My Own Island (A Blue Shore Novel)

by Wendy Silk

  Ed was Cindy’s oldest child. Now grown, he had been working at the hotel for three years. He was a smart guy, and I valued his input. After all, I’d known him all his life. When I could catch him, I’d ask him to share his impression of David. Ed was a restless kid; I’d been thinking that for a while now. Maybe David was tantalizing him with stories of what city life would be like. If Ed wanted to move away, I knew that Cindy would support the idea.

  In the way that it always did, Thanksgiving crept up on us all. Our bookings were always strong during the holiday week, as families from the mainland took the opportunity to get away from traditions that were no longer working for them. I had made certain that both Alice and Toby knew that the whole week was meant to be a break from studying. For once, Alice took me at my word.

  When I stopped into the apartment for a quick lunch and to check in with Toby on the Monday before Thanksgiving, Alice was wheeling a little black suitcase from her room. “Grant, I hope you’re sure about this. If you really mean it, I have to say that I’m looking forward to spending a few days at my parents’ house.”

  I shook my head, smiling at her. “Alice, it’s a holiday week for almost everybody out there. Of course you should go to your family. You’ve just been part of the hotel life for too long now, so you’re feeling guilty for taking any kind of break.”

  She grinned at me. “You’re right. If I was still teaching at my old job, I’d take my vacation days and run like the wind. I guess the difference is that what I do here doesn’t always seem like work.”

  Toby was sprawled on the couch, with his leg draped over an armrest. He nodded at her and gave her a thumbs up. He even used his phone to speak the words, “Bye, Alice...I’ll miss you!” Any suggestion of embarrassing sentiment was cancelled out by the fact that he went right back to whatever video he was watching. Sometimes he seemed like nothing more than a regular teenager, making my worries for him outdated and silly.

  I turned back to Alice. “Well, the work you’ve been doing with Toby has been amazing. And I even hear from Cindy that you help her with things downstairs. You don’t have to do that, you know.”

  She shrugged. “I like hanging out with her, so that doesn’t seem like work either.” Her shoulders were looser and more relaxed these days than ever. Something had changed within her. I was beginning to face the fact that it was her reignited relationship with David that had made the difference. When she was ready, she’d go back to him. All I could do was hope that it wasn’t going to be this week.

  “You’ll come back, right?” I hoped I sounded less plaintive than I felt.

  “Yep. Toby and I still have work to do to finish his credits. Before you go back downstairs, though, you should ask him what’s on his mind with regards to college applications.” She looked at my brother, directing her next words toward him. “We’ve been sitting on this piece of news, Toby, but it’s time to share it. Tell Grant what’s up.” With that, she pulled her suitcase along the hardwood flooring, into the foyer, and stepped into the elevator. She sent a confident wave in our direction and was gone.

  I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to feel disconcerted about the idea of college applications already, but I was. “Toby, what’s that about? I didn’t expect you’d be thinking about colleges until after the end of the year.”

  He sat up, looking a little guilty. “Early admission. Sorry...just one school.”

  I gave myself a little shake. “No, you don’t need to be sorry! I’m glad that Alice worked with you on that. I should have been more on top of it.”

  He relaxed against the cushions again, seeing that I really wasn’t mad. “Ok.” Without using his speech app any more than that, he pulled up a website on his phone and passed it to me. As I scrolled through the page of a well-known university in California, I felt my own excitement growing. “Toby, this would be a great school for you. I know it’s really competitive, but you have every chance of getting in. I am so proud of you, either way.”

  When I returned to my work downstairs, I was surprised to see Cindy signaling me that she needed my help. She had been in charge for so many years at our front desk that it was rare that there was anything she needed from me. It was more often the reverse, that I consulted with her when I needed more clarity than I could bring to a problem. She trained all her own assistants and some of mine as well. Cindy was the backbone of the hotel.

  “Grant, I really need to talk to you about this,” she said. Her sense of urgency made her voice louder than usual. I could see that she held a long white envelope that must have arrived in today’s mail.

  “Cindy, let me come around to sit with you. Whatever it is, we’ll sort it out.” I saw that her face was drawn and pale. “Cindy, this isn’t like you. What is it?”

  She unfolded the papers and pushed them toward me. I picked them up, noticing the formal letterhead of the state health department. When I read through the letter, I froze. I had not heard of this happening to a hotel in years, but now it was happening here, to us. This was the health scare that hoteliers feared most: the bacteria that could cause fatal pneumonia. The health department was investigating us for potential Legionella.

  “Grant, this is serious. Legionnaires’ Disease is just about the worst thing that can happen to a hotel. If people hear about it, our bookings will drop like a stone Nobody wants to stay in a place so dirty that they can catch pneumonia from the plumbing.” Cindy sank back in her seat, already moving from panic to defeat.

  “We’ll figure it out. We just have to get to the bottom of this.” I scanned the letter. “So the health board has received reports from three people who were here this fall. Since they returned home, they’ve developed lung problems that may be associated with Legionella bacteria.” I stopped, then began again in a quieter voice. “That sounds pretty damning. Three people? I think two is the threshold for being seriously investigated. If we had three unrelated guests staying here that have tested positive for the bacteria, then it may actually be here.”

  Cindy met my eyes, nodding solemnly at the fear she saw there.

  I couldn’t stand the silence, so I went on, speaking the words that neither of us needed to hear aloud to know they were true. “This could be the end of the hotel.”

  Chapter 15: Alice

  When I returned from the week at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, my mood was nothing short of ebullient. It had taken the time away from my family to realize how much I had been missing them. My brothers had been in fine form, and my parents had been happier to see me than in a long while. I suspected that they enjoyed my company much more now that it was only me, without David along to add tension to every moment.

  I relished the way the crisp, cold air stung my cheeks as I came across on the ferry. Other, more jaded travelers might sit inside on the long benches, using their laptops to catch up on work. I was still fresh enough to the route that I spent the full time allowed on the deck, leaning against the railing, hoping for an orca sighting.

  When I walked into the lobby of the hotel, I was stunned at the change in Cindy’s demeanor since I had last seen her. “Cindy, what is it?” I hurried to her to offer a hug. “It’s not anything to do with Isabel, is it? She’s all right?”

  Cindy smiled at me. She was still herself, just tired, with a worry that I couldn’t put my finger on yet. “Of course she’s fine. She has been touring castles and tapestries. I can’t wait for you to meet her when she comes back. I know you’ll get along.”

  “What is it, then?” I asked her, setting my bag down behind the long, marble counter. “I can see that something’s wrong.”

  “I should let Grant tell you, but he’d probably rather that I just say it now. He’s very tense. While you were gone, we received a warning from the health authorities. They think our water quality in the hotel has serious problems. The investigation is still in progress, but we may be responsible for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease.”

  I gulped. I wasn’t even in the hotel bu
siness, and I had heard of that. It would ruin the reputation of Grant’s family business. “But how?” I asked. “It has to do with air conditioning, doesn’t it? That doesn’t make any sense this time of year. The cases are supposed to have happened recently?”

  Cindy nodded. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Grant is struggling to understand the situation. It’s only been a couple of days since he got the notification. He may have to close the hotel to test all the plumbing systems. You’re right, though, that people think of it as being associated with air conditioning or cooling towers. Outbreaks aren’t just in warm weather, though.” She lowered her voice, even though there was nobody passing by. “It can also develop in hot tubs. That’s what has Grant tied up in knots right now. He knows the hot tub has been acting up. He’s starting to think that the hotel might really be the source of the bacteria.”

  My heart sank. I was aware that he’d been battling that filtration system. I remember the day I saw him in the pool building, after he’d stepped into the hot tub to work on it. “And if the outbreak really can be traced to here, then the hotel is in real trouble,” I said.

  Cindy began stacking papers so briskly that I knew she was holding back tears. With a friendly pat to her shoulder, I went upstairs, rolling my bag behind me. Was it my imagination, or did the hotel seem quieter than usual?

  Upstairs, Toby was nowhere to be seen. Usually, he’d be reading at this time of day, and Grant would be downstairs, solving problems everywhere in the building. Today, though, was different. I didn’t know where Toby was, but Grant was sitting outside on the long balcony. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him sit still like that. He was a man who was always on the move. Even in the Caribbean, he’d kept himself more active than anybody else at the resort. He didn’t know how to take a real vacation. It was starting to look like the only thing that could keep him from his work was losing the hotel itself. If I couldn’t get him to fight back against the charges of unsafe air quality, that was exactly what would happen.

  I stepped out onto the balcony. “Grant, I’m back.”

  He lifted a hand in greeting, but continued to stare out at the gray line where the water met the sky. With his gaze forward, he asked me quietly, “How was your trip?”

  I sat down next to him, matching my posture to his. His back was straight, not touching the back of his chair at all. “The trip was fine,” I answered. “Grant, I heard all about it from Cindy. What are you doing to fight this?”

  “Fight it? You don’t understand. There’s no putting something like this back in the bottle once it’s out. When it hits the news that we’ve had three reported cases traced to the hotel, we’ll be finished. This isn’t a minor problem, like somebody slipping on the front walk, or an elevator getting stuck. This is the big one. This is what all hoteliers fear, and what we all work so hard to prevent. If these cases are real, then the hotel itself is toxic.”

  “Come on,” I insisted. “There must be something we can do. These days, nobody can remember anything for long. Even if it hits the news, we can sort this out. You’ll renovate, you’ll get certifications that the problem is gone.”

  He finally turned to look at me. “I don’t see any of that happening. I’m sorry, but it just won’t work. This building is so old that it takes all I can do to keep it in shape every year. I love it, I do. But I’ve been replacing parts and polishing up the old bones of this place for years now. It’s been my entire adult life. What if this is something that can’t be solved? After all I’ve done to stay on top of every license I need, while not pissing off the historical society. Maybe it’s just time to admit that it’s too much for me.”

  “Seriously? This is what you have to say about this? Grant, you’re being a quitter. I would never have thought this would be how you’d handle a big problem. Haven’t you handled other things before?”

  Grant looked at me in irritation. “Yes, I have. I can see what you’re getting at, Alice. Subtlety is not really your strong point. You’re saying that if I was able to handle losing my parents and raising Toby, that I should be able to meet this challenge too. Yep, got that. Got your message.”

  I leaned forward to put my hand on his arm. “Well? Am I wrong?”

  He looked down at his hands. “Maybe you are. I might just be at the end of my rope here. You don’t really know anything about it. What it was like around here after the accident. How much I miss my folks.”

  “Tell me. I’m here, and I’m listening.” I still had my hand on his arm. It felt warm, despite the chill of the air around us. Without thinking, I began to rub my thumb softly on his skin. Touching him felt so right that it took my breath away. How had we let this go after we’d first met?

  Then I remembered. It wasn’t that we had let it go. He had thrown it away, ditching me without a word. He was a distant and cold man, no matter how much he seemed like he needed me right now. I straightened my back and removed my hand from him. For a moment, that felt like a loss that I wouldn’t recover from, but I drew a deep breath and resolved to keep my hands to myself.

  Grant was still looking at me. I’m sure he saw every thought pass through my mind. Of course it all showed on my face; everything always did. He frowned at me. “But why are you back?”

  Genuinely confused, I cocked my head at him. “Because I work here? What are you talking about? I went to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. Remember? You gave me the vacation days.” A new source of worry developed at the bottom of my stomach. “Are you planning to fire me?”

  “No, it’s not that,” he said. “I just wasn’t sure if you…” He let the thought trail away, until I wondered if he had forgotten what we were talking about. “Sorry,” he shook his head.

  Determined to get through to him without sacrificing my own boundaries, I tried again, this time without touching him. “Grant, pay attention. What are you going to do? Don’t tell me there’s nothing to try. Find out who these people are who have reported illness. Where else have they been? Maybe there’s another location that they all traveled to together. Do they have anything in common? Come on, think like a detective. And contact your lawyer. Get moving.”

  He said, dully, “Yes, we had the attorney in here yesterday.”

  “Do more. Get going.” I played the last card I could think of, knowing it was a bit of a dirty trick. “What about Toby? You know he’s getting ready to leave home, as he should. But don’t you want him to have this place to come back to? Don’t you care about his share of your parents’ legacy?”

  Grant rose to his feet. “I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing already. You’re not bringing out any ideas that I didn’t already have. You think you have some kind of groundbreaking analysis here, Alice? I don’t need you to remind me of my responsibilities.”

  I stood too, stung by the way he was lashing out at me. “Well, I guess we’re finished talking, then.”

  “Yep.”

  “Grant, you’re being a jerk because you’re stressed. I get that. But you need to listen to me. You do have a lot of responsibilities here. All the people that work for you--they need those jobs. I know you have a ton of money, and that if you let this hotel fold, you’ll be just fine financially. It’s not about the money; it never was. It’s about the connections that you have with people. It’s about how you remember your parents.” I hesitated, but said it anyway. “And your wife. You’re working to preserve your memory of her.”

  Grant swiveled to look at me, with a peculiar expression on his face.

  I kept talking, hoping I wouldn’t have to discuss his grief for his beautiful, lost wife. “You aren’t making plans for just yourself here, Grant. You seem to think that you’re some kind of island. But you’re not. You’re part of something bigger than yourself.”

  I turned on my heel and walked away.

  Chapter 16: Grant

  Alice was right. Well, not about all of it, but her point still stood. Keeping the hotel going wasn’t just about me. In fact, it was not at all about m
e. I had spent so many years feeling burdened by responsibilities that I had let that twist my understanding of what it all meant. Nobody here needed this to be about me, or about any one person. It was, just as she’d said, the main source of income for what sometimes felt like half the town. I’d be damned if I’d let them down, just because I was going through a midlife crisis.

  Or maybe this was a teenage life crisis that I’d never fully completed. Whichever. I wasn’t a college kid anymore, back at home to deal with a lying girlfriend. There was no moment at which my dad was going to walk through the door and suggest that if I could just focus on going back to school, the right solution would come to me. Focusing on my own needs wasn’t what I had done then, and it wasn’t what I was going to do now.

  I’d faced my problems, back when they went by the name of Margaret. I’d quit college and come back to Blue Shore, thinking that we were going to have a baby. I’d been so excited about that. When a baby didn’t come, and I realized what Margaret had done, I still hoped we could build a good life. That hadn’t happened, but I had to believe that it might have, if only there had more been more time.

  Now, it was all up to me, to get my ass in gear and find out what could be done to clear the name of my parents’ hotel. Alice, as usual, had come up with clear, practical suggestions. I don’t know why I had snapped at her as if she didn’t know what she was talking about. She always did.

  I straightened my clothes, ran my fingers through my hair, and headed back downstairs. As I approached the front desk, I could feel that the vibe in the lobby was quieter than usual. “Cindy, how are today’s bookings?” I asked when I reached her long counter. Without waiting for an answer, I stepped around to join her, reaching for the keyboard that acted as the crucial interface between her knowledge and our computer servers.

  Cindy shook her head. “It’s not looking good. I don’t know how anybody would know about this, as it hasn’t hit any of the newspapers. The health department isn’t supposed to release any information until the water quality results come back. But you’re right, our guest count is down. We need these holiday bookings, you know that.”