by Terri DuLong
“Hmm,” I said, slowly beginning to warm to the idea. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe a change is what I need for a while.”
“Give it some thought, Chloe. We just never know what’s around that next corner,” she said, passing me her credit card to pay for her purchase.
Chapter 2
When Dora arrived at the shop, I could tell right away that something was wrong. Normally she was very chatty, but for the past hour she’d replied to my attempts at conversation with only brief answers. Although she was now in her late seventies, she’d always been in excellent health. However, I wondered if perhaps she wasn’t feeling well.
It had been another very slow afternoon. The weakness of the economy over the past few years had hit Cedar Key especially hard. Restaurants had closed. Some gift shops and galleries had either closed or cut back their hours. Even Lucas had said recently that sales were way down at both the bookshop and café.
When I had first moved to Cedar Key, restaurants and shops might close, but it wasn’t long before a new owner was taking over. That simply wasn’t happening now. And without choices for restaurants or shops, tourists were not as likely to visit either.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been very chatty today,” I heard Dora say.
I looked up from the yarn I’d been pricing. “Are you feeling okay?”
She let out a deep sigh. “Physically, yes. But I guess it’s time we have a talk.”
I nodded and walked over to the coffeemaker, where Dora had just filled two mugs, and we sat down.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” she said. “As you know, business has really slacked off during the past year.”
“Right. We’re not getting as many knitters from out of town.”
“Yes, and I know local knitters are finding it more difficult to afford the cost of good yarn. I bumped into Flora and Corabeth last week at Walmart. I’m not sure who was more embarrassed, me or them. They each had a basket filled with yarn. I think they felt disloyal not purchasing it from me, but hey, I certainly understand. They can get it much cheaper than our prices. And if it’s a toss-up between high-priced, quality yarn and putting food on the table . . . well, who can blame them?”
I nodded. “Yeah, Lucas pretty much said the same thing about books. He said at first he thought maybe people were buying ebooks simply as a matter of taste, but since the price of a print book can be much higher, he realized some of it has to do with the economy. With many ebooks either free or at such low prices, they become much more appealing to readers with financial problems.”
“Exactly.” Dora let out another sigh. “And so . . . I’ve been giving some serious thought to closing the shop.”
I wasn’t surprised, but to actually hear the words spoken out loud broke my heart. The yarn shop had initially been opened under the name of Spinning Forward by Dora’s niece, Sydney Webster. After a couple of years, Sydney had sold the shop to her daughter, Monica, who changed the name to Yarning Together. When Monica gave birth to triplets four years ago, the shop still remained in the family when Dora Foster fulfilled her dream and took over as owner. And now . . . it appeared that the demise of the shop was in the near future.
I reached over to give Dora’s hand a squeeze. “I’m so sorry. I know how much this shop has meant to you, and I love being a part of it.”
She nodded and I saw her gaze taking in the display tables of yarn, the cubbyholes along the wall filled with alpaca, cotton, and all the various fibers that knitters were drawn to.
“Yes, I have enjoyed every single day of owning this shop, but sometimes . . . we just have to let go. I think at my age I’m simply grateful for being given the chance to do something I’ve loved for the past four years.”
“Does Marin know yet?”
“I think she has a pretty good idea. I thought expanding the shop with needlepoint last year might help to boost sales but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I know Marin enjoyed running that part of the shop, but to be honest, I think she’d be fine with not working here, closing up her house, and permanently moving into Worth’s home in Ocala. With Fiona graduating from UF in June, she’ll be busy working at Shands as a nurse and being a mom to Andrea. Besides, I hear she and Greg are planning to be married in the fall. So Marin’s life is also changing, and I think she’s welcoming more time with Worth.”
“And what about you?” I asked. “What will you do?”
A smile crossed Dora’s face and she patted my hand. “Oh, Chloe, I’ll be just fine. I’ve lived here all of my life and I can’t see myself leaving. At least not permanently. All of my friends are here and even without a yarn shop, we’ll still meet at each other’s houses to knit and gossip. Just like we always did before the island had a yarn shop. It’s sad to lose this place, but I think it might be the best decision. Now, what about you? I know you’ve only been working part-time these past months, but . . . at least it was some income for you. So I feel bad about that.”
“No, no. Don’t be silly. I’ll be just fine too.” I managed to force a smile to my lips. But would I?
I had left Basil at home after lunch and when I returned at five he was eagerly waiting for me. We always had dogs when the boys were growing up, but they had been more family dogs, not just mine. Basil was different. He showed excitement when he saw me, followed me everywhere, and slept at the foot of my bed every night. He was my pal and my companion. Plus, he made Gabe seem a little bit closer.
“Hey, fella,” I said, bending down to give him a pat. “I think after the news of this afternoon, I’ve earned a glass of wine.”
That was another benefit of having Basil around: I didn’t feel foolish for talking out loud. I headed to the fridge, grabbed a wineglass, and poured some pinot grigio.
“Let’s go on the back porch so you can sniff around the yard.”
He dutifully followed me outside, ran over to a bush, and promptly lifted his leg.
I took a sip of wine and thought, Now what? I hadn’t been completely honest with Dora about my financial situation. I certainly wasn’t destitute, but I also wasn’t on Easy Street.
“Oh, that wine looks good.”
I looked up to see my sister and niece coming in the gate.
“Auntie Chloe, look what I painted at school today.”
Solange ran up the steps and handed me a piece of paper filled with bright colors, but I wasn’t able to discern exactly what the drawing was. “It’s gorgeous,” I told her, glancing up at Grace for assistance.
“Doesn’t she do a great job with scenery? I love the park and all the flowers.”
“Beautiful,” I said, still not able to see much beyond a splash of colors. “Help yourself to a glass of wine, Grace, and there’s lemonade in the fridge for Solange.”
My niece crawled up on my lap, still clutching her paper.
“So did you have a good day at school?” I asked her.
“Yeah, but it’s not big girl school. Mama says I can’t go there for three more years. That’s not fair, is it?”
I laughed and kissed the top of her head. Better she find out at a young age that life isn’t always fair.
“Here ya go,” Grace said, coming back out and passing a plastic glass to Solange. “Now be a good girl and let Mommy and Aunt Chloe have a chat.”
“Okay,” she said, jumping off my lap. “I’ll go play with Basil.”
A smile crossed my face. “Kids are so easily entertained and satisfied, aren’t they?”
Grace laughed. “Not always. What’s up? You’re looking a little glum.”
I took a sip of wine and nodded. “Well, I can’t say this was one of my better days. Dora had to give me the sad news that she’s going to be closing the yarn shop.”
“Oh, no. I’ve been hearing rumors to that effect. The economy and lack of sales?”
“Yup, and I think she’s been struggling to hold on for a while now. She finally made her decision and, actually, I think she’s comfortable with it.”
“Wha
t about you? Where does this leave you, Chloe?”
“Good question. I honestly don’t know. The pay wasn’t much, but it helped supplement my income. My building downtown has been on the market almost a year and zip. Nothing is really moving with real estate right now.”
“Yeah, Lucas is finding the same thing with the book café. He’s not losing money, but he’s not making much either. I guess the good thing for us is that he leases the space now. He was fortunate to sell the building last year to an investor.”
“I sure wish an investor would come along and buy mine. But I guess I’m lucky to at least be renting my apartment. The rental income is a plus, and I’m living here at Aunt Maude’s rent free. And of course I have the rent from Berkley for both her chocolate shop and her apartment. But it’s a scary situation for a woman alone in her early fifties. I was stupid enough to listen to Parker all the years I was married to him. Telling me I didn’t have to work. Financially, I didn’t, but here I am now with no pension to fall back on, no retirement fund. The smartest thing I did was take the divorce settlement money and put a hefty down payment on the building I purchased. At least my mortgage is low enough that I can handle it without fear of foreclosure like so many other people.”
Grace nodded. “That was a very smart decision on your part, but . . . you’re still not sure what you want to do long term, huh?”
I let out a deep sigh. “Not really. Although Shelby mentioned today that I should still consider going to Ormond Beach. At least for a visit. Alone.”
Grace swung around in her chair to face me. “Oh, Chloe, I think that’s a great idea. I know I suggested this to you at the beginning of the year, but then Aunt Maude died and it didn’t seem right bringing up the subject again. But I really do think a change would do you a lot of good.”
“Hmm, yeah, maybe. Just for a week or so.”
“Don’t be silly. Give yourself more time than that. You’ll just be getting used to the area and finding your way around when it’ll be time to come back. Who knows . . . you might find yourself loving the town and the people, and you’ll want to settle there permanently.”
I seriously doubted that would happen; then it hit me that Grace’s encouragement might not be all about me. “You and Lucas want to move to Paris, don’t you?”
She began fiddling with the stem of her wineglass. “Well . . . ah . . . yeah. Someday.”
I definitely didn’t want to be the old maid sister she felt responsible for. Grace was more than entitled to her own life and I began to feel guilty for possibly holding them back these past few months.
“You know what,” I said, forcing a smile to my face. “I think you and Shelby are right. Time for me to step up and make a fresh start.”
“Really?”
I saw the expression of doubt on my sister’s face. “Really,” I assured her. “As a matter of fact, after dinner I’m going to browse the Internet and see if I can find a place to stay for . . . well, I’m not quite sure how long. But longer than a week.”
Her expression of doubt now changed to concern. “Geez, Chloe. I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you to leave. Can you afford to rent a place over there for an extended period of time?”
That thought had been floating around my head, too, and a solution had occurred to me. “Yes, I can. God knows when this house will sell. But don’t forget, Aunt Maude also left each of us fifty thousand dollars, and remember what she said in her will?”
Grace laughed. “I do. She said to be sure not to spend the money on something practical. To use the money on frivolous things.”
I nodded. “Because she wanted us to remember her and smile whenever we spent any of that money. She wanted us to enjoy the moments and have fun with it.”
“Exactly. I have to agree with you, Chloe. Aunt Maude would love for you to take some of that money, rent a place in Ormond Beach, and give yourself a chance to start over.”
And I knew my sister was right.
Chapter 3
I cleaned up after dinner, made myself a cup of herbal tea, and settled down at the computer to do some searches for vacation rental properties in Ormond Beach.
The first few listings I found were either too high priced, too large, or they didn’t accept dogs. After more than an hour of browsing, I was about to give up when a particular listing caught my eye.
1200 sq. ft. spacious condo. One bedroom, one bath. Balcony overlooking beach. Parking. Security. Elevator.
It didn’t say they accepted dogs. But it didn’t say they didn’t either. This one looked promising. I clicked the link to check out the photos. Very nice. Very nice indeed. The furniture looked stylish and comfortable. The view from the balcony was breathtaking.
What did I have to lose? I read further and saw that interested renters could call Henry. I reached for my phone and dialed the number listed. A male voice answered.
“Hi,” I said. “I saw your rental on the Internet and I’m calling for some information. Is this Henry?”
“It is,” I heard him say. “Well, my listing is fairly descriptive. I’m not sure when you’d like to rent, but there is a one month minimum. Would that be a problem?”
“No, not at all,” I told him, although I had been thinking more along the lines of a couple weeks. “That would be fine. I was considering possibly the month of May?”
“Yes, that would work for me quite well, actually. Because I have plans to be down there myself mid-June. Are you familiar with Ormond Beach at all? Have you been there before?”
“I visited a few times last year,” I said and recalled my trips with Gabe. “But I’m looking forward to getting to know it better.”
“It’s a wonderful little town. Well, not too little with a population just over thirty-eight thousand. Would you be flying or driving?”
“I live on the west coast of Florida. Actually, directly across the state from Ormond Beach, about an hour west of Gainesville. So I’ll be driving over.”
“Great. Well, the condo is available and if you’re interested, I can book it for you whenever you’d like.”
I hadn’t actually intended to make a commitment immediately. I had only thought I’d browse and see what was available, but my intuition kicked in and told me to just do it.
“One last question,” I said. “Do you accept dogs in the condo?”
I heard his laughter come across the line. “Well, that depends. How many do you have?”
A smile crossed my face. “Only one and he’s a good boy. Basil is around twenty pounds and very well mannered.”
“I’m sure he is and yes, it isn’t a problem at all. I have a dog myself and she always comes with me when I spend time down there.”
“Oh, how nice. What kind do you have?”
“Delilah is a Golden and my best pal. By the way, nothing compares to walking your dog on the beach, and of course, it’s right out the door of the building. The condo is on the third floor, but you probably read there’s an elevator, so it’s convenient.”
“Wonderful. Well, then I definitely want to book for the month of May. Do you also live in Florida?”
“No, not permanently. I’m retired and I spend some time up here in Vermont. I dabble a bit in photography so I have the best of both worlds with scenery. Will it just be you renting the condo?”
I had a feeling that was a roundabout way of asking if I had a spouse. “Right, just me and Basil.”
“That’s great. I think you’ll both be comfortable there. If you’ll give me your mailing address, I’ll mail you some information about the condo, along with directions and the keys. The building has a code and you can access the pad both from the underground garage and the front door.”
“Excellent,” I said and proceeded to give him my address. “Do you want a check for the full amount or a credit card?”
He stated that a check was fine and gave me his address.
“Okay,” I said. “Then I think I’m all set. I’ll get that into the mail for you tom
orrow and I’ll plan to arrive on May first.”
“Would it be possible to have your cell number, just in case any questions or problems arise? And I’ll give you mine.”
“Of course,” I said. “Oh, and who do I make the check out to?”
“Henry Wagner, and your name is?”
“I’m Chloe Radcliffe, and thank you so much.”
“It’s been my pleasure, Chloe. If you have any further questions about the condo or the town, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
I hung up and let out a deep sigh. Well, that was that. And I felt like I’d made a good decision despite the fact that it hadn’t been my intent to actually rent something this evening. But it felt right, and after conversing with Henry Wagner, it also felt like I’d been chatting with a friend.
I looked down at Basil, who had been napping near my feet. “Well, fella, you and I will be heading to the east coast in two weeks. Are you up for an adventure?”
He wagged his tail and gave a bark.
“Right, I think we both are,” I said. I’d just headed to the kitchen to make another cup of tea when I heard someone knock and walk in.
“Are you busy?” Grace asked.
“Not at all. What’s up? Would you like some tea?”
“That would be great,” she said, sitting down at the kitchen table. “Well, Lucas and I were talking after supper, and we’ve decided to go to Paris for a month. As you know, we haven’t been over there for a while and he’d like to visit with his family.”
“I think that’s a great idea because I’ll also be gone for a month.”
“Did you book something already?”
I laughed. “I did. I found a condo on the beach that sounds ideal, I called the owner and I’m confirmed to arrive there on May first.”
“Wow, that was fast. You weren’t kidding about really wanting to go. That’s great, Chloe.”
