It worked.
“Oh for Christ’s sake . . . all right . . . I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Better have some coffee brewed up to go with that roll,” he ordered, hanging up before she could reply.
Renee had to trust him to keep his word. Both cabins still needed to be stocked with the dishes she bought at the thrift store and the linens from the auction. Thankfully her dad had mowed, but the walkways were in tough shape from the weekend’s rain and wind.
Renee rousted both kids out of bed and got them moving. Julie could do the stocking and Robbie the outside work; Robbie couldn’t be trusted to get the right sets of dishes or towels set up, but he could run a hose and broom, even if he wasn’t excited about it.
***
“Welcome!” Renee greeted their first customers when they pulled into the lodge parking lot five hours later. Ready as we’ll ever be, Renee assured herself, making sure she had a welcoming smile on her lips. “Thank you for choosing Whispering Pines. We are so happy to be your hosts this week. My name is Renee Clements.”
And she was officially in business.
The woman approached her, hand extended. “Hello, Renee. Nice to meet you. We’re the Blacks from South Dakota. My name’s Brenda, and that’s my husband, Hank, back there with his head buried in the pickup box. We picked up bait on the way so the kids could fish, but Hank took your corner a little hot coming off the main road and we heard stuff shift in the back. He’s worried the minnows might have spilled.”
“Actually, we got lucky,” the man said as he slammed the tailgate shut and wiped his hands on his pants before also shaking Renee’s hand. “Little water sloshed out, but no big spill.”
A girl climbed out of the extended cab just as Hank made his pronouncement. She looked a couple years younger than Robbie. “Oh, that’s just great, Dad! There better not be any slimy fish water on my suitcase,” she declared, stomping around behind the truck and again opening the back.
“Jeez, chill, Ashley, I’m sure your precious little suitcase is just fine,” another kid said as he exited the truck from the other side, his voice laced with sarcasm.
“Excuse our children, Renee,” Brenda apologized. “We’ve been stuck in the pickup for far too long today.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. Why don’t you come on in? We can take care of some paperwork and then I can show you to your cabin. I’m sure you want to get settled and relax a bit.”
I feel just like LuLu, Renee thought, remembering their spunky little host in Fiji. Now I’m the host!
As Brenda and Hank followed her into the lodge, she turned back to them and added quietly: “Don’t worry about the kids. I have two of my own. I’m used to the drama.”
Renee was pleased when she didn’t fumble with the check-in process. Soon after she showed the Blacks to their cabin, a second vehicle pulled in.
Round two!
***
Her second group of renters was another family of four, a blended family named the Ortons. Sylvia and Barry were still newlyweds, married just six weeks earlier. Each had a ten-year-old son. This trip was meant to help them start feeling like a true family. Renee’s first impression of the boys was that neither was thrilled to be there. She hoped a week at Whispering Pines might quickly change that.
It didn’t take long for the two families to start interacting. By the second day, Renee spied all three boys out on the dock, fishing for sunfish. Ashley kept to herself, sitting in a lawn chair reading or playing with her phone. Hope they have an unlimited data plan, Renee thought with a grimace. That girl was constantly on her phone. Renee hadn’t considered offering Wi-Fi throughout the resort . . . she might have to add that to the list.
There were no major issues throughout the week and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Renee and the kids hauled split wood closer to the pit so their guests could enjoy a campfire. The Blacks used the pit the first night and the Ortons the second. The third evening was drizzly, so all was quiet. By the fourth night, both families were out around the fire pit together, visiting long into the night.
At checkout, Hank complimented Renee. “You’re doing a hell of a job bringing this old place back to life, Renee. Now Brenda wants to go home and mimic your floors at our house! We’ll be in touch to book with you again next summer. We can’t wait to see what you do with the old lodge.”
The Ortons dawdled, reluctant to leave. Their boys seemed to be getting along better than when they first arrived, and Renee couldn’t help but feel a small surge of victory. She flashed back to her childhood days at Whispering Pines, playing with Ethan, Val, and Jess down on the beach.
A kid would have to work hard not to have fun around here!
***
She had similar results in her second week of business. Renters showed up, had fun, did no damage, paid, and left happy.
Week three was supposed to consist of two full cabins, and Cabin #3 would be officially listed for rent. But things went haywire.
“Where the hell are they?” Renee asked Julie when the renters for Cabin #2 hadn’t shown up by 5:00 p.m. “No calls, no cancelations, nothing!” She didn’t expect Julie to answer; she was just venting her frustrations to relieve the stress. Renters for Cabin #1 had arrived two hours early, before the cabin was ready, and had complained to Renee about one thing after another since their arrival. On top of it all, Renee accidently knocked the faucet loose in the bathtub when she was cleaning the cabin they were getting ready to start renting, so Julie had to make it unavailable on their website until they could get Burt out for a third time.
Renee groaned. Imagine how many fresh rolls and coffee he’ll want this time.
The one set of renters never did show up, and the week didn’t get any better. By Tuesday, Renee was learning what it was like to deal with customers that would never be satisfied, no matter how hard she tried to make it an enjoyable experience or how much she catered to their every whim. The beds weren’t comfortable, the husband and wife said; the water wasn’t hot enough, the beach wasn’t properly raked—it went on and on. By Saturday, it took all of Renee’s strength to be civil with them.
“Ms. Clements, we suspect you realize how deeply disappointed we have been in our accommodations this week,” Mr. Brimley said as he turned in the cabin keys the morning they were to leave, with a look on his face Renee usually reserved for scolding toddlers. “My wife suffers from terrible arthritis and couldn’t possibly sleep in that bed. You may want to explore obtaining higher-quality mattresses for your facility.”
The mattress is brand new, you jackass. You may want to explore obtaining a higher-quality wife, Renee ached to say to the ungrateful man, but she bit her tongue and instead offered him a cool smile.
The jackass went on: “I am afraid we must insist you give us a twenty-percent discount for this past week, given the poor quality of the service and amenities we have received.”
Afraid her tongue would start to bleed if she had to keep biting it, Renee was more than happy to grant them a discount if it meant they would leave and she would never have to deal with them again.
“I am so sorry you have been less than pleased with your stay here at Whispering Pines,” Renee said, speaking through gritted teeth and a forced smile. “We will take your suggestions under advisement.”
When they finally drove out of sight, Renee called Julie up at the duplex on her cell.
“Is there a way we can block those idiots from ever being able to rent from us again?!” Renee asked her daughter.
She was only half kidding.
***
The last week in June looked more promising. Cabin #3 was officially open for business and rented out, as were #1 and #2. All renters arrived and were settled in by midday.
Renee walked back to the duplex for a quick break. Saturdays were always crazy, getting cabins cleaned and new renters checked-in. All she wanted to do was sit out in her backyard for ten minutes, enjoy a little sunshine, and sip a cold glass of lemonade before tackling
the next thing on her “to do” list.
Julie was baking cookies in the kitchen when Renee went in to grab a lemonade. Julie liked to bake, and Renee liked to surprise their renters with a fresh baked treat on their first evening at the resort.
“Oh, hi honey. What time do your friends get in?”
“Hey, Mom. Anna had to work until five, and she’s picking Emma up on the way, so I suppose about nine tonight. Thanks for letting us use the other duplex. I already warned them it’s in kind of rough shape, but they’re so excited to visit. They both took the week off. I hope it’ll be hot and sunny and we can do some relaxing on the beach.” Julie saw her mother’s expression and quickly added, “Don’t worry, I know you need help, too. Actually, Emma and Anna already offered to help. They know there’s still a ton of work to do.” She smiled. “It’ll be a working vacation!”
Renee wondered how much work they would actually get to that week. Three cute college guys were renting #3, but Julie hadn’t been there when they checked in so she had no idea. Renee suspected, unless all the young men were spoken for, that there could be some interesting developments.At least someone might have a little romance in their lives, Renee thought bitterly. Other than Matt’s weekly calls, which Renee always looked forward to, there was time for nothing else in her life other than resort work.
Next week would bring the Fourth of July, which, of course, came with extra festivities. Renee’s extended family was coming. The duplex would be crowded. Val and Luke were bringing their old camper. Jess and Ethan and their families would use the other duplex. George and Lavonne would have Julie’s room, and Julie would bunk with Renee.
“Oh, Julie, did I tell you Grant called?” Renee asked.
“Recently?”
“Yeah, a couple days ago. I can’t believe I forgot to mention it.”
Julie turned to Renee, finally giving her mom her full attention. “Is something wrong with Grace?”
“No, nothing like that. It sounds like she’s improving some all the time, but it’s a long process. But that’s not why Grant called. He was actually wondering if they could rent one of our cabins for the month of July.”
Renee tried to sneak a cookie off the baking sheet but dropped it on the counter when it burned her fingers. Crumbs shot all over. “Shit!”
“Nice job, ace.” Julie gave Renee a look very much like the one Renee often used on her. “Can Grant get a whole month off from work? Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to have them here. A month is just a long time.”
Renee cleaned up her mess, sweeping the crumbs into the sink, then replied, “He’s a writer. Guess he can do that from pretty much anywhere. He mentioned a big project he’s working on. He also wants Grace to have someplace quiet and peaceful to recuperate, away from hospitals and doctors. I told him we would be delighted to have them.”
“That’s awesome, Mom. It’ll give us a chance to get to know them better.” Julie turned off the oven. The last batch of cookies needed to cool before she could do anything with them. “OK, cookies are done. If you don’t need me for anything else right now, I’m gonna run up and take a quick shower.”
“Nope, go ahead and get cleaned up.” Renee juggled her lemonade and a second cookie while she fumbled with the screen-door latch. “I’m just going to take five, then get back to work.”
Taking a seat in the sunshine, she thought more about having Grant and Grace at the resort. It would be a win for everyone. Renee would have steady, reliable renters in at least one of her cabins for the full month of July; she wouldn’t have to worry about getting some nutcase coming in. She was still getting used to the transient nature of this business. So far, other than those complainers, it had gone well, but you never knew what kind of people might show up. Grant and Grace would be arriving next week. Renee needed to finish Cabin #4 for them. Grant needed an office to work out of, in addition to two bedrooms. As soon as she finished Cabin #3, she started work on the larger cabin. Ethan helped her convert one of the bedrooms into an office. Because she only purchased enough mattresses for the first three cabins, she had to replace the ones in Grant’s cabin with sets purchased at a furniture store, and it was twice as expensive as the auction had been. But if all went as planned this last week of June, Cabin #4 would be ready.
***
Julie’s friends arrived on schedule. Tired from the drive, and having lots to catch up on, the three stayed in their side of the duplex. Renee could hear them laughing well into the night. Robbie had gone up to his room earlier to watch a movie on his iPad.
“Come on, Molly, hurry up,” Renee tried to hustle the cocker spaniel to finish up her business and come back inside. It was after ten, and she was exhausted. She could see a group around the fire pit through the trees.
The resort had decent cell phone reception, despite its remoteness; a cell tower was nearby. Renee posted her cell number in the kitchens of all the cabins, so if there were any problems, she could be easily reached. She hoped her phone would be quiet for the night.
The little dog took her time, sniffing around and exploring before meandering back up the porch steps. It was a beautiful evening and the dog was reluctant to come in. As Molly reached the top step, she froze and let out a low growl. She turned and backed toward Renee, staring at something off in the trees, the low rumble continuing deep in her chest.
“Molly, it’s all right. Probably an animal out there in the woods.” Renee tried to calm her dog, reaching down to give her a reassuring pat. But now Renee felt uneasy too. She had the strange sensation of being watched. Hustling the dog inside, she shut and bolted her door.
“What’s the matter with me?” Renee scolded herself out load. If I’m going to get scared over a little animal in the woods, or every time Molly barks, how am I going to run this resort? “I need to find my backbone and get a hell of a lot tougher if I’m going to make this work.”
Molly looked at her with liquid brown eyes, head tilted slightly, perhaps doubting the effectiveness of Renee’s little pep talk. But the dog was quiet, having forgotten about whatever spooked her as soon as the door closed behind them.
***
It was a quiet night, and her phone didn’t ring. The only sounds were the occasional shout or laugh from the girls through the adjoining wall.
By 7:00 a.m., Renee was at the kitchen table, enjoying her morning coffee. All three girls wandered in dressed in baggy sweats, two with hair up in messy buns. Renee loved Anna’s short, spiky hairdo the color of black ink. A finger comb was all she needed to start her day—what a nice convenience that must be.
After gulping down large mugs of coffee laced with plenty of sugar and cream, they rummaged through the cupboards for cereal or toast.
“Mom, last night we stayed up late trying to devise a plan for the old lodge,” Julie said, her speech thrown off by a mouthful of Froot Loops which dribbled out of her mouth.
Emma laughed. “Eww, gross, Julie!”
Swallowing her cereal before replying this time, Julie apologized, wiping her chin. “Sorry, got a little carried away there.”
“So what ideas did you come up with?” Renee wanted to know.
Anna piped in. “Nothing concrete yet, of course, since we haven’t even been in there yet, but we were brainstorming. Julie said you aren’t putting in a bar or restaurant, at least not yet. Maybe you could fix it up so there’re things for people to do if the weather isn’t great outside or they want to get out of the heat.”
Renee pondered this. “I hadn’t considered folks might enjoy some indoor common areas. But you’re right. Not every day is going to be as beautiful as today, and people might get sick of being in their cabins.”
“Yeah, we were thinking maybe if you put in a big-screen TV and kept a bunch of movies on hand, or maybe an Internet connection for Netflix, something like that,” Emma shared. “Maybe a cabinet for books people could borrow. We even thought a stash of board games and cards would be um, kind of old-school. But still good.”
“I remember when I used to come here as a kid, there was a bookcase like that in the lodge,” Renee reminisced. “People could take a book to read or leave one they finished and didn’t want to drag home. In fact, I remember sneaking a pretty racy paperback off the bookshelf and hiding it under my mattress in our cabin. I read it under my covers with a flashlight late at night. I would have died of embarrassment if anybody caught me.”
More Froot Loops sprayed from Julie’s mouth in laughter. “That is hilarious, Mom!”
“I couldn’t have been more than ten. I suspect the book was tame by today’s standards, but I learned a few things!” Renee laughed. “Did you come up with any other ideas?”
Anna brushed the crumbs from her peanut butter toast off the table into her other hand and dropped them in the garbage. “We were throwing around a few other things you could maybe do, but why don’t you let us spend some time in there, flesh out the ideas more? Then we can talk.”
“Come on, ladies, time to get to work,” Emma directed as they each rinsed their bowls and piled them in the sink.
***
It was a beautiful Sunday. Around noon, Renee stopped in to see how Julie and her friends were doing in the lodge. She was amazed at their progress. Old blinds were down from windows in the back of the first floor and the glass gleamed. Walls and ceilings were free from dust and cobwebs. The floor had been swept but still needed to be mopped. The half-dozen tables previously strewn about the main lodge floor had been folded up and propped against one wall, leaving a huge open area. Knowing the girls might lose interest if the week turned into more work than fun, Renee kicked them outside. They’d earned some fun.
Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1) Page 24
