“How about you just pay me with breakfast?” At Jane’s skeptical look, he raised his hand. “No, no, I’m serious. I don’t know how to cook, and I’m tired of cereal. You’re not far down the beach, and I could get my morning walk in then stop for breakfast. That would be worth it for me.”
“I hardly think a few breakfasts would pay your fee.”
“You let me worry about that. Honestly, it’s not a lot of work, and it would be more of a burden for me to have to come up with the invoices and so on for taxes. This would work out a lot better for me. When do you want to go over what you need?”
Somehow Mike made it sound likeshewas doinghima favor when she was sure it was the other way around. Jane couldn’t afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I need something as soon as possible, so could we meet tomorrow? I’m busy in the morning, but I’ll have our cook, Brenda, whip up something special for you, and maybe we could meet around eleven thirty?”
Mike rubbed his belly. “My mouth is watering already. Tomorrow it is.”
“Great. See you then.”
Jane stuck out her hand, and they shook to seal the deal. She headed back to Tides, her heart a little lighter not only for seeing Cooper but for securing a great deal on getting the website done.
Mike watched Jane walk back to Tides, his hand still warm from their handshake. He was looking forward to the idea of working on the website, and not just because he’d get a hot breakfast. Spending more time with Jane definitely appealed to him. He didn’t really need an extra job, but he could create websites in his sleep. She’d been right about the breakfasts not covering his fees—he charged a lot—but he didn’t care about the money. He’d sensed that Tides wasn’t doing that well and didn’t want to take her money.
Cooper trotted along behind Jane.
“Cooper, back here!” Mike whistled for the dog, who stopped short, his attention wavering between Jane and Mike.
Jane turned and waved.
Mike picked up a stick and threw it, making the decision for the dog, who immediately raced in the direction of the stick.
Mike headed back toward his cottage throwing the stick, Cooper racing ahead then bringing it back. He was due to visit Gramps in an hour, and he wanted to go in and shower first. But Cooper needed to burn off some energy. Being cooped up in that small cottage all day wasn’t good for him. He wouldn’t be happy in Mike’s apartment in Seattle, that was for sure.
“Mr. Henderson! Yoo-hoo!”
The woman Mike had rented his cottage from was standing on the deck waving him in. And not in a friendly nice-to-see-you way either. Judging by the rigid position of her body and the sour look on her face, she was not happy about something.
Chapter 11
Jane had been on pins and needles waiting for her sister to arrive.
She’d straightened the living room, dusted the foyer, and was now standing in the doorway picking away at the silver-foiled chocolate candy kisses that sat in the crystal ball on the table.
Her eyes drifted to the missing spindle on the stairs, the peeling paint on the old crown moldings, and the water stain in the upper corner on the wallpaper.
When had all this deterioration happened? Over the years, things had fallen into disrepair little by little, and she hadn’t noticed. She didn't want Andie to think that she'd let the family business become run-down. Of course, it didn't help that Brenda had pointed out a bad Yelp review stating the inn was in bad shape earlier that afternoon.
Think positive.
She had a lot to look forward to. Mike was going to work on the website, and she was sure he would get that done quickly. Chandler Vanbeck was checking in tomorrow, so at least they'd have two guests and the place wouldn't be totally empty.
Maxi was coming to help plan how to decorate for the weddings, and she’d submitted the application. Things were on an upswing.
Finally, a blue Volkswagen Jetta rental pulled up in front of the inn. Jane swiped at her mouth to remove any chocolate and smoothed her white linen shirt as she watched her sister get out of the car.
Strange feelings of warmth mixed with betrayal bubbled up. Jane could hardly blame her sister for leaving to pursue her dream career in New York, but she could've come back more frequently and at least shown a mild interest in the family business.
Still, her career must have agreed with her because Andie looked fabulous. She was wearing a sky-blue silk top over black capris with beaded black flip-flops on her feet. The sun hadn't quite set yet, and her large sunglasses and sleek dark hair that fell below her shoulders made her look like she should be featured in a magazine. Was her hair that color naturally? Jane touched her own pixie cut self-consciously. She’d let her hair go silver, but maybe she should have dyed it? She was the younger sister but felt like she looked like an old lady compared to Andie.
Jane took a deep breath and rushed outside to greet her sister.
Andie felt a surprising rush of emotion as she looked up at the big old house that had been so much a part of her life when she was younger. Even though she hadn’t spent much time here in recent decades, it still felt familiar.
The old place was looking a little more dilapidated than when she’d seen it a year ago, but Andie didn’t see any of that. All she saw was the porch she and her sister, Jane, had played on as kids, the garden her mother had lovingly tended, and the gorgeous cobalt-blue Atlantic Ocean beyond the building.
As she stepped out of the car, the salty sea smell hit her, and the sound of the waves calmed her. She immediately felt like a weight had been lifted. She was home.
