Andie arrived at Tides a little late. She rushed into the foyer and grabbed one of the oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies Jane had just set on the side table.
It was still warm and gooey. Cooper padded out and turned his soulful brown eyes on her then flicked his gaze to the cookie in her hand. She broke off a small piece and fed it to him.
“Those are for guests, you know.” Jane peeked in from the kitchen, her tone teasing.
“Sorry!” Andie mumbled around a mouthful of cookie. “I didn’t get a chance to eat—busy morning.”
“You seem chipper. Good news?” Jane stepped into the room.
“Yes, things seem to be going good for Emily Thompson, but I wanted your advice on something for her.”
“I’d love to help.”
A car pulled up, and Jane glanced out the screen door into the driveway. Andie could tell she wanted to get out of there before she had to deal with the guests. “We can talk later, after I do the check-ins.”
Jane was already halfway to door that led to the kitchen. “Great. Meet you in the garden?”
“Yep.” Andie had planned to check on the garden today, anyway. The garden had been her mother’s pride and joy, but Addie had let it go in the past few years.
Andie had the fondest memories of working in the garden with her mother when she was little and had restored it since she’d been in Lobster Bay. Now it was lush with blossoms and greenery, but she had been neglecting it as she’d been so busy with the Thompson project. She wanted to fill the hummingbird feeders, do some weeding, and cut some flowers to bring to Addie.
The new guests were the Ryders, a young couple from Ohio, who had never been to the east coast. They fawned over Cooper and stared wide-eyed at the ocean when Andie detoured them to the back deck on the way to their room. Was she ever that young and enthusiastic? Maybe she had been, but decades of city living and stress had dulled her enthusiasm, though over the past week she’d felt some of that coming back.
After the Ryders, she checked in an older man and then two middle-aged sisters here on their first vacation together since they’d both been divorced. Once the guests were settled in their rooms, she made a batch of hummingbird nectar and headed to the garden.
The feeders were empty, and Andie made a mental note to come by at least every other day. It wouldn’t be long before the colorful birds were gone for the winter, but she knew they needed nectar now more than ever to store up for the long flight south.
“I’ve been weeding and trying to deadhead the flowers.” Jane gestured toward the edging of pink impatiens. “I don’t know as much as you and Mom.”
“Looks like you’re doing a great job. I’ll try to get over here more once we get on a schedule at the Thompsons’.” Andie had finished the garden a few weeks ago, and it didn’t require much maintenance. She’d told Jane if you cut the roses right before they started to fade, the plant would bloom all summer, and Jane had done a good job of that, as the red blooms were all over the vine. The rest of the small area was colorful with a variety of annuals and perennials in orange, purple, red, pink, and white.
“I could fill the feeders for you if you can’t get over as often.” Jane sat on the stone bench. “Tell me about the Thompson project.”
Andie started cutting flowers. Cooper made himself busy sniffing a hydrangea that was bustling with butterflies. Andie was sure there were bees there, too, and hoped he didn’t get stung.
Andie brought her up to speed on the loan acceptance, Shane and Sally’s generous offer to defer the bill, and their idea for boutique Airbnb rental units. “She needs to get income coming in, and I was hoping you’d have some advice on how she can advertise the units.”
“I advertised in specialty magazines for coastal weddings. And I advertised in the nearby cities—Boston and New York—thinking people might need a vacation at the coast.”
A ruby-throated hummingbird buzzed to the feeder and hovered in the air while it drank from one of the red-and-yellow petal-shaped spouts. Soon another came, and Andie watched them swoop in circles around each other.
A coastal wedding magazine wouldn’t help Emily much, but the niche coastal weddings part gave her an idea. “Jules down at Curlz told me her grandmother had boutique motels. I wonder if there is a niche magazine for those?”
Cooper flopped down in front of them, his heavy paw on Andie’s foot. It felt warm and comforting.
“I don’t know about that, but it’s worth looking into,” Jane said.
“Definitely. I’ll ask Jules. Maybe I’ll even run into her at Tall Pines when I bring Mom these flowers.”
Addie loved the flowers, a bouquet of black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, and Queen Anne’s lace, which Andie presented to her in one of her grandmother’s old glass vases with a bow of rough twine around the rim.
“They’re from the garden at Tides,” Andie said.
Addie held them to her nose, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “I do love fresh flowers.” She put the jar gently on the table under the window then turned back to Andie. “It was nice of you to bring them, dear, but I have to go.”
“You do?” Addie had acclimated fabulously to Tall Pines, and she now had a very busy schedule of games and crafts.
“Yes. There’s a card game, and I don’t want to be late.” Addie pushed past her on her way to the door.
“I’ll walk down with you, Mom.” Andie fell in step beside her mother. Addie had seemed so pale and fragile just a few months earlier, but now she appeared determined and independent. The change was good, though Andie did feel a little put out that her mother preferred to play cards rather than visit with her.
They ran into Emily and Sadie on the way. Sadie was seated in her wheelchair because she couldn’t walk far distances.
“I’m not going to the card game if she’s going,” Sadie said, giving Addie the evil eye.
“Mom! That’s not nice. Why would you say that?” Emily rolled her eyes at Andie over her mother’s head.
“She stole my sweater.”
“No, Mom. It was actually her sweater. We went over this before.” Emily referred to an incident where Addie’s favorite sweater had ended up in Sadie’s room. Andie didn’t think anyone stole anything. The two women were just confused.
Sadie scowled at Addie. “Well, she went to the dance with Tommy Sullivan, and he was supposed to be my date.”
“He asked me!” Addie said.
Sadie pushed on the left wheel of her chair to turn it. “I don’t care. We’re going the opposite way from these two. Those Millers are bad news.”
“Mother, you know that’s not true. Remember I told you that Andie is helping me with the house? If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be able to keep it.” Emily looked at Andie and shook her head. Funny how things could change. It was only a few days ago that Emily was suspicious of Andie and Addie, and Sadie was the one sticking up for them.
Sadie looked at Andie out of the corner of her eye. “She is? Well, maybe she’s nicer than her sister there.”
“Mother,” Emily said.
“What?” Sadie looked up at her.
“Addie is Andie’s mother. Remember you and Addie were friends when you were girls?”
Sadie and Addie scowled at each other.
“No,” they said at the same time.
“Of course you remember,” Andie chimed in. “You told me how much fun you used to have playing at Sadie’s house when you were a girl.”
“Okay, I guess that was sort of fun.”
“And you said you were inseparable when you were teens,” Emily said to Sadie.
Sadie’s face softened, and a light flickered in her eyes. “Remember we could stand up in that big fireplace?” she asked, referring to the giant fireplace that was part of the old kitchen at the Thompsons’. It had been part of the working kitchen back when the house was built, and the family was smart enough to keep it intact when they’d modernized. Andie had seen too many old houses where people covered up the antique features.
“Yes, that was fun.” Addie’s face lit up with the memory. “And your room was in the turret. I always loved your bedroom.”
Sadie looked pleased with the compliment. “Your house was great too. Remember how your mom used to bake those cookies for us?”
Addie nodded. “And we used to play hide and seek in the two-seater.” Addie referred to the old outhouse that used to serve as a bathroom before indoor plumbing.
“Are you going to the card game?” Sadie asked, apparently forgetting how she’d refused to go if Addie was going in the first place.
“Yes, shall we go together?”
Sadie nodded, and Addie walked alongside her as they continued down the hall. Apparently they were back to being the best of friends.
“Glad to see you two have rekindled your friendship,” Emily said as they settled their mothers next to each other at the card table. Andie had a feeling their newfound camaraderie might be temporary, but it was what it was.
“Yes, as soon as you return my Nancy Drew mystery book,” Addie said.
“What are you talking about?” Sadie bristled. “I don’t have your book.”
“Yes, you do. I left it at your house,” Addie insisted.
“No, you must be mistaken.” Sadie picked up the deck of cards and randomly started turning them over.
“I don’t think so. It was right in your… hmm… now where was that?”
“See? You can’t remember.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” Addie huffed. “I’m moving across the table.” Addie switched chairs. Sadie appeared unaffected.
Emily and Andie retreated to the hallway.
“Darn, I thought for a minute there they’d forget about their feud and return to being friends,” Emily said.
“They’re like oil and water. I’m sure they’ve forgotten what their feud was even about.”
“They’ve forgotten most everything else, unfortunately.” Emily’s expression turned sad as she watched her mother, but then she sighed and turned back to Andie. “Did your sister have any ideas for advertising?”
“She gave me an idea of someone I can ask. Jules over at Curlz. She actually might be here visiting her grandmother.” Andie looked down the hallway to see Rita gliding toward them in her wheelchair.
“Hi there! How are things? I heard you two have a plan for saving your house,” Rita said.
“News travels fast,” Emily said.
Rita smiled. “Good news does.”
“Yes, it is good news,” Emily agreed.
“And how are things at the antiques shop?” Rita asked Andie.
“Great. Settling in. I’ve been kind of busy at the Thompson house, but I managed to sell a few items at the shop here and there.”
“I saw those gorgeous Frozen Charlottes you sold to Jules for her grandmother,” Rita said. “Rena was very comforted by them.”
“That’s great. You haven’t seen Jules here today, have you? I have a question that actually has to do with Emily’s house. She might be able to help us.”
“Oh, she’s not here. Her grandmother isn’t doing well and was transferred to the hospital this morning.” Rita looked sad.
“Oh! That’s too bad. Poor Jules. I guess it will have to wait.” Andie turned to Emily. “I’ll see if she’s at the salon when I go home tonight. In the meantime we still have plenty to do.”