“He’s got a cute grandson now, though,” Sally added.
Shane beamed.
Sally looked at Shane and cocked her head to the side. “Say, didn’t you used to date Jane’s sister, Andie?”
Shane shifted on his feet, looking embarrassed to be put on the spot. “A little bit. That was a long time ago.”
“She’s still single,” Sally blurted out.
Jane and Shane both looked at Sally, and she put her hand over her mouth.
“Was that inappropriate? Sorry, I’ll mind my own business from now on.”
Shane simply shook his head and laughed. “Now come on, Sally, you know minding your own business is impossible for you.”
Sally did not look the least bit contrite. She often meddled, but she had good intentions.
“Andie’s actually in town now. She’s visiting our mom at Tall Pines, but I suppose it won’t be long until the two of you run into each other here at Tides,” Jane said.
“Oh, good.” Shane’s tone was flat.
Jane couldn’t tell if Shane looked hopeful or terrified, but either way it would prove to make things interesting in the days to come.
Andie returned from Tall Pines with bags of supplies for Cooper. Jane made tea, and they settled on the soft, comfortable couches in the living room. This room had tall windows that overlooked the ocean, and it was Jane’s favorite. Cooper flopped down on the floor in-between them. None of the guests were around, so they had the room to themselves.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of food Cooper ate, so I got a few different brands.” Andie pulled several bags of dog food out of the shopping bag.
“Brenda was worried he might be hungry. She made him boiled chicken and rice, so he probably won’t even eat commercial dog food anymore,” Jane joked, looking down at Cooper, who thumped his tail on the floor.
Andie bent down and addressed the dog while running her hand along his back. “Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about you going hungry.”
“How was Mom?” Jane looked into one of the bags. It held a variety of dog toys. Plush animals, rubber toys, a rope.
“She was fine, but I had a little scare when I got there. She wasn’t in her room,” Andie said.
Jane looked up from inspecting the bag, worry blooming in her chest. Had Addie started wandering away from her room? “She wasn’t?”
“No. She was in the craft room working on a puzzle. One of the nurses said it was a good sign that she wasn’t just sitting in her room alone. She’s getting involved in doing things. She seemed really happy,” Andie said.
Jane supposed that was a good sign. She had expected it to take longer for her mother to acclimate to her new environment, but this was better. She was glad her mom was settling in and happy, but it made the responsibility of having to make Tides a success weigh on her even more heavily.
“I noticed the hummingbirds have come to the feeder you put in the garden. Do you have plans for sprucing it up?” Jane asked. Seeing the jewel-toned birds buzz around the feeder had brought back memories of when they were kids. Jane felt bad that she hadn’t been able to keep up with it, but she’d been so busy this last year with running the inn and taking care of their mother that there had been no time. Gardens took a fair bit of time to maintain, which made Jane wonder what Andie was planning. If she was going to rush back to New York City, she didn’t want her digging up the garden and making a mess that she couldn’t finish.
“Remember how Mom used to plant those white-and-pink striped impatiens all along the border and then have those hostas in the middle?” Andie’s face lit up as she talked about the garden. She always had been more interested in gardening than Jane. “I checked at the gardening store, and those plants aren’t that expensive. I think I’d like to put those in just like Mom did. And, of course, I’ll weed and get some new mulch. You have a lot of repairs here at Tides, and I know there might not be anything in the budget for all that, so I’ll just pay for it myself.”
“You don’t have to do that. Just give me the receipt. It’s a tax write-off.” Jane paused then glanced over at her sister. “So, you’re staying a while, then?”
Andie sat back in the chair and sighed. “Maybe.” She looked down at her feet. “Work isn’t going that great.”
Jane felt a pang of sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that. There’s plenty for you to do here, so if you need to take a break from your job, I can keep you busy.”
Footsteps in the hallway interrupted their conversation.
Chandler Vanbeck appeared in the doorway. He looked at them uncertainly. “Am I interrupting?”
“’Course not, come in,” Jane said. The living room and common areas were always open for guests. Her great-grandparents had wanted the inn to be like a home away from home and provide a comfortable family setting, and Jane intended to continue that.
Chandler came into the room, and Cooper immediately walked over to greet him with a friendly sniff. Chandler smiled and petted the dog. “This place is lovely. I was out on the beach earlier, and it’s an amazing spot. Andie, you never mentioned your family had such a great property.”
