After her shower she added tinted moisturizer to her face, opting to go makeup-free while away from meeting with clients for a few days, and pulled her wet hair into a french twist, securing it with a couple of bobby pins. She dressed in black leggings and an oversize sweatshirt, opting for comfort before she sat down for Thanksgiving dinner later. After placing her phone in one of the two side pockets her leggings had, she sent a silent thank-you to whoever created the pants she wore, because she hadn’t wanted to carry her purse everywhere. She slid her key card into the other pocket and headed toward the lobby. In the hall, she passed a family of four chatting excitedly about driving north to Canada for some skiing. She couldn’t help but smile, knowing she and Theo were going to do the same thing for New Year’s. Instead of taking the elevator down, mostly because she didn’t trust it even though Bowie swore it was the best-working elevator this side of the harbor, she took the stairs. More exercise was going to be one of her resolutions in the coming year. Her office had stairs, and there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t use them, other than convenience. In the elevator, she could type out an email on her phone, return text messages, or scroll through social media. Taking the stairs meant paying attention. The last thing she wanted was to trip and fall on concrete steps.
As soon as she came to the grand staircase, the smell of every breakfast food imaginable surrounded her, and she envisioned a plate of crispy bacon and eggs, an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting, another cup of coffee, and some orange juice to help fight against pesky germs. A side of fruit and yogurt would do her some good as well.
Rennie stood on the imaginary divider between the reception area and the dining area. She glanced at the tables, each one full. The sight of families on vacation during the holidays no longer surprised her. Once her parents retired from their jobs, they sold their home, put most of their stuff in storage, and began traveling the globe. The first holiday Rennie spent without her parents was hard, but she grew accustomed to them being away.
A perk of knowing the owner was the liberties Rennie could take. Walking into the kitchen like she worked there was one of them. As soon as Simone came around the corner and saw Rennie standing there, she held her arms open for a hug.
“Simi.” Rennie sighed when she saw the woman she considered to be a part of her family. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“I’m so happy you could come.”
Rennie inhaled deeply, taking in the way Simone smelled like cinnamon and baked fruit. She released her hold and stepped back. For as long as Rennie could remember, Simone Dowling had been a figure in their lives. As a young teen, when Rennie would visit, Simi would drive them to the movie theater or make them lunch. Simi never meddled but always had an opinion when asked. When life changed, she became Carly Woods’s caregiver, and she helped take care of Brystol when she would visit over the summer. Simi was the one person who stayed on, despite the inn closing. Who made sure Carly had everything she needed. Rennie never knew Simone’s title until Carly’s will came across her desk and the document referred to her as confidante, but she had been and continued to be so much more to the family.
“There isn’t any other place I would rather be right now.” Rennie spoke the truth. Being in Cape Harbor meant being with family.
“You must be starving. I heard from our overnight desk agent you came in late last night.” Simone motioned for Rennie to follow her. They walked out of the kitchen and into a little alcove, which had a small table and a couple of chairs in the corner. “Sit here; I’ll get you some breakfast.” In a flash, she was gone, leaving Rennie with her thoughts and a view of the ocean. Off in the faint distance, she saw a ship, and it reminded her to pull up her calendar to see where her parents were. Australia.
“That’s right,” she said to herself. She typed out a quick text to her parents, wishing them a happy Thanksgiving and asking that they send pictures when they could.
Simi returned with a trayful of options and set it down in front of her. “Brooklyn is helping a customer, and then she’ll be right in. Can I get you anything else?”
“Just your Christmas list,” Rennie said.
She waved her off. “Don’t be silly. I have everything I want.”
“Yes, but sometimes it’s nice to get new socks or something.”
“Meh, don’t you worry about me.”
Rennie watched as Simone walked toward the kitchen. She would buy presents for her, whether she gave a list or not. It was nice, though, to have some sort of idea what people wanted when she went shopping over the weekend. Rennie thought Simi would like the perfume sampler as well, but then it occurred to her she loved the way Simone always smelled like pastries.
Rennie was midbite when her name echoed off the walls. She quickly set her fork down, stood, and launched herself into her best friend’s arms. To anyone looking in, it would seem the two hadn’t seen each other in years, not weeks.
“I can’t believe you didn’t come to the house when you got in last night.” Brooklyn sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee from the carafe.
“I didn’t want to wake you or interrupt the baby-making process.”
Brooklyn blushed. “I’m fairly certain the factory is closed. Besides, I was looking forward to a late-night gab session.”
“There’s always . . .” Rennie paused and thought about the next couple of days. They would go to bed early tonight to rise at dawn to shop on Black Friday. It was tradition and not something she would pass up. Then they would be exhausted after shopping all day and go to bed early, which left them Saturday. “Saturday night?”
“It’s a date. Wait until you see the ballroom. Bowie and his crew have been working nonstop since yesterday to get it ready for Friday. The tree is gorgeous, and all the decorations came out exactly as I wanted.”
“Were you able to get the room booked for the month of December?”
“Yes, almost every night is booked, and twice on the weekends. It’s been so crazy. I will never fully understand why Carly closed the inn. It’s taken hardly any time to bounce back. Most nights we’re at capacity on the hotel side, and we’ve started advertising for beach weddings.”
“My interior designer is becoming a party planner. I’m not sure how I feel about the career change,” Rennie deadpanned. She glared at Brooklyn for a long beat before cracking a smile. “All joking aside, we need to talk about your wedding.”
Brooklyn squeezed Rennie’s hand. “I know. I can’t wait. But first, the holidays, and then it’s all wedding talk. I want to make this one special for Brystol and Bowie—and Simone as well. I know she misses Carly.”
“Speaking of, any idea of what I can get her?”
“Bowie and I have made lists, picked up on little hints here and there. We are thinking of sending her on a cruise or somewhere tropical after the holidays. She’s working so hard and never complains.”
“Oh, I bet she would love a nice trip. I should ask my parents what they recommend.”
“Are they home?”
Rennie shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. “Hanging with the koalas right now. It’s weird. I miss them, but I don’t. I’m a horrible daughter.”