Love Came Calling

by C. A. Popovich

“Hi. I thought maybe the boss kidnapped you.” Megan smiled and pulled a chair out for her.

  “No, she just wanted to let me know about some changes coming down the pike.”

  “Ah. The corporate takeover?” Megan took a bite of her sandwich and looked at her expectantly.

  “I guess you already know about it. I didn’t until Jan told me. It sounds as though this corporation’s taken over quite a few facilities.” She bristled at the news that Megan knew about this before she did.

  “Hm. I know I’m glad to have gotten in here before the shake-up. One of my instructors at Eastern Michigan University recommended it. She knew I wanted a long term care facility position, and this one’s rated as one of the best in Michigan.”

  Kelly took a bite of her salad, considering how much to tell the newly hired nurse. “Has Janis said anything to you about work assignments?”

  “She just told me when I hired in that the owners were in talks regarding the possibility of a buyout by a corporation. She said it wouldn’t affect me much except with regard to who signs my paycheck.”

  “I suppose it’ll be up to Janis to let everyone know what’s going on, but I’ve been reassigned for a few months to a new place in the Upper Peninsula. They need someone with experience to help train the staff.”

  Megan looked thoughtful as she took a sip of her coffee. “You’ll be great at it.” She smiled and lifted her cup in a toast.

  Kelly smiled back, glad to feel Megan’s support. “Thanks. It probably means you’ll be even busier than you are now, but Janis believes she can get extra help to make up for the loss.”

  After lunch, Kelly started thinking ahead, a feeling of excitement bubbling deep inside. Janis had taken her by surprise with the request for a temporary transfer, but a small whisper of relief at the change settled some of her unrest. She found herself looking forward to undertaking the challenge. Her contribution could be consequential. She’d be a major contributor to the development of what would probably be a state-of-the-art facility, but first, she’d take a much needed break. “Hi, Debby. Have you got a minute?” Kelly opened the pharmacy door a crack to peek inside.

  “Sure. Come on in.”

  “I’m on my way back from lunch, but I wanted to double-check our vacation plans. Are we all set for the twenty-seventh?”

  “Yep. You should probably call and verify you’ll be there, though. I’ve got the number here.” Debby pulled a piece of paper out of her desk and handed it to her. “The owner’s name is Joslyn Harlow. We confirmed our reservations last week. I was going to check with you tomorrow to see what you decided.”

  “I’m getting the hell out of here for a couple of weeks, for sure. Thanks for the number.” She went back to her station to prepare for a long afternoon, but the afternoon was now filled with excitement for an upcoming, much needed break, and planning for the unanticipated changes.

  Chapter Five

  Josie parked in front of the lodge, troubled by the sight of the porch chairs turned upside down. What the hell? She jumped out to open the passenger door for Nooko. “Here we are.” She made sure she had her cane and was steady before leading her to the porch.

  “I’m a little stiff from the ride, dear.” She took the few steps one at a time. “I’d forgotten how beautiful the view is from here. May I sit a minute?”

  “Of course.” Josie uprighted the chairs, pulled two cushions from a bin against the wall, and nestled them on the rockers. “Here you go. You sit while I unload the car and turn the water pump on.”

  Josie checked on her grandmother a couple of times in the half hour it took her to carry in their luggage and supplies. Nooko leaned back and rocked, gazing out at the water. Josie began to sit in the second rocker when she heard the phone. “I’ll be right back.” She glanced at Nooko, already beginning to doze in the chair, before hurrying to the front desk.

  “Hello, Harlow’s by the Bay, may I help you?”

  “Hello. My name’s Kelly Newton, and I want to confirm my reservation. Is this Joslyn Harlow?” Kelly’s mellow voice floated over the phone line, and Josie wanted to hear her say her name again.

  “Yes, this is Joslyn. When is your reservation?”

  “I’m hoping you have it. My friends confirmed theirs for the twenty-seventh of May through the tenth of June. I believe it’s under the name Debra Johnson.”

  “Oh, yes. I’ve got a reservation for six confirmed and one maybe for those dates. Are you the maybe?” Josie hoped so. She looked forward to meeting the body behind the voice.

  “I guess I am. Please count me in. I need a vacation.”

  Josie’s breath caught when she heard Kelly laugh. She could listen to that all day. “You’re all set. You’ll be in cabin number four. And please, call me Josie. My grandmother is about the only one who calls me Joslyn anymore.”

  “Josie it is. Thank you and I’ll see you on the twenty-seventh.”

  “Sounds good.” She didn’t want to hang up and quickly thought of something else to say. “Oh…Kelly? One more thing. Are you bringing a dog?”

  “A dog? No. Why?”

  “Just checking. Your friends are bringing…let’s see…a dachshund, a border collie mix, and a lab mix, so if you were bringing one, I’d give you the spiel about leashes and cleaning up after them.”

  “This ought to be fun. See you soon.”

  Another laugh from Kelly and Josie hung up the phone, sure she was grinning like a fool. Yes, Kelly Newton. See you soon.

  Josie returned to the porch and took the seat next to Nooko, who was awake and looked contented. “I just had another reservation confirmed for next week. We’ll have four of the six cabins full for two weeks, and the other two for one week. I’m going to make a cup of hot chocolate. You want one?”

  “Oh, I’d love one. Thank you.”

  Josie loved seeing the sparkle in her nooko’s eyes. Already, she looked brighter than she had when Josie had shown up at her place, and she knew she’d made the right decision bringing her here. She was also glad they’d stayed in Nooko’s house longer than she’d planned. It gave Nooko time to pack items important to her and Josie time to close up her house properly. “Be right back.” She filled two mugs with hot chocolate and delivered them before heading to check on the firewood. Everything looked as she’d left it. Her concern over the upended chairs lessened when she found the tarp over the wood rack secure. Could’ve been a windstorm. Or a critter. She continued surveying the circumference of the lodge and found nothing else amiss. She shook off her concerns and went back to join Nooko on the porch.

  “Are all of your guests coming next week lesbians?”

  “Yes. I’ve advertised as a lesbian resort, and I think I’ll do well. There’s only one other one I found on the west side of the state quite a few miles south. I want to show off our beautiful island and the Ojibwe history here.”

  “I want to help. If you’re going to keep me hostage here, I get to do some work, too.”

  “How ’bout if you get settled in first? We’ll get you unpacked, and then we can talk about what you might be up to doing.” Josie smiled, stood, and handed Nooko her cane. She followed her into the lodge, staying close enough to support her when she wobbled. She settled her on the couch facing the fireplace. “You relax for a minute. I’m going to get us a snack to go with some tea.”

  “Thank you, dear. Everything looks wonderful in here.” Nooko gazed around the room smiling. “Can we have a fire in the fireplace?”

  “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll get it started after I get our refreshments.” Josie put a kettle of water on the stove, sliced pieces of cheese onto a plate, and grabbed a box of crackers. She placed the cheese and crackers in front of Nooko on the coffee table and lit the fire in the fireplace before retrieving their tea and settling next to Nooko. “Comfortable?”

  “Oh, yes. This is such a comfortable room. I remember Harold and me sitting together on this very couch. He built that fireplace, you know.” Nooko looked like she w
as struggling to keep her eyes open. They sat in companionable silence enjoying the soft glow of the flames and the occasional sputter of the burning wood.

  “Grandpa did an excellent job. It’s a great fireplace. I know I’m pretty tired. You ready to head to bed?” Josie rested her hand gently on Nooko’s thigh.

  “Yes, honey. I suppose we’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to get settled.” Nooko pushed off the couch and swayed slightly before steadying herself with her cane.

  “We have over a week before our guests arrive. Like you say, plenty of time.” Josie led Nooko to her room and tucked her in bed before heading to finish unpacking.

  Josie finished before dark and went to check on the cabins. She’d look closely at them in the morning, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep with her lingering trace of concern over the upset deck chairs. She walked through each cabin checking the window locks, bedrooms, kitchens, and heaters. She flushed the toilets and ran water in the sinks. She finished before midnight, and after looking in on her grandmother, fell into bed hoping for dreams of her maybe woman.

  * * *

  “What time are all your friends coming?” Nooko asked.

  “They’re not my friends, Nooko. Only women who’ve made reservations to stay here.” Josie reviewed the placement of the tables she’d set up for games for the third time. “Do you think they look inviting? Maybe I ought to move them closer to the fireplace.”

  Nooko sat in one of the leather chairs next to the fireplace in the spacious room, looking right at home. “Everything looks lovely, honey. They’re going to love it. What time are they arriving?”

  “I told them check-in is any time after eleven. They’re coming from pretty far south, so I don’t expect them until afternoon.” She moved one of the tables aside and pulled the other leather chair to face her grandmother, glad for a chance to relax for a minute. She’d been working hard to make sure the place was perfect. “By the way, have you ever heard of a guy named Abe Bernstein? He came by in February looking for someone named Jack and wanting to buy this place.” She’d been unable to shake the creepy feeling he’d left her with, and now that she had a minute, she remembered to ask her grandmother.

  Nooko frowned, clearly concentrating. “No, dear. The name doesn’t ring a bell. I can’t imagine who he is. Maybe he had the wrong place?”

  “He recognized the pictures on the wall, so I thought maybe he was a friend. How about the name Jack? He referred to Jack as the owner.”

  “No, again. I never heard Harold mention a Jack or an Abe, and I knew all of his buddies. You know how turned around people can get up here. He might’ve been lost. He said he wanted to buy the place, huh?”

  “Yep. I know my dad never said anything about selling, so I don’t know what the guy was talking about.” Josie made a mental note to talk to the island’s conservation officers about Abe. It would give her a little peace of mind that someone besides her knew about this guy. “I guess I’ll just wait and see if he comes back. I’m going to the office to make sure everything’s in order.”

  She pulled out her reservation book when she got to the front desk and put out a sign directing guests to ring the bell if she wasn’t at the counter. She made one more walk-through of each cabin before heading back to the lodge and waiting for her first lodgers at Harlow’s by the Bay. She stopped to stand on the porch for a moment and took a deep, settling breath. She gently ran her hand over the doorframe before taking a step inside to offer a silent thanks to her grandfather and parents, who afforded her this opportunity. Her dream was finally coming true.

  * * *

  “Welcome. I’m Joslyn Harlow, but please call me Josie.” She smiled at the couple as they walked through the door hand in hand. “No problem finding the place?”

  “None at all. I’ve got a GPS in my car and we had no trouble.”

  Josie checked off each name on the register as the women introduced themselves. The hazel-eyed woman smiled, and Josie relaxed in the presence of her serenity. Her partner stepped up to put her arm around her waist, and the gesture sent an unexpected flood of longing surging through Josie. She shook off the unusual feeling and continued checking them in. “Are the others on their way?” she asked.

  “They’re right behind us. We all decided to drive separately, but we left pretty much at the same time.”

  “Good. You’re all set. Kristen, Jaylin, and Railroad, you’ll be in cabin number two. I can show you where it is now, or you’re welcome to relax in the lodge if you want to wait for the others.”

  “Relaxing in the lodge sounds good to me.” Kristen spoke and turned toward Jaylin, who nodded and smiled. “We’ll just take our dog for a short walk before we go in.”

  “The main room is through there.” Josie pointed toward a door to her left. “Or you can just go in through the front doors on the porch. My grandmother is staying with me temporarily, so you’ll see her there.” Josie settled into her desk chair but didn’t wait long before the other couples arrived. “Dana, Maria, and Frankie, you’re in cabin number one, and Debby, Alex, and Abby, you’re in cabin number three. Jaylin and Kristen are waiting in the lodge for you. You can go through that door.” Josie smiled and indicated the same door she’d shown Kristen and Jaylin. So far, so good.

  Josie leaned on the check-in desk and reminded herself that this was really happening. She now had three of her cabins occupied by her lodgers. Not her father’s or her grandfather’s, but hers. She stretched to her full height and allowed herself a moment of pride. She did this. She was making it work. One deep breath and she updated her record log, anticipating the arrival of Kelly Newton.

  Chapter Six

  It was close to six o’clock when Kelly pulled into the parking lot of Harlow’s by the Bay. She stepped out of the car and stretched before appraising the area and log building nestled among gigantic pine trees. She’d barely managed to catch the 5:10 p.m. ferryboat crossing, and the spectacular view of the island as it pulled into the dock took her by surprise. Her research of the island hadn’t prepared her for the reality of its natural beauty. Maybe this work assignment won’t be so bad. She’d been pleasantly surprised to find the new facility where she’d be working was on Drummond Island and only a few miles from Harlow’s by the Bay. She’d have time to scope it out before starting work there.

  She dragged her suitcase out of the back seat of her car and headed toward a door with a wooden, handcrafted office sign above it. “Hello?” she called out before noticing the note next to a bell, so she hit the plunger twice and waited. She scanned the room, glancing over the pictures of what looked to be the original construction of the building. She admired the colorful Indian blanket tacked to the wall behind the counter with two large dream catchers on either side of it.

  “Hello. You must be Kelly Newton,” a woman said as she emerged from another room. “Sorry, I was in the back getting some pamphlets for your group. I’m Josie.”

  Kelly clutched the handle of her suitcase tightly at the unexpected urge to touch Josie’s beautifully smooth complexion. Her dark eyes shimmered like her black hair in the soft light. Then she smiled, and Kelly’s knees nearly buckled. She swallowed hard, willing her voice not to quiver. “No problem. I was just admiring your beautiful dream catchers. It’s nice to meet you. I’m not too late, I hope.”

  “Oh, no. Not at all. I knew you were on your way. Your friends are all in the lodge waiting for you. Here’s your key to cabin four. Would you like me to show you where it is, or do you want to stop in the lodge first?”

  “I guess I better go check in with everybody so they know I made it.” Kelly eased her grip and rolled her suitcase as she followed Josie. Geez, you’d think I’d never seen an attractive woman. She tried to focus and shake the feeling off.

  She nearly stumbled when they entered the lodge, rendered speechless by the expansive room. “Oh my God. This is fantastic.” She parked her suitcase against the wall and hurried to stand in front of the huge blazing wood fireplace. She turned
twice, allowing the warmth to radiate through her, chasing away some of the stress of her life. “This and a hot tub? I may never leave.” She turned again and found herself face-to-face with Josie. The warmth of the fire paled to the heat generated from her gaze. Kelly took a step back, surprised by her intense reaction to Josie.

  “I’m glad you like it. And yes, the hot tub is through the doors in the back. There’s bottled water and towels on the shelf against the wall next to it. You can’t miss them.” Josie smiled again, and butterflies took up residence in Kelly’s belly.

  “Hey, you,” Debby called from her chair at one of the game tables where she sat with her partner, Alex, and a couple Kelly didn’t recognize. Alex’s dog lay on the floor at her feet, nose to nose with a dachshund.

  She waved to Debby before turning back to Josie. “Thanks, Josie. The hot tub will be my first stop after I drop off my suitcase. This lodge is beautiful, by the way.” She returned Josie’s smile, pleased by the flicker of interest reflected back.

  “Thanks. My grandfather built it, as well as the cabins. My grandmother’s on the couch.” Josie motioned with her chin toward a regal looking elderly woman seated on one end of a well-worn leather couch. Her bright brown eyes reflected intelligence and her smooth skin, a shade darker than Josie’s, held a healthy glow. A cane leaned on the armrest next to her and Jaylin’s fluffy dog, Railroad, rested her head in her lap.

  “It’s a good thing you allow dogs here.” Kelly chuckled. “I’m not sure any of my friends would’ve come if you didn’t.”

  “You might be right. I’d say nine out of ten inquiries I get from callers is about my pet policy. I love dogs, so it’s all good. I just need to make sure they’re kept under control for the few people who dislike them. I’ve introduced my grandmother to everyone already. Do you want to meet her?”

  “Sure.”

  Josie led the way over. “Nooko, this is Kelly Newton. Kelly, this is my grandmother, Ruth Patterson.”