Jane came rushing out of the front door. She looked good. She’d cut her hair, and it suited her. The casual shorts and linen shirt would make some people look dumpy, but not Jane. Jane looked classy.
Feelings of guilt replaced all those cozy feelings of home when she saw the look of strain on her sister’s face. She should’ve been here to help more often.
They exchanged an awkward hug, and Andie resisted the urge to hold Jane close and apologize. Once, when they were younger, she would’ve known the right thing to say, but now she barely knew her little sister.
“Did you have a good flight?” Jane asked.
“Great. No turbulence.” Andie popped open the trunk and hefted out her suitcase. “The place looks great.”
Jane’s forehead creased, and she turned to look at Tides. “Thanks.”
Andie closed the trunk then stood there. “So, tell me the truth, sis. How is Mom?”
Jane shrugged. “She has her good days and her bad days. But she’s getting very good care at Tall Pines. It’s really the best place for her. I tried to keep her here at home as long as I could.”
Andie felt terrible. Jane had struggled to keep their mom at home, and she could only imagine what that had been like. “It does sound like the best place. Are we going to see her tonight?”
Jane grabbed the suitcase and lugged it up the steps before Andie could stop her. “No, she has a routine over there. They eat dinner in twenty minutes, and then after that she’s usually tired and goes to bed. I thought it was better not to disrupt that, so I figured we’d go early tomorrow morning.” Jane turned to look at her. “I have some muffins and tea in the kitchen. I thought maybe you’d be hungry after traveling.”
Andie smiled. She was starving. “That sounds great.”
Andie followed Jane through the inn, taking note of the peeling paint and stained wallpaper. She didn’t say a word, though. “How are things going here?”
“Great. I’ve got some ideas to bring in new business. You know, kind of modernize the place. Mom let things go a little bit, but I’m on top of it.”
Andie sensed that her sister wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She should’ve come back to help before this, but she’d been too wrapped up in her career and her stupid affair with Doug. Her sister had had a lot to handle here, but Jane had never let on how bad things had gotten. She’d never asked Andie for anything. Had she been such a bad sister over the years that Jane didn’t even feel comfortable reaching out to her for help anymore?
“Sit down at the table and tell me how things are going with you.” Jane poured the tea into dainty cups that Andie remembered their grandmother serving them tea in. A plate with hand-painted forget-me-nots sat in the middle of the table, loaded with pastries. Andie chose an almond croissant.
“Things are going pretty much the same.” Andie bit into the buttery, flaky croissant. “This is delicious.”
“My friend Claire makes them at her bakery. You remember Claire, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah, of course.”
They chatted for an hour, getting caught up. Jane told her about helping their mom and how she was planning to host weddings and events to bring in more money. It sounded like Jane did have things under control, and that eased Andie’s guilt a bit.
It was dark when Jane showed her to her room. It was the room she had slept in as a kid when they would stay here with their grandparents in the off-season, when the inn didn’t have many guests. The floral wallpaper and creaky wooden floors brought a rush of cozy memories. The room was on the east side facing the ocean, and a bright crescent moon was high in the sky, sending golden light onto the flickering waves. She pulled out her phone expecting a text from Doug, but there was nothing.
Andie cracked the window open, letting in the scent of the ocean and listening to the surf. She sat on the edge of the bed and took it all in, a peaceful feeling of calm coming over her. Should she be more upset that Doug had let her go without even saying goodbye and hadn’t texted her? Maybe she wasn’t as attached to him as she’d thought.
She put her clothes away and crawled between the crisp linen sheets that still smelled of Grandma’s detergent. Much to her surprise, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 12
Early the next morning, Jane drove Andie to Tall Pines. Somehow she thought the visit there would be less stressful with Andie at her side.
Don’t get too used to it. Jane had no idea how long her sister would stay; they hadn’t broached the subject the previous evening.
“This place is really nice.” Andie surveyed the foyer with its muted soft-tone carpeting; soothing, slate-gray walls; and charming water fountain. “It must be expensive.”
Jane paused. Was her sister going to complain about the cost? But when she looked at Andie, she only saw concern in her expression. “I’m hoping all the new things I have planned for Tides will cover Mom’s care.”
“Oh, good. I don’t know much about the finances but wasn’t sure. Didn’t mean to pry.”
“Don’t worry. It’s all being taken care of.” Jane crossed her fingers even though it wasn’t exactly a lie because shewastrying to take care of it.
Laughter peeled out of Addie’s room, and the two sisters exchanged a bemused glance. When they got to the doorway, they saw that Rob and Claire were there. Rob was kneeling down in front of Addie, flirting with her in that kind way he had. Naturally Addie was eating it all up.
