The paint on the sign was still wet. Lizzie stood on the front porch of The Writers Inn and watched Sarah adjust the hanging bracket one more time.
“It’s straight,” Lizzie said.
“It’s crooked on the left.”
“It’s perfect.”
Sarah stepped back and tilted her head. The sign swung gently in the breeze coming off the water. White letters on dark green wood, elegant and simple. The Writers Inn.
“Okay,” Sarah said. “Maybe it’s perfect.”
Behind them, the inn hummed with activity. Carlos was in the garden directing the placement of new plants. Esmeralda supervised two workers hanging curtains in the guest rooms upstairs. Maria’s voice carried from the kitchen, something in rapid Spanish about the new ovens.
They’d bought the property three months ago. An old Key West mansion that had been sitting empty for years, slowly decaying. Sarah had taken one look at the bones of it and known it was right. Wide porches, high ceilings, rooms full of light. Close enough to Old Town to be convenient but far enough away to feel private.
The renovation had taken every bit of those three months. New plumbing, new electrical, structural repairs, fresh paint everywhere. Sarah had thrown herself into it completely. Lizzie had helped when she could between finishing her semester at NYU and packing up her room.
Now here they were. Opening day in two hours.
“Nervous?” Lizzie asked.
“Terrified.”
“You don’t look terrified.”
“I’m very good at hiding it.” Sarah came to stand beside her. “What if people don’t like it?”
“They’ll love it.” Lizzie took her hand. “This place is beautiful. You made it beautiful.”
Sarah squeezed her fingers. “We made it beautiful.”
Stavros arrived first, carrying a bottle of champagne. He hugged Sarah and told her he was proud of her.
“You should have seen Derek’s face when I told the board about his little side project with the Gazette,” Stavros said. “He tried to deny it, but we had emails. He’d been feeding them information about you for months. Building a case.”
“Is he gone?” Sarah asked.
“Not yet. But soon. The complaints from staff and guests are piling up. He’s made everyone miserable.” Stavros poured champagne into plastic cups. “I suggested we should bring you back.”
Sarah was quiet for a moment. Then she shook her head. “No. I’m done with corporate boards and shareholder meetings. This is what I want now.”
Stavros smiled. “I thought you’d say that. Honestly, I’m thinking about following your example. Stepping down, doing something less taxing. Life’s too short to spend it in conference rooms.”
More people arrived. Chrisla came with her mother, both of them exclaiming over the front desk setup. Chrisla had left the Carlson and would build a solid front desk team before moving into nursing once she graduated.
Carlos brought Esmeralda over to show her the final garden layout. Maria emerged from the kitchen with a tray of hors d’oeuvres that made everyone stop talking to eat.
Then Jasper’s car pulled up. Lizzie’s mom got out first, then her brothers tumbled out behind her. Henry and Jack were taller than Lizzie remembered. They’d both shot up over the past six months.
Jasper hugged Lizzie and shook Sarah’s hand. “The place looks incredible.”
“Thank you. We’re pretty happy with it.”
“We have news,” Lizzie’s mom said. She was holding Jasper’s hand, looking younger than Lizzie had seen her in years. “We’re getting remarried.”
Lizzie threw her arms around her mother. “I knew it. I knew you two would figure it out.”
“It’s happening fast,” Jasper said. “We don’t want to wait. We were hoping we could use the inn grounds for the ceremony. Small wedding, just family and close friends.”
