August
I WAS LUGGING a large box into the inn while Sorelle followed, clutching two bottles of champagne. “I forgot how heavy this stuff is,” I mumbled as I mounted the front stairs.
“Fifty pounds,” she said. “You got everything?”
Barely, but she wasn’t going to help. “Yep.”
Sorelle had been living in the cottage for almost two weeks, and we’d spent our time together plotting. Nana was only too happy to help with our shenanigans. When I told her about the provision in the rental lease that gave us access to the inn, she nodded solemnly. “I told that lawyer to put it in there. I wanted to keep an eye on that woman.”
“That woman” was Vaughan, of course, but the statement surprised me. “You didn’t trust her?”
Nana tapped the corner of one eye. “She has a look,” she said, and left it at that.
“Is Nana coming tonight?” Sorelle asked.
“No. It’s checkers night and they’re serving baked chicken for dinner.”
She chuckled. “See what we have to look forward to when we get old?”
I opened the door to the inn and saw Joss sitting at the front desk, painting her fingernails. “Hey, Joss,” I said casually. “How’s it going?”
Her pretty face scrunched in confusion. “Mindy. What’s all that?”
But Sorelle answered by hoisting the two bottles of champagne into the air. “Lit Chick champagne boutique. Want to join us?”
Joss didn’t reply, but she rounded the desk and followed us into the sitting room. I was already rearranging the furniture. “We can set up the clothing racks over there,” I said, and pointed to the back. “Let’s clear the bar for the champagne.”
“Gotcha.”
Joss stood in the doorway while we worked, but she didn’t participate. She was chewing on her thumbnail as we worked. “Does Vaughan know about this?”
“Don’t think so.” I removed some of the throw pillows and shoved them under the couch. “Hey, Joss? You think you can get us some folding chairs?”
She nodded and hurried down the hall. “She’s a sweet girl,” I said to Sorelle.
“She really is.” She was assembling a clothing rack.
The plan had evolved quickly last week at bingo night. Over the course of my many interactions with Luanne, I’d realized that she didn’t seem to have any preconceived notions about what went on at the inn. There were never any odd looks, moments of discomfort, or suggestive questions. Bless her pure heart, Luanne was so engaged in her bingo night and her nonsexual coffees with Father MacGovern that she wasn’t as tapped into town gossip as other West Portsmouth residents appeared to be. This made her perfect for our plan.
Sorelle had volunteered to call bingo numbers, so I took the opportunity to pull Luanne aside. “I’m thinking of setting up a Lit Chick boutique at the Bayberry Inn,” I said casually. “You know anyone who might be interested?”
“I’m so glad you asked.” Luanne grabbed my forearm and leaned in closer. “I need some new undergarments and those Elizabeths are my favorite.”
That was a lot of information that I didn’t need. “Okay. I’ll hook you up.”
“What night were you thinking?”
“Next Thursday?”
Luanne’s face fell. “Oh, not Thursday. That’s our Bible discussion group meeting night.”
Thank you, Universe. I looked solemnly into her eyes. “Luanne, you must invite your Bible group to the inn. I insist.”
“Really? And Father MacGovern, too?”
I nearly started giggling with glee. “Absolutely. Bring him. It will be Bible discussion and champagne boutique!” Because really, what two things went better in a brothel?
Would you believe that when I told Brett what I was going to do, he said he’d rather spend the night at home alone? “And miss all the fun?”
“Fun?” He cocked his head. “I thought you said it was Bible study and women’s clothing?”
His point was well taken, but I was still disappointed. That was why when I recognized the tall, muscular figure approaching the inn that night, I rushed to the door to greet him. “You came! I thought you said you were going to skip it?”
Brett leaned over to kiss me. “Did you really think I was going to let you do this alone?” This was why I loved him.
Yes, love. We’d been dating all summer and my feelings were undeniable. I craved his company. I was happier around him. Brett could turn a simple dinner and a walk on the beach into pure romance. It was in the way he held my hand, kissed my wrist, and asked me to tell him about my day. No one had ever listened to me that way, patiently and without judgment. I didn’t want it to end, and yet it still felt too good to be true. He would find someone new, or he’d lose interest, or he’d figure out that I’m not that great, after all. I worried about leaving him here, in West Portsmouth. “What’s going to happen when I go back to school?”
We’d had this talk only a few nights ago, sitting on the Adirondack chairs outside of the cottage, holding hands. “What do you mean?”
“I’m going back to school in River Junction. Are you planning to stay here? What are you going to do for work over the winter?”
Brett had avoided my gaze and stared straight out into the evening. “We still have time. Do we have to talk about this now?”
The response made me nervous, like this great relationship we had was going to crumble. But now Brett was here, helping me to put pressure on Vaughan. That had to be a good sign.
I put him to work setting up for the evening’s events and then I watched out the window as vehicles pulled into the inn parking lot. “You expecting any guests tonight, Joss?” I asked as she entered the room, carrying a folding chair in each hand.
“Uh, a few, I think.”
Perfect. “I hope there’s enough parking,” I said cheerfully.
Joss was wearing a blue cotton dress that flattered her soft curves, and she tugged at it a bit awkwardly as she said, “Is Vaughan going to be okay with this? She’s coming back soon.”
“It’s fine,” I said, and patted her upper arm to reassure her. “Do you want to look at the clothes? You’d look beautiful in a Maya scarf.”
So Joss joined our boutique, and then Bree wandered in a few minutes later, carrying an iced coffee drink. “Is this that Lit Chick stuff?” she asked as she walked straight to the rack Joss was poking through.
“Cute, isn’t it?” Joss said. “You’d love their leggings.”
Some members of the church had arrived by then. They stood in the entryway by the front desk, looking uncertain. “Come on in,” I said. “We have coffee and champagne.”
Brett led them to their seats and offered drinks. As Joss and Bree held clothing up to themselves and tried on scarves, more members of the church community trickled in. Among them: Luanne and Father MacGovern. “Mindy,” he said, shaking my hand formally. “It’s nice of you to have us.”
For the record, Father MacGovern did make me swoon a little. I realize this is wrong, but he does look like a classic film star. “I’m happy you could make it.” I tried to play it cool while avoiding more than passing eye contact.
Once Father MacGovern arrived, the meeting came to order. He started with a prayer—blessing the inn and all who lived and slept there—before turning to the Book of Leviticus. Sorelle handed me a champagne flute and we ducked into the hallway to clink and mouth, “Cheers.”
• • •
SORELLE, BRETT, and I waited by the front desk for the Bible discussion to end, but Bree and Joss hung around in the sitting room, poring over the clothes, drinking champagne, and presumably getting an earful. A couple times men came through the front door, took a quick glance into the sitting room, and turned around again. I saw a few headlights enter the driveway and then pull out. It’s working. But I didn’t gloat.
Brett excused himself and said he was going to get some fresh air now that we were set up. “Like I said, this isn’t my scene.”
I blew him a kiss. “Have fun. Thanks for helping.”
Mira was at the front desk, and the three of us were whispering over a celebrity magazine when Vaughan stormed through the front door. “What’s going on here?” she hissed. Then she looked at me. “I should’ve known.”
I smiled. “Hello, Vaughan. Would you like some champagne?”
Her upper lip curled in fury. Mira shrugged and set the magazine aside. “I thought you knew.”
“I did not.” She looked over my shoulder with narrowed eyes. “I should have you arrested.”
“But you won’t call the police. And you can’t, actually. Because we’re all guests of my grandmother, and she’s entitled to use this room under the lease.” I leaned one elbow onto the raised counter of the desk. “This is the Bible discussion group from St. Ignatius. Then in a few minutes we’ll be offering Lit Chick clothing. I thought if tonight goes well, we could make this a weekly event.”
Vaughan looked like an angry bull, between her flared nostrils and the fists on her hips. “You little bitch.”
I gestured to my flute. “Was that a yes on the champagne?”
She grabbed my wrist so suddenly that my glass fell to the floor. “Ow!”
Violently, she yanked me down the hall and into the dark kitchen. Without releasing my arm, she flicked on the light switch. Then she dropped my arm just as forcefully as she’d grabbed it, thrusting me away. “I should slap the shit out of you for this.”
I’d never seen Vaughan lose her temper before, and I was shaken. Then I recalled my nana accusing Vaughan of pushing her off the ladder. I now knew it was entirely possible. “How dare you threaten me?”
I stood so that we were face-to-face, fuming dangerously. “What’s the problem, Vaughan? Does this cost you business?”
She growled and pushed me back. My spine hit the countertop and a burst of pain sparked through me. “You have no idea who you’re messing with.”
“Oh, now the tough talk.” I tried not to wince as I righted myself again. “It’s over. There’s no one you can call. I’m going to do everything I can to shut this down.”
“You idiot,” she spat. “Did it not occur to you that this building is useless as an inn? If I go out of business, your grandmother will lose everything.”
Sorelle entered the room then and stood by my side. “Don’t listen to her,” she said. “The inns in this town are plenty busy.”
“Who’s going to send her those fat monthly rent checks? They buy a lot of groceries.” Vaughan paused to watch me absorb her words. “You want to drive me out? I’m keeping your grandmother’s house heated.”
I admit, it shook me. I’d thought I was doing the right thing by my nana, but was I actually harming her? Would Nana be better off if Vaughan continued to run her business her way? “Nana wants you out,” I said, but questioned to what extent my grandmother had thought it all through.
Vaughan scoffed. “You think I want to do things this way? I’m trying to stay afloat. You think I don’t want . . . to run my business differently?” I sensed desperation in her voice and it was unsettling. “I’ve tried everything I could to rent these rooms. You were at the happy hour, remember? I try community events, I take out ads. . . . Nothing works.”
I was uneasy on my own feet, worried that my ego was getting the best of me in my little revenge plan. “But you’re dragging my family down. I won’t allow it.”
“Always so high and mighty.” She snorted and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “You don’t know the first thing about this. About anything.”
We were speaking in angry whispers, and in the background I heard the Bible group laughing at a story Father MacGovern was telling. Maybe I was being naive, but I was certain that if Vaughan were gone, we’d figure out the rest. Nana could sell the inn and live comfortably off the proceeds for the rest of her life. I would see to it that she was protected.
I looked Vaughan straight in her narrowing eyes. “I won’t stop until you’re gone. So tell me: What’s your plan to leave?”
If looks could kill . . . Vaughan’s pupils dilated and shrank again and her jaw whitened at the hinges. Another round of laughter punctuated the heavy silence in the kitchen. Finally, she spoke. “I have some business to attend to.”
“I asked you a question,” I hissed. “Don’t you dare leave this room.”
She was the queen of dramatic exits, this one! But she stopped long enough to look back over her shoulder at me. “You’ve made a big mistake.”
Sorelle wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me against her side. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “Don’t listen to her.”
Before I could reply, Brett entered the kitchen, saying, “It looks like rain—” He stopped when he saw Vaughan standing in front of him. “Hello.”
Her back was to me when they confronted each other, but I heard her say, “Looks like I’m going to have to consider your offer.”
Brett looked nervously from her to me. “Later,” he mouthed to Vaughan.
Something was going on. “What are you talking about?” I asked. “What offer?”
“It’s nothing,” he said quickly. But Vaughan turned.
“Your boyfriend offered to buy me out of my lease. Isn’t that right, Brett?” Her tone was eerily saccharine. “You told me I should name my price. And I refused,” she added, looking at me. “But now I’m wondering if I should reconsider.”
The information was coming too quickly. This didn’t make any sense. “Hold on. You were going to buy out Vaughan? How?”
I felt dense, and from the expression on Vaughan’s face, she agreed. “Oh come on, Mindy. You mean he didn’t tell you he was doing this?”
Brett’s mouth was open as he looked from me to Vaughan. He shifted on his feet. He looked so guilty that nausea set in. “Brett? What is this? Is this true?”
He blinked once. “Yes.”
“Why? How were you going to buy Vaughan out?”
Vaughan spun toward me with pure contempt in her eyes. “With money. Lots and lots of it. But you know what?” She looked back to him. “On second thought, I’m not selling after all. I like it here.”
I looked to Brett for an explanation, but his eyes were directed at the floor. “Can we have a minute alone?” he asked quietly.
Vaughan left first, an ugly smirk on her face. Sorelle gave my arm a little squeeze before following her through the doorway. Then Brett and I were alone. Even the laughter in the sitting room had died down. I leaned my back against the counter but it was sore from where I’d hit my spine. “Talk.” I had nothing more to say.
He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Then he took a deep breath and lifted his head. “I have some money.”
“Sounds that way.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Who are you?”
His eyes looked sad, his shoulders lowered. “I’m me. Brett Hannigan. I’m a software designer and yes, I have some money in the bank. It’s not a big deal.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“I honestly don’t know. Millions. I have an accountant.”
I kept staring at him. You’d think this would be good news. You’d think I’d swoon at the thought of dating a millionaire. But I felt nothing but shock that he’d kept so much from me—and for what reason? It was like he didn’t trust me at all. “That house you live in,” I said. “Is it yours?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”
“Oh my gosh.” I took a seat on one of the stools. My back hurt, and I could feel the bruise settling across my spine even if I couldn’t see it. Between my back and my heart, though, the pain in my chest was worse. “You’ve done nothing but lie to me. Do you realize this? I believed you.”
It was more than that. I was foolish for having felt pity for Brett, for having thought that he was a free spirit, like Sorelle, who was cobbling together a living by walking people. I’d always thought there was something so pure about him. He’d made a fool out of me. “I thought you were different.”
“Mindy. I’m still the same person.”
“You’re a liar,” I snapped. “You hid yourself from me.”
“I told you everything about myself! I told you about David and all of my guilt.”
It wasn’t enough. I’d come to love a man who made me look at love differently. “But why would you be so dishonest about something as trivial as money?”
Now it was Brett’s turn to fold his arms. “You think millions of dollars are trivial?”
Yes. When we were spending every free moment together. When I’d trusted him with my fears and my hopes and my body. When I’d started to believe that he was the one person I would cling to for the rest of my life and never allow to leave. When all of that had happened, yes. The money didn’t matter. And then I realized. “You didn’t trust me.”
He thought I was a gold digger. It gutted me.
IT WAS over. Somehow, I’d known it would come to an ugly sort of end, even though I’d hoped to avoid it. Autumn was coming and Jon had made arrangements for my flight back to Seattle. Mindy didn’t know about that, either. It was like I had these two different lives and I didn’t know how to combine them. And this was exactly what had stopped me from disclosing my background sooner. Mindy looking at me differently. Money changes things. She could have looked at me with a strange kind of admiration, but instead she was looking at me with hurt in those beautiful brown eyes.
“Of course I trust you,” I said, but this was cheap. If I trusted her, then why had I concealed so much?
Mindy hid her face behind her hands. When she lowered them, her voice was calm. “You’re buying an interest in my grandmother’s inn. Why?”
Duh. “It’s for you. Because you wanted Vaughan out.”
“I wanted her out weeks ago.”
“But the summer’s almost over. I wanted you to be happy.”
“And so this is what you do, you throw your money around? I hope you don’t expect me to be impressed or grateful.”
“I don’t,” I said simply. “I didn’t even want you to know about it.”
Okay, so I guess she didn’t want the truth, because she was glaring at me like I’d just kicked her cat. “After all the time we’ve spent together, I can’t believe you never told me about any of this.”
“I wanted to.” I reached up to scratch the back of my neck. “It’s an awkward conversation to have.”
I mean, how do you broach that topic? Here, let me buy your groceries, ’cause I have hundreds of millions of dollars. Or, Have I mentioned that I’m rich?
“You could’ve tried.” She looked away, toward the stove. “Is there anything else you want to tell me? Or am I going to find it out some other way?”
I took a breath. “I’m leaving West Portsmouth in the fall. September third. I’m heading back to Seattle.”
She appeared visibly shaken. “Oh.” She clutched her stomach. “That’s a big thing.”
Mindy had reason to be upset about that. We’d had these talks about our future, and sometimes I felt like, can’t we just enjoy the moment? The future was going to be messy; there was no escaping it. “That’s not for almost three weeks,” I said. “That’s a lot of time.”
“Is that what you’ve been working on when you’re alone?” she asked softly. “You never told me.”
“Yes. I’ve had some ideas for new apps.” I held up my arms. “It’s what I do, Mindy.”
“But see, I had no idea. Because every time I asked you about yourself, you were evasive.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about all that. I came here to take a break from that part of my life. I’ve explained this to you.”
I moved toward her but she shifted her body away from me. “You don’t get it. Here I thought I’d met this great guy who’d let me in and shared his life with me. But you didn’t. You’ve been hiding.” Her chin trembled and I realized I was the biggest jackass in the world. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice when you moved to Seattle?”
The summer had been a beautiful daydream, and I hated that reality was creeping in. “I didn’t want to think about it,” I said. “I thought you wanted to keep it casual. I only wanted to enjoy where we are now.”
“Where we are now is finished. You think what we have is casual?” She rose from the stool and backed away toward the side door. “I’m not in this for the short term, Brett. And I can’t be with a man who won’t be with me.”
This was jarring. Breaking up with Mindy wasn’t something that was supposed to happen. You know those dreams where you’re trying to move, but you can’t? Your feet are stuck in place? That’s how I felt as I watched Mindy open the door and leave my life.