by D. Camille
Mrs. Langston lifted a brow. “But for how long?”
Lana shrugged. “Until he convinces Lavender to marry him, I guess.”
“Those two been courting forever. They’re going to be needing Social Security by the time they tie the knot.”
Lana smiled. “They’re in love and they don’t have to rush.”
“And what are you waiting for?”
“Someone who’s ready for me and all that I am,” Lana told her.
Mrs. Langston nodded. “I can’t argue with that. You’re a smart girl.”
“Thank you.”
“And you do a good job running this place,” she complimented.
Lana looked around. “I need to be doing more. We need to grow. We shouldn’t have rooms available for a month without a reservation.”
“He’s staying a month?” Mrs. Langston questioned.
“Yes ma’am.”
The older woman smiled. “A lot of things can happen in a month. I met and married my Harry in a month.”
Lana gave her a soft look. “I can see why you married Mr. Langston in a month. He’s amazing.”
Mrs. Langton’s husband Harry was in charge of the maintenance at the Sable Inn and stayed on top of everything that involved keeping the building in tip-top shape in addition to being the nicest man in the entire world, next to her Daddy.
“Yes, he is and you need to find your own amazing man,” Mrs. Langston preached as she finished preparing the meal.
“I’m twenty-eight, I’ve got plenty of time to find Mr. Amazing because that’s what he’ll have to be. My Daddy has set the bar pretty high for these brothers out here,” Lana said with a smile.
“Lloyd Sable is a wonderful man,” she agreed. “And there’s a wonderful man out there for you.”
Lana smile and waited for Mrs. Langston to put the finishing touches on the meal before transferring it to a tray, complete with a wildflower inside of a glass vase.
“Here you go, sweetie.” She told Lana.
“I’ll take this right up to him,” Lana said grabbing the tray. “I think he’s hungry.”
Mrs. Langston began to clean up. “Where’s he from?”
“His license says D.C.”
“That’s quite a way from Grayling, Michigan.”
Lana shrugged. “He looked like he needed a rest, so I don’t know what his whole story is.”
“That’s a good way to get to know him,” Mrs. Langston prompted.
“I never said that I wanted to get to know him,” Lana said, heading toward the door.
She climbed the stairs and headed to the Blue Room. When she got there, she cradled the tray and knocked softly on the door. When it opened, she stared at a partially exposed, muscled brown chest inside of a slightly unbuttoned white shirt, before lifting her eyes to his.
“Hi…here’s your order,” she said quietly.
Derek quickly grabbed the tray from her hands. “Wow, that was fast and I wasn’t expecting you to bring it up here.” He walked across the room and sat the tray on the small table.
Lana noted that he’d removed his shoes and it appeared that he had been on the bed working on his computer. His suitcases were on the floor near the closet and his jacket was tossed across a chair.
Derek made his way back over to her with his wallet in his hand. He extracted a bill and held it out to her. “Thank you for everything.”
Lana smiled and shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Your gratuity will be included in your bill.”
He nodded and put the money away. “That’s good to know.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Lana asked.
Derek paused. “If you’re not busy later, could you give me a rundown of the Inn?”
“Sure, how did you find us?” she inquired.
“A while ago, I worked on the Mayoral campaign down in Detroit for Mayor Williams. He told me about this place and I was driving down to check on him, when I saw the sign and decided to stop in,” he explained.
She nodded. “So you’ll be going to Detroit when you leave here?”
“I’d planned to stay down there during this trip, but I think I’ll prefer the serenity here.”
“So you’re here to relax?”
Derek sighed. “Yes, I’m not sure of how much you’re into politics, but we’re in a bad situation right now in Washington.”
“I agree, this entire Presidential election has taken its toll on a lot of people and ended quite a few friendships and relationships,” Lana commented.
“And brought out the worst, that has been lying underneath the surface,” Derek added.
Lana heard the passion in his voice and smiled. “Well, I’ll let you enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you,” he said staring down at her. “You’ve been a godsend today.”
“I’m just doing my job.” She told him. “You can leave the tray outside the door.”
Derek watched as she turned and walked down the hall and couldn’t help but admire her from the back because it was just as amazing as the front. He closed the door slowly and moved to the table where the delicious looking food sat.
Taking a seat, he glanced out of the window at the beautiful surroundings. Thinking of Lana Sable, he smiled. When she’d walked over to introduce herself he’d smelled coconut oil, cocoa butter, and lavender, the perfect black woman combination, in his mind.
Her soft, full twistout framed one of the most beautiful, natural faces, he’d ever seen. When she spoke, her voice was strong and even. It resonated with a power that housed an abundance of melanated femininity.
Hearing his stomach growl, Derek picked up his utensil and began his meal. He’d been driving for hours non-stop on his way to his destination. When he’d seen the sign for the Sable Inn, his gut had told him this was where he needed to be and Derek always followed his instinct.
He smiled again as he thought about the four women he’d overheard talking upon his arrival. Their conversation had intrigued him and he’d kept his presence hidden for a few minutes before interrupting them. Lana Sable’s description of the brother she was looking for caught his attention the most, because he’d singled her out of the group at first sight.
That beautiful, silky hair had made him want to run his hands through it. Although, he knew not to try that…he was well aware of how black women felt about their hair and the disrespect they were subject to by other cultures in the admiration of their tresses.
Chewing slowly, Derek savored both the meal and the silence. As he’d mentioned to Lana, D.C. was in an uproar right now with scandals and divided politics. He’d needed a break from it all to regain his footing. Derek had turned off his phone and hadn’t ventured onto social media for the last few hours. He knew when he stepped back into that world, it would be non-stop.
For now, he wanted to shut everything out and just feel human again. Lana Sable had made him realize that he needed to remember that he was a man with emotions. When he finished eating, Derek dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, then grabbed the tray to take it back downstairs to her.
Reaching the desk, he looked around for Lana but she was nowhere in sight. A minute later, another beautiful woman turned the corner and smiled at him.
“You must be Mr. Wells,” she greeted. “I’m Lena Sable. Welcome to the Sable Inn.”
Derek smiled at her greeting, just like her sister’s. “Yes, I’m Derek and you must be Lana’s sister?”
“One of them.”
“How many is it?” he asked.
“There are three of us.”
He nodded. “Now I know to be on guard for all this beauty.”
Lena smiled. “Let me take that tray for you. You could’ve left it outside your door.”
“I know,” he handed her the tray. “But Lana agreed to give me the layout of this place, so I decided just to bring it with me.”
He looked around for the woman in question. “Is she still here?” he asked.
Lena looked him
over. “Is this a private tour?” she inquired.
Derek shook his head. “No, nothing like that.”
“But you’d prefer Lana to provide it?” Lena asked, lifting a brow.
He nodded slowly. “Yes, I think I would.”
Lena lifted the tray with a smile. “Her office is down the hall. Third door on the left.” With a secretive wink, she walked away and Derek headed in the direction she’d indicated. Finding, what he assumed to be the right place, he knocked softly.
Lana opened the door then smiled. “Hi, are you looking for me?”
Derek scratched his head as he stared down into her lovely face. “Yes, I think I am.”
Chapter 2
Lana led Derek outside to the grounds underneath the warm Michigan sun. The trees were full and you could hear the sound of the river in the distance. Lana looked over at Derek with his low haircut and neat beard. His chest and arms looked very cut in his tight white T-Shirt.
“So welcome to Grayling,” she said as she began the tour.
Derek looked around then back at her. “It’s beautiful.”
She smiled. “The Sable Inn has been in my family since my grandfather, back when it was only a Bed and Breakfast. We turned it into a full-service Inn not too long ago.”
“And what do you do at the Inn?” Derek asked.
“I’m officially the Director of Hospitality. I take care of all the guests, reservations, and coming up with new ways to please the customers to keep them coming back,” she explained. “My sister Lena is in charge of marketing. She’s the one who named the rooms, and my sister Lorna is in charge of the kitchen and food.”
“I heard there were three of you,” Derek relayed. “I’m just going to assume that the third one is just as beautiful as the first two I’ve met.”
Lana looked at him. “Who else did you meet?”
“Lena.”
“Did she offer to give you the tour?”
“She asked if I wanted you specifically,” he answered. “And I said, yes.”
Lana turned away and began walking. “She could’ve told you the same thing.”
Derek followed, staring at the glorious curls on her head. “I’d already asked you.”
“The Sable Inn sits on twenty acres which the Au Sable River runs through at different points,” Lana went back to her tour.
Derek stopped and she turned back to him. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Should I not have asked you?” he questioned.
Lana shrugged. “I’m just surprised it even mattered to you, who gave you this tour.”
He smiled. “And how long is this river?”
She picked up the clue and continued with her spiel. “The Au Sable River runs approximately 138 miles and enters Lake Huron.”
Derek followed as they soon reached the river. He looked out over the sparkling water and felt the cool mist.
“It must be amazing to walk out to this, every day,” he commented.
“It’s the reason why I’ve never left.”
He looked at her. “I wouldn’t either.”
They continued to walk along the riverbank taking in the sights. “In French, Au Sable means ‘at the sand’,” Lana explained.
“Is your family part French?” he asked.
“Somewhere down in our ancestry,” she acknowledged. “But now, we’re straight up African American and proud of it.”
He nodded. “I like your hair.”
Lana touched it gently. “Today was a good day. Trust, it doesn’t always come out like this.” She looked at him. “Thank you for the compliment.”
They both turned back to the water and watched the scenery. “I needed this,” Derek breathed.
“We also have picnic baskets available if you’d like to come out here and eat,” Lana suggested.
“Does beautiful company come along with it?” he asked not looking at her.
Lana turned to him. “I’m sure you’ll have no problem in that area.”
He looked at her. “I guess we’ll see.”
“Let me take you to look at the pool and spa. It’s open twenty-four hours, so you can visit whenever you like,” Lana continued and they began walking again. “It’s indoors, so no matter what the weather, you can enjoy it.”
Derek followed along quietly until they arrived at the pool area. He surveyed the area with the mid-sized kidney shaped pool along with a gurgling hot tub.
“This is nice, is it new?” he asked.
Lana smiled. “Yes, this is a new addition. We’re trying to attract more business.”
“This was your idea,” he surmised.
She laughed. “How can you tell?”
“I can hear the pride in your voice,”
“I wanted to be able to offer the guests more and then I decided to close it in so that we could use it year around,” she explained. “It can get pretty cold in Michigan.”
“I know,” he agreed. “I was here during election time.”
They walked around and Derek looked over the immaculate space. “You did an excellent job. I can’t wait to get down here.”
Lana looked him over in his jeans before leading him back to the main house. Derek saw a few houses in the distance and asked about them.
“Those belong to me and my sisters. My Daddy had a house built for each of us on the land,” she explained. “Currently, he stays at the Inn when he’s not jetting off to see his lady love.”
“His lady love?” Derek raised a brow.
Lana nodded. “Yes, our mother died shortly after Lorna was born and my father raised us three girls on his own, and ran the Bed and Breakfast. A few years ago, he took a trip to Jamaica and met a wonderful woman named Lavender. We’re hoping that he’ll be able to convince her to marry him soon.”
“So are all of his daughters single?” Derek inquired.
Lana looked at him. “Yes, we are.”
Back at the Inn, Derek opened the door for her and she walked inside. Together, they walked to the stairs and he stared down into her face.
“Thank you for the tour, especially since I didn’t have a reservation in the first place,” he told her.
“I’m at your service,”
Derek smiled. “I won’t bother you anymore. I know that you have other guests.”
“I’ve told you that you’re not a bother at all…”
Another gorgeous woman appeared and Derek knew who she was immediately. She smiled at the pair before joining them.
“Lorna, this is Derek Wells. He’s here with us for a month,” Lana informed her sister. “Derek this is the last of the trio, my sister Lorna.”
Derek extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet another beautiful sister.”
“Thank you, welcome to the Sable Inn.”
Derek laughed. “You all have that down pat.”
Lana joined him in laughter. “We grew up here, so it’s automatic.”
He looked between the two women, then trained his gaze on Lana. “I’ll let you get back to work. Thank you again for the tour.”
She nodded and he turned to walk up the stairs as both Lorna and Lana watched in appreciation. When he was out of sight, Lorna turned to her sister.
“You took him on a tour?” she asked.
“Yes, around the grounds and out to the pool.” Lana explained walking to the front desk and picking up the mail.
Lorna followed. “He’s handsome and seems very nice.”
Lana shrugged and flipped through the envelopes. “I agree.”
“Lena said he only wanted you to show him around,” Lorna commented.
“Only because he’d asked me earlier,” Lana said still focused on the pile of mail.
Lorna looked at her big sister. “Or maybe because he wanted to spend time with you.”
Lana turned to her with a frown. “Lorna, please…the man is a guest.”
“I’m just repeating what Lena said,”
Lana lifted a brow. “And what has happened
in the past when you repeated something that Lena has said?” she asked pointedly.
Lorna frowned. “Yeah, you have a point.”
“Derek is here for some much needed R & R. I doubt if we’ll hardly see him while he’s here,” Lana told her. “Now are you ready to go over the food budget?”
They both turned as the door opened and the local florist’s truck pulled up outside the window.
Lana turned to her sister. “Did you order more flowers for today?”
Lorna shook her head. “No we have enough for the dinner tables. Maybe Lena?”
They both watched as the door opened and the driver walked inside with a vase of lavender flowers and a single red rose wrapped in cellophane.
“What’s that Jamal?” Lana asked.
“An order to be delivered,” he told her, sitting the vase on the counter and holding on to the rose.
Lana frowned. “Who ordered them?”
Jamal pulled out his device and checked the screen. “Derek Wells, the Blue Room.”
Both Lorna and Lana blinked. “Um…he’s upstairs. You can take them up.” Lorna told him.
Jamal laughed. “Uh, they’re not for him. He’s the one who ordered them.”
“Who are they for?” Lorna asked.
He turned to Lana. “They’re for you.”
“Me?” Lana asked surprised.
Jamal nodded. “There’s a card too.” He smiled at Lorna. “I think your sister has an admirer.”
Lorna smiled. “I guess so.”
Jamal held out the single rose to her. “So do you beautiful.”
“Jamal…” Lorna whispered with a soft smile.
He tipped his hat. “Have a good evening ladies.”
Lana and Lorna watched him go, both in stunned silence. Holding her rose, Lorna turned and eyed the arrangement of lavender. “That must’ve been some tour.”
Lana also admired the fragrant flowers. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You should at least thank him,” Lorna advised.
Lena walked in and saw the flowers on the counter and the one in her sister’s hands. “Hey, what happened here?”
“Mr. One Month sent Lana flowers,” Lorna supplied.
“What?” Lena exclaimed. “I knew he wanted you.”
Lana sighed. “Sending flowers doesn’t mean that he wants me, Lena.”