“I don’t think he likes me, which doesn’t bode well for the loan,” Jules said.
“No, that’s not it. Henry and your grandmother were close, but something happened,” Rose said.
“What?”
“No one is sure. I thought maybe they would have a romance. And for a time, he seemed very happy.”
“But?” Jules questioned.
“But then Rena left town. The highway had been moved, and tourists dried up. Rena had to close the motel, and she had another one up the coast to tend to.”
“So you think Henry has a grudge against the motel or me?” Jules asked.
“You look like your grandmother. It’s probably a reminder of what could have been.”
“But that was decades ago. Who holds a grudge for so long?”
“Tell me about it. Some people take a long time to get over things, but let’s not focus on that. We have a lot of work to do if the contest is coming to town, and you’ll be able to prove to Henry that the motel will earn an income because you’re going to have a lot of guests.”
“Yeah, and if they want to start on Monday, it looks like we’re going to be very busy getting the motel ready.”
Jules glanced outside to see Henry moving slowly toward an old white Cadillac. The thing must have been twenty years old. Somehow it suited him.
He turned and looked at her, their eyes locking. Maybe the old guy wasn’t so bad. He didn’t seem crotchety or mean like she’d thought. He just seemed sad and remorseful. But just because her attitude toward him was softening didn’t mean it was going to soften toward his grandson.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gina scoured the entire motel for her grandmother’s recipes but came up empty. There was still no word from Hugh, and she’d exhausted all the friends and friends of friends who might know where he was. She was starting to think she was going to have to figure out how to live on what she had, which was basically nothing. Unfortunately, she had no skills or job prospects—except maybe the motel. And somehow the thought of staying there didn’t seem so unpleasant anymore.
“Promise me you’ll learn to enjoy the simple things.” Gram’s voice came back to her, bringing a tight smile to her lips.
But what exactly had she meant by simple? Certainly no lavish houses, fancy cars, maids, or cooks, like Gina had grown accustomed to. She’d once thought those essential, but the truth was she hadn’t even missed them since she’d been in Shell Cove. She had enjoyed simpler things.
Since coming to the motel, she enjoyed the beach, memories of her grandmother, the satisfaction of trying to create something with her own hands, and the hard work she’d put into the motel. Oddly, she was looking forward to decorating the motel and excited that the pie contest might bring them guests. Could this have been what her grandmother meant all along?
In the kitchen, Maddie was at the table, her day planner open and lists and sheets spread in front of her. Jules was fiddling with the coffee maker, even though it was suppertime.
Gina almost offered to help. She’d gotten the operation of Mr. Coffee down to a science, but something made her hold back. She felt selfish about that. Jules wasn’t that bad. And even though she’d fostered a grudge against her cousin for years, she could feel the importance of it fading. It was as if the Beachcomber Motel was softening her, changing her.
“Do you guys want something for supper?” Gina asked.
They’d taken to making sandwiches or getting takeout, since none of them could cook.
“Let’s get pizza.” Maddie pointed to the papers on the table “I’m working on a plan. We can discuss it over slices.”
“Sounds good.” Gina pulled up the app for the pizza place in town. It was a little greasy for her liking, but it was the only one around.
She knew they would all want onion and green pepper, so she ordered a large for them to split. She’d gotten a fondness for pizza over the past week. Funny. She didn’t even miss the fancy meals she’d been used to when married.
“So the donut shop was in good shape?” she asked after placing the order.
“Much better than I expected.” Jules filled a mug with dark coffee from the machine then added a generous amount of milk. “It still has electricity, and I checked the ovens and fridge, and everything works. It would be perfect for the contest. Rose has her cleaning lady coming in to spruce it up. And I made an appointment with Marilyn to show it to her tomorrow morning.”
“That’s why we need to get on this right away. If she accepts, then we won’t have much time to get the motel rooms ready.” Maddie tapped the paperwork on the table.
“If they’ll even be staying in the motel,” Gina said cautiously as she sat.
Maddie smiled. “Where else would they stay? The next hotel is almost an hour away. And we have the room. It’s perfect.”
