“I’m good.”
Kara watched Jake’s back as he stood at the counter. Her eyes slipped down to Jake’s backside before she quickly looked away and shuffled through her binder. Her cheeks went a little pink again.
Oh.
Oh!
Monica’s baby had an admirer. It was hardly surprising. At twenty-nine, Jake had had more than his share of seasonal romances, usually with girls from down the hill who were just at the lake for the summer or ski season.
But Kara?
Oh, Monica was telling Robin and Val about this one. She could definitely see Kara and her son hitting it off. They had a great working relationship and a lot of common interests.
“So.” Jake sat down. “The Donner party is coming in this afternoon.” He grinned. “Should we have appetizers out early so we don’t have to worry about any guests getting eaten?”
“Will you stop calling them that?” Monica whacked his arm a little harder than she meant to. “The best man is Jonathan Bacon. It is the Bacon party.”
“Which makes them sound extra edible, but the groom is Alex Donner,” Jake said. “I’m sticking with the name.”
Russell House had never hosted a bachelor party before, and Monica couldn’t lie that she’d been skeptical when the best man called and asked for a quote. He’d convinced her they were far more the cigars, whiskey, and outdoors kind of bachelor party than the debauchery kind.
Jake had immediately come up with an activities calendar that included waterskiing, rock climbing lessons, and whiskey and wine tasting. The best man had been thrilled, and Monica was hoping it would all go well. Their reputation as a wedding venue was growing, but with a lack of luxury spas and shopping in Glimmer Lake, they were limited in hitting the bridal party market. Maybe becoming a luxury outdoor escape for grooms was the way to go.
Kara said, “As long as the Bacon or the Donner party are laughing about it and not resorting to cannibalism, I don’t care. You all set for this afternoon?”
“I’ve got the pontoon boat at the dock already, and Dylan’s coming in at four to set up.”
Jake’s friend Dylan owned a bar in Bridger City that had a specialty liquor store attached. The store and the bar specialized in whiskeys and bourbons, and it had been Jake’s idea to make whiskey tastings an option for guests. Dylan came with samples of each and bottles to buy. It had proven to be a very popular event on Fridays.
The pontoon boat was a rental from Jake’s old employer. Russell House had their own ski boat and waterskiing equipment, but they had to rent the pontoon.
“Do you have everything set up for Saturday?”
Jake looked at his battered yellow legal pad, which was as organized as Monica and Kara could make him. “I gotta call the lodge to confirm their dinner reservation since they added another guy to the party.”
Monica’s eyes went wide. “They added another guy? We’re already maxed!”
Kara held up her hand. “Don’t panic. We got it sorted. I called Philip and he said Grace has another rollaway in storage. He’s bringing it this morning when they come.”
Philip and Grace Lewis were the owners of Russell House, and Monica was in partnership with them for the hotel. They were also her best friend’s parents and like surrogate parents for Monica, who hardly spoke to her own mother even though she only lived twenty minutes away.
“Philip has another rollaway?” Monica jotted down a note in her calendar. “Do we know what shape it’s in?”
“I kept some of that black spray paint from the last one we cleaned up,” Jake said. “He says it’s just banged up a little, but the mattress is nearly new.”
Grace had been an antique dealer for most of her life, and she loved shopping at auctions. She’d managed to pick up a surprising amount of hotel equipment on her buying trips. Most of it stayed in the Lewis garage until they had an emergency; then Grace and Philip popped in with supplies like fairy godparents.
“Okay, so that’s sixteen people, not fifteen.” Monica’s eyes nearly popped out. “This is quite the party. We’re definitely going to need another ski boat for tomorrow.”
“Already arranged,” Jake said.
Kara said, “And they’ve already worked out who the extra person is staying with, and they agreed to pay full price for him even though it’s just a rollaway. To make up for the inconvenience.”
Monica closed her calendar. “Then welcome Mister…?”
Kara closed her eyes and Jake started laughing again.
“What?” She looked between them.
Kara cleared her throat. “The new member of the party is named Josh. Josh Trout.”
Monica shook her head. “So Mr. Bacon and Mr. Trout are throwing a Donner party.” She gave in to the laughter. “Why not?”
Kara said, “It’s going to be great, Monica. I promise. Don’t worry at all. These guys are paying big bucks, and we’re going to make it an amazing weekend. Don’t worry for a minute.”
“Exactly, Mom.” Jake turned his grin on Kara. “You think there’s any guest Kara can’t handle? Please.”
Oh yeah. There were stars in Kara’s eyes. And Monica was starting to think that there might just be some stars from Jake too.
But she was an observer only! She’d learned long ago that indicating she thought any person was a good match for one of her kids was a sure way to make them lose interest.
“Okay.” She stood. “I have a meeting with Grace at nine. How many guests have already left?”
“Four rooms are out, and Pam and Joelle are on it. The other four look like they’re taking lazy mornings, so we’ll just have to be fast on turnaround when they’re gone.” Kara looked down at her binder. “Also, the fire chief is coming Tuesday. I forgot to tell you about that.”
“The fire chief?” She frowned. “We already had our inspection.”
“It’s about the perimeter.” Kara motioned to the trees outside. “Defensible space prior to fire season, all that stuff.”
“Oh sheesh.” It had been a constant balancing act with Gil in their own home. He would have cut down every tree in the vicinity to protect their house, and Monica wanted at least a little shade. “Okay, just remind me Tuesday morning.”
She might have a battle on her hands with this one. She’d grown up in the mountains and had more than a healthy respect for forest fires, but she also knew that the lush gardens and woods around Russell House were part of what sold the hotel.
For a second, her dream from the night before flashed in her memory.
Fire and ash and sparks raining down…
Okay, maybe they were going to have to alter the gardens after all. That was another thing she’d have to bring up with Grace when they met. “Kara, I’m going to meet with Grace now. Just text me if you need anything. Jake, be careful on the lake today.”
“I will!”
“You got it, Mom.” He was already looking at something on his phone.
Monica gathered her purse and papers and headed toward the dining room. “And let me know if you need anything. I can pitch in if we’re in a rush.”
Monica might have been the manager, but the one thing she’d learned about running a hotel—even a small one—was that if something needed to be done, all hands were on deck. She’d changed sheets and washed laundry. She’d scrubbed showers and unclogged toilets when no one else was available. She regularly delivered the morning pastry boxes and coffee trays if the hotel was full.
Russell House was her baby and the first real job she’d ever had. She viewed each guest like they were staying in her own home, and she busted her butt to make sure they felt welcome.
It was hers, and it would be a success.
Chapter 3
Monica stopped at the coffee bar to check in with Eve. “Hey! How’s it going?”
She could see guests milling around the front of the house, drinking their coffee at tables on the lush, wide lawn.
“Good.” Eve was cleaning the espresso machine. “Just sold
the second round for the late crew.” Eve had been Val’s second-in-command at her coffee shop until she’d taken over the stand at Russell House.
She’d turned the simple coffee stand into something a lot more than Monica had originally envisioned. She’d expanded their pastry selections and introduced a special-event formal tea held once a month that sold out every time. It was a hipster take on a British high tea and had proven really popular for birthdays and special occasions.
Monica watched the lawn and the café, gauging the mood of her guests. She wanted happy repeat customers and good online reviews. They’d already booked around a dozen parties for a repeat stay the next summer, and she was hoping Russell House became a yearly tradition for wealthy families who wanted a taste of the outdoors without too much grime.
“You ready for this weekend?”
Eve smiled. “You mean the Donner party?”
Monica rolled her eyes. “Not you too.”
“Jake has been having way too much fun with that name.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t latch on to Bacon.”
Eve tamped down a shot of espresso and slid it into the machine. “Nah. Bacon’s great, but cannibal jokes are too good to pass up. Your son keeps people laughing around here, I’ll give him that.”
“He certainly seems to have found his niche.”
Jake was the only man working in a group of women, most of whom were pretty young, and he got to walk around fixing things, playing with boats and skis, and doing much of his job shirtless. Working at Russell House was Jake’s dream job; Monica was just fortunate that he was really, really good at it.
Eve asked, “You want your usual?”
“Please.” A “usual” for Monica was a plain old latte with a shot of hazelnut. Not too much sweetness, just a little. “I haven’t seen Grace yet.”
Just as she said it, Philip’s truck appeared from beneath the trees that sheltered the road to Russell House. The shiny charcoal-grey vehicle drove around the decomposed granite drive and headed toward the kitchen where Monica parked her own car.
“That’s my cue.” Monica grabbed her latte as soon as Eve finished it. “I’ll see you later.”
“Tell Grace I’m making her coffee for her.”
“Will do.”
Monica sat near the end of the dining room at a long square table that was usually reserved for business meetings. She spread out her monthly report and sipped her coffee while she listened for Grace.
A few minutes after nine, Grace Lewis, elegant matriarch of Russell House, entered the foyer. As always, though it was nine in the morning and she’d probably been lugging around dusty antiques all morning, Grace was immaculately put together.
Her shoulder-length hair was a blend of blond and silver grey, and her makeup was applied expertly to highlight her cheekbones and beautiful eyes.
“Good morning.” Monica stood. “I think Eve has a coffee ready for you.”
“Oh.” Grace put a hand over her heart. “That young lady always knows just how to make a perfect coffee, doesn’t she?”
“She’s a professional.”
Grace sighed. “I just wish the tattoos… Ah well. The world is a different place now.”
Monica smothered a smile. “Yep.”
Grace couldn’t exactly be labeled fashion forward. She was wearing a yellow summer blouse tucked into a cream-colored pair of linen pants with a bright blue belt and a pair of matching sandals.
Stuffy? A little. But her heart was in the right place, she was generous, and she made a hell of a gin martini.
Grace was also unfailingly polite to everyone on staff, even if she didn’t approve of “outlandish hair” and tattoos.
Monica had raised four children through too many personal-expression trends to count. She didn’t make any dress code at Russell House other than “work appropriate.” So far her biggest problem was reminding Jake to put a shirt on around guests.
“So we had a wonderful summer,” Grace said as she returned with her coffee. “The ladies at the library lunch were raving about the tea that Eve is doing now. They loved it.”
“Great.” Monica made a note to tell Eve. “That’s wonderful to hear. I’ve been talking over the idea of doing it every other week instead of once a month. What do you think?”
They chatted about marketing ideas for about half an hour, brainstorming for promotions that could keep the hotel busy through the fall and late winter.
Between the lake in the summer and the ski resort in the winter, Glimmer Lake was a year-round getaway for people across California, but Russell House was still new and it was small. So far that had worked in their favor, but Monica liked planning ahead.
“You remind me of me.”
Monica looked up from scribbling in her notebook. “What?”
Grace smiled. “You remind me of me when I was younger. I was very certain I could plan for everything. I had plans, backup plans, and backup-backup plans.”
Monica laughed a little. “Well, four kids in six years will do that to you.”
Grace looked at her for a long time. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. Good!” She waved a hand around the dining room. “Busy, but good.”
“I know you’re doing well professionally. You were born to be in hospitality, and you’re thriving in it.” Grace leaned forward. “But how are you doing personally?”
Monica’s stomach dropped. “I’m fine, Grace. Really.”
“I remember being where you are,” she said. “I remember that point where my kids were out of the house and really independent—they’re not when they’re still in school, you know? But where you are right now, with Sam and Caleb busy with their business, Jake doing so well here, and Sylvia just thriving—”
“Her advisor is encouraging her to apply for PhD programs. Did I tell you that?”
“No, but I’m not surprised. She’s a brilliant young lady.” Grace took a deep breath. “I remember this time, and it’s a special time. It’s almost like going out into the world again. Like being on your own for the very first time. The world seems so wide open.”
Monica laughed. “Yeah… I mean, I didn’t have that. I didn’t go to college or anything because Jake—”
“I remember.” Grace’s eyes danced. “I was there.”
Yes, she had been. Robin might have had her issues with her mother, and Monica knew Grace was far from perfect, but she would never, ever forget that when her own parents had disowned her for getting pregnant at eighteen with her high school boyfriend, Grace and Philip had immediately welcomed her into their home. She’d stayed with the Lewises for three months before Gilbert arranged for them to move into his Uncle Eddie’s house.
“My point is,” Grace continued, “during this time in my life, I remember being excited. I was older, I knew what I wanted and what kind of person I was. And I felt free.”
Monica nodded. “I get that. I do feel free.”
“But you’re facing that without Gilbert.” Grace’s eyes teared up. “And I can’t imagine that. That was the time when Philip and I reconnected. We took trips we’d always planned on but hadn’t had the time for when the kids were young. We danced in the kitchen and slept in and got to be spontaneous. If I wanted to drive to Reno for an antique expo, we just packed the car and went.”
Monica’s heart hurt. “Yeah.”
“You have that same freedom, but you lost your partner in crime.” Grace blinked rapidly. “So” —she took a deep breath— “I want to know: How are you doing?”
Monica didn’t give her a flippant response. She didn’t say fine.
“I’m… lonely.” She cleared the roughness from her throat. “I miss Gilbert every day. I miss waking up next to him. I miss going home at night and telling him all the stories about guests here or what the kids are up to.” She shrugged. “But I can’t do anything about that.”
The wound Gilbert’s loss had left wasn’t bleeding anymore. It just sat in Monica’s chest, hollow and ac
hing.
“Did you like being married?”
Monica smiled. “I loved it. We had our moments, but I loved Gil so much.”
“But did you like being married? Did you like having a partner, a friend, a second in your life’s duel?”
Monica had never thought about it that way. “Yeah. I did. I liked always having someone at my back, you know? Other than Robin and Val.”
Grace nodded. “Monica.”
“Mm-hmm?” She was jotting down an idea she’d just had for a fall promotion.
“I think it’s time you started dating again.”
She dropped her pen. “Excuse me?”
“I’m not talking about those odd people who are convinced that the way to grieve a dead spouse is to date the first available person they see. That’s ridiculous.”
Oh. Oh no. Not this. “Grace—”
“You are a young woman and you were a wonderful wife. You don’t like being alone—I can see it every day—and you’re holding yourself back from seeing new men. Why?”
Monica was still trying to process what Grace was saying. “I… um…”
“Have you considered online dating?” Grace asked. “For professional women it seems like a very sensible choice, though I have no idea what kind of men those sites attract. Still, I imagine some of them might be… entertaining even if they’re not good long-term prospects.”
“I’m sorry.” Were her eyebrows permanently frozen in a shocked expression? Possibly. “I’m still trying to process what you’re saying.” Was her best friend’s mom—traditional, kind-of-stuffy Grace Lewis—telling Monica she needed to get laid?
“If you’re interested in my suggestions, let me know.” Grace closed her financial folder. “But if you’re holding back because you think you need more time to grieve or because your children would disapprove—”
“It’s not that.”
“Good.” Grace nodded decisively. “Like I told you, I recognize myself in you. You’re a planner. You like having a road map, and you’re excellent at following a plan. But you have to leave room for the unexpected. I know you’d be happier with a partner at your side. Like me. I would miss Philip horribly if something happened to him, but I would hate to be alone.”
Psychic Dreams: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Glimmer Lake Book 3) Page 2