The Inn at Summer Island

by Rachel Magee

  “What about Jenna or Lori?”

  “Same. And I hate to say it, but Jenna was swayed by the amount of violation letters in her file. She’s not convinced it won’t become a pattern.”

  “Those complaints aren’t even valid. They weren’t sent through the proper channels.”

  “A couple of them were. And knowing there were others, even if they’re not official, is enough to make some people leery.”

  Frustration flanked by fear twisted inside him. This couldn’t be happening. Millie had done everything they’d asked and she was going to get blocked by a technicality and a fear?

  “What about Curt?”

  “He and Jarod wrote the new ordinance in the first place. They both say they have no intention of overturning it.”

  Braxton might’ve understood why these people would vote no before. Even he agreed that rule made sense on paper. It was created to protect and preserve their neighborhood from big business and the kind of mass tourism that could destroy the natural beauty they worked to preserve.

  But now? After meeting her? After seeing her passion and getting a feel for what kind of bed and breakfast she was going to run? How could these people who had embraced her into their lives still vote against her livelihood? She was in their book club for crying out loud.

  Jose didn’t wait for Braxton to rattle through the whole list. He went straight to the point. “Sophia is going to be the only yes, but she’s not aware of how the rest of the votes will go.” He paused, giving Braxton a chance to comprehend that even he was going to vote no.

  Disappointment gripped him. “Even you?”

  “It’s nothing personal, Braxton. It’s policy. Besides, my one vote wouldn’t make a difference.”

  “Bubbles, Daddy, bubbles.” Alice’s cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts. With unbridled delight, she was trying to climb over the side of the tub into the bubble bath.

  Braxton stood up and stripped the rest of the clothes off his bath-bound girl and lifted her into the tub. He then knelt next to it, watching her splash in the pink-tinted foam.

  There was such joy in front of him. Joy that had no idea of the kind of life-changing disappointment was looming in the future. He pictured Millie celebrating the beautiful renovations with her two friends at this very moment. Millie whose welcome home text included a smiley face and a celebration emoji. A cheerful, unassuming Millie whose future was about to be crushed.

  Acid roiled in his stomach. “Well, thanks for letting me know.” A tinge of hostility slipped into his voice that he didn’t bother taking out.

  “Since you have a personal interest in this one, I thought you should know before tomorrow,” Jose said. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted it.”

  “I appreciate that.” What he didn’t appreciate was the fact that not one of the board members believed in something the rest of Summer Island seemed to see so clearly—that Millie and her inn would be a benefit to their community. But at least the heads-up gave him the chance to figure out what to do before the vote.

  He was taking a page from Millie’s playbook—just because they were down didn’t mean they were out.

  He hung up the phone and focused on finishing Alice’s bath, thinking of how he could fix this.

  “Well, kiddo,” he said as he massaged shampoo into her hair. “Looks like Daddy’s going to have to do more work than he anticipated tonight.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Millie stepped into the grand entryway dressed in her new brightly colored summer dress with a freshly groomed Bear by her side at exactly ten o’clock.

  She’d done it.

  Plenty of people had told her it was an impossible task, which at times she almost believed. Time and money had sat firmly in her way and even mother nature had tried to stop her, but she hadn’t been deterred. She’d done it anyway. She, Millie Leclair, had restored the beloved Seascape Inn and now it was time to let the world see it.

  Okay, maybe not the world. Just the people of Summer Island, but at the moment that was exciting enough.

  The recently polished and resealed tile floors gleamed. The new furniture in the great room had a rustic charm that made the space look fresh while seeming as if it had always belonged there. The long dining room table had been refinished and was covered in snacks and treats that had long been a staple of Aunt Mildred’s inn.

  Everything was, in a word, perfect.

  “Hello!” Bonnie peeked her head inside the door. “Has the open house opened?”

  Excitement buzzed through Millie. “Yes, and you are my very first guest. Welcome.”

  Bonnie stepped into the entryway, her gaze sweeping around the space. “Oh, honey,” she breathed out with a sort of wonder. “It’s amazing.”

  Pride lit up inside her to the point that she wondered if she was actually glowing. She wasn’t normally one to toot her own horn, but this time she had to agree. It was pretty great.

  “Thanks.” She hugged her friend. “It wouldn’t have been possible without your encouragement.”

  “I knew you could do it all along. And now look at this place. It’s even prettier than I remember it.”

  “You haven’t even seen the whole thing. Check out the rooms upstairs and the new pool deck. And when you’re through, grab a snack in the dining room.”

  “I can’t wait.” Bonnie grabbed one of the maps and information pages Millie had fanned out on the large round table in the center of the grand foyer. “Mildred would have loved this.” She headed off in the direction of the stairs as the next group walked in.

  Over the next hour, more people came through her front doors than she could count. Most of the faces she recognized, but some she met for the first time. She’d just finished greeting a new couple she didn’t recognize from Summer Island when Sophia joined her in the entryway.

  “It’s a total success. Everyone loves it. Congratulations!”

  Millie took in the view of guests hanging out in the living room and through the windows she could see more gathered around the pool. This was the exact scene she had worked for. This was what she moved to Summer Island to do. Seeing this house filled with the happy hum of conversation and people relaxing and enjoying themselves made all the grueling hours over the past two months worth it.

  Millie motioned to the guests. “I’m pretty sure they’re all discussing the beauty of the tile work in the guest bathrooms. Those are clearly the crowning jewels of the house.”

  “They’re rather stunning, if I do say so myself.” Sophia grinned. “I hate to eat and run, but I have to get back to the shop. I’ll talk to you tonight after the HOA meeting?”

  Millie hugged her. “Thanks for everything.”

  When Sophia opened the door to leave, Braxton, dressed in a pressed dress shirt and slacks, was walking up the steps. She held the door open and waited for him to come in.

  “Welcome home, Braxton. Just wait until you see all the work Millie’s done while you were gone. The house looks amazing.”

  Braxton’s gaze met Millie’s first, and warmth sparkled through her. “I can’t wait to see it.” Then he turned to Sophia. “Are you leaving? I have a couple of HOA items I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Work calls at the moment, but I should have some free time later this afternoon. You can call me if you need to, or we can talk before the meeting.” She looked over at Millie. “And I’ll see you afterward to celebrate.”

  For a second, Millie could’ve sworn a pained expression passed over Braxton’s face. His jaw tensed and something flashed in his eyes that she couldn’t quite identify. But as soon as it appeared it was gone, replaced by his charming smile.

  As Sophia disappeared outside, Braxton walked over to her. His hand settled on the small of her back and he brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Hello.”

  “Hello yourself. Welcome ho
me. Where’s the little miss?”

  Braxton slid his hand in his pocket. “She’s with Lena this morning. I have to get caught up on some work and then I’m headed over to see Henry. But I wanted to see your big reveal.”

  There was something about him that seemed a little stiffer than normal, almost formal. But she tried to shake off the feeling. Surely she was imagining it, right? The stress of the open house and the vote later today was probably making her overanalyze everything.

  “It looks great, Millie.” He walked past her and stood at the top of the two steps that led down to the great room. “Really, everything turned out spectacular.”

  Millie joined him. “I have to admit, it all came together better than I hoped. Even the couches that got held up by the hurricane were delivered on time. And I’m a little bit in love with them.” Sometimes it was hard to believe this was her house. Those beautiful couches and all the other accessories that made the room stunning were her things. She had to keep pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t some elaborate dream.

  Braxton nodded. “You did an amazing job.” He turned his focus to her, his blue eyes gazing into hers. “Whatever else happens, you should be very, very proud of yourself.”

  The words caught her off guard. She took a step back, apprehension nudging out the joy that had been sparkling through her all day. “What do you mean ‘whatever else happens’?”

  Once again, that same tense look passed over his face. But with a slight shake of his head, the worrisome expression was replaced by his charming grin. “Nothing. This is your moment. You should enjoy it.”

  She studied him. It wasn’t nothing. Something was off. “Is everything okay?”

  He took a beat too long to answer. “Nothing to worry about.” He pressed his lips against her forehead in what should have been a reassuring kiss. “But after the open house, can we talk?”

  Nothing good ever came out of those three little words. A chill ran through her. Before he could answer her, Joyce and Betty walked through the front door.

  “Isn’t this place just lovely!” Joyce gushed, walking straight over to them. “I can’t even believe it’s the same house.”

  Millie tried to squash the gnawing apprehension and plastered on a smile. “Thanks. I’m pleased with how it turned out.”

  “Pleased? You should be over the moon.” Betty patted her hand. “It looks even better than I remember it looking when we were young.”

  Betty’s gaze darted around the space as she moved her head slowly to take it all in. “Doesn’t this bring back memories?” There was a certain wistful quality about her voice that filled Millie with pride.

  “Well, this isn’t all of it. You should see all the work that was done upstairs. The guest rooms turned out great. And the sweet flower arrangement you sent this morning, Joyce, is in one of them. Thank you so much for that.” She gave Joyce a quick hug.

  “You are welcome, dear. We’re all so proud of you.”

  “Yes, we are,” Braxton said, his eyes meeting Millie’s.

  “Enough jabber-jawing. I want to see the rest. Braxton, care to escort a feeble old lady up that staircase?”

  Braxton offered his arm. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Betty slid her hand through the crook of his elbow.

  “Enjoy. And when you come back down, don’t forget to stop by the dining room for some classic Seascape treats along with some new favorites.”

  The trio started toward the stairs, Joyce and Betty discussing Mildred’s famous brownies.

  Braxton glanced back over his shoulder at Millie. “I’ll find you later. It’s all good.”

  Millie nodded and watched them walk up the steps. It didn’t feel all good. Something was off and she didn’t want to have to wait thirty more minutes until the open house was over to find out whatever it was. Her mind spun with possibilities, none of them good.

  Had he changed his mind? Did something happen in Atlanta that made him rethink his relationship with her? A knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

  Before she could think too much about it, she was interrupted by Jose, one of the HOA board members, and his wife who were leaving.

  “The house is beautiful. Congratulations on the remodel.”

  The compliment calmed some of her fears. “Thanks. I’m thrilled with how it turned out. And with your help tonight, lots more people can experience the charms of Summer Island while staying at this charming bed and breakfast.”

  Jose glanced around the space. “That is the vision, isn’t it?”

  Millie, feeling encouraged, leaned in as if sharing a secret. “And I personally promise to make sure every one of my guests follows all of the HOA rules. That’s my guarantee to the community.”

  Jose shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable. “That’s good to hear.”

  So maybe she’d taken her sales pitch too far, but she wanted every HOA board member to know she was a team player. Seascape Inn would be a benefit to their community, just like it used to be when Aunt Mildred ran it.

  “It certainly is lovely,” his wife said. “Thank you for showing it to us.”

  Millie waved goodbye to them and stepped up to greet a new group who walked in the door.

  The next twenty minutes was a constant stream of people coming and going. Whatever apprehension had set with Braxton’s can-we-talk request had been buried under the delight of hearing person after person sing the praises of Seascape. People loved the renovations and property.

  She was floating on the success of the event when the Callahans, a couple she’d just met, came up to her again.

  “The property really is gorgeous, dear. It’s beyond anything I could’ve imagined,” Mrs. Callahan said.

  “Thanks.” Millie smiled at her. “I’m so glad you came by to see it.”

  “Braxton told us about this place a while back but wasn’t sure it would still be available. We were thrilled to get the call last night that it was. And after seeing it, Braxton was right.” She clapped her hands together, looking delighted. “This is exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

  Millie held her hands up as if putting Seascape on display. “Well, now you’ve found us.”

  “Yes, we have. I know I balked at the price tag last night, but after seeing it, we think it’s right on par,” Mr. Callahan said.

  “Price tag?” While she and Braxton had talked about what she could charge for a room once it opened, their discussion had always been theoretical. She’d never decided on anything. Was he already advertising her room rate without her approval? No, that didn’t sound like him.

  “I know we aren’t supposed to sound too eager, but I don’t care. Now that I’ve seen it, I have to have it. We already talked about it and we’re willing to go two percent above the asking price if we can sign now.” Mrs. Callahan turned and looked out the back window. “I can already visualize what the new house will look like.”

  Confusion circled in her mind like a dark storm. “New house?”

  Where to even start piecing together what they were talking about? Exactly what were they looking for? Asking price. New house. Braxton.

  And then it hit her like a lightning bolt through storm clouds.

  How could she have been such a fool?

  A successful real estate agent who was well aware of her aunt’s passing showed up on her doorstep the moment she arrived, asking about her plans for the place and going over every reason why it would be impossible for her to keep it. And then she’d believed him when he said he was on her side. Had she not learned anything in the course of her life?

  Her old boss had only wanted her ideas to get himself a promotion. Her ex had only wanted her by his side when it looked good to be committed but was not actually committed enough to stay around after he got the new job he wanted. Even her mom had left because chasing a career was more important than
raising her daughter. Why would Braxton be different? Of course it had been his plan to broker this deal and walk away with the big fat commission.

  Can we talk? Yeah, she had some words for him, all right.

  “I’m sorry for the confusion, but Seascape is not for sale,” she said, as levelly as she could, considering a hurricane raged inside of her.

  “What?” The shock in Mrs. Callahan’s voice was expected. They’d been just as blindsided by the same man.

  “Fine. We’ll go five percent over asking,” Mr. Callahan said.

  Millie tried to keep her expression as polite as possible. “It’s not a money thing. The reason for the open house was to announce the grand reopening of the historic Seascape Inn, which will now be a luxury bed and breakfast.” Satisfaction sparkled through her as she delivered the last line. She couldn’t wait to say the same thing to Braxton when they talked.

  “Well, I…” Mrs. Callahan didn’t bother to finish her sentence. She simply huffed and marched out of the front door.

  “If you change your mind, give us a call. Our offer still stands.” Mr. Callahan handed her a business card and followed his wife out.

  Millie was still holding the card when Braxton, Betty, and Joyce appeared in the grand foyer. Braxton’s brow furrowed as he stared out the open front door.

  “It’s simply divine, dear,” Betty said.

  “Very lovely. Everything turned out beautifully,” Joyce added. “I love that paint color you used in the guest rooms.”

  “Thanks.” Millie tried to focus on her friends, but her mind was consumed by Braxton.

  “Was that the—” Braxton started but Millie cut him off.

  “The Callahans? Uh-huh. Friends of yours?”

  His questioning look was worth the snark, but she ignored it for now. She wasn’t going to do this here. Not in front of her friends.

  She focused her attention on Joyce and Betty. “Thank you both so much for coming and for all your support. I really appreciate it.” They said their goodbyes and she hugged both ladies, the whole time trying not to get distracted by the elephant in the room.