As she cleared the lunch dishes from Maxi’s outdoor table, Kate mentally ticked off boxes in her head. The grand opening had pretty much cleaned out the shop. She wanted to spend the afternoon baking, so they’d be ready to open tomorrow morning. Plus, she’d been playing around with a new idea for a cookie recipe she wanted to try. One with coffee and chocolate—inspired by Esperanza’s special brew.
Still, she was surprised when Maxi was the one who suggested stopping by Flowers Maximus.
“Just need to see about some tulips for later this week,” the florist confessed. “And I want to check on the bedding plants out back. Course if you want to start by offering me a cup of coffee and some leftover cookies next door, I wouldn’t object. Even if it is that weak americano stuff.”
Twenty minutes later, Kate was standing in the upstairs doorway of the Cookie House, staring at a beautiful new bed.
With a low-slung Japanese design, the mattress appeared to float on a horizontal platform over the floor. The wood was a dark, rich mahogany color, flanked on either side with a delicate rice-paper column lamp. The headboard just tall enough to allow her to sit up and read in bed. It was topped off with soft pastel aqua sheets and a thick turquoise comforter.
“Best of all, it has two big drawers to give you extra storage,” Maxi said. “In a small space you have to be super organized. I learned that watching the show about people who live in those teeny tiny houses.”
“This is … it’s absolutely … I can’t believe…,” Kate started.
Maxi wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder as Kate teared up.
“It’s beautiful,” Kate finally finished in a whisper.
“Yup, it looks great,” Maxi said happily. “Like it was made for this room.”
“You had this planned all along?” Kate asked.
“Not just me. Pretty much all of Coral Cay,” Maxi said. “Rosie found it. Andre and his guys hauled it over and set it up while we were at yoga this morning. They got it at cost. And all of us chipped in to cover it. Oh, and Mitzy Allen supplied the sheets and pillows and comforter from her shop. She thought you’d like beach colors. Course I think that’s just ’cuz she didn’t have anything with Yoda on it.”
“I can’t accept this,” Kate whispered as a tear trailed down her cheek.
“You’re not accepting anything,” Maxi said matter-of-factly. “If he was here, mi padrino would be paying you a salary. So you’d be biking around town buying up everything you need. But instead, no money, tons of work, aannd you’re gonna sleep on that pile of pick-up sticks? Uh-uh, no good. And in this town, we take care of our own.”
“I can’t believe it’s the same room,” Kate said, her voice husky. “This beats any suite at the resort.”
“Well yeah,” Maxi said, giving Kate’s shoulder a squeeze. “Esto es hogar. This is home.”