The Sunset Cottages: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  “Can we get snacks now?” Amanda asked.

  “Yep.” Kyle reached for Cassie’s hand and helped her around a mass of vines. They waited a few minutes at the pickup point before a truck lined with crude seats made out of hay bales came to pick them up. When they got back to the main part of the farm, Kyle paid for the pumpkins and took them out to the car while Cassie and the kids perused the food offerings.

  “Can I get two things?” Jace asked hopefully.

  Cassie raised an eyebrow. The pumpkin farm wasn’t exactly cheap, and with the bakery still getting on its feet, she’d been keeping the family on a tight budget. “What were you thinking of getting?”

  “A hot chocolate and a donut?” He peered up at her. “Is that okay? I can help pay for it if it’s too much money. I think I have some allowance left.”

  Sometimes her son surprised her. Jace had ADHD and was on the autism spectrum, so Cassie never quite knew which kid she was going to get at any particular moment. One minute he was off in his own little world and didn’t seem to care about anyone, and the next, he was offering to help pay for his own food to save her money.

  She blinked away tears. “No need for you to use your allowance, sweetie. I’ve got this.”

  “Got what?” Kyle asked, coming up behind her.

  Amanda piped in before Cassie could respond. “Jace was worried Mom didn’t have enough money to pay for him to have hot chocolate and a donut.”

  Cassie felt her cheeks flush as Kyle’s eyes met hers. He reached for her arm and turned her slightly to the side, away from the kids.

  “Do you need money?” he asked quietly. “I told you I’d help out with the bakery if you needed me to.”

  She took a deep breath. Although things were going well with Kyle, she hated the idea of him helping to pay for bakery costs. He already gave her a generous amount for child support and she wanted to make it on her own.

  “I’m good.” A twinge of doubt pulsed through her chest but she pushed it away. She’d been paying her own way since they’d divorced and she was proud of that. Now that she was a business owner and no longer had a steady paycheck, she didn’t intend to change anything. Besides, Kyle still had his own living expenses to cover, in addition to what he gave her for the kids. She forced a smile on her face and turned to face the kids. “Now that Dad is here, we should probably get in line to order.”

  Kyle ordered last, and Cassie reached for her wallet. He shook his head. “I’ve got this.”

  Cassie’s hand wavered over her credit card. “Are you sure?” She’d been in charge of this family outing and had planned to pay. Kyle had taken care of their trip to the pizza joint last week.

  He nodded, and handed the teenaged boy behind the counter a handful of bills. “Of course.”

  The boy handed him his change and gestured to his left. “You can pick up your food at the next window.”

  Kyle reached for Cassie’s hand again as they waited for their food behind a few other families. He squeezed it gently and a tingle went up her arm. She moved closer to him. It felt good to be there with him, her whole family back together. And he really had changed over the last year.

  Once they had their food, they wandered around the rest of the pumpkin farm. In reality, it was more of an amusement park than a farm, with several barns that had been turned into attractions for the kids. A huge wooden sign adorned the roofline of one of them, declaring it to be the Super Chute. Inside, children sat on old burlap potato sacks, racing each other down one of the four fiberglass slides from the heights of the barn.

  Out in an open area, the bright yellow of the rubber bouncy pillow caught Cassie’s eye. Amanda and Jace loved to jump on the balloon structure, although last year it had been closed due to rain. This year, though, the ground may have been boggy from rain the night before, but the sun shone high overhead and children’s squeals of delight echoed through the farm from the direction of the large, air-filled trampoline.

  Amanda must have seen it at the same time as Cassie, because she asked, “Can we go on the bouncy pillow next?” She hopped up and down on her toes in anticipation.

  Cassie laughed. Sometimes her preteen daughter seemed so mature, and other times she was still just a little kid. “Sure. Once you and Jace finish your food.”

  While Jace and Amanda ate the last bits of their donuts, they all wandered over to one of the smaller barns, where a fenced-in petting zoo had been set up outside.

  “Awww, look at the baby goats!” Amanda squealed. She and Jace knelt down to take a closer look at them through the gaps in the wooden fence, reinforced with chicken wire so the smallest goats couldn’t escape.

  Cassie and Kyle grinned at each other. “Some things never change,” Kyle said as he wrapped an arm around Cassie and pulled her close.

  She leaned into him, inhaling the spicy scent of his aftershave, which blended seamlessly with the autumn air and the apple cider she’d been drinking. He was right – some things never changed. How many times had they stood like this since they’d first started dating in high school? They’d been through so many things together, both good and bad. She didn’t have any illusions that things would always be perfect in their relationship, but she hoped the future would bring them more good than bad, now that they’d been through the worst of it.

  Jace tugged on her sleeve, interrupting her trip down memory lane. “Can we go jump now?” He held up his empty hot chocolate cup. “I’m done with my food.”

  Cassie checked to make sure Amanda was done eating too, then said, “Throw away your cup and we’ll head over there. It looks pretty busy though. We may have to wait in line until there’s room for you guys to go.” She always liked to prepare Jace when they may have to wait for something, because it helped him not to be so disappointed if they couldn’t do it right away.

  The crowd at the bouncy pillow wasn’t nearly as big as Cassie had expected, and they only had to wait for a few minutes before their kids were at the front of the line. Amanda and Jace had just stripped off their boots and were walking over to the shoe cubbies when Kyle’s phone rang. Cassie watched him closely as he pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID, looking perplexed as he answered the call.

  After a short greeting, he whispered to her, “I’m so sorry, but I need to take this call.” He spun around and rapidly walked away.

  Cassie’s heart sank – an all-too-familiar feeling. It was Saturday, and past the October fifteenth tax deadline. What could be so important that he’d have to take a work call while on a family outing?

  Calm down, Cass, she told herself. Kyle may have taken a call from work during his personal time, but it didn’t mean he was reverting to his old habits. This was the first time he’d done it since they’d started dating again, and it was entirely possible that it was genuinely an emergency. She focused on the people hopping across the giant yellow blob in front of her, laughing as Jace plopped down on the surface and was launched into the air by a bigger kid pouncing next to him. Cassie peered at her son with concern, but a wide smile stretched across his face.

  Just as quickly as he’d disappeared, Kyle was back again, wearing a big grin. Cassie raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

  He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Sorry about that. Someone had a question for me.”

  “No problem.” Although Cassie may not have meant the breezy tone she gave to her reply, her words were true. Kyle had only been gone for a few minutes and had come back in plenty of time to watch the kids having fun.

  “What did I miss?” He held his hand up to shade his eyes, staring at the mass of children popping up into the air like rows of jack-in-the-boxes.

  She shrugged. “Not much. Jace got bounced by a bigger kid, but he seemed to enjoy it. I haven’t seen Amanda in a while.” She squinted through her sunglasses, trying to make out their daughter.

  Kyle pointed. “She’s over there, with those girls.” Cassie followed his gaze. She didn’t recognize the other girls, alth
ough they may have been classmates of Amanda’s that Cassie hadn’t met yet. It wouldn’t surprise her, though, if their little social butterfly had just made new friends.

  Kyle’s phone buzzed. He checked the text he’d just received and frowned.

  “Is something wrong?” Cassie asked.

  “No, no. Just another question.” His face reddened and his index finger swept over the screen, dancing as he tapped out his response. As soon as he was done, he immediately turned it off. He focused his attention on Cassie. “So, what do you want to do after this? Maybe grab some dinner?”

  Cassie hesitated. She didn’t want to let him answering work calls and texts bother her, but they did. Would it be better for her and the kids to just go home after they were done at the pumpkin farm? She knew Jace was hoping to carve his pumpkin later with Kyle and she didn’t want to take that experience away from either of them.

  “Dinner sounds good. Maybe Mexican?” It was already four o’clock. With any luck, Kyle wouldn’t receive any more calls and she wouldn’t have to deal with the irrational flash of anger that shot through her every time she heard his phone ring.

  The kids stumbled up to them, their feet half-in and half-out of their boots.

  “Okay, kids. What’s next?” Kyle asked.

  “The Super Chute!” Jace wiggled the rest of the way into his boots.

  Kyle laughed. “The Super Chute it is.”

  Jace and Amanda took off running toward the tall barn housing the slides, with Kyle and Cassie ambling behind them.

  “This is nice,” Kyle said. “Just like old times.” He halted abruptly. She stumbled at the unexpected stop and looked up at him. He brushed her hair away from her face and cupped her chin, kissing her deeply.

  Her mind raced, wondering how many people could see them. Then, she gave in and circled her arms around his neck, kissing him back like they weren’t standing in the middle of a path at a crowded pumpkin farm. It felt good to let go for a short period of time and not worry about money, Kyle’s work calls, or what was going on with the kids. Carpe diem, Cassie. She didn’t know what the future held, but it didn’t matter right now – she was going to enjoy this day out with her family.

  4

  Tia

  The chilly blast of a fall morning hit Tia’s face as she stepped out the door of Zoe’s cottage. She shivered and pulled her nylon jacket tighter around her body with one hand while drinking hot coffee from the insulated traveler’s mug she held in the other. She wasn’t due at work for an evening wedding until two that afternoon, so she’d planned to do some cleaning in her future home before her shift.

  She strolled down the gravel lane that wound its way past all of the cottages, taking sips of coffee as she walked. The birds chirped above her, perched on gnarled tree limbs that stretched upward, like fingers reaching out to pluck the fluffy clouds from the sky. While the bay was only partially visible through the lush leaves of spring and summer, the barren trees of autumn offered a stunning view of the island in the distance. Just beyond the line of trees anchored to the sloping hillside, deep blue waters lapped at the shoreline.

  For as long as Tia could remember, her mom had enjoyed waking up at the crack of dawn to meander through their neighborhood while drinking her morning coffee. Tia had thought it silly, being the type that moved quickly toward her destination, but there was something about the Inn at Willa Bay that made her want to slow down and enjoy her surroundings. Now that she was an adult, she could appreciate her mother’s desire to start her day with a dose of nature. El Paso was two time zones ahead of Washington State. What would her mom be doing right now?

  With a start, Tia realized that this was one of the few times she’d thought about her mother as a person, not a parent. She’d always been so focused on getting out from under her parents’ thumbs that she’d pushed them away. Had she pushed too far? What was Christmas going to be like with them here in Willa Bay – her sanctuary?

  Tia abruptly changed directions and moved closer to the edge of the lane. She breathed in the crisp air, which held a tinge of salt and seaweed. She’d never been an early riser, but she relished these quiet mornings. Reluctantly, she pulled her gaze away from the bay and continued on toward the last cottage.

  It had been a few days since she’d been to Cottage Twenty, and she was pleased by the progress. Shawn had hired a crew to patch the roof and work on a few other things around the place, but they hadn’t arrived yet for the day. She turned the knob on the front door and stepped onto the hardwood floor.

  Years of neglect had left the planks scratched and scuffed, but Shawn told her he’d have them refinished before she and Meg moved in. To be honest, she’d miss seeing the reminder of the decades of happy families that had vacationed in the home. She didn’t need to worry too much though – the house held plenty of historic charm beyond its original flooring.

  As with the floors, they’d opted to keep the aged, but still serviceable Formica countertops in the kitchen, which now held a range of cleaning supplies lined up along the speckled surface. Tia grabbed a spray bottle containing a mixture of vinegar and water and a handful of rags. She’d already picked out a soft blue shade for the walls in her bedroom, but before she could paint, she needed to clean them.

  The stairs creaked as she stepped on each tread, echoing into the quiet like groaning piano notes. Sunlight streamed through the dirt-streaked window in the front bedroom, bathing the room with a soft yellow glow. She gave the space a once-over. So much dust and grime covered the walls that she couldn’t quite determine the original paint color. Cobwebs hung like miniature drapes from every corner. The floors weren’t any cleaner than the rest of it, but there wasn’t much point in mopping them, as they’d be refinished later anyway. Where should she start? There was plenty to do, but her gaze kept straying to the rectangular window.

  The highlight of this room was its peekaboo view of the bay, especially during the winter months, when the trees were bare of their leaves. Tia ran downstairs to get a chair to stand on so she could reach the top of the window frame. She sprayed the panes with a generous layer of vinegar water and got to work with a rag. Soon, the glass shone, revealing the beautiful vista. It would probably need cleaning again after the floors were done, but seeing it so clear motivated her to finish the rest of the room. She scrubbed at the wall below the window frame and dried off any excess water that had dripped down to the floor.

  It made sense to clear the cobwebs next before doing the rest of the walls. She stared up at the gossamer strands and frowned. Spiders had never been her thing, but these webs looked like they’d been abandoned long ago. Besides, she’d seen a broom downstairs that she could use to put plenty of distance between herself and the spiders’ domain.

  Once that task was complete, she washed the rest of the walls, stopping at the closet. She eyed the closed door. Who knew what was in there? It could be where the Queen of Spiders had made her nest. Tia sighed. This was going to be her new bedroom, and she definitely didn’t want to be living with the Queen of Spiders. With trepidation, she edged opened the closet doors.

  It wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d imagined. A few cobwebs had gathered in the corners, but like those in the main part of the room, they looked like they’d been vacant for a while. She cleared them with the broom, then stepped on the chair to wipe down the shelf over the hanging bar. When she was done, she dropped the rag on the floor and carefully stepped down.

  With pride, she looked around the room. The window sparkled, the walls were still damp from being wiped with the rag, and thick strands of spider webs clung to the nylon bristles of the broom instead of the corners of the ceiling. Except for the condition of the floor, she’d be happy to move in here immediately.

  After taking the chair into the other room for Meg to use, Tia gathered her cleaning supplies. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the dirty rag on the closet floor. She set the vinegar bottle down and bent over to pick up the cloth. It snagged on on the rough wo
od planks and held fast. Tia knelt down to untangle it and found a sizable gap between two of the floorboards. Intrigued, she ran her finger along the edge of one. It moved beneath her hand. She gently pried it up, revealing a two-foot-long hole.

  Even with the closet door completely open, shadows shrouded the floor, and she was reluctant to stick her hand into the mystery hole without better light. She grabbed her cell phone out of the jacket she’d flung over the banister in the hall and turned on the flashlight function to illuminate the space.

  There was something in there, something about the size of a thick textbook. She shoved her hand into the hole before she could talk herself out of it. Her fingers traced the edges of a wooden box that was slightly too bulky to remove with only one hand. She reached in with both hands and pulled the box out.

  Excitement simmered in her chest as she examined the object. She could just make out words written on the front, but a thin layer of dust made it difficult to read them. The lid was hinged along one side, and a hasp secured with a small padlock on the other held the box closed. She grabbed the rag and polished away some of the dust from the top until she could just make out the words “Tilford and Sons Cigars”. Was that all this was? Someone’s hidden stash of cigars?

  She wished she could open it, but the lock held fast, and she hadn’t seen a key to unlock it. Dejected, she set the box down on the ground and sat back, studying it. The Inn at Willa Bay was full of antiques and treasures, but this was the first she’d found on her own. Last month, Meg had found an old journal in the barn, and Tia had kind of been hoping this was something just as cool.

  “Hello?” An unfamiliar male voice traveled up the stairwell, followed by the telltale groaning of the stair treads. “Is anyone up there?”

  Tia scrambled to her feet, just in time to see an attractive man in his early thirties step onto the landing between the bedrooms. Unsure what to do, she clutched her phone in one hand, ready to call 911 if necessary. The man was likely a member of Shawn’s construction crew, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious when someone snuck up on you.