On the drive home from the ferry, Toni talked about a few of the landmarks they encountered. It was clear she knew the area well, and equally clear she was proud of her community.
When they arrived back at the inn, Noel thanked Toni for the nice evening and started to open her door. But before she could begin to exit, Toni was there, holding out a steadying hand to help her out of the tall truck. She walked Noel to the front door and handed her a small box.
Curious and surprised, Noel opened it to find a curvy mermaid with “Rehoboth Beach” printed on a sash that draped across her substantial chest. “This is adorable!” She gave Toni a quick, rather ungainly hug. “Thanks so much.”
“My pleasure. I couldn’t let you buy any of those tasteful things you were looking at. I want you to remember the randy side of Rehoboth. That’s where all the fun is.” She winked and turned to head back to her truck, with Noel looking at how nicely her shoulders filled out the snug polo shirt. Some women were just made to wear knit, and Toni was one of them.
***
A few days later, Noel was cleaning up after breakfast when she heard a knock at the back door. Curiously, she walked over and opened the door to find a woman bearing a large smile and a Tupperware cake holder. “Hi,” Noel said. “Welcome Wagon?”
“Sort of.” The woman handed Noel the container and said, “I’m Gloria Lake. Max and I were friends, and I’d heard that you’d decided to run The Sandpiper.”
“That’s partially true. Come on in and I’ll tell you what’s going on.” Noel started to walk into the parlor, but realized that there were still guests in there. “We can either stand here in the kitchen or go into my bedroom,” she said, laughing at herself.
“This is fine. I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know morning is busy.”
“It is, but it’s not all that busy. This is a lot more relaxing than my usual job.”
“That’s…?”
“I teach third grade in Baltimore.”
“Fascinating,” Gloria said. “I teach sixth right here in Rehoboth.” She squinted for a few seconds and said, “For twenty-six more months. Then I retire.”
“Cool. I think every teacher knows when she can get out.”
“Yeah, I love it, but I’ll be glad to retire. During the summers I work at Pages and Pages, one of our many bookstores. I’ll probably keep doing that after I retire. My youngest will be in college by then.”
“We’ll have to have coffee or something.”
“I’d love that. Why don’t we meet tomorrow afternoon? That’s my day off.”
“Great. Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
***
The next afternoon, Noel was waiting at a local coffee shop when Gloria entered. Gloria waved, got in line for her beverage, then joined Noel. The shop wasn’t very crowded, probably because it was a warm day and most people were at the beach.
Noel looked at her, guessing her to be in her mid-fifties. She looked like a teacher, even though Noel wouldn’t be able to explain that shorthand assessment to anyone who didn’t see her in that way. She idly wondered if people could tell she was a teacher just by looking at her.
“So how are you settling in?” Gloria asked when she placed her cup of tea on the table.
“I’m doing all right. My goal was to fix the place up and sell it, but when I couldn’t get that done in time for this summer, I decided to run it and make my repairs in the off-season.”
“Oh,” Gloria said, only the slight furrow in her brow adding to her comment.
“Are you like Max’s friend, Toni, who can’t imagine why I’d want to sell?”
“No, well, maybe a little. I know that Max wouldn’t have wanted you to sell.”
With a tight smile, Noel said, “Maxine could have left it to me with restrictions, but she didn’t. She also could’ve tried to find me a lot sooner, but she didn’t.” Her cool blue eyes looked positively frosty.
“I don’t pretend to speak for Max. And I’m not at all sure it was a good idea for her to leave you the property. I mean, I know it’s worth a lot of money, but it’s also a lot of work. I urged her to have her estate sell it and give you the money, but she had her mind made up.”
“I don’t mean to be rude,” Noel said. “I mean that sincerely. But I didn’t know Max, and I honestly didn’t want to. So, while I appreciate your kindness, I don’t want to talk about her.” She tried to smile, but her efforts were not very successful. “No hard feelings.” She started to get up, but Gloria put her hand atop hers.
“Will you stay if we don’t talk about her?”
Noel hesitated for a second, then said, “Sure.” She sat back down. “I hope I don’t come across as heartless. This has just been very traumatic for me. I’ve had kind of a tough year.”
“Tell me about it,” Gloria said, leaning back in her chair. Her expression was open and unguarded and Noel sensed that she could trust her—at least with the long list of reasons she didn’t like being an innkeeper.
***
An hour later, Gloria held the door for Noel as they left the coffee shop. “I hope I didn’t come across as a total bitch,” Noel said. “It’s just hard not knowing Max or anything about her, and then stepping into her world.”
Gloria put a hand on Noel’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Not at all. I know Max didn’t handle this whole thing very well. I can understand why you aren’t interested in her right now, but if you ever change your mind, I can try to give you my perspective on her.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But for now, I’m just looking for friends. I have my evenings free, but I haven’t gotten out much.”
“Have you been over to Jackie’s?”
“Jackie’s? No. What is it?”
“It’s a bar where most of the local lesbians hang out.”
“Mmm,” Noel looked unconvinced. “I’m not much into bars.”
“It’s a very friendly place. I think you’d feel comfortable going into Jackie’s alone.”
“You won’t go with me, huh?” Noel asked, a shy grin settled on her face.
“No. My husband and kids demand every bit of my free time. Why don’t you call Toni? She hangs out there, and I’m sure she’d be glad to introduce you around.”
“That’s not a bad idea. After all, she’s the one who talked me into this.”
***
Noel walked outside and saw that the day was fine—clear and warm with a slight, gentle breeze. The cleaning crew was still at the B&B and could handle any emergencies, so she decided to go to the beach and take a walk. She’d been at The Sandpiper almost nonstop since she’d arrived, but talking to Gloria convinced her that she had to make a little space for herself.
She put on her iPod headphones and got lost in her music while she padded along the sand in her bare feet. Distinct groups of beach-goers were gathered every few hundred yards. Some were a mix of gay men and lesbians; some were a college-aged crowd; some were moms and their kids. Only the kids braved the ice cold water, their mothers refusing to go in any further than absolutely necessary.
By the time she turned to head home, most of the crowd was packing up. She slowed down. The sensation of the cold water rushing over her feet, the rhythmic thrum of the waves, the call of the gulls were all calming. She was content and more tranquil than she had been since leaving Baltimore, and when she left the beach, she found that she’d subconsciously chosen the street that Jackie’s sat on. It was early evening, just after five, but she went in anyway, to get a feel for the place.
It was fairly dark inside, something she always hated about bars. But the woman behind the long bar smiled and welcomed her, making her forget about the dim atmosphere.
“Hi,” Noel said, while making a quick assessment of the bartender. Graying hair cut fairly short, a kind smile and friendly eyes—she looked to be in her late fifties or early sixties.
“What can I get for you?”
“Oh.” Noel looked around and saw she was
the only patron. “Do you have any cranberry juice?”
“Sure do.”
“How about cranberry and sparkling water.”
“I can do that.” She started to make the drink, saying, “Don’t think I’ve seen you around. Are you here on vacation?”
“Sort of.” Noel put a five dollar bill on the bar and took a sip. “I’m running The Sandpiper.”
“Oh! You’re Max’s daughter!”
“Yep.” Noel tried to keep her smile free of the rancor she felt whenever the topic came up. “Gloria Lake suggested I come by to rub elbows with the lesbian movers and shakers.”
“Great. I don’t see Gloria very often…since Max died. They were good friends.”
“That’s what she said.” She determinedly changed the subject. “So, how do I get into the swing of things around here? I’m going a little stir crazy.”
“It might not look like it, but this is a good place to start.”
As she was speaking, Heidi walked in and dropped her briefcase on the bar. “Why didn’t I go into an easier line of work? Like prison guard. Where I could meet nice people.” She put her head on the bar and moaned throatily.
“Bad day?” Noel asked dryly, feeling more at ease now that she knew someone.
“Do you two know each other?” Jackie asked.
“A bit,” Noel said. “Heidi gave me some good advice when I first came down here.”
Heidi looked up and smiled. “Are we still speaking? Toni says you’re not the happiest inn-keeper in town.”
“Sure.” Noel moved down to sit by Heidi. “I’ll even buy you a drink.”
“Vodka and tonic,” Heidi told Jackie. “Don’t be stingy,” she added in a dramatic voice.
“What’s got you down?” Jackie asked.
“Oh, just the usual. I had a buyer lined up for a little apartment building in Lewes, and the seller totally screwed up the deal. Weeks of work…down the drain.”
“Ooo, that must hurt.” Noel made a face.
“I’ll get over it. Still beats dealing with homeowners.”
“Do you only do commercial buildings?”
“Almost exclusively. I did residential for a few years, but that got old quickly. Speaking of commercial buildings, how’s The Sandpiper?”
The door opened, and they all squinted to see Toni enter, a big smile on her face. “Afternoon, all. Who wants to buy me a drink?”
“I’ve got this round,” Noel said, nearly euphoric to see her. “You’re looking happy today.”
“Why not?” Toni sat next to Heidi and tipped the beer Jackie automatically poured for her at Noel. “Summer’s here and it’s a beautiful day.” She took a deep drink and sighed. “Life is good.”
“Heidi had a deal fall through,” Noel said. “She needs cheering up.”
Toni put her arm around Heidi and kissed the top of her head. “Tell me all about it, bunny.”
“Oh, just the usual. I wasted time on a deal that got screwed up.”
Toni looked at Noel from over Heidi’s head. “She gets no respect.”
“I’d sell The Sandpiper in a minute if you could find me a buyer,” Noel said. “Would that make you feel better?”
Heidi sat up and looked at Noel curiously. “Have you dropped your plans for upgrading the place?”
“No, but I’m certainly not opposed to selling it now if I can get a good deal.”
“The place looks great,” Toni said. “Maybe you should see what people are willing to pay. It’d give you an idea of where you stand.”
This was a new tack, and an odd one at that. “What happened to ‘don’t even think of selling it?’”
“I thought you’d like it once you got here. But if you don’t, why not see if there’s any interest?”
“What do you think, Heidi? Should we list it?”
“Sure, we can do that if you want to. I don’t think you’ll get any nibbles, since people don’t generally like to take over mid-season, but it can’t hurt.”
“Great.” Noel finished her drink, paid for the others, and patted each woman on the back on her way out. “Give me a call when you have a contract for me to sign.”
After they’d all said goodbye, Toni scowled at Heidi. “You should encourage her.”
“Encourage her? I thought I was supposed to discourage her.”
“Yeah, but things have changed. I think she might really want to get out. And if she does, she might change her mind about taking a second mortgage, especially if I offer more than anyone else.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll see what the market looks like and talk to Noel. But I’m not going to tell you anything she tells me in confidence. I’ve got to protect my integrity.”
Toni smiled at Jackie. “Isn’t she cute when she says things like that?”
Part Three
That Friday evening, Noel had just put her feet up, and was settling in to watch the evening news. She heard what sounded like a tapping on her window, but chalked it up to the wind. When it happened again, she got up to investigate. Through tilted blinds she saw Toni standing outside, holding up a bottle of wine. “Thirsty?” Toni asked.
“Sure. I’ll meet you outside.” Noel tried to ignore the little jolt she got whenever Toni appeared. But she did pause and check herself out in the mirror, making sure her hair looked good.
Toni was sitting on the swing she had installed inside the arbor. She grinned when Noel approached with a corkscrew and two glasses. “I knew this would be a fantastic place to sit.”
Noel sat down next to her, and handed Toni the corkscrew. “Do you think it’s okay for me to sit out here? I never know how normal to be.”
“Because of your guests?”
“Yeah. I don’t want it to look like I’m one of them. That might be a turnoff.”
Toni nodded, but didn’t add anything. She got the bottle open and poured, then touched her glass to Noel’s. “Nice,” she said, taking an appreciative sip. “I like a good crisp wine.”
“It is good. Thanks for coming by. I get pretty lonely.”
“Don’t let that happen. This is a friendly place. You need to get out and mingle.”
Shrugging her shoulders and feeling a little embarrassed, Noel said, “I’m not good at…I’ve never had to adjust to being new in town.”
“Then I’m glad I decided to come by. I’ll continue to chase you down if I don’t see you around.”
“I’m probably here more than I need to be, but, like I say, I’m flying blind.”
Again, Toni nodded, and took another sip of her drink. It was early evening and the day had been warm, but now there was a nice breeze. The clematis that Toni planted were just past their full bloom, and the climbing roses were ready to pop.
Toni’s uncharacteristic reserve made Noel dig a little. “I can see that you want to say something, but you’re holding back.”
Feigning astonishment, Toni said, “Me? I never hold back.”
“Yes, you do. You’re very polite.”
“Thank you. I’ll tell my mother that her indoctrination was successful.”
“Come on,” Noel urged. “What did you want to say?”
“Nothing earth shattering. I was going to tell you how Max did a few things, but I know you don’t like to talk about her.”
Noel sat quietly for a few moments, testing her feelings. “You know, I’m more amenable to hearing about her now that I’ve been here for a couple of weeks. I see all of her things around the house and I’m getting curious.”
“Well, I can tell you how she ran things, but only if you’re sure you want to hear.”
“I am. I’m particularly interested in how she interacted with the guests. I’m not a natural at this, and I think I’m probably being too formal.”
“I can’t see you imitating Max,” Toni said, chuckling softly, “but she was a long way from formal. If you would’ve walked in here two summers ago, you wouldn’t have known that she owned the place. She always ate with the guests, and most nights
she’d be in the parlor playing cards or just talking with them.”
“Really? I try to be as unobtrusive as possible.”
“Like I said, you don’t seem anything like Max, and her style wouldn’t fit you. But the guests who come here are used to a very casual atmosphere.”
Noel scooted around until her back was against the arm rest. She put her foot on the seat of the swing and wrapped her arm around her knee, looking more casual than she usually did. “Tell me a little about her.”
“I can tell you an awful lot. What do you want to know?”
Having the whole universe of Max presented daunted Noel. She could feel herself backing off, but was determined not to. “Mmm, just tell me whatever you think is important.”
Toni leaned back and made the swing rock gently. She put her arm across the back and let her fingers play against the grain of the wood. “Do you know anything at all?”
“Nothing.” Noel frowned and shook her head, wracking her mind for the few details she did possess. “No, that’s not true. I know that the adoption agency was in California, so I always assumed I was born there.”
“Wow,” Toni said, shaking her head. “I can’t imagine what it’s like not knowing anything about your birth parents.”
Smiling, Noel said, “I can’t imagine what it’s like to know your birth parents at all. And since my brother and sister don’t know theirs either, it seemed perfectly normal when I was growing up.”
“I guess that makes sense. Well, Max was from Oklahoma. She moved to California with a couple of friends and never went back. She eventually joined the Navy, and she was in for twenty-five years.”
“Ah-ha! That explains the little trinkets from all sorts of port cities. What did she do?”
“I’m not sure what she did at first, but I do know she was in the group of women who were the first ones assigned to ships. I think that was the late seventies, maybe early eighties. She was on a submarine tender and was stationed in Scotland for quite a while. She did a lot of traveling around in Europe, so she was pretty international for a girl from a small town on the plains.”
Susan X. Meagher - The Legacy Page 5
