The Inn at Rose Harbor (36 page)

The wind off the water carried with it the scent of the sea. Josh walked down to the short pier, intent on walking off his pent-up anxiety. He’d only gone a few feet along the boardwalk when he saw her.

Michelle stood with her back to him, looking out over the water. He paused as a surge of happiness filled him.

“Michelle.” His voice carried in the breeze and she turned and saw that it was him. He started toward her, half-walking, half-running.

Josh wasn’t sure what he expected. In his mind, he’d envisioned that she’d come racing forward, that she’d meet him halfway.

She didn’t.

Instead she remained motionless, her hands buried in her coat pockets, her shoulders stiff and proud.

He slowed his pace as he reached her. “I’m glad I found you.”

She said nothing.

“Listen,” he said, “I don’t know what’s been happening between us over the last couple of days, but I think it could be significant.”

Still no response.

“Whatever this is with us, it’s important; I don’t want to lose it.”

“You’re the one who couldn’t get away from here fast enough. In fact I’m surprised you’re still here.”

He ignored that and realized she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. He didn’t blame her. “Can we go somewhere and talk?” he asked.

“I’ve already said what was on my mind.”

“Yes, and I’m grateful because it made me think. I don’t want to wander in that desert any longer. I want to put down roots. You said everyone needs someone and asked me who that is in my life. I didn’t have an answer earlier but I do now. I want that someone to be you, Michelle. You.” He talked fast, as if he couldn’t get the words out quickly enough.

She blinked a couple of times as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. Then with a soft sad smile, she shook her head. “Sorry, Josh. I’m no longer that overweight teenage girl who gets dissed at the prom. It’s going to take more than a few pretty words to convince me you’re serious.”

“I am serious. Give me a chance and I’ll prove how serious I am.”

A smile tweaked her lips. “A chance?”

“That’s all I’m asking. I’m going to woo you as you’ve never been wooed in your life.”

She started walking back toward the condo. Josh matched his steps to hers.

“I want more than flowers and sweet talk, Josh.”

“Will my heart do?”

She smiled up at him, her eyes bright. “For starters.”

He reached for her hand, gripping it with his own, and then raised it to his lips. “I’ve lived so much of my life alone that I have trouble admitting that I need anyone. But when you drove off, I knew then that I needed
you
.”

“It took you long enough; you’re an idiot, a very lovable idiot, but still an idiot.”

He grinned and kissed the top of her head. “No longer, Michelle, no longer.” He closed his eyes and then spread kisses up and down the side of her face until she turned and their mouths met.

He’d found home, Josh realized. Home was in Michelle’s arms.

Rover spent a good night, sleeping on the rug next to my bed. I wasn’t sure what to expect, this being his first night in a new environment. Surprisingly he adjusted without a qualm. Despite the short amount of time he’d been with me I felt that this special dog would become a big part of my life. It felt as if he’d always been with me.

I heard Abby return to the inn close to midnight. Josh had turned in for the night sometime earlier. I didn’t chat with either one for long. I did hear Josh whistling, which was a surprise, and then he asked if it would be possible for him to stay on for a couple of extra days. I assured him it wouldn’t be a problem.

Abby seemed to have her head in the clouds as she went on about how wonderful her brother’s wedding had been. Because
she had such an early flight I wasn’t sure I’d see her in the morning.

The contrast between when the two had arrived and now was dramatic to say the least, and the difference left me feeling like whistling and humming myself. The transformation was nothing short of amazing.

The master bedroom was large enough for me to have a small sofa and a television, and I tended to relax there rather than in the common areas of the inn. I needed my own space and had carved this area out just for me.

I had a fire going in the fireplace and I read for several minutes with Rover sitting at my feet. After a while I set the book aside, and, basking in the warmth of the fire, I momentarily closed my eyes, content and at peace. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there. Maybe twenty minutes, maybe longer. What did strike me as I lingered by the warmth of the fire was that I didn’t feel that stark aloneness I’d experienced since learning about Paul’s death.

Yes, I had the dog, but this feeling, this sensation was more than the company of the dog asleep at my feet.

I felt Paul’s presence. And this time I wasn’t asleep. Even though I knew it was impossible, my dead husband filled the room. I refused to open my eyes for fear it would dispel the moment and I wanted to grab hold of it for as long as humanly possible. I knew it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Paul was gone, and yet it felt so profoundly authentic.

For months there’d been a huge gaping hole in my life. Now, my husband was back. Though I couldn’t reach out and touch him, hold him, his spirit was with me. Nothing could convince me otherwise. I clenched my eyes tightly shut, and held my breath, longing to feel my husband’s arms around me once again, hungering for the comfort of his embrace.

I didn’t hear audible words, but he did speak to me, and what he said would always remain with me.

This house, this inn would be a place of healing. Not only for those who came to stay here but for me, too.

After a moment my pulse returned to normal and I whispered. “Thank you.”

I rose early, as I tend to do, and was already downstairs with the coffee brewing when I heard Abby carting her suitcase down the stairs, doing her best to make as little noise as possible.

“Good morning,” I called out to her from the kitchen. “Do you want a cup of coffee before you leave?”

She seemed surprised to find me up and about. “That would be great, thanks.”

I poured her a mug from the freshly brewed pot and carried it out to her. “I hope you had a good stay.”

“It was wonderful,” she said, gratefully accepting the coffee, cupping the mug with both hands. She followed me back into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“I’m pleased your brother’s wedding went so well.”

She smiled and nodded. “It was magical. I don’t think I’ve attended a more beautiful wedding.”

Paul had told me this inn would be a special place but in the light of day it seemed likely that the presence I’d felt the night before had been a dream. While I wanted to believe it was real, I’m too much of a realist to put stock in what could so easily have been nothing more than a figment of my imagination. Perhaps I’d made up the entire fantasy because I was so badly in need of solace myself.

But here was evidence to the contrary. I couldn’t deny the changes in Abby from when she’d first arrived.

“Can I make you breakfast?” I asked. I was prepared to cook whatever she wanted although it was still early.

“No thanks,” she said, quickly dismissing my offer. “I’ll pick up
something at the airport.” Abby blushed, almost as if she was embarrassed or perhaps excited. “I … met an old friend at the wedding,” she added, lowering her gaze as though she wanted to hide her reaction from me.

“How nice.” She didn’t mention if this friend was male or female, but from the way she acted, I thought I knew.

“Yes, Steve was my brother’s college roommate. He was one of the ushers.”

I stirred my coffee and grinned. So a man
was
involved. No wonder Abby was struggling to squelch her excitement. She hadn’t given me a lot of details, but I had the impression that whatever weight she’d been carrying when she arrived had been dealt with, too.

“Steve and I dated at one time.”

“So the two of you had the chance to get reacquainted,” I said.

“Yes and … amazingly … he’s single and also lives and works in Florida.”

Goose bumps appeared on my arms. This was more than a little amazing, and it hardly seemed like a coincidence.

“He’s actually within easy driving distance from where I live. I’m meeting him at the airport this morning.”

“You’re on the same flight?”

She nodded, sipped her coffee, and then set the mug on the kitchen counter. “Steve sent me a text this morning. He’s getting to the airport early. He’s hoping to change his seat so we can sit next to each other on the flight.”

I could see that romance was already in play. Just the way her eyes gleamed reminded me how I’d felt when I first met Paul. Right when I’d more or less given up on finding Mr. Right. I’d kissed so many frogs I was in danger of getting warts.

Then I met Paul and he turned my entire world upside down and sideways, too. Even if I’d known from the start that we would only be together for a short time, I would have changed nothing. Not a single thing. I knew what it was to love completely. While
losing him was the most painful experience of my life, I wouldn’t ever trade what we’d had.

“Thank you for an incredible weekend,” Abby said as she reached for her purse.

“I’m pleased you enjoyed your stay.” I followed her back to the foyer where she’d left her suitcase at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, I did enjoy it. So much.” Impulsively, it seemed, she hugged me and then she was out the door.

Standing in the open doorway, I watched her pull out of the parking area, with Rover by my side, a cup of warm coffee in my hand. I felt a swell of affection for this young woman I had barely gotten to know. The first of my two guests had departed. I didn’t expect to see Abby again, but I had the satisfaction of knowing that she had left a happier person than when she’d arrived.

By contrast, Josh didn’t come downstairs until almost nine that morning. I had cooked bacon and was ready to fix eggs however he preferred. The orange juice was ready and the table set.

“Good morning,” I greeted when he appeared.

He grinned and helped himself to the coffee. “I can’t believe I slept this late.”

“Apparently you needed it,” I said. “How would you like your eggs?”

He sipped the coffee and hesitated as if the question were a weighty one. “Over easy. No, make that scrambled.”

“You got it.” I returned to the kitchen and was surprised when Josh followed me. Rover had returned to the rug in front of the fireplace for another nap so it was just Josh and me.

He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his ankles. “I hope it’s not a problem for me to stay on a couple of days.”

“None whatsoever.” I got out the eggs and cracked two into a bowl and reached for my fork.

“I was able to make the funeral arrangements for my stepfather.”

I paused as I added the eggs to the melted butter in the pan on the stove. “I am sorry for your loss,” I told him.

“Thank you. It does feel like a loss. I’m just relieved we were able to come to terms before he died. Clearing the air helped tremendously.”

“I’m glad.”

“I am, too,” he said and then went into the dining room and waited for his breakfast.

After breakfast, Josh left.

Rover followed me upstairs while I removed the sheets from the bed in Abby’s room and then he followed me down to the laundry room. He was quickly turning into my shadow. I nearly tripped over him as I stuffed the sheets into the machine.

As I returned to the main part of the house I noticed a man wearing a dark coat walking around the front yard, carrying a shovel.

It looked like Mark. I grabbed my coat, quickly stuffing my arms into the sleeves, and walked onto the front porch. Rover followed me and stood at my side at the top of the steps. Surprisingly he didn’t bark or make a fuss at the stranger in my yard.

“Mark?” I called out.

He turned and looked at me. “Morning,” he said. His gaze went from me to Rover. “I didn’t know you had a dog.”

“I just got him. The pound named him Rover but I’m thinking of changing his name once we get better acquainted.” I wrapped my arms around my middle as a chill settled over me.

“Rover’s a fine name,” he said, and leaned on his shovel. “Can’t see changing it, but then you didn’t ask my opinion.”

That hadn’t seemed to bother him earlier, I noticed. “What are you doing here?” I asked, more curious than anything. Our last meeting had been a bit strained. I wasn’t sure what to think of this handyman. Yet despite our awkward beginning, I rather liked him.

Mark leaned on the shovel. “You wanted a price quote on setting up a garden area, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, but …” He’d led me to believe that it would be some time before he was ready to start a project of such magnitude. I hadn’t expected him to get back to me this soon.

“But what?”

“Nothing; it’s just that I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“Do you want me to come back another time?”

He grinned as he said it, knowing full well I didn’t. “Of course not.” I hesitated and then decided to forge ahead. “Can I ask you something?”

“Nothing has stopped you before.” He gestured with his hand as if granting me permission.

“Why do you need a shovel?” It was an estimate, and as far as I could see, that required a tape measure and not a shovel.

He chuckled, the sound of his amusement causing his breath to come in foggy bursts. “I’m not burying a body if that concerns you.”

I smiled. “The thought hadn’t entered my mind.”

He grinned and I was surprised by how warm his eyes got when he smiled.

“I needed it to see how deep some of the roots went, nothing more,” he said.

I was getting colder by the minute and I noticed Rover had wandered back inside the house. “Come in for coffee when you’re finished, if you want.”

He paused as though tempted. “Can’t today, but thanks for the offer.”

“Can’t or won’t?” I asked.

He shrugged as though the question had caught him off guard. “Perhaps a little of both.”

I heard the phone ring, and the sound seemed inordinately loud, coming from my small office.