by Kay Correll
“Yes, we’re meeting for dinner. I just wanted to see you.” She pulled away. “I stopped by the knitting group on my way to your office. Did you know they named themselves? They are now officially The Yarn Society.” She grinned. “My aunt is now a member of a not-so-secret society.”
“The group has really grown. I have Dorothy to thank for that. She just keeps inviting people to join them. It’s quite often they meet three times a week now. Their regular two days, and often an impromptu get-together like today.”
“I’m glad Aunt Lil joined them. She does like to knit but doesn’t take time to sit down often and actually do it. And I don’t have a need for all those heavy wool sweaters she’d knit me when I lived in Boston.”
He touched her face and smiled. “And I’m very glad you’re not still in Boston.”
“Me, too.” She smiled back at him. “Anyway, Aunt Lil needs to take more breaks now that she has Robin helping at the inn.”
“And how does she take it when you tell her to take it easy?” Noah grinned.
“Not well. But… she still should take time off and enjoy herself.”
“I’m pretty sure running that inn of hers is her greatest enjoyment in life. Well, that and you.”
“People need well-rounded lives. Not all work.”
“Are you going to take your own advice?” He eyed her closely. “You’ve been nonstop working getting your advertising company up and running here on the island.”
She laughed. “I know. But I love the advertising business. I have the Coastal Furniture account all finalized and that promotion is going great. Delbert Hamilton talked to me about doing some advertising for Hamilton Hotels, especially when he gets finished with the Cabot Hotel on Moonbeam Harbor.” She grinned. “And his girlfriend, Camille, has been giving me all sorts of unsolicited advice on the Cabot Hotel campaign, nothing like what Delbert wants. I don’t think she’s very happy that he hired me.”
“Camille is… I don’t know what you’d call her. One of a kind?” Noah shrugged. “She’s not happy with a lot of things. But Delbert seems to like her. They’ve been dating forever.”
“I just smiled at her suggestions and then ignored them. She wants him to turn the hotel into some kind of fancy, swanky hotel, and he wants to keep it in line with its long history in the area.”
“I’m sure he’ll love what you come up with. You’re great at what you do.”
“And you are biased.” She kissed him. “Anyway, you’ve been pretty busy yourself, mister.”
“It’s the festival…” He reached out and took her hands in his. “But we need to make sure we still make time for each other. Even when we’re super busy.”
“You’re right. See, I listened to your advice already, and I’m here to see you. Just a spur-of-the-moment decision. You’re so good at advice that I listened to it in advance before you even gave it.”
“Very funny. But I am glad you stopped by.” He glanced at his watch. “Though, I do have a meeting in five minutes.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “That’s okay. I have to get back to the office. I’ll see you tonight at The Nest?”
“That you will.”
Sara turned and headed out of his office. Noah McNeil was a good man, and she was lucky to have found him again. He made her feel safe and loved. Bonus? She adored him.
Lillian headed back to The Nest late that evening. They’d been particularly busy in the dining room for some unknown reason and she and Robin had pitched in to help. She wasn’t sure what she’d done before hiring Robin. The girl was a godsend. So smart, helpful, and with boundless energy. Jay had insisted she call it a night, so she’d left Robin chatting away with Jay in the kitchen as they cleaned up after dinner rush. They’d assured her they were leaving momentarily and everything was almost wrapped up.
She was tired, but a bit wired at the same time. It had been a long day with a wonderful break at The Yarn Society mid-day. She smiled at the name. She belonged to a society of Yarnies.
She stepped into The Nest and saw Sara finishing up the dishes. “How was your dinner with Noah?”
Sara looked up. “It was nice, but I hope you didn’t stay away this long just because Noah was here.”
“No, the dining room got busy.” She looked around. “Is Noah gone?”
“Yes, he has an early meeting about the Festival of Lights.”
“Ah, that. That reminds me, I forgot to ask Jay if we could use the kitchen one afternoon to bake cookies. The Yarn Society is going to provide the cookies for the festival for opening night. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
Sara grinned. “The Yarn Society. I do like the name you guys came up with.”
“I do, too.”
“And you realize the kitchen is your kitchen, right? You own the inn.” Sara laughed.
“Don’t try and tell Jay that anyone else owns that kitchen.” She shook her head. “I’m sure he thinks it’s his. Which is fine by me. He’s an excellent chef, and he’s the reason our dining room is so profitable now.” Actually, with some changes that Robin had suggested, the expansion of the dining room, and Jay’s wonderful cooking, the inn was turning a decent profit. Finally. In the years she’d owned the inn she’d seen the ups and downs of the industry. She was thankful she was in an up now.
Sara dried her hands. “I think I’ll head to bed and read for a bit. I’m really beat.”
“Okay, good night, dear.” She watched her niece head off to bed. It was so nice having her living here again, though she knew eventually Sara would move out on her own again. For now, she just enjoyed having Sara back here with her.
She decided a cup of chamomile tea and a quick few rows of knitting might settle her wired feeling. After making the tea, she sat in her favorite recliner and pulled the old, beloved teal blanket around her shoulders. Its soothing shades of teal and few stripes of pink, now faded, wrapped her in a hug of familiarity and warmth. She smiled, remembering how when Sara was young, she’d wrap her up in the blanket when she had an especially rough time at school or boy trouble or when she wasn’t feeling well.
She settled in and with the light of the lamp, she worked on finishing up the cable wrap she was knitting. She loved that Mary was knitting for the women’s shelter. Her next knitting project was going to be something to give to the shelter, too.
Chapter 11
Jay lifted his mug of beer in greeting as Ben slipped onto the barstool next to him at The Lucky Duck. “Why so glum?”
“Just… everything.” Ben raised his hand to Willie and pointed at the beer. Willie nodded.
“So… what’s everything?”
“I was supposed to have this nice dinner with Charlotte on Lady Belle, but I got tied up with the marina and had to cancel.”
“Hence the nine p.m. call to me to meet you here.” So that’s why Ben had called him so late.
“And my mother. I swear. Her choices…”
He eyed his friend. “What’s wrong with Ruby’s choices?”
“She’s dating this guy she barely knows.”
“That’s probably how she’ll get to know him,” he said dryly.
Ben shot him a scowl. “He’s from the Midwest. Just visiting. Why get to know him when he’ll just go back home? And there is something about him. Something… like he’s keeping a big secret.”
“So, you’re a mind reader now, too?”
Willie came over with a beer.
“Thanks, Willie.” Ben reached for the offered drink and took a long swig of it.
“Haven’t seen you two in here in a while.”
“Ben here has been too busy to play with his friends,” Jay teased.
“I have been busy,” Ben insisted.
Jay eyed him. It wasn’t like he himself wasn’t always busy with his job at the inn. A person made time for family and friends. Choices.
“I know, I know.” Ben sighed. “I’ll do better. I feel like I’m failing everyone. My mom, Charlotte, my friends.”
&n
bsp; “Whoa, buddy. You’re not failing me.” Jay shook his head. “I was teasing. We all get busy with real life sometimes.”
“I just—” Ben looked at him. “You ever feel like life just changes so quickly? And you scamper to just keep up with it?”
“You really having a hard time with your mom dating this guy?”
“No. I mean—I guess so. But I just don’t want to see her hurt. She’s just starting to get out more, make new friends. This guy is just going to leave. I can’t see what good can come of this. I don’t want to see her sad again.”
“Maybe she just enjoys his company? Another step in building her life without your father.”
Now Ben was the one looking sad. No matter how much he protested he was protecting his mother, it seemed like he was trying to protect himself, too.
“Mom and Dad had their whole life planned out. When Dad retired, they were going to travel. They’d talked about it for years. Then—well, fate can be cruel sometimes.”
“It can.” He nodded and took a sip of his beer. Fate hadn’t been too kind to him, either. He’d lost—everything. Until he’d landed on Belle Island about five years ago and Lil had hired him. Then his luck had changed for the better, and he’d settled into the life he’d made for himself here on the island. And it was a good life, and he was happy and content.
“You know, I think you need to give your mom some space. Let her make her own decisions. She’s a grown woman.”
A long sigh escaped his friend. “I know. That’s what she said today when she lectured me about backing off a bit.”
“Your mother is right, you know.”
“Maybe. I just worry…”
“Well, I’m not going to tell you not to worry about someone you love, but I still think you need to back off. She needs to find her own footing in this new world of hers.” He looked directly at Ben. “And maybe, you do, too.”
Charlotte looked up from her book when Robin entered their bungalow late that evening.
“Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you had a date with Ben.” Robin hung up her jacket on a hook by the door and crossed over into the light.
She set her book down on the coffee table. “We did. But he cancelled. Had to work late at the marina. This is like the third or fourth time he’s cancelled on me in the last month or so. Then I dropped by the marina about nine, just to see him. But he was gone.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. He wasn’t on Lady Belle or working at the marina.”
Robin frowned. “Maybe he went somewhere when he finished? Maybe he thought it was too late to call you and meet up?”
“Maybe.” She chewed her lip. “We just seem to be… not on the same page these days. He’s upset about his mother dating. And he didn’t seem pleased when I voiced my opinion.”
Robin laughed. “Like you’re ever going to keep your opinion to yourself. Ever since you stood up to your family, you’ve been—let’s just say—pretty outspoken about your opinions.”
“Though, I still know better than to contradict you.” She laughed. “No one argues with you.”
“I’ve got you all trained well, don’t I?” Robin headed to the kitchen and called back over her shoulder, “I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine. Want one?”
“Sure do.”
Robin came back with two glasses of cabernet and settled on the couch next to her, kicking off her shoes. “Long day.”
“Things got busy at the inn?”
“They did. Lil and I jumped in to help out.”
“As usual.”
“Part of my job.” Robin took a sip of wine. “Oh, this is good.”
She leaned back against the couch and took a sip of hers. “You’re right, it is.”
“So…” Robin looked at her. “What are you going to do to get you and Ben back on track?”
“Always asking the hard questions, aren’t you?”
“A talent of mine.”
“I’m not sure. It’s not like anything is really… wrong. It’s just that it isn’t as right as it used to be. And I almost feel like he’s taking us for granted.”
“Why don’t you invite him over here? You can make him a nice dinner. Spend some time alone. I’ll hang out at the inn when you do it. I’m sure Jay will put me to work. Just let me know what night you’re doing it. I’ll disappear.”
“You don’t have to disappear from your own home. We could just have dinner on Lady Belle.”
“It might be better to get him away from that marina of his.”
“Good point.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Okay, I’ll ask him over for dinner. I think that’s a good idea.”
“I always have good ideas.” Robin grinned at her.
“You should become a professional advice-giver.”
“But I give my advice for free…” Robin laughed and settled back on the sofa.
Nights like these, just spending time with her friend, were one of the many reasons Charlotte was so glad she’d moved back to Belle Island. That and falling in love with Ben. If only she could find a way to feel back in sync with him…
Chapter 12
Lillian had been right with her clothes advice. Ruby chose a simple pair of black slacks and her favorite lightweight sweater. The sweater always made her feel bright and cheerful with its delicious shades of peach. At the last minute, she grabbed a filmy floral scarf and looped it around her neck. Then took it off and tried again. How did women make a scarf just look like it was supposed to be there?
She tried one more time and peered in the mirror. That would have to do. But she sure wasn’t going to be interviewed to show ten ways to a perfect scarf any time soon.
She looked at the clock. Fifteen more minutes.
She walked into the kitchen and looked around. Everything was neatly put away. Just in case David came inside. Besides, she hated a messy kitchen. Mischief climbed out of his dog bed—one of many scattered around the house—and stretched.
“I’m going out on a date tonight, Mischief. What do you think about that?”
The dog cocked his head.
“I know. I agree. I’m not sure about it either.”
She swallowed when she heard a knock at the door. David was early. Which was fine with her because pacing around the house wasn’t going to do anything for her already jangled nerves.
She took one more look in the mirror in the front room and opened the door.
“Wow, you look great.” David eyed her appreciatively.
“Ah… thanks.” She self-consciously touched her scarf, but then put her hand down. She needed to just quit messing with it.
“I’m a bit early.”
“That’s okay, I’m ready.” She tried to keep from staring at him. He had on nice slacks and a button-down shirt in a lovely shade of blue. He looked freshly shaven and had on the most delightful hint of aftershave with a trace of fresh-cut wood and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Whatever it was, it suited him.
She turned to Mischief. “You be good. I’ll be home soon.”
Mischief gave them a dirty look, obviously not pleased at being excluded. He turned his back on them and walked over to yet another dog bed in the front room and settled in, still giving them the stink eye.
“I don’t think he’s very pleased to be left here alone.” She pulled the door closed behind her feeling slightly guilty for leaving the dog behind. That was silly. Mischief couldn’t go everywhere with her.
Though she had to admit, she wouldn’t have minded his company and the distraction of his antics. She ran her hand down the side of her slacks and then up to her scarf. Again.
Leave.
It.
Alone.
Her hand obeyed and dropped back to her side.
They headed down the steps and along the sidewalk toward Charming Inn. The sun had set and the street lamps tossed circles of warm light on the sidewalks. They walked slowly, and she commented on stores they passed, keeping up a running commentary about the town.
Because she was afraid if she stopped talking and gave herself time to think… her terrible case of the nerves would just rise up and take over.
They got to the inn and headed inside. Lillian greeted them at the doorway of the dining room. “Welcome. I saved you a table by the window.”
“That was nice of you.” She and David followed Lillian to the table and David held out the chair for her. Ha, she bet Ben hadn’t found out that David had good manners when he’d gone on his internet fact-finding quest.
They ordered drinks, and she sat looking at the menu. Lil had made some changes since she’d last been here. When had she been here last? She couldn’t remember. She perused the menu, trying to figure out what to choose.
“Do you know what you want?” David asked.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“That’s okay. No hurry. We can just enjoy our drinks for a bit.” He set his menu down on the table.
All of the constant conversation that she’d prattled on about on their walk here escaped her. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Which was strange, because before this official date, she’d had no problem talking to him at all.
David picked up his wineglass. “To hoping this evening gets less awkward.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You’re feeling it, too?”
“Yep, cat’s got my tongue. I was glad you gave me the town scoop as we walked over. I’m afraid I’m a bit… out of the loop with this dating thing.”
“I can’t figure out why since we called this a date that I can’t seem to relax around you.” She shook her head.
“How about we officially say it’s not a date then? We’ll just call it friends having a nice meal.”
That was probably a good idea—and yet—she kind of wanted it to be a date.
David was disgusted with himself. Since when was he such a clueless twit? He was acting like a teenager on his first date ever. But he was nervous. She was too, he could tell. So maybe calling it a not-date would help.
