River's End (9781426761140)

by Carlson, Melody

  7

  That’s a great idea,” Clark told Anna as they ate breakfast upstairs in the house. Since it was Hazel’s first morning back, they’d decided to dine up there instead of in the busy dining room.

  “If I might make a recommendation,” Hazel set down her coffee cup, “I think it would be nice if you sold some of your herbal remedies there, too. And what about finding someone to make Babette’s soaps and lotions? You still have all the old recipes, don’t you?”

  “Of course. In fact, Lauren has expressed interest in doing that. But I’ve kept her so busy helping to manage the inn . . . well, there just hasn’t been time.”

  Hazel frowned. “Becoming too busy at the inn seems to defeat its original purpose, Anna.”

  Anna sighed. “Yes . . . I remember the time when we longed for more guests. Now I sometimes find myself longing for some peace and quiet.”

  “Even the winter season isn’t as slow as it used to be.” Clark shook his head. “I’m not sure what the answer is.”

  “Raise your rates?” Hazel suggested.

  “Oh, I hate to do that.” Anna reached for another strip of bacon. “Our faithful old regulars would probably stop coming if we increased the rates. Even this idea of not serving meals is a bit unsettling.”

  “Perhaps you change this into a bed and breakfast.”

  “A bed and breakfast?” Anna tried to imagine this.

  “They’re all the rage on the east coast and some European countries,” Hazel continued.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Clark said. “It might make the transition easier. Perhaps starting with the next season, or the new year, you could increase the rates slightly but include breakfast in the cost. By then we’d have the store up and running and time to better equip the kitchens so that guests really would want to do their own cooking.”

  “And people could still use the dining facilities and public kitchen,” Anna added. “In case they wanted to eat family style in a large group.”

  “And just think how much easier it will be on you and the staff,” Clark said.

  “What will be easier on the staff?” Sarah asked as she came into the room, setting a basket of blueberry muffins on the table. “These were leftover from breakfast.”

  So, Anna told Sarah about the idea of opening a store and discontinuing meals. But Sarah didn’t seem to like this plan. “What about Janelle and Diane and the rest of the staff?” she asked. “What will we do for work then?”

  Anna laughed. “Oh, there’s always plenty of work to go around.”

  “I don’t know . . .” Sarah slowly shook her head.

  “Someone will need to mind the store,” Anna said.

  “And we might need another fishing guide.” Clark grinned at Sarah. “Speaking of fishing, I wondered if you’d like to go out with me tomorrow morning.”

  Sarah looked at Anna. “Would it be okay?”

  “It would be fine.” Anna smiled. “And hopefully you’ll catch some salmon. We’re due for a salmon bake night.”

  “A salmon bake sounds lovely.” Hazel sighed wearily. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of sorting and unpacking to continue with.”

  “Are you feeling okay, Mom?” Clark peered curiously at her.

  “Just feeling my age, son.” She slowly pushed herself to her feet. “I’m afraid that trip really wore me out.”

  Clark stood, too. “How about if I walk you back to your cabin?”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “You’re a good boy.”

  He linked his arm in hers. “And you’re a good mother.”

  Sarah and Anna began to clear the table, but Anna could tell by Sarah’s expression that she was worried about something. “You know my parents used to run a store downstairs,” she said as they rinsed dishes. “I grew up helping out in there. It was really quite fun. I’ll bet you’d enjoy working in the store once we get it set up.”

  “Would it only sell food?” Sarah asked.

  So Anna told her of Hazel’s suggestion that they carry other things as well. “And perhaps we should carry those sorts of things that guests sometimes forget.”

  “Like toothbrushes and shampoo?”

  “Yes. We’ll have to start making lists of all the items we’d like to have. Maybe we should ask the guests for suggestions too.”

  “I guess it could be sort of fun,” Sarah admitted. “Maybe you could have T-shirts printed up with the inn’s name on the front.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Although Anna didn’t want to see guests going around looking like billboards, she did like that Sarah seemed to be getting into the spirit of things. “And we’d have to be sure the T-shirts were tastefully done. Maybe you could help with some design ideas.”

  “Yeah.” Sarah nodded eagerly. “Maybe something with a canoe.”

  They continued chatting as they cleaned up the kitchen things. Janelle and Diane came back up to start prepping some things for lunch. “Can I tell them about the new idea?” Sarah asked Anna.

  “Sure.” Anna dried her hands. “Like Clark said, I don’t think we’ll start implementing it until next season. Although it might be fun to get the store up and running to see how guests respond to it.”

  As Sarah began explaining the idea for the store, Anna went down to look for Clark. He was just coming out of his mother’s cabin, but he looked worried. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  He scratched his head. “I’m not sure, but I get the feeling that Mom isn’t well.”

  “She did seem awfully tired. But I’m sure she’s just recovering from the trip.”

  “Probably. And she didn’t really seem sick. Just tired.”

  “We’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest,” Anna assured him. “Maybe I’ll have Sarah bring her lunch to her cabin.”

  “Good idea.” He pointed over to the open area near the dock by the river. “Speaking of ideas, what do you think of locating the store right there?”

  Together they walked down to this area, planning how the store would be situated. “I thought we might even make half of it into a boat rental store. And we could even sell swimwear and fishing poles and bait and things.”

  Anna nodded. “And perhaps we’ll want to sell sandwiches in the store. That wouldn’t be too difficult for staffers to make. That way if someone was going fishing, they could grab a lunch to take with them.”

  Clark put his arm around her. “I can’t believe we didn’t think of this a long time ago.”

  She looked out over the river. “I suppose at one time I would’ve been concerned that it was too commercial.”

  “But your parents ran a store,” he reminded her.

  She nodded. “I know. But I really wanted the inn to be a peaceful place . . . a place for healing as well as for recreation.”

  “And it is.” He pointed to a father and son out in a canoe. “Look at Mr. Williams and his boy. He told me it’s their first vacation since his wife passed on. He said it’s been very good for both of them.”

  “The river is restorative.”

  He turned and looked into her eyes. “But only if we don’t burn ourselves out on it, Anna. If the success of the inn makes us too tired to enjoy the river, then what are we left with?”

  She smiled up at him. “I know . . . those were my exact thoughts this morning. But I think we’re finding our path.”

  “I’ll start working on some plans for the store today,” he assured her.

  “And a cabin for Sarah, too?” she asked hopefully.

  He frowned. “I can only chase one rabbit at a time, but I’ll do my best.”

  She glanced back to the house. “I suppose she’s adjusting to being back in her room. Maybe it’s not such a priority, Clark. You decide what’s best.”

  As the next couple of days passed, Anna was relieved that Clark continued to focus on plans for the store. Busy attending to the guests and feeling almost as if they couldn’t keep up this hectic pace, she was tempted to place a help-wanted ad in the news
paper. However, she’d been letting Lauren handle the hiring the past several years, and, knowing Lauren would return tomorrow, Anna decided to just wait. Besides, having Lauren back meant more hands . . . less work. Perhaps they wouldn’t need to hire anyone after all.

  “I wonder if you should see a doctor,” Anna said to Hazel on Thursday morning. Hazel had made her way to the main dining room for breakfast, but she still didn’t seem her usual self. “Do you suppose you picked up a bug on your last trip? Some kind of exotic flu?”

  Hazel waved her hand. “The only exotic bug I’m suffering from is old age, Anna. I might as well get used to it. Time and tide wait for no man . . . or woman either for that matter.” She attempted to laugh, but it was unconvincing.

  But Anna wasn’t so sure this was truly old age. And whether it was Clark’s suggestion from a few days ago or simply a fact, Anna felt that Hazel seemed unusually pale and suddenly wondered if she might be having some kind of heart problem. She pressed again for a doctor’s visit, but since Hazel adamantly refused, Anna decided to search out some herbal remedies.

  Perusing through the notebook that she and Babette had begun compiling long ago, partly from her grandmother’s knowledge and partly from what Babette had learned over the years. After a bit, Anna discovered that hawthorn berries and rosemary were both helpful, as well as a number of other things like garlic and ginger. And so she concocted some tinctures and teas and took these over to Hazel’s cabin.

  “Certainly, I don’t want you taking all these together,” Anna warned. “But I thought you might try the hawthorn tincture first.” She explained how to mix it with water or tea. “See how you feel and whether you think it’s helping or not.”

  Hazel studied the small bottle and smiled. “I always said you were a natural healer, Anna. Just like your grandmother. And come to think of it, I haven’t been feeling too frisky lately. Maybe this hawthorn will do the trick. Anyway, I’m happy to try it. Thank you for taking the time for this.”

  “I’ll do some more research,” Anna promised. “But right now I need to go tend to some office work and return some phone calls.”

  “It will be good when Lauren comes back,” Hazel told her.

  Anna nodded. It would be good . . . at least on some levels. She just hoped Sarah was ready for it. Or, at least, that Lauren would remember her promise to avoid crossing her daughter’s path. And really, that shouldn’t be too difficult if Lauren stayed in the office. No doubt, there was plenty to be done in there.

  Anna was only mildly surprised when Lauren showed up on Wednesday afternoon. “I thought you were coming in the morning,” Anna told her as they stood in front of the dock.

  “I am coming tomorrow,” Lauren stated as she reached to remove a box from the boat. “But I picked strawberries this morning, and I thought I should get them to you while they were still good.” She glanced up at the inn. “Besides, it’s officially been two weeks since you kicked me out of here.”

  Anna frowned. “I didn’t kick you out.”

  Lauren made a slightly sheepish smile. “I know, Mom, but it sort of felt like it.” She handed the box to Anna. “The berries are coming on really good this year.”

  Anna sniffed the fragrant red berries and smiled. “Thanks. These do look delicious. But, really, you could’ve called. Someone would have picked them up.”

  She shrugged. “I was heading to town anyway. My last day of vacation, I thought I should do something fun.”

  Anna noticed that Lauren was dressed a bit nicer than usual now. “You look lovely, dear. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

  Lauren shrugged. “I’ll get back to you on that.” She looked longingly back up at the inn again. “I never realized how much I love this place until you banished me, Mom.”

  Anna felt bad again but didn’t say anything.

  “Sorry, Mom.” Lauren patted her on the back. “And don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for bringing these,” Anna called over her shoulder as she turned away with the berries. “And have fun in town!” As she carried the box to the house, Sarah met her on the stairs.

  “Was that Lauren?” Sarah asked with a frown.

  Anna held out the box. “Yes. She had these lovely berries. She’s on her way to town.”

  Sarah narrowed her eyes. “Does she come back to work tomorrow?”

  Anna simply nodded. “You want to put these in the kitchen for me?”

  “Okay.” Sarah’s voice sounded flat again. Anna wanted to question her on this, to ask why Sarah was so bitter against her mother—and how long was it going to take her to get beyond it? But there was too much to do right now. In fact, she’d been tempted to grab Lauren and insist she come back to work immediately. But seeing the darkness in Sarah’s eyes told Anna, she was still not ready. And that’s when Anna remembered something.

  “Sarah,” she said suddenly. “I found something for you the other day.”

  “What?” Sarah asked.

  “It’s in the house,” Anna said as she followed Sarah up. “I found it when I was looking for some of the herbal journals. It belonged to my mother. Your great-grandmother.”

  “Is it very old?” Sarah asked with interest.

  “Well, it’s not terribly old.” Anna knew how Sarah appreciated antiquity. “I think my mother got it a few years before she passed away. But it’s probably close to thirty years old by now.” Anna went into the office where she’d stashed the small leather-covered Bible the other day. “And it’s very special.” She reached up to get it from a high shelf. “And I think your great-grandmother would want you to have it. In fact, I’m certain of it, Sarah.” She reverently handed Sarah the well-worn Bible.

  Sarah’s brow creased as she smoothed her hand over the cover. “Oh.”

  “I don’t actually remember my mother being terribly interested in the Bible or God when I was growing up,” Anna admitted. “My grandmother had her own faith, but my mother had seemed . . . well, almost stoic.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Very strong in herself. Almost as if she didn’t need religion. But I think as she aged, she changed and softened a lot.” Anna smiled. “I know you’ll take good care of her Bible.”

  “Yes. Thank you for trusting me with it. I’ll put it in my room now.”

  “And if you like, we could read some of it together. Maybe talk about it.”

  Sarah just nodded. “I’d better get back to work.”

  “Do you mind taking Hazel her lunch again today?” Anna asked as the office phone began to ring. “I’m afraid she’s still under the weather.”

  “Not a problem,” Sarah said, sounding more like her cheerful self again.

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Anna turned to answer the phone. She wished Lauren was here to do the office work, but she reminded herself that it was worth it. She was so glad that Sarah was home, that she seemed to be settling in. Even if it was going to be rough going for a while, especially when Lauren returned. At least Sarah was here . . . and safe. Yet at the same time, Anna had a nagging feeling she might be steering her boat straight into a gale. Hopefully everyone would hang on tight!

  8

  Lauren came to work on Thursday, and several hours passed without a single incident between the estranged mother and daughter. True to her word, Lauren had been nearly invisible, even eating lunch in her office. Besides that, Sarah had now settled firmly into a routine. She stayed so busy, Anna felt perhaps her concerns had been for naught.

  “Lauren and I have decided that you need to take the afternoon off,” Clark informed Anna as she was helping to clean up after lunch.

  “What?”

  He nodded firmly. Removing the washrag she’d been using to give the dining room tables a good scrubbing, he dropped it in the bucket. “Go freshen up if you need to, and then we’re heading out.”

  “But where are we go—”

  “Nowhere fancy. Just grab a jacket and walking shoes. Okay?”

 
She studied him a moment then nodded. A break actually sounded delightful. Soon they were on her boat with Clark at the helm and the river breeze blowing through her hair. “This is nice,” she told him as she looked out over the water as he headed the boat downriver. “Are we going to town?”

  “Not exactly.”

  She smiled at him. He obviously had something up his sleeve. Well, she didn’t really care where they went. Mostly it was good to be on the river . . . and with Clark. She glanced toward the back of the boat but didn’t see any fishing gear. Although there was a picnic basket, which was interesting since it was still only mid-afternoon. But maybe he planned to be gone during dinner. Not that she minded. She didn’t. As much as she loved the inn and her guests there, she was getting a bit tired of the pace. Perhaps that was the price of success, but perhaps it was also a sign that something needed to change. Maybe her idea of opening a store and putting an end to mealtimes would be just the ticket.

  “Lauren and Sarah seemed to be getting on okay,” Clark said as he rounded a bend in the river.

  “You mean because they have succeeded in avoiding each other?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. I know that can’t go on forever. But I feel confident they’ll work things out. They’re both reasonable people . . . most of the time.”

  She let out a loud sigh. “Well, I don’t want to think about that now.”

  He nodded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up today. This afternoon is supposed to be about us.”

  She slipped an arm around his waist, leaned into him, felt the firm strength of his body, the buoyant rolling of the boat, and for a moment, she imagined it was nearly twenty years ago . . . when they’d first met . . . and fallen in love. So much had changed since then, and yet they were still the same. It was reassuring. Their love was strong and sustainable . . . like the river.