by Cindy Bell
“Can I help you?”
Mary turned on her heel and faced the man who stepped outside. He looked to be in his fifties or sixties with a mane of black and silver hair, as well as a chest-length beard that was just as bushy. He wiped his hands on an already stained, blue cloth that matched the coveralls that stretched across his rounded stomach.
“We’re looking for Graham.” Suzie shielded her eyes from the sun and peered at the man. “Are you Graham?”
“Depends who is asking.” He grinned, and his blue eyes danced in the sunlight.
“Customers.” Mary offered him a smile as she held her hand out to him. There was something about him that she instantly liked. “I’m Mary, and this is my friend, Suzie. You were recommended to us for some repairs we need to have done on our new vehicle.”
“Ah, great to meet you.” Graham clasped her hand with his and gave it a firm shake. “What did you bring me?” He looked past them at the SUV.
“I have a list of repairs that the previous owner said needed to be done. But I’d like you to check it over as well to see if there is anything else wrong.” Mary pulled the list out of her purse, along with the keys. “It seems to be running well.”
“Good.” Graham took the list and the keys from her. “I’ll have a good look around. It’s a nice vehicle. Congratulations on your purchase. You can head into the office and my secretary will write up a work order for you.”
“About how long do you think it will take?” Suzie asked him just before he walked towards the SUV.
“Well now, that’s hard to say since I haven’t looked at it, yet.” He glanced over the list in his hand. “I’ll need at least a day, maybe two. Are you in a rush?”
“No, that’s fine.” Mary smiled. “I’ll make sure to leave my number, so you can let me know an estimate on the repairs?”
“Sure, I can do that. If it costs more than what is listed on here I will make sure I get your approval first. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” Mary smiled.
“Great.” He nodded to them both. “Nice to meet you, ladies.” He turned back towards the garage. “Brody! Come get these keys.”
A young man in grease-smudged coveralls walked out of the garage, and caught the keys that Graham tossed to him.
“I’m in the middle of something.” Brody frowned.
“And now you’re pulling that SUV around.” Graham pointed to the vehicle. “With a smile, right?”
“Right.” He stared at Graham for a long moment, then walked over to the SUV. Suzie pulled open the door to the office, then held it open for Mary. They both barely fit inside. There was a desk, piles of paperwork, an old television, and a few filing cabinets. Aside from that, there wasn’t even room for chairs in front of the desk. A petite woman sat behind the desk, and Mary wondered if perhaps Graham had hired her based on how well she would fit into the office. She looked young, perhaps in her twenties, and had ear buds in her ears.
“Excuse me?” Suzie knocked lightly on a tiny, clear space on the desk.
The woman jumped, pulled out her ear buds, and looked up at them with wide, light brown eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry. How can I help you?”
Mary filled her in on their purpose for being there, and the young woman began to fill out the necessary paperwork.
“Please make a note that we’d like him to call us as soon as he has an idea of the price and when the repairs will be complete.” Suzie peered at the woman’s name tag. “Carlene?”
“Yes, I will.” She smiled. “It’s funny isn’t it? Yes, people do call me Car, and I work in an auto shop.”
“That’s cute.” Mary grinned.
“Thanks.” Carlene finished the last of the paperwork, then gave Mary a copy. “I’ll be in touch as soon as we get an idea of what’s going on with the SUV.”
“Thank you!” Mary nodded.
As they headed back to the car, Suzie glanced over at her.
“Are you sure this is the best place?”
“It was recommended, and he seems nice enough.” Mary shrugged.
Suzie was about to open the passenger side door when a bright yellow sportscar roared into the parking lot. The driver jumped out and stalked towards the open garage doors.
“Graham!” He shouted so loudly that Suzie froze where she stood. “Graham!”
The two women exchanged a brief look of concern, then headed back towards the garage. Whatever the man was upset about, it seemed serious.
“Brennan, what are you doing here?” Graham met him at the garage door.
“You know what I’m doing here! I lost everything last night, the brakes were faulty!” He took a step towards Graham. “You’re going to pay for my car, and more, because I lost a lot last night.”
“Calm down, Brennan. We can discuss this.” He glanced over at Suzie and Mary and waved his hand. “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ll have it ready for you soon.”
Suzie steered Mary back towards the car.
“We’d better not get into the middle of that.”
“If he’s upset about the repairs that Graham did on his car, don’t you think we should find out why?” Mary glanced over her shoulder at the two men, who disappeared into the garage.
“Not necessarily. We don’t know what actually happened to his car. I think with Jason’s recommendation, and Kenny’s, Graham is still our best bet.” Suzie opened the door to the car. “Now, we’re on a schedule, remember?”
“I remember.” Mary glanced at her watch, then looked back at the garage. The amount of anger she’d seen in Brennan’s expression concerned her. But Suzie was right. It wasn’t her business, and there was a lot to get done before the guests arrived. She joined Suzie in the car. “Oh, we still need to get tomatoes!”
“Right, let’s head that way now before we forget again.” Suzie turned into the grocery store just across the border between Parish and Garber. As Mary selected the tomatoes, Suzie browsed through the cleaning supplies to pick up a few products they needed. As she tossed some in her basket she heard a familiar voice, and smiled at the sound of it.
“Summer.” Suzie stepped around the side of the aisle and found her cousin’s wife at the deli counter.
“Suzie!” She opened her arms for a quick hug. “What are you up to today?”
“Well. We just bought a car.” Suzie laughed. “A SUV.”
“Wow!”
“I know, a bit impulsive, but it was a great deal.”
“Congratulations!” Summer grinned.
“Thanks. We have some new guests coming in, so we’re just picking up a few things.” Suzie smiled. “Are you off today?”
“I’m training a new assistant. I’m trying not to micromanage, so I took a break.” Summer lowered her voice and leaned closer. “It’s not an easy thing to let someone else do my job.”
“I bet it isn’t, because you’re the best medical examiner ever.” She winked at her.
“Oh, I think you might be a little partial.” Summer grinned. “Where’s Mary?”
“In produce, picking out tomatoes. We ran into Jason before and we were hoping you would join us for dinner tomorrow night instead of us coming to you, we’re hosting it for our guests. I suppose you could bring Jason, too.” Suzie laughed.
“I’ll double-check with him, but we should be able to do that. See you then, Suzie.”
“Absolutely, I’ll make sure we have wine.” Suzie gave her a quick wave, then headed off to find the wine. Once she did, she caught up with Mary in produce. She smiled at the sight of her friend sniffing tomatoes. “Did you find some good ones?”
“Yes, I think so.” Mary grinned.
“I just invited Summer to dinner tomorrow night.” She followed Mary to the checkout aisle.
“That’s great.” Mary took a deep breath, then smiled. “We really did it, Suzie, we have our very own SUV.”
“Yes, we do.” Suzie set the bottle of wine on the conveyor belt. “And we’re going to celebrate!”
“I sure hope we left the car in good hands.” Mary gazed out the window as Suzie drove in the direction of Dune House.
“Me, too. I’m sure he’ll do a good job. Someone always has something to complain about, right?” Suzie shrugged as she turned down the road that would lead them home. “The important thing is, we made our purchase. It’s getting fixed up, and that’s a good reason to celebrate. Right?”
“Right.” Mary grinned as they pulled into the parking lot of Dune House. “We only have about an hour before the guests are due to arrive, so I need to get to work on lunch.” She grabbed the bag of tomatoes from the back seat. As she climbed out of the car she noticed the sunlight as it glistened on the outstretched ocean. She took a deep breath of the salty air. It was hard to believe that she lived in paradise, but that’s what she considered Garber, and Dune House.
“I’ll look over the rooms one last time to be sure everything is in place. How many guests are coming in today?” Suzie tucked the keys into her pocket as she approached the front porch.
“Three, a couple, and a young woman on her own. She’s only staying one night, the couple will be here through the weekend.” Mary followed her up the stairs.
“Oh, that’s nice. I like it when the guests stay a bit longer, it gives us a chance to get to know them better.” Suzie smiled as she held the door open for Mary.
“I like it, too. I am hosting lunch today. They are on their own for dinner as they all indicated that they wouldn’t be in for dinner when I asked them. But tomorrow night I planned to have an early dinner before Anna, the young woman, checks out. Summer, Jason and Wes will hopefully be joining us. I know that Paul will be back tonight so if he wants to join us for dinner that would be great.”
“I’ll ask. Sometimes he needs a day or two to settle back in to being on land.” Suzie laughed. “I’ll let Pilot in, then check on the rooms.” She headed back out towards the fenced-in yard.
Mary set the tomatoes down on the counter in the kitchen, then got to work on preparing lunch. It was hard for her to believe that she’d actually purchased a vehicle since she didn’t come home with it. Times had certainly changed. There was a time in her life when every decision she made had to be run by her husband, and he tended to be in charge of every choice. It had taken a little time for her to get used to making her own decisions. Suzie helped her adjust to that.
Once the sandwiches were made, Mary started in on the crackers. As she lined them up on a large tray she felt something cold and wet press against the curve of her ankle.
“Pilot!” She gasped and laughed at the same time. “You startled me.”
Pilot looked up at her and yawned as he wagged his tail. She reached down and stroked the top of his head.
“Have you been sleeping again, you lazy dog. You’d better be nice to our guests, they’ll be here soon.”
Pilot wagged his tail again, then sat, and looked up at her with wide eyes.
“Oh, it’s a cracker you’re after?” Mary clucked her tongue. Then she snatched a cracker off the tray and tossed it to him. He snapped it out of the air. “Don’t tell Suzie.” She winked at him. She washed her hands, then returned to the task of preparing the lunch spread. Pilot trotted off to look for Suzie, Mary guessed. Ever since they’d adopted him, he’d become as much a part of Dune House as they were. He was quite protective of it and had to be taught to stop barking when a new guest arrived and not to bark every time a guest returned to the property. At first, they’d been concerned that it would be a problem to have a dog at a bed and breakfast, but their guests were informed before they booked, and none had complained. In fact, many spent more time playing with Pilot than they did on the beach. She couldn’t blame them, Pilot had an eagerness and joy that was infectious.
When there was a light knock on the door, Mary wiped her hands on her apron and headed towards it. Sometimes guests arrived early. She opened the door and discovered a young couple, their hands clutched together, and excited smiles on their faces.
“Welcome, Jess and Kyle?” Mary smiled.
“Yes, sorry we’re a little early, we made better time than we expected.” Kyle adjusted the bag that hung from his shoulder.
“That’s no problem at all. Come on inside.” Mary noticed they didn’t have very many bags. “Do you have more luggage in the car?”
“No, we make it our mission to travel light.” Jess grinned.
“That is a good thing to do!” Mary smiled as she led them towards the dining room. “I’ve put out a nice lunch spread if you’re hungry. There is plenty. I also put some brochures together of places in town that you might want to visit and there are some coupons in there, and of course we have all of the supplies you may need to enjoy some time on the beach.”
“That’s great, thanks.” Kyle set the bag down on the floor not far from the door. “I’m starving.”
“I wouldn’t let him stop on the way.” Jess laughed as she patted her husband’s shoulder. “I was so excited to get here. I can’t wait to get on that beach, it looks so beautiful.”
“Oh it is, trust me.” Mary headed for the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink? We have lemonade, iced tea, bottled water—”
“Oh, who’s this? You must be the resident dog.” Kyle laughed as he reached down to pet Pilot. “Hi buddy, aren’t you the sweetest?”
“That’s Pilot, he’s our permanent guest.” Mary grinned as she looked back at them. “He’s a very friendly dog, but if he gives you any trouble just let me know.”
“I’m sure he won’t.” Kyle straightened up. “I’ll take some iced tea.”
“Just water for me, thanks.”
As they settled in to feast, Mary filled out their paperwork. Just as she finished, there was another knock on the door. She headed for it and opened it to find a man on the other side. He looked to be in his thirties, and his dark hair was held back in a tight ponytail. His brown eyes sought hers.
“Hi there.”
“Hi.” Mary stared at him and wondered if she had forgotten a guest. As far as she knew it was only the couple, and a young woman who hadn’t arrived yet. He certainly didn’t fit the description of a young woman. “How can I help you?”
“I’m looking for a place to stay.” He cleared his throat. “I heard you might have a room available.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Mary laughed, then shook her head. “I was confused for a moment there. We usually take reservations in advance, but we do have a room available. I’ll just need you to fill out some paperwork. How long do you intend to stay?”
“I’m not sure, yet. A few days, maybe a week.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that possible?”
“Sure, we can leave it open-ended for now.” Mary shared with him the nightly and weekly rates, then led him inside to fill out the paperwork. As she settled him in the living room with the forms to fill out, the next guest arrived.
“Welcome, Anna.” Mary smiled at her as she ushered her through the door. She had quite a few bags despite only being an overnight guest. She wore very colorful clothing and lots of gold jewelry that nearly matched her long, blonde hair. Mary felt a little overwhelmed as she attempted to monitor the dining guests, the stranger filling out paperwork, and the newest arrival.
Suzie came back downstairs just in time to help Mary in the whirlwind of activity. She leaned in close to Mary.
“Who is in the living room?”
“Actually, I don’t know his name, yet. But he needed a place to stay.”
“I’ll check him in.” Suzie stepped into the living room and held out her hand to the man perched on the couch. He looked to be in his twenties, but there was a sense of maturity about him that made her doubt her guess. “Hi, I’m Suzie.”
“Hi Suzie.” He stood up and shook her hand. “I’m James.”
“Welcome to Dune House, James.” She held his gaze for a long moment. When he handed her the paperwork, she took it to the front desk and immediately entered the information. She wasn’t sure why exactly,
but something about James didn’t seem all that friendly.
Chapter 3
Once all the guests were settled in, Mary guided Pilot outside for a quick run on the beach. She found the young dog behaved much better if he had a good amount of exercise, and she needed it as well. As she thought of seeing Wes at dinner that evening, her heart skipped a beat. She still felt a little silly for being so wrapped up in him. Hopefully, he didn’t know just how much she enjoyed his company, or he might think she was a bit foolish. Nothing about Wes made her feel as if he would ever be anything but kind to her, and yet the insecurities from her previous marriage still surfaced to make her wonder.
As Pilot chased a seagull down the beach she laughed and reveled in the warmth of the sun. When she returned to the house she checked on all the guests, then prepared for her dinner with Wes. Not long after, she heard his familiar knock at the door. Two heavy thumps, and a patter of lighter knocks. It always amused her that he stuck to that pattern. She wasn’t sure that he was even aware of it. But it let her know exactly who was outside. The door was unlocked, but he liked to announce his presence, so he didn’t startle Suzie or Mary. As Mary headed for the door she noticed James on the side porch. He sat in a chair with his back to the dining room windows, his gaze towards the water. She always liked to see the guests of Dune House enjoying the beauty that Garber had to offer. As she approached the door it flung open and she smiled at the sight of Wes.
“You look so handsome.” Mary grinned.
“Well, I do try.” He took off his cowboy hat and smiled. “I have to, with someone as beautiful as you on my arm.”
“Sure, sure.” Mary laughed as she waved her hand at him. It still made her blush when he complimented her. “Enough with the sweet talk, let’s go eat.”
He smiled and then led her out to his car.
On the short drive to the local diner, Mary filled him in about the newest guests.
“James, I’m not sure about, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
