The inn was going to be full for the wedding, and Jane had everything under control. And her ads and new website must be working because she’d been getting reservations for several weeks out.
She had a new dog, her sister wasn’t leaving right away, and now Mike wasn’t either. What more could a girl want?
Chapter 29
Jane balanced the plate of oatmeal-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cookies in her hand as she stepped out of Andie’s rental car at Tall Pines. The cookies were from an old recipe of her grandmother’s and a thank-you gift to Mike’s grandfather for pushing the sewer hookup through. The hookup had gone off without a hitch, and the bathroom was complete except for few finishing touches. With that work behind them, Jane and Andie had decided they could both use an afternoon off and came to visit Addie together.
“We’ll pop in and visit George first. You’ll like him, and I know he’ll love seeing Cooper.” Jane glanced at the dog, who Andie had on a leash, and Cooper wagged his tail enthusiastically, apparently knowing he was going to see George.
“That was nice of him to do that favor. Actually, it was nice of a lot of people in the town. It’s refreshing to see how people went out of their way to help us out. You don’t get much of that in the city.”
Jane smiled. Andie was right—Lobster Bay was special. The more her sister saw that, the more she might want to stay in town. And Jane had decided she really wanted Andie to stay.
The closer they got to George Henderson’s room, the harder Cooper strained on the leash. Jane told Andie to unclip it when they were two rooms down, and Cooper rushed in ahead.
“Cooper! Hey, boy.” The joy in George’s voice was unmistakable.
Jane poked her head in the room, holding up the tray of cookies. “I brought you a little something to say thanks for helping to fast-track that sewer hookup.”
“Cookies?” George’s attention wavered from the dog to the cookies. “I love cookies.”
“It’s my grandmother’s recipe.” Jane turned to Andie. “This is my sister. Andie, George Henderson.”
“Andie. Andie Miller. You know, I think I remember you as a little baby. I knew your grandparents.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you move away? Can’t understand why anyone would do that.”
“I’m beginning to wonder that myself,” Andie said as she shook his weathered hand.
George offered them a cookie then proceeded to munch on his. “I hear you’re going to be taking care of my friend here.” George nodded toward Cooper.
“He’s been staying with me at Tides, and I’ve gotten really attached. I just figured that Mike can’t have him in the cottage, and who knows how long he’ll be staying in town.”
George nodded. “I think Cooper will be in good hands with you.”
“Me too. And I can bring him to visit you whenever you want after Mike goes back to Seattle.”
“I’m not so sure that Mike is going back. I think he might come to see that there is more for him here in Lobster Bay. And I’m not just talking about the ocean. I think he’s met some special people here too.” George’s eyes twinkled as he glanced at Jane before taking another cookie from the plate.
Jane’s cheeks heated. “We’d better go visit our mom. We can swing back afterward and get Cooper if you want to spend more time with him.”
“That would be great. Thanks for the cookies.” George turned his attention back to the dog, and Andie and Jane left.
“Sounds like Mike might stay. What do you think of that?” Andie said once they were out in the hall.
“He’s just a friend, Andie, but it would be great if he stayed. One can never have too many friends.” Jane could feel Andie smirking at her the whole way to their mother’s room, but at least her sister didn’t say anything more. Jane wasn’t sure how she felt about Mike. She liked his company, and there was a hint of attraction, but any thoughts of romantic relationships had died when her husband passed years ago. Or had they? Maybe everyone’s advice was right and it was time Jane opened up and let someone in. After all, she’d let Andie and Cooper in, and that seem to be working out okay.
Addie’s room was cheery and neat as a pin. But she wasn’t in it.
“She’s in the living room playing cards.” A woman that Jane recognized as a volunteer wheeled past them in a wheelchair. “Follow me.”
A small crowd was gathered outside the living room. She recognized some of the people as the children of residents. Her heart leapt. Was something wrong?
She hurried toward the crowd. “What’s happened?”
A woman with shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair turned to her. “Shhh. Nothing has happened.” She gestured toward the room. “Look at them. They’re having so much fun we didn’t want to disturb them.”
Inside the room, three residents sat on the sofa watching TV. Two other residents were sitting at a table eating a snack, and five, including Addie, were sitting around the card table.
“I’ve got a five!” One of the residents slapped a card on the table.
“Go fish,” another, whose cards kept falling out of his hands, said.
“I’ll raise you a goldfish.” Addie added a card to her pile.
“I’ve got old maid!” a woman with a white bun announced.
The woman next to her frowned at her. “Who did you say was an old maid?”
The woman with the bun thought for a second and then replied, “I am!”
They all burst out laughing, each of them putting down cards and randomly picking up others. They weren’t really playing a structured game. It was more like they were pushing the cards around the table, but apparently it worked for them.
“Your mom has made lots of friends. She’s fitting in very nicely here,” one of the nurses who’d been standing in the back watching said to Jane and Andie.
Jane’s heart soared as she watched her mother laughing and interacting with the other residents. She was animated and truly enjoying herself. “That really takes a load of worry off. They look like they are having so much fun.”
“I know. Sometimes I think my mom has more fun when I’m not here,” the woman with the salt-and-pepper hair said.
“They don’t always make a lot of sense, and they have their issues, but it’s as if they speak the same language,” the nurse said.
As Jane watched her mother, she felt the burden of worry about her mom lifting from her shoulders. In that moment, she knew that no matter what, her mother was going to be okay.
Chapter 30
It took a few days for the reality that things might work out after all to settle in for Jane. Everything is coming together, and Andie is really bringing the garden to life, Jane thought as she admired the mounds of pink flowers along the edge of the driveway. Cooper sniffed at a bush with long sprigs of purple flowers, disrupting an orange-and-black monarch butterfly.
“The pink flowers are impatiens. Remember Mom used to plant them?” Andie stood beside her, admiring her own handiwork.
“I remember. She’d replace them with mums in the fall.” Jane wondered if Andie was planning on doing the same. Would she be around in the fall?
“Impatiens are annuals, so they have to be removed at the end of summer.” Andie stepped back to get a wider view of the edge of the driveway. “Mums would look great all along here and in some big planters near the bathroom.”
“Good idea. Now that everything has been approved and I know the wedding is really happening, it might be smart to spruce the bathroom area up with flowers.”
“I’m really glad things are working out, and the wedding is kind of exciting,” Andie said.
“Yeah, except the more I talk to the bride, the more I wonder if this is going to be as easy as I thought.”
“Oh no. Bridezilla?”
“Maybe. She keeps making strange demands. Like special cake frosting and a particular type of candle.”
“Maybe she’s just nervous. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Andie assured her. “Anyone would be nervous
with a wedding coming in two weeks. But look on the bright side. We’ll have an inn full of guests and get good experience.”
“And bookings are up in general.” Jane frowned. “I don’t love dealing with the people, though. I’m better with the behind-the-scenes stuff.”
“True, but I see you’ve been stepping out of your comfort zone and interacting with them. It’s kind of fun talking to them, isn’t it? Meeting new folks from different places. They’re usually happy, too, because they’re on vacation.”
“I don’t think it’s that fun.” Jane hesitated then decided to go for it. “If you think it’s fun, though, maybe you should stay on. I could use the help.”
A look of surprise flashed in Andie’s eyes, but at least she appeared to consider Jane’s invitation. “I don’t know. I have to admit I like the pace here. At work I spent most of my time indoors, and this is nice.” Andie waved her hand to indicate the garden and ocean beyond. “I’m not sure there would be enough for me to do here, though.”
“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. You might be surprised at how much there is to do.” Lobster Bay might not be as busy and hectic as Andie was used to, but what’s so great about being busy and hectic? Maybe Andie needed to get out of her comfort zone too.
“I might take you up on that.” Andie looked at Jane’s outfit. “You look dressed up. Where are you off to?”
Jane had taken an hour to pick out the outfit—a short-sleeved top with a bold black-and- white print that hung at hip level and black linen capris. Black, beaded sandals completed the look. She had to admit it was a nice change from her usual T-shirt and jean shorts, and with her thin frame, she looked pretty good. “Oh, just out to eat.”
Mike’s car pulled into the driveway, and Jane tamped down the butterflies swarming in her stomach.
“Come on, Cooper, you ready?” She tugged Cooper’s leash, avoiding looking at Andie. She was sure her sister was smirking behind her back. It was okay, though, because Andie was right. Jane was stepping out of her comfort zone, and not just when it came to running Tides.
Mike cracked open a lobster claw and picked out the meat. There was nothing like good old Maine lobster. That was one of the things that Lobster Bay had over Seattle. The other was Jane Miller.
He snuck a glance at her, thinking of how beautiful she looked sitting across from him at the patio restaurant. The setting sun gave her skin a healthy glow. Behind her, colorful fishing boats and dinghies bobbed in the blue waters of Perkins Cove. The soft, warm breeze ruffled her silver hair and brought out the smell of summer flowers. A seagull flying high above the mast of a sailboat cawed, and Cooper, who had been laying at his feet, stirred. He couldn’t ask for a more perfect evening.
Jane dipped a piece of tail meat in melted butter. “This is great. I’m glad the restaurant started allowing dogs.”
“Me too. And I’m glad I stayed in town.” Mike tried to gauge her reaction. She seemed happy to have him staying here, but he reminded himself to take things slow. They’d been walking Cooper together regularly, and when Jane had accepted his invitation to dinner, he felt they were moving in the right direction. She clearly enjoyed his company, and a good friendship was a solid base to a more intimate relationship. As Gramps had told him, there is no need to rush when you know you’ve found “the one.”
“How is your search for a place coming?”
“I have the cottage for another month, but I’ve been looking at some condos.” Mike slipped a piece of lobster to Cooper. “I’m not in a hurry, though. I’d rather wait and get the perfect place. Maybe you could help me.”
Jane looked surprised. “Me? I don’t know much about real estate.”
“I’m looking more for an opinion. I need someone I trust to keep me in check.”
Jane smiled and fiddled with the paper straw in her drink. “And that person is me?” She looked at him from under her lashes, almost flirty.
“I hope so.”
Cooper thumped his tail under the table as if he understood the subtext of their conversation.
Jane took a sip of the drink. “Okay, I’ll help you out.”
“Great.”
Their eyes met, and Mike’s heart did a little flip at the promise in her gaze.
His phone dinged, breaking the moment. He looked down. Darn, it was Tiffany! With everything going on, he’d forgotten to block her.
Let’s get together when you get back to Seattle.
Mike sighed. She simply was not getting the message that their relationship was over. Yet another reason to stay in Lobster Bay. He’d have to call her and explain things clearly. He didn’t want her to linger on thinking they were still an item.
“Something important?” Jane asked.
Mike turned his phone off then looked back up at Jane, giving her his full attention. “Important? Nope. Not important at all. Now, what was it that we were talking about?”
* * *
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Life continues in Lobster Bay in Book 3 - Making Waves.
Will Tiffany mess things up for Mike and Jane? Will Andie stay in Lobster Bay? Maxie is in for a big surprise:
Making Waves (book 3)
Shifting Sands (b00k 4)
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Also by Meredith Summers
Lobster Bay Series:
Saving Sandcastles (Book 1)
Changing Tides (Book 2)
Making Waves (Book 3)
Shifting Sands (Book 4)
About the Author
Meredith Summers writes cozy mysteries as USA Today Bestselling author Leighann Dobbs and crime fiction as L. A. Dobbs.
She spent her childhood summers in Ogunquit Maine and never forgot the soft soothing feeling of the beach. She hopes to share that feeling with you through her books which are all light, feel-good reads.
Join her newsletter for sneak peeks of the latest books and release day notifications:
https://lobsterbay1.gr8.com
This is a work of fiction.
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None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.
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CHANGING TIDES
Copyright © 2020
Meredith Summers
http://www.meredithsummers.com
All Rights Reserved.
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No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.
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