Ariel assumed the grunt from within was an invitation to enter. “Y’all let him leave his door unlocked?”
“He insists. Says he’s safer here than anywhere else in the world.” Caleb pushed open the door. “Getting sheets for Isaiah, even climbing the tree, was the easy part. This will be hard.”
“Where have you been? Staff’s looking all over for you,” Mr. Kennedy growled from his recliner as they entered the foyer. “Guess I have to get up and take care of things myself. I warned you what would happen if I had to get out of my chair.”
As grouchy as usual. More so.
The footrest motor kicked on. Ariel took a step toward the noise. “Sounds as if he’s trying to get up from his recliner.”
“Or pretending to,” Caleb whispered, motioning for Ariel to wait. “Granddad, I brought someone to see you.”
“No time for visitors. I have a hotel to run.”
“Wait here. I’ll see if it’s safe.” Caleb rolled his eyes, then stepped into the lion’s den.
An idea hit Ariel—one that might help soften his grandfather’s heart plus show him the wisdom of their plan. “Granddad? May I come in?”
When Caleb’s head shot around, his eyes widened. She gave him a wink, then crossed the living room and planted a kiss on the old man’s cheek.
He straightened up—both his spine and his attitude.
“Ariel. Come sit beside me.” When she did, he smiled and gave her hand a little pat, then frowned as he pointed at his grandson. “What are you doing, hanging around riffraff like that?”
She grinned in Caleb’s direction. “He’s not so bad.”
“If your real grandfather were still here, he wouldn’t like hearing you calling me your granddad.”
The longing in Mr. Kennedy’s eyes belied his words. In fact, it seemed almost as if he secretly wished for a closer relationship with Caleb. She couldn’t do anything about that. But she could show love and respect. She glanced at Caleb. His expressionhad softened, as if he enjoyed the interaction. “Another island grandfather? I think my Grandpa Sam would approve.”
“Sam Sullivan was a fine man.” He turned to Caleb. “You getting hungry?”
Caleb’s eyes widened at his grandfather’s kind tone. “I could eat. I can get us some sandwiches, and we could all have dinner together at your table.”
Granddad nodded. “I’m hungry too. Do you like chicken salad, Miss Sullivan?”
Apparently, no one had leaked intel about opening the parlor wing. Or about Caleb’s tree-climbing adventure. Good. “It’s my favorite sandwich.”
Fifteen minutes later, after Ariel had pushed a card table up to Granddad Jacob’s recliner section of the sofa, along with a straight-backed chair for herself, Caleb returned with chicken salad sandwiches, pita chips, and red-pepper hummus and interrupted a rousing game of rummy.
Caleb pulled up another chair from the dining table for himself, then set the food on the table.
“I’ve met your father,” Granddad said to Ariel as she walked with him to the table. “He came here to pick you up once. We used to invite the kids to warm up in our parlor at the first-snowfall party every year. Do you remember? After the children finished playing in the snow, they came to our parlor for games and hot chocolate and hot soup.”
Ariel dropped ice into their glasses and poured sweet tea from the decanter Caleb brought. “I came once. That night was one of the best times of my life. Sometimes, when I get lonely on the road, I go back to that parlor in my mind and relive the feeling of being included and wanted by someone other than my family.”
Mr. Kennedy fell silent, and she couldn’t discern his thoughts.
“All the kids loved your parlor. None of us had anything like that at home. It’s amazing how such a huge room can feel so warm and inviting.” She handed him a glass and a paper napkin. “I felt so loved that night.”
“I feel a little like that now,” he said.
The sunshine filling her heart took Ariel by surprise.
Maybe Granddad wasn’t the only one who needed more contact with people outside their inner circle. “It’s a shame that beautiful room sits empty when it could bless hundreds of people the way it blessed me.”
Granddad stopped with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. “Do you think it would?”
“I’m sure of it. In all my travels, I’ve never seen a room that could compare.”
