nodded.
Shopping with Meaghan was fun until Meaghan found the perfect dress—for four hundred dollars. When Sheena told her no, a ferocious creature emerged from the body that used to be her sweet daughter. Meaghan begged and pleaded and threatened her for the dress, but Sheena remained firm.
Tearful and angry, Meaghan followed Sheena out of the mall, stomping her feet like a two-year-old.
Sheena’s idea of a surprise dinner together was ruined. She got behind the wheel of the car and waited for Meaghan to get in and buckle her seatbelt.
Meaghan sulked in her seat, mumbling under her breath when she wasn’t staring sullenly out the window. Then, when Sheena continued to ignore her, Meaghan muttered, “I hate you, Mom.”
Hurt by her words, Sheena gripped the steering wheel of the car even harder and stared straight ahead. She wasn’t about to get caught up in another fight with her daughter. Especially after the day she’d already had.
“Mom? I’m sorry I said that,” Meaghan said in a soft voice. “I didn’t really mean it.”
“Thank you for the apology,” Sheena said. “Let’s put this shopping day behind us. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Okay. Maybe we can find a dress on sale just like the one I wanted.”
Sheena doubted it, but she’d give it a try.
###
When Sheena walked into the house, Tony looked up at her from the couch where he was watching the news on television. “Where you been?” The dark eyes that had drawn her in from the beginning focused on her.
“Shopping with your daughter,” Sheena said. “Did you put the casserole in the oven like I asked in my note?”
“Yeah. Earlier, Mom knew I was here alone and invited me for dinner, but I told her I’d wait for you.” He grinned, lighting his strong features, exposing the small dimples he hated but she loved.