Time for Surprises

by Mette Barfelt

  Time

  for

  Surprises

  Mette Barfelt

  © COPYRIGHT 2018

  Mette Barfelt & Solvik Publishing (Barfelt AS)

  All rights reserved

  Cover Designer: Ashraf E. Shalaby

  Cover Photographer: PlusONE, Shutterstock.com

  Translator: Hilde Steinkopf

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  This book is set in the town of Solvik in Norway. Solvik is part fictitious, part real. Although the town itself and its citizens are fictitious, everything else such as the surrounding area, distances, geography, names of cities, nature, and weather are real. The idyllic Solvik is only half an hour's drive southeast of Oslo, but the contrast to the noisy capital is enormous. I picture Solvik situated by the sea, a mere ten-minute walk from where I live, surrounded by woods, farms, and fields in the relaxing countryside. Norway is part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe, and a peaceful corner of the world.

  We have four seasons, each lasting about three months. There's snow in the winter, but also bathing temperatures in the summer. Spring in Norway is my favorite time of year, with the bright green buds of birch and oak mixed with dark green from pine and spruce. Norway is famous for its long summer nights and the Northern Lights, which make you want to stay outside and enjoy the balmy weather all night long. In the fall the colors turn orange, red and yellow – a magnificent sight.

  In Norway, we measure temperatures in degrees Celsius:

  45 degrees Celsius equals 113 degrees Fahrenheit

  16 degrees Celsius equals 61 degrees Fahrenheit

  Minus 2 degrees Celsius equals 28 degrees Fahrenheit

  Water freezes at 0 and boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

  And we measure length in centimeter and meter:

  1 meter equals 3 feet

  60 meters equals 200 feet

  The Norwegian currency is Kroner, and 1 krone equals 10 cents.

  Norway has special rules for flag hoisting during the summer season. The flags should be raised at sunrise, but no earlier than 8 AM, and lowered at sunset, but no later than 9 PM.

  The Norwegian school system is different from the American one. The teens start at high school when they are sixteen years old and attend the school for three years.

  I do hope you enjoy the book!

  MIRANDA SKOGEN'S FAMILY:

  MIRANDA SKOGEN, hotel manager at Sea Breeze Hotel & Spa

  VIDAR HAVDAL, Miranda's husband

  SOFIE SKOGEN HAVDAL, Miranda and Vidar's daughter

  NOAH SKOGEN HAVDAL, Miranda and Vidar's son

  WILLIAM SKOGEN, Miranda's father (deceased)

  ELVIRA SKOGEN, Miranda's mother

  KITTY SKOGEN, Miranda's grandma (William's mother)

  ISABELLA SKOGEN, Miranda's middle sister

  JASMINE SKOGEN, Miranda's younger half-sister

  ANTHONY (TONY) SKOGEN, Miranda's brother

  CELINE LINNER, William's daughter, Miranda's half-sister

  PATRICIA LINNER, Celine's daughter

  1

  "Janitor? Do I look like a darn janitor?" Vidar Havdal thundered as he stood up abruptly and reached for his jacket. His crimson face showed how upset he was and Miranda didn't blame him. Her husband wasn't the only one who'd received the shock of his life this morning.

  "Let's discuss it over lunch," Miranda suggested. She went over to lawyer Henriksen to take her leave.

  "I do regret the outcome of the testament," the lawyer said in a somber voice, his brow furrowed, suggesting he'd been the one to have his life turned upside down in a matter of seconds. "But I assume I have met the management of the new hotel."

  "That remains to be seen," Vidar said, opening the front door, then slamming it shut behind him with a bang.

  King, the tiny Pomeranian dog the size of a teacup, jumped and started barking. "There, there, take it easy," Kitty soothed, lovingly patting its snowy fluffy fur. King looked up at her with large dark eyes, and she kissed his black snout, turning it somewhat pinkish.

  "Grandma, stop kissing the dog," Miranda urged while she packed her stuff.

  "No way."

  Once they had all left the lawyer's office, Miranda noticed Vidar standing on the corner, still raging. Oh well, let him be. She had more than enough on her plate dealing with her own feelings and didn't quite know what to make of it all. If Vidar's shock was big, then the siblings' shock was bigger. Miranda glanced at the unfamiliar woman who appeared to be their age. Her name was Celine. Who would have thought that –

  "I've discovered there are two eateries in this small town," Isabella said. She was the sibling who managed to take pleasure in anything, even in demanding situations. "An Italian restaurant and a café. Where would you like to eat?"

  "I don't care, I've lost my appetite," Vidar proclaimed.

  "The café," her younger sister, Jasmine, said as she started to walk. "Does anyone know where it is?"

  Miranda nodded. "In that direction." She pointed at the cozy white wooden houses along the main street. They consisted of small unique clothes and interior boutiques offering items never found in chain stores. "I suggest we leave the cars here. Everything's close by in Solvik."

  "You've got it all under control, Miranda." Elvira pulled her jacket tight around her neck. The biting spring air necessitated a scarf, but the sun already offered a touch of warmth.

  "Are you okay, Mom?" Miranda looked at her flapping coat but had long since stopped being amazed at her mother's choice of outfit, or any of her strange notions for that matter. She recognized her mother had received the greatest shock today.

  "I'm not entirely sure."

  "What a charming town," Isabella said. Born with an aesthetic sense, she had a flair for details. "It can't be long since the snow melted, but the daffodils will soon be starting to bloom."

  Miranda didn't get how her sister could think about such things when they had so much to worry about, but Isabella was a florist. She looked at her sister, Jasmine, and tried to interpret her facial expression. Usually able to read her like an open book, today it was impossible. She realized that her father's will would impose tremendous changes for all of them. Not least for this woman, Celine. Whatever had William been thinking? Granted, she'd never had a close relationship with her father, but she now understood that she hadn't known him at all.

  Café Solside was in a large white house with views of the fine-grained sandy beach and the sea. The location was perfect, and Miranda couldn't help thinking that the café would be a significant competitor to the restaurant at the new hotel, soon to open. But the town had barely any eateries, so she hoped the locals acknowledged the need for more options. Anyhow, there was nothing she could do about it, the restaurant would open shortly.

  "Welcome, I'm Vera." A plump and agreeable older woman stood in front of them, smiling.

  Miranda thought it was a good start.

  "Come, I'll get you a window table." Obediently, they followed her into the charming café, consisting of a mixture of tables and sofas, and a counter with red chairs. "Are you, by any chance, the new owners of the hotel out on the headland? I heard rumors you were heading this way."

  Bewildered, Miranda looked at her. How anyone could know they were coming here today was beyond her imagination.

  "There's a certain truth in it." She sat while the waitress handed out the menus.

  "Oh, what an adorable dog," Vera exclaimed. "I didn't see it until now, it's tiny." She started patting the dog, who was wagging its tail in Kitty's arms.

  Kitty wasn't tall but proudly straightened her back. The ballerina shoes she insisted on wearing didn't make her any taller. How come she isn't freezing, wearing summer shoes in this cold? Miranda thought. Kitty was by no means lik
e other grandmas, but everyone loved her.

  "Is it okay to take King inside?" Kitty looked worried. "Otherwise I'm leaving right away."

  Vera laughed heartily, making her two spare tires wobble. "No problem, we're nothing if not flexible. Strictly speaking, dogs aren't allowed in the café, but I'll make an exception. Just keep him in your purse, so he doesn't show."

  The food arrived, but the mood around the table was gloomy, and not at all like it used to be when the family gathered.

  "I don't get this." Jasmine looked at Celine. "Who are you, exactly?"

  Miranda studied the flustered face of the stranger and wondered the same.

  Celine drank some of the sparkling water and smiled tentatively. "This is as much of a shock to me as it is to you. I've never heard of you before, and I can't fathom that I suddenly have four half-siblings."

  "Did you know our father?" Jasmine watched as she took a bite of chicken salad.

  "I've met William a few times throughout my childhood, but have barely spoken to him," Celine answered.

  She wasn't the only one, Miranda thought, feeling the bitterness emerge.

  "Didn't you know he was married?" Jasmine pressed on.

  Celine shook her head. "Didn't have a clue. My mother enjoyed her own company, together with Patricia and me."

  "Who's Patricia?" Miranda asked before anyone else got the chance, but she knew they were equally curious.

  "My five-year-old daughter."

  "Goodness, this keeps getting better and better." Vidar hadn't uttered a word since leaving the lawyer's office but appeared to have recovered his voice. Pouting, he messed about with his fish stew.

  "Mom, were you aware of this?"

  Astounded, Elvira looked at Miranda. "Well, I didn't know of her, precisely, but we've always lived separate lives. Both William and I did as we pleased."

  Miranda didn't comprehend how such a platonic marriage could work, but nothing about her mother surprised her. And William appeared to be like no one else.

  "Good thing you don't mind getting new family members. The rest of us are finding it a bit too much to deal with right now." Miranda noticed her siblings nodding. She couldn't help but feel for Celine, who, no doubt, felt like an outsider when faced with so many new people. It wasn't Celine's fault that her mother had had a relationship with their father.

  "This can't be easy for you either, Celine," Miranda said, sipping her tea. Better make the best of it, there were plenty of other challenges to deal with.

  "Let's discuss the hotel instead." Tony yawned widely. "Dad has dragged me all the way from India, and I'm still tired." He hadn't found anything vegetarian on the menu and had to make do with herbal tea.

  "Agreed. Who would've thought that Dad wanted us to run the hotel when he's never shown any interest in us before?" Miranda eyed the group.

  "That's not the worst part," Vidar added. "He's decided what jobs each of us will have, too, and I've come out inferior, as usual. It leaves no doubt as to how he felt about me. Janitor. Yeah, right," he grumbled disgruntledly, and the corners of his mouth pointed downwards.

  "Everyone knows I should've been offered your job, Miranda. After all, I'm the economist."

  "But Miranda's educated in hotel management," Isabella objected. "She studied for years, even though she hasn't worked in the hotel industry. I guess that's what Dad had in mind when he gave her the directorship."

  "What about you, Isabella," Miranda said, to focus on something else other than her husband's jealousy. "You've nailed the dream job, right?"

  Her sister beamed. "Maybe. I've always dreamed of a florist of my own, but I hadn't counted on having to move from Oslo. I'm used to living in the capital, and Solvik is pretty small."

  Miranda smiled, but her gaze moved to Jasmine. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined their dad forcing her younger sister to work for him. Jasmine had started a half-year study as a nail designer several years ago and had at long last managed to complete it but had never held a job. She lived a comfortable life in an apartment in the capital, paid by her lover, and she was used to getting everything arranged for her.

  "How do you feel about your brother being your boss, Jasmine?"

  "I don't know. I'm fine as it is now."

  "Who's said I'm the boss of the spa department?" Tony looked at them questioningly. Miranda glanced at her brother and instantly felt sorry for him. Tony was a rare character and had more than enough to cope with being his own boss. Not only was he an eminently emotional person but he could also be difficult to understand. How Tony would be able to make decisions in the spa's best interests was impossible to predict. He'd stayed in the Far East for years, trying to find himself. She suspected he hadn't found anything.

  "The fact is that we all have a choice," Miranda said, "at least in theory."

  Vidar burst into scornful laughter. "Do we now? I'm the only one with an option here. I can decline the prestigious janitor job."

  Miranda turned silent. He was partly right, but not entirely. Her husband had been unemployed for the last six months. If he wanted to earn money, this was his chance. There hadn't been a line of businesses fighting to hire him after the company where he was employed was purchased, making him redundant.

  "You, the heirs, lose everything if you don't do as Daddy says," he continued in a sarcastic voice.

  "What did the will say?" Isabella queried. "Wasn't there something about a fund?"

  Miranda looked at her empty plate. The chili marinated scampi had been tasteful and the seasoning just right. If the other courses were equally tasty, competing with the café would be arduous. But she'd worry about that later.

  "Dad had complete separation of property. If we don't want the designated jobs, we won't receive any inheritance, other than the share we're entitled to by law," she explained. "It states that each child gets one-fourth of his shares. We can sell them, but only to the other siblings for ten cents per share. In practice, it means the shares lose their value if we sell them."

  "Therefore, you're tied to the hotel," Elvira said, not looking the slightest bit distressed. She'd always been a stay-at-home mom, and she'd been occupied with her inner voyages. In many ways, she resembled her son. They were both soaring souls. "I'm looking forward to having you close by."

  Miranda didn't understand what she was talking about. Her mother had never been close to anyone, apart from perhaps some of her male acquaintances throughout the years, but now it occurred to her what her mother meant. "You inherited the large apartment on the top floor of the hotel, where you would have lived together with Dad."

  "I certainly did. It'll be grand," Elvira said, finishing the rest of her herbal tea.

  "Oh my, we'll be neighbors." Kitty laughed out loud while stroking King repeatedly across his back. "I've inherited the suite next to you."

  "Yes, the children are the only ones having to find places to live here in Solvik," Miranda said, sighing. "But the most important thing now, is to consider what we want. There's no point in inheriting a hotel if we don't enjoy our jobs. It won't work in the long run. We'll be working closely together, so we must figure out what we truly want from our lives. That goes for you as well, Celine."

  2

  The Sea Breeze Hotel & Spa lay majestically on the cape, which was an extension of the marina. None of them had been to Solvik before since they had never been invited to take a closer look at their father's newest project. Miranda stared wide-eyed at the modern hotel, so unlike any other building in the small town. The box-like building had four stories, in addition to the bottom story with the spa department, and a subterranean garage below.

  They parked on the temporary construction site outside the main entrance.

  "Wow, I'll say." Isabella gaped. "Dad never ceases to surprise. To think he got rid of the other hotels for this."

  "According to the lawyer, it was a decision made after he became ill," said Miranda. "Dad probably would never have sold them all if he thought he'd live on for ye
ars. He wouldn't have hired a local lawyer here in Solvik just before he died if he didn't think we'd accept the inheritance."

  "Maybe he thought it would be easier for us to deal with a law firm close to where we'd live," Isabella said.

  "Gosh, look at the stunning sea view." Tony had sauntered to the front of the building. "Look how it sparkles in the sun!"

  "You're right." Amazed, Miranda looked at the unique property and the building's location. "There are guest rooms all along the three sides, each one with a view of the sea. Only the main entrance faces toward the center of Solvik."

  "This looks like a nice place to live," Kitty told King. "Come, let's take a walk and peek at those muscly builders. I can see them from here. Now that's something my dear Freddy never had in his heyday."

  Miranda hid a smile. They were used to their grandma's startling comments. Dearly loved by his grandkids and Kitty alike, their grandpa had passed away several years ago.

  "Let's go inside and find out how much work remains to be done."

  Tony courteously held the door open for everyone, and Vidar reluctantly tagged along. They entered an impressive lobby. The front desk was to the right, and on the left side were several empty rooms and a bar. Miranda looked at the drawings she'd received from lawyer Henriksen.

  "Now, let's see." Isabella was the only one interested in getting an overview.

  Kitty stared at the men wandering back and forth, working, and King gave a short bark. "Just look, no touching," Kitty warned. "That goes for both of us," she whispered.

  Miranda glanced at Isabella and tried to keep her laughter at bay. She fixed her attention on the drawings again. "That area is reserved for your flowers, Isabella." She pointed at the room with glass walls, centrally located to the left of the entrance.