by Nicole Ellis
Once Charlotte was gone, Gretchen lay in bed, exhausted but not able to sleep. She never got sick like this. Even as a child, she rarely caught a cold and had escaped the stomach flu when everyone else around her had it. Her mother joked that she had a golden immune system.
So what was going on now? She knew the answer. Charlotte was right. She was burning the candle at both ends, and something had to give. But what? She couldn’t back out of working for her parents—they still needed the few days a week she could give them. And she definitely couldn’t leave Oceanview Estates before all the houses were sold. How would that look to Martin?
I’ll figure it out as soon as I’m feeling better, she vowed. She closed her eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep with Reilly snuggled up against her.
19
Early November
It seemed like only yesterday that Dahlia had announced her engagement, but it was already time for Maggie and Gretchen to be fitted for their bridesmaid dresses. Gretchen had anticipated their girls’ day for a while. She needed a day off to relax and laugh a little. It seemed like she’d been getting sick every other week from stress.
The owner of the bridal shop in Haven Shores appeared carrying a tray of champagne.
“Yes, please,” Gretchen said. They all reached for a glass.
“Cheers,” they toasted.
Gretchen drained her glass quickly, hoping the alcohol would help her relax.
“Girls, are you ready?” Dahlia’s eyes twinkled.
“Are the dresses hideous?” Gretchen asked.
“Gretchen!” Maggie admonished. “She didn’t mean it, Dahlia.”
“I did mean it.” She laughed. “I’ll wear whatever you want me to wear for your wedding, but if it’s ugly, it’s not going in my closet. Space is at a premium in the carriage house.”
Dahlia walked over to a hanging rack concealed by one of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
“Ta-da!” She held up two yellow and green dresses, covered with yards of ruffles.
Gretchen’s face twisted in dismay before she could hide her reaction.
“Those are, um, very interesting,” Maggie eked out.
“What, you don’t like them?” Dahlia burst out laughing.
“You are joking, right?” She eyed the dresses.
“Yes, of course. Did you really think I’d be that mean?” Dahlia replaced the dresses on the rack and pulled out two long garment bags. “These are your real dresses.” She removed the plastic covering from one and showed them the dress.
Gretchen’s eyes widened. “It’s gorgeous.” She reached out to touch the satin dress.
“This one’s yours.” Dahlia handed it to Gretchen and gave Maggie the other garment bag.
“Ooh.” Maggie grabbed it from Dahlia.
“Go try it on,” she urged.
They came out of the dressing room and twirled in front of the three full-length mirrors.
“I look so pretty,” Maggie said as she admired herself in the mirror. A flowing, floor-length skirt fell from a tight bodice and thick straps. The dark violet color highlighted Maggie’s red hair and blue eyes.
“Mine seems a little big.” Gretchen plucked at wads of extra fabric in the waistline.
Dahlia checked the label. “It’s a size eight, just like you requested. But you’re right, it’s way too big.” The dress hung on her like a flour sack.
The owner came in and frowned at Gretchen. “You need something a few sizes smaller. It’s too loose to alter properly. We’ll have to get you another dress.”
“I ordered these over the summer.” Dahlia looked closer at her friend’s pale face. “Are you okay, Gretchen?”
Maggie chimed in, “Yeah, you’ve lost a lot of weight and you didn’t have much to lose. Is everything okay?”
It was too much. Tears streamed down Gretchen’s face. “I’m fine, really,” she blubbered. Maggie handed her a Kleenex out of her purse.
Dahlia sat down next to Gretchen and put her arm around her. “What’s going on?”
“It’s work and Parker and everything. I haven’t had a day off in months and Parker won’t talk to me unless it’s absolutely necessary for work.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Dahlia asked. “You told him to leave you alone.”
“Yeah,” Gretchen admitted. “But I didn’t realize how horrible it would be at work without having anyone to talk to. I feel so alone, at work and at home in my tiny apartment.”
Maggie put her hands on Gretchen’s shoulders. “Honey, it’s okay. We all feel like that sometimes, right Dahlia?”
Dahlia nodded. “This summer was tough for me too. I was so busy with the bookstore that I didn’t have time for anyone else, much less myself.”
Gretchen dried her tears and tried to steel herself. She was ruining Dahlia’s special day at the dress shop.
“You’ve got to slow down.” Maggie fished a new Kleenex out of her purse and handed it to her. “Isn’t the development almost sold out? Maybe you could quit now? That would help with your stress levels, especially with the Parker situation.”
“I can’t quit now.” She wiped her eyes. “We’re so close to selling out the development. I can’t leave those commissions behind. I need the money.”
“While I can’t say I’m too keen that you’re leaving Candle Beach, I get where you’re coming from,” Dahlia said. “But your health and emotional well-being is important too.” Maggie nodded in agreement.
“I almost have enough saved. It’s something I have to do for myself. I can’t work for my parents for the rest of my life. If nothing else, working at Oceanview Estates has shown me how great it is to succeed on my own.”
Maggie looked sad.
“Well, we’ll miss you.” Dahlia hugged her.
“Enough about me,” Gretchen said. “This is your day.” She walked into the changing room and slipped out of the dress. Through the closed door, she said, “Time to move on to the main event. Let’s see your dress.” She burst out of the main room to see her friends whispering between themselves. “What?”
Maggie and Dahlia exchanged guilty glances.
“Nothing.” Dahlia rose from the couch and set her champagne glass down on the end table. “I’d love to show you my dress.”
She disappeared into the dressing room and the owner of the bridal shop followed to help her into the dress. Gretchen and Maggie made small talk while Dahlia changed.
Ten minutes later, she emerged, wearing a spectacularly beautiful dress.
“Wow,” Gretchen said. Her friend had been transformed from her normal casual attire. “You look like a princess.” The white satin dress was embellished with white beads that covered the strapless bodice, and a full skirt billowed out.
Maggie gazed at her friend. “Show us the back.”
Dahlia spun slowly around, beaming at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was long in the back, with a short train.
“See, I can bustle it up with this button,” Dahlia said. The attendant held the train up to her and she showed them how it buttoned to form an ankle-length dress. “I’ll be able to dance in it.”
“It’s perfect,” Maggie said. “You and your mom chose the most perfect dress possible for you.” Dahlia and her mother had gone dress shopping in Seattle and had the dress shipped to Haven Shores for alterations.
“I know, right?” Dahlia said. “I couldn’t even recall what it looked like; it’s been a few months since we picked it out.” She twirled again. “But it’s even more beautiful than I remembered.”
“Garrett is going to flip out when he sees it,” Gretchen said.
“No kidding,” Maggie said. “He’s lucky to have you.”
“I know,” Dahlia joked. “I tell him that every day.” Her expression turned dreamy. “But I’m getting a pretty good guy myself.”
“You are,” Gretchen agreed. “I hope I find someone like Garrett.”
“He’s got a cousin who’s flying in for the wedding,” D
ahlia said. “I’ve heard he’s quite attractive.”
“Well, I still think Parker is the guy for you.” Maggie met Gretchen’s eyes through their reflections in the mirror.
“I think that ship has sailed.” Gretchen stood to examine Dahlia’s veil. It was embroidered with slivers of white silk ribbons and the same beads that adorned the dress.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Maggie said.
“He lied to me. I don’t know if I can ever forgive that,” Gretchen said. “And I don’t need a man in my life right now. What I need to do is take charge of my career.”
“You know, there was a time in my life when I felt the same way.” Dahlia lifted the train and preened in front of the mirror.
“Yeah, like last year,” Maggie said.
“Exactly. I swore Garrett wasn’t the right man for me and I wasn’t ever going to let a man influence my decisions ever again. I also said I wasn’t going to stay in Candle Beach.” She shrugged and a far-off look came into her eyes. “But you know what? Sometimes what we envision for ourselves isn’t what we really need.”
“It worked out for you and Garrett, and I’m glad it did,” Gretchen said. “But that doesn’t mean that all relationships are meant to be. Sometimes you have to let things go.”
They were all quiet for a moment. Maggie stared into her half-full champagne glass and Dahlia pretended to smooth out a wrinkle.
Dahlia broke the silence. “Well, I’ve got to get out of this thing before I spill champagne on it.” The owner helped her into the dressing room, leaving Maggie alone with Dahlia.
“Sorry if we keep bugging you about Parker,” Maggie said quietly.
“I know you mean well, but it’s time to give up. It’s never going to happen.” Her mood had been sinking since she’d tried on her bridesmaid dress. She stood. “I think I’m going to take off now,” she said.
“But we were going to have dinner together in Haven Shores,” Maggie said. “Dahlia will be disappointed.”
“I know. Please tell her I’m sorry, but with the way I’m feeling, I don’t think I’d make very good company.”
She’d looked forward to this day with her friends, but now it felt as miserable as every day had been since she started her quest to leave Candle Beach. Doubts about her future swirled through her mind. Was her misery a sign that leaving Candle Beach to strike out on her own wasn’t in her best interest? Should she leave Oceanview Estates before completion? She didn’t want to do that, but her friends were right. The stress of having two jobs was wearing on her and she couldn’t take much more of it.
Gretchen hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell Martin she wanted to quit. That, or she didn’t want to quit. She hadn’t decided yet. It seemed silly to quit working now when the project was so close to completion. Only a few of the lots in the Cliffside section were left for sale.
She put her head down on her desk. She’d been there since seven a.m., catching up on some paperwork that she hadn’t finished before she left for her dress fitting. The long days were killing her and insomnia had struck in the last week. A moment of rest before potential customers came in sounded wonderful.
“Gretchen,” Parker’s commanding voice woke her up. She lifted her head from the desk. “Were you sleeping?” he asked.
“No, just resting my eyes for a moment. I got here early.” What time was it anyways? She looked at the clock on the wall and groaned. No wonder Parker was here—it was nine o’clock already. Her short rest had turned into an hour-long snooze. She gulped some cold coffee and shuffled some papers around on her desk.
“A few more properties to sell and we’ll be done,” he remarked.
“Yep.” She went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She hesitated at the coffeepot, unsure of whether she should offer him a cup. Things continued to be strained between them. She set the pot back in the coffee maker and returned to her desk.
A car in the driveway caught her attention. “Natalie’s here for her walk-thru.”
“Excellent. I saw the construction foreman out there when I came in and he said everything was ready. I can handle it, you don’t need to come with.”
“Natalie was my client first. I’m going to be there too.” Under her breath, she grumbled, “It’s bad enough I have to split the commission with you.”
Parker turned back to her. “Did you say something?”
“No, I’ll be right there.” She straightened the papers on her desk and followed him out to meet with Natalie and Steve.
When they returned, the tension between them was as thick as the concrete being poured in the driveway next to the model home.
“Looks like I’m in the lead for sales.” He held up a sheaf of papers.
“What? You were one house behind me.”
“Yeah, and you were gone yesterday afternoon.”
“You sold two houses in one day?” She stared at him with her hands on her hips.
A smug smile crept across his face. “I did. An older couple came in yesterday and bought a house for themselves and another for their adult son’s family. They wanted a compound of vacation homes.”
“You’re kidding.” Why couldn’t she get the customers like that?
“No, not kidding. There are only three properties left. And I intend to sell at least two of those and win the bonus Martin promised.”
Her heart sank. She’d been counting on the sales bonus as she’d been in the lead for a few weeks. What good was all the hours she’d put in if it wasn’t enough to win the big commission bonus? She straightened. There was still time. She and Parker were currently tied. If she could get two out of the last three sales, she’d win.
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
As soon as she uttered the words, a car pulled into the driveway. They looked at each other then both ran for the door, jostling each other en route.
When they got outside, they slowed to a speed walk toward the potential customer.
A man got out of the car and approached Parker first. Parker flashed a grin at Gretchen. She felt like sticking her tongue out at him, but settled for an icy death glare. She turned on her heel and returned to the sales office. Customers were becoming more infrequent as the fall turned into winter. The tourists were long gone and most of their more recent sales had been to locals.
When Parker returned to the office, she glared at him behind his back and then went back to watching the parking lot for potential clients.
When the next car drove in, they raced out to the parking lot. She got there first and Parker skidded to a stop behind her. Before they could say anything, the couple in the car looked at the well-dressed people running at them like zombies were chasing them, got back into their car and drove away.
In their hurry to get to the potential customers, Gretchen hadn’t heard another car enter the parking area.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Charlotte said, with her eyebrows raised. “You guys are acting like children. I knew you weren’t getting along, but this is ridiculous.”
She winced. Charlotte was right. What were they doing?
“Hi, sis. Did we have plans for lunch?” Parker pointed at the two large plastic bags Charlotte was carrying.
“No, I brought you both Chinese takeout. I thought you could use a break. Come on.” She motioned for them to follow her inside.
They nodded meekly and followed her to the kitchen of the demo home. She set white paper boxes of chicken fried rice, sweet and sour pork and chow mein noodles on the counter. While Charlotte grabbed plates out of the cupboard, Parker unpacked the last two boxes. Broccoli beef and almond chicken. Yum. Gretchen’s mouth watered. She needed to eat. Dahlia would kill her if they had to resize her bridesmaid dress again.
They dished up their food and sat down at the kitchen table. The room was silent except for the sound of chewing.
When they were about halfway through with their meals, Charlotte spoke.“You can’t keep doing this.” She turned to Gretchen. “You’
re a mess working two jobs. You’ve looked sickly for months and I’m willing to bet it’s all because of stress.”
Gretchen nodded. She’d tried to hide how exhausted she was, but she could no longer cover the dark circles under her eyes with makeup.
“And you.” Charlotte addressed her brother. “You’ve turned into someone I don’t know. I saw you run to get to that customer before Gretchen. The old you would never have done that. You’re acting like Graham.”
He reddened.
Charlotte scooped the last bite of food into her mouth and placed her plate in the sink. “You need to figure this out. There’s still work left to do here and you need a better working relationship because this isn’t good for either of you.” She flounced out of the model home.
After she left, Gretchen pushed the food around her plate with her fork. She glanced at Parker out of the corner of her eye. He continued to eat, chewing slower than she’d have thought possible. Was he prolonging the meal to avoid talking with her?
“Parker,” she said. He looked up.
“Gretchen, I’m sorry.” He sighed and pushed his plate away. “This isn’t how I thought it would be. I figured we could work together, even if we weren’t dating.” He stood, pushed his chair in and paced the floor. “I don’t want to fight anymore. You can have the remaining sales. I’ve been a jerk.”
Although he was saying exactly what she’d dreamed of hearing, she knew he wasn’t entirely at fault.
“I wasn’t behaving well either. Let’s split the remaining commissions and the sales incentive bonus. Deal?” She stuck out her hand.
He grinned and shook her hand. “Deal.”
“I’m going to go to the closet in the back room and organize our remaining sales materials, okay?”
He nodded.
Once she was safely out of the room, tears poured from her eyes. She hated that Charlotte was right. They’d let their silly fight get completely out of hand and become unprofessional. They’d even lost a potential client today with their behavior. She counted the floor plan brochures and stacked them in neat piles. While they’d had about twenty boxes in the walk-in closet at the start of the summer, they were now down to one. The sales job was almost over and it was time she started thinking of the future. She had almost enough saved to move to Seattle. In fact, she could probably move in December, but Dahlia would kill her if she moved so close to the wedding. So, January it was. After the New Year, she’d start a new life in Seattle, away from her family and friends.
