Close to Home

by Raney, Deborah;

  28

  Drew’s car was already at the inn when Bree pulled in at five twenty. Either he’d just arrived or he’d been waiting for her, because as soon as she stepped out of her car, he did the same.

  “Good morning.” She had a feeling she sounded a little too chipper for this break-of-dawn hour.

  “It’s still dark. I don’t think you can say good morning until the sun comes up.”

  She laughed. “Yes, but feel how nice and cool it is this time of day.”

  He scowled. “That’s because tomorrow it’s September.”

  “Are you always this cranky first thing in the morning?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been up this early before.”

  She laughed again. She had a feeling she was going to be doing a lot of laughing this weekend. “Maybe there’ll be a piece of that cake left after all the guests have had breakfast.”

  He grinned. “Well, now you’re talking. Let’s go.” He quickened his pace and trotted up the steps.

  “Don’t ring the doorbell!” she said in a stage whisper.

  Too late. “Sorry.” He turned with a hangdog expression on his face.

  “It’s okay. The lights are on. Grant and Audrey will be up, but the doorbell here is pretty loud.”

  “Sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t think.”

  “You’re not awake yet. We need to get the coffee pot going first thing.”

  “Good idea.”

  Grant opened the door and ushered them in. Audrey was in the kitchen with a pile of suitcases at her feet. They spoke in whispered tones, with Audrey showing them where things were and explaining the detailed list she’d left for them.

  “Now remember, call us if you have any questions at all. If it’s an emergency, one of the girls can come at a moment’s notice. I made up the sofa in the basement for you, Drew, and Bree, there are clean sheets on our bed. You should be comfortable in there.”

  Grant pointed to the clock. “We’d better go, honey.”

  “Okay.” Audrey skimmed the list again, looking a little frantic. “Everybody here is checking out this morning, but the family reunion will check in around three or so, so you won’t have much time to get the laundry done and beds made up. Bree, you remember how to run the credit cards?”

  “I do.”

  “If you have any problems, just call me.”

  “Audrey.” Grant took her shoulders and turned her toward the entry hall. “Everything will be fine.”

  “Your cake and flan turned out really pretty,” Audrey whispered over her shoulder.

  “That cake was awesome,” Drew said.

  Audrey whirled around. “What? How do you know?”

  Bree shushed him, laughing. “Trade secret.”

  “Hey, I want in on that,” Grant said. “Okay, guys, we’re outta here. Good luck. Call if you need anything.”

  “We will,” Bree assured him.

  “Oh! I let Huck out right before you got here. Let him back in in a few minutes, would you.”

  “Will do.”

  Bree and Drew stood at the door until the Whitmans’ car had disappeared down Chicory Lane.

  “Okay. What do we do?” Drew had a deer-in-the-headlights look.

  “Grab the list,” Bree said. “That will be our Bible for the weekend. Do not under any circumstances lose that list.”

  “Got it. Okay, first item: Start breakfast casserole.”

  “You get the eggs and sausage out of the fridge, and I’ll start putting it together.”

  They worked around each other, trying to be quiet since no guests were stirring yet. It didn’t take long to put the casserole together and pop it in the oven. She showed Drew where the breakfast buffet would be set up in the great room, and he set up several little tea tables throughout the room.

  “I think one group wanted breakfast in their room. The rest are coming down. Can you check the list, Drew?”

  He squinted at Audrey’s note. “Oh, yeah. Here it is. Oh, it’s the twisted sisters that want breakfast in bed. I wonder why?”

  She giggled. “You’d better not let them hear you say that. And it’s not in bed. Just in their room.”

  “Better serve them lots of coffee.”

  “Oh! The coffee!” She smacked her forehead. “I should have put it on to brew already!”

  “What can I do? I think I can handle coffee.”

  “Okay, here . . .” She showed him where the roasted beans were.

  A few minutes later, he was still staring at the bag. “Um . . . I’ve never made it from the bean stage before.”

  She laughed and took the bag from his hands. “They have a fancy coffeemaker that grinds the beans and brews in one fell swoop.”

  “Fell swoop, huh? How about I . . . ” He consulted the list. “I could put the coffee cups and plates out.”

  “Perfect.” She heard a noise and stopped to listen. “I think someone’s up.”

  “Is everything going to be ready in time? It sure smells good in here.”

  Bree breathed in deeply. The savory scent of sausage and cheese mingled with the fresh ground coffee beans. “I think we’re good. Nobody’s come downstairs yet.”

  A thump at the back door made them both start.

  “Huck!” she squealed. “We were supposed to let him in.”

  “Uh-oh. Are we in trouble?” Drew started for the door.

  “Check his feet before you let him in.”

  Drew laughed. “Dogs don’t have feet. They have paws.” He reached for the door.

  “Good morning.”

  Bree turned to see the eldest of the sisters—the one who was afraid of dogs—descending the stairs. “Oh! Drew, don’t let—”

  Too late. Huck was through the door like a streak and halfway up the stairs before Bree could get another word out.

  A blood-curdling scream rose from the sister’s throat. She turned and scrambled back up the stairs on all fours.

  “Huck!” Drew raced after the dog and caught him by the collar with inches to spare.

  But the poor woman was white as a freshly washed sheet and panting like, well, a dog.

  “I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Drew said, gripping Huck’s collar and standing between the Labrador and the trembling sister. “I’m putting him in the basement now. You don’t have to worry about him being loose any more today.”

  The woman just stared at him for a few seconds, then struggled to her feet. Drew reached out to steady her, still keeping a death grip on Huck’s collar.

  Bree stood at the bottom of the steps, watching. A whiff of something wafted past her nose. The toast! She gasped and ran back to the counter where a thin trail of smoke curled up from the toaster.

  She heard Drew coax Huckleberry to the basement. A minute later, the basement door closed and he reappeared in the kitchen. “Could this day go any wronger?” he whispered.

  “I don’t see how. Did you—”

  “Excuse me?”

  They turned in unison to see the petite wife of the couple from Chicago standing in a plush white robe with the Chicory Inn name embroidered on it.

  “There seems to be a problem in our bathroom.” She wrinkled her nose. “The toilet is overflowing.”

  Bree’s shoulders slumped.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Drew led the way back up the stairs, and the woman padded after him.

  Link arrived with warm rolls from the bakery in Langhorne, and while Bree finished getting the breakfast laid out, Link went up to see if he could help Drew.

  The plumbing problems were solved before the first guests came down to breakfast. Everyone raved about the breakfast spread, and while she and Drew loaded the dishwasher, he started laughing under his breath.

  “What?” She turned to him, bemused.

  “No matter what happens, the rest of this day will be a piece of cake by comparison.”

  She grinned. “You’ve got that right. Oh, and speaking of a piece of cake, there’s some of that coffee
cake left over. Want a slice?”

  “In the worst way.”

  “You finish loading the dishwasher and I’ll fix us each a plate.”

  They took their plates along with fresh cups of coffee out to the back deck. The birds were singing their hearts out, and in the meadow rabbits and squirrels put on an acrobatics show.

  “I could get used to living out here,” Drew said.

  “Yes. Me too. It’s beautiful. I can’t believe CeeCee wouldn’t jump at the chance to live here.”

  “Well, maybe she will once she gets a taste of life at the rehab center.”

  “I just hope they get her back to where she can play bridge and . . . be as active as she was before.”

  “Yeah. She’s a pretty spunky lady. I think a lot of her.” He took a swig of coffee before setting his mug on the little table between them. “I think a lot of the whole Whitman family.”

  “You practically are a Whitman by now, what with helping Grant build the cottage. And being Dallas’s brother, of course.” Bree looked out across the meadow, not sure how Drew would take her comment.

  “I consider that an honor. I guess that makes us almost siblings then, huh?” He smiled.

  She deflated. Was that how he saw her? Like a sister?

  No doubt a twisted sister. And she’d thought things were going so well. Great. Just great.

  29

  Okay, that was intense.” Drew flopped onto the sofa and covered his face with the crook of his elbow.

  Bree laughed at his dramatics. The last of the guests had just checked out, and they had the beds stripped and both washing machines running full loads. “If you’ll help me make up a couple of the beds, I think I can handle the rest until the family reunion group starts checking in. Do you want to go home for a while?”

  He came out from under his elbow. “I wouldn’t do that to you. But I might catch a little nap right here before the next onslaught.” He grabbed a throw pillow and plumped it under his head.

  “Go for it. Why don’t you go downstairs on the couch? If the family reunion starts arriving before you wake up, I can check them in. Audrey told them they could pack picnic stuff and eat down at the pergola, but they’ll probably go out for supper. We don’t have to do any meal but breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Where’s Huck?” He sat up and looked out the window.

  She pointed to the floor at the other end of the sofa. “He’s plumb tuckered out.”

  The Lab’s ears perked, and he looked up at her. She laughed. “I swear that dog knows when you’re talking about him.”

  She curled up in an overstuffed chair across from him.

  “You ever have a dog?” He leaned forward on the sofa, forearms resting on his knees.

  “No. My mom was never crazy about animals. And now that I have my own place, I’m not really home enough to make it fair to a dog. Besides I get to enjoy Huck while somebody else feeds him and pays his vet bills. Do you have one?”

  “No. Same reason. Work, I mean. Not my mom.” He grinned. “You said your parents live in Boonville?”

  She nodded, trying to think of a way to steer the conversation another direction.

  But not quick enough. “How’d you end up so far from home?”

  “College. I’m a SEMO grad.”

  “I never would have guessed.” He pointed to the college logo T-shirt she wore. “So you’re from Boonville, huh? I’ve driven through a couple of times. Do you go back there quite a bit?”

  “Not often. It’s a long four hours.”

  “Not if your parents are there.”

  She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about her parents.

  But Drew wouldn’t drop it. “I wish I still had parents to go see.”

  “I’m sorry. I knew Dallas had lost his parents really young. Well, both of you, of course.”

  He nodded. “Dad died when I was still in high school. And Mom only three years later. I’d just started college. Dallas kind of raised me for a few years there.”

  “He did a good job.” She smiled, but quickly turned serious again. “I’m so sorry. That must have been really hard. It sounds like you guys were really close to your parents.”

  “We were.” He eyed her. “You’re not?”

  She looked at her hands in her lap. “Not really. I mean, we’re not sworn enemies or anything. It’s just . . . complicated.”

  “What do you mean? What happened?”

  “What happened?” What did happen? Did she even know? She sighed.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No. It’s okay.” She rubbed the hem of her T-shirt, not meeting his eyes. “I feel bad that I’m not closer to them. But they don’t exactly make it easy.”

  She looked up to see that he was listening intently, waiting. “It all started with Tim, I think.”

  “Your husband?”

  She nodded. “Actually, maybe it started before then. They wanted me to go to school somewhere local. Live at home. I couldn’t get away from there fast enough. I think they needed a few more kids to dilute their attention. They were a little . . . let’s just say clingy.”

  “Hows come they never had any other kids?”

  The question startled her. “I . . . I don’t know. It’s not something they ever talked about.”

  “And you weren’t curious?”

  “I don’t know . . .” She shrugged. “Just never thought about it.”

  He looked puzzled. “I guess it’s the first thing I wonder because my parents tried so hard for a baby, and then had me after they adopted Dallas. And of course, Dallas and Danae’s situation. It just seems like most people want their kids to have a brother or sister.”

  She frowned. “You’re right. It does.” Had her parents tried to have other babies? How could she not know the answer to that? “I came along ten months after they got married. Maybe I was too much to handle and they just said never again.” She smiled, meaning it as a joke, but Drew’s question made her wonder.

  “You were their rebel, huh?”

  “I don’t know about that. I suppose they would say yes. My Dad wasn’t crazy about me marrying Tim. Maybe he was afraid he’d drag me overseas or something. I don’t know . . .” She shrugged.

  “But he didn’t?”

  “No. But it went over about as well when I chose to stay in Cape—and live with Tim’s parents—while he was deployed. It didn’t help that I loved his family so much. Mom has always been a little jealous of Audrey, I think. When Tim died . . . she was awful. They both were.”

  “Awful?”

  “They basically said it served me right for making the choices I did. I guess that’s what they meant?”

  “You don’t know?”

  She shrugged. “We don’t talk about it. It’s just better that way.”

  He studied her until she straightened in the chair, looking for an excuse to escape.

  “It doesn’t seem like that would be better.” He said finally. There was no animosity, no judgment in his voice.

  But she didn’t really want to have this conversation. “I need to go check if the bedding is ready to put in the dryer.”

  He jumped up. “I’ll help you.”

  He followed her upstairs to the second-floor laundry closet. Without speaking, they transferred two washer loads into the dryers and set the timers.

  “How long till those are done?”

  “Probably thirty-five minutes. Are you reconsidering that nap?”

  “No, I actually kind of got my second wind. This isn’t too bad.”

  “The inn, you mean?”

  He nodded. “I was picturing us working sunup to sundown.”

  She shot him a look. “I wouldn’t exactly want to repeat this morning too many days in a row.”

  He laughed. “Good point.”

  The doorbell rang, making them both jump. Bree looked at the clock above the laundry closet. “If that’s the family reunion group, they’re awfully early.”

  Huckle
berry barked twice downstairs.

  “Are we ready for them?”

  “Pretty much,” she said. “I was hoping not to have the washer or dryer running, but we can close these doors and it won’t be too loud.” She pulled the pocket doors to meet in the middle. Inhaling deeply, she gave him her best smile. “Ready?”

  “Let’s do this.” He swept his arm in a wide flourish. “After you.”

  * * *

  The sound of children—and adults—playing down in the meadow reminded Drew of the Tuesday nights he’d spent here at the inn recently. Over the past two hours, they’d checked in thirteen members of the Farrigan family, and apparently there were two more still to come.

  “Boy, they didn’t waste any time, did they?” Bree stood watching out a back window while the family set up croquet and volleyball down in the meadow.

  “They’re not playing yet. They’re still setting up.”

  “I know.” She wrinkled her nose. “If they’re this loud setting up, just think how bad it’ll be when they start playing.”

  He came to stand beside her. “Do you know how to play croquet?”

  “Can’t say that I do. You?”

  “Can’t say that I have any desire to.”

  She laughed. “They’re sure making themselves right at home.”

  “I know. I wonder if Grant cares that they’re sticking stuff in the grass.”

  “I doubt those holes could be any worse than what Grant and Audrey’s grandkids do to the lawn every Thursday.”

  “Good point.” Still, he wondered how it would feel to have complete strangers playing on your lawn. Picnicking at the table in your backyard. He wasn’t sure inn-keeping would be for him. “I hope they clean up their trash before they come in.”

  “And before Huck goes out.”

  He laughed, forming a sudden picture of what Huck would do with the remains of the picnic the family had carried in from a local barbecue place. Right now the containers of beans and pulled pork were scattered along the length of the table under the pergola. No doubt attracting flies and ants and who knew what else.

  Colorful was the best way Drew could think to describe the family. The hosting couple was from nearby Sikeston, but their children and grandchildren had traveled from all over the country—Atlanta, Florida, Michigan—Drew couldn’t remember where else. The inn usually didn’t cater to families or small children—except on Tuesday nights, of course—but Audrey had made an exception for this family reunion.