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  Vanessa chuckled. “I’d say she needs one. That old truck of hers has to be on its last leg.”

  “It is,” I confirmed. “But that truck was home to Georgia and Ramos for more than a year after her life imploded. I think she has a strong emotional attachment to it. I won’t be surprised if she keeps it even if she does finally allow herself to spend some of the money she’s been squirreling away to buy a new vehicle.”

  “I guess you have plenty of room out there on your property to park as many vehicles as you see fit to keep.”

  I guess we did at that, although I certainly didn’t want the place to start to look like a used car lot. My last book was selling like hotcakes, so I could afford to splurge as well. Perhaps I’d build that garage I’d been thinking about.

  After I left the bookstore, I headed down the block to Velma’s diner. Usually, I would have just left my car where it was and walked between the two establishments, but with the rain coming down at a steady pace, I’d decided to drive. Luckily, there was a vacant spot on the street directly across from the diner’s front door.

  The wind was too strong for an umbrella to be functional, so I pulled on my waterproof hat and made a mad dash for the front door.

  “Abby,” Velma greeted. “How are you this fine day?”

  “Wet.” I looked around the empty diner. I wasn’t surprised that most of the locals had chosen to eat in today. I was actually beginning to think that perhaps I should have delayed my errands a day or two.

  “Can I get you some coffee?”

  “Please.” I took off my coat, hung it up, and slipped onto a stool at the counter.

  Velma set the cup of coffee in front of me. “I’m going to assume that the reason you decided to visit on the rainiest day we’ve had in a year has nothing to do with lunch.”

  Until this moment, I hadn’t actually taken the time to analyze my decision to stop at the diner. “No,” I admitted. “I’m not here for lunch. In fact, I’m not really hungry.”

  Velma poured herself a cup of coffee. “We have the place to ourselves for the moment. What do you say we grab a booth and have ourselves a nice chat?”

  “I’d like that.” I picked up my coffee cup and headed toward a booth. While I might not have taken the time to analyze my decision to stop in and say hi to Velma, I wasn’t surprised by my choice. Velma wasn’t only a close friend; she was sort of a mother figure as well. She’d been one of the first people I’d met when I’d moved to Holiday Bay, and it was her welcome interference in my life that was directly responsible for me having both Rufus and Georgia.

  “So why don’t you tell me what really brought you here,” Velma said after we’d settled into the booth.

  “I got a call this morning that sort of has my head spinning.”

  Velma leaned forward, giving me her full attention. “Go on.”

  I slowly detailed the context of the call, my somewhat less than coherent conversation with Georgia, and the complicated emotions that came from my decision not to ask for harsh punishment for the woman whose actions had directly led to Ben and Johnathan’s deaths. I shared my initial feelings of relief after speaking to the woman from the DA’s office in San Francisco, which had been followed by thoughts of self-doubt after I’d made my decision and left to come into town. Velma listened intently but didn’t respond. She let me work through things as I shared the conflicting emotions that I couldn’t quite quell. By the time she was pouring me a third cup of coffee, I’d realized that vocalizing all the pros and cons of my decision from every angle imaginable had really helped.

  “Thank you,” I said as I pushed the cup away. “I guess that even though I’d made my decision, I still needed to process everything a bit. I feel better.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad I could help.” She took a sip of her coffee, which she’d been slowly nursing as we sat there. “I’m sure that receiving a call like that out of the blue left you feeling unanchored, but I hope that now that you’ve had time to work through it, the woman who caused the accident finally coming forward after all this time will bring you the closure you need to really move on.”

  “I think it eventually will, but right now, it all feels so raw. I guess the call caused me to deal with emotions I might have buried to this point. I know that showing compassion was the right thing to do. If I’d insisted on a harsh sentence, it would have been me who would have suffered in the long run. Seeking vengeance might have provided temporary relief from the rage that has been building, but I know in my heart that forgiveness is freeing.” I placed my hand over Velma’s. “Thanks again for listening.”

  “Anytime, sugar.”

  I glanced around the room that suddenly seemed too bright. “I just spoke to Vanessa Blackstone, and she told me that there’s a hurricane brewing south of us that might decide to head in our direction.” I looked at the huge windows that lined the walkway. “You might want to think about boarding this place up.”

  “I actually spoke to Colt earlier, and he said it appears that the storm might veer to the east before it comes this far north, but he was going to keep an eye on it. If it looks like we’ll get the strong winds projected, he said he’d come by and board the place up himself.”

  Not only was Police Chief Colt Wilder a great guy who took care of the people he loved, but he was a pretty great boyfriend as well.

  “I was thinking I might stop by his office to say hi before I head back to the cottage.”

  “You might want to call first,” Velma suggested. “When I spoke to Colt, he was heading to the marina to make sure they had everything secure in the event that things do get as bad as some folks are saying.”

  “I guess it’s better to over-prepare and waste some time than to be under-prepared and have damage.”

  “I agree with that. I’ve lived through a few hurricanes in my time. Seems they almost always end up being worse than predicted. Of course, once the storm blows through, folks tend to forget how bad it really was.”

  “I’ve never experienced a hurricane, but I’m already scared,” I shared.

  “You’ll be okay up on that bluff. Just tuck everything in nice and secure and be prepared for a power outage that could last for a day or more.”

  I took Velma’s advice and called Colt, who, as it turned out, was still at the marina. He asked if we’d taken precautions at the inn for a possible hurricane, and I shared that we hadn’t but that I intended to get on that right away. He promised to come by later if he was able, so I headed home. At the very least, I should have Jeremy put away all the patio furniture we’d just gotten out because of the spring-like weather we’d been having. I still hoped the worst of the wind would veer off toward the sea before it reached us, but it was better to over-prepare than to be under-prepared, so I supposed my previously free afternoon had just gotten a whole lot busier.

  Chapter 3

  When I arrived at the inn, I found that Georgia and Jeremy were already covering planter boxes and putting yard furniture away, which wasn’t an easy task given the blowing rain. I dropped my purse inside and then headed back out to join them. By the time we’d decided to take a break, we were all soaked to the skin.

  “If we do get hurricane-force winds, we really should board up the windows that face the sea,” Jeremy said as he sipped a cup of hot coffee. “We’re high enough up on the bluff to avoid flooding even if there’s a surge, but strong winds often carry projectiles, and I’d hate to have to replace our big picture windows.”

  “Do we have plywood?” I asked.

  “Actually, we do. I’ll need help to get it hung.”

  “I can help,” Georgia offered.

  “I’ll need someone taller,” Jeremy countered. “Tanner is probably busy boarding up his place since he lives on the coastline as well, but maybe Lonnie can either help out or send someone over who can.”

  Lonnie Parker was our good friend and a contractor who always had laborers looking for odd jobs.

  “I’ll call him,” I of
fered. “Since he lives inland, it probably isn’t necessary for him to board up his place.”

  Lonnie was at a job site when I finally tracked him down. He hadn’t heard about the hurricane to the south but agreed that if the potential existed for it to travel this far north, we definitely needed to board things up. After speaking to Jeremy to make sure he had everything he needed to board up the windows, Lonnie assured him that he’d be by within the hour with two other men to help out. The inn featured a lot of large windows that faced the sea, so getting everything boarded up wasn’t going to be an easy task.

  Once Lonnie and his men arrived, they, along with Jeremy, headed out into the storm. I felt like I should be helping since this was, after all, my inn, but they hadn’t seemed to want help, so Georgia and I headed over to the inn to inventory items such as candles, batteries, and flashlights. We didn’t have guests to worry about, but it seemed like a good idea to be prepared.

  Georgia had gone upstairs to check each room, and I’d headed to the kitchen when Jeremy’s girlfriend, Mylie, called to let us know that she’d picked Jeremy’s niece, Annabelle, up from school and was heading toward us but that there was water over the roadway and that it looked like the state police were getting ready to close the road. Mylie kept some of her stuff out at the inn since she was here often and figured she’d just stay here, but she did suggest we warn Lonnie that he might want to head home before it was too late to get there.

  After I shared the content of the conversation I’d had with Mylie with Lonnie, he called his wife, Lacy, to make sure she and their six children were at home and safe and then promised to head out as soon as they finished with the windows. I was worried that Lonnie and the two men who were boarding up the inn’s windows would be stranded, but he told me that he knew a back way between the inn and town that only long-time locals knew of, and they’d just go home that way if need be.

  I then called Colt to ask about the road, and he confirmed that if the rain continued, it would indeed be closing within the next hour or two. He also confirmed the existence of a gravel road that Lonnie could access should the highway be closed before he was able to get through. He shared that it was an old service road that few even knew existed. I asked if he might be able to use that road to get out to the inn should they close the highway, and he assured me that he could and would if he could get away.

  Once I felt comfortable that Lonnie and his two helpers would be okay and able to get home, I returned my attention to the inventory. Jeremy had recently filled the generator, so we should be fine if the power went out. The stovetops and heaters, as well as most of the fireplaces on the property, were gas. The storm certainly would provide an inconvenience should the rain and wind get much harder, but I figured that even with our location on the water, we should be fine.

  Once the windows were boarded up, Lonnie called Colt for an update on the highway. Colt shared that they were just setting up the cones, but if he left now, he could make it and would be able to avoid taking the long way around. I thanked Lonnie, and Georgia sent him, along with his helpers, on their way with bags full of baked goods as a thank you.

  Mylie and Annabelle had arrived earlier and were watching television in Jeremy’s basement apartment. Georgia and I both wanted to get out of our still damp clothes and take a shower, so we headed toward the cottage while Jeremy tested the generator to make sure it would start should we need it.

  “Well, that was certainly a first for me,” I said as I hung up my totally saturated jacket.

  “The rain is really coming down hard. I’m sure the state police will close the road if they haven’t already. It’s a good thing Lonnie and his men left when they did.” She hung up her coat. “I think I’ll check in with Tanner.” She’d just picked up her cell phone when it dinged to let her know she had a text. “It’s Jeremy. He’s texting from the inn. I guess there’s a man at the front desk asking about a room. It seems the road has been closed, and they’re turning folks around. He has a meeting in Holiday Bay tomorrow and didn’t want to drive an hour in the wrong direction to find a room.” She glanced at me. “I guess, technically, we have vacancies.”

  “Yes, I guess we do. It’s okay with me to rent one of the suites to the man if it’s okay with you. I assume he’ll want to be fed.”

  “That’s fine.” Georgia walked back toward the coat rack. “I’m going to head back over and talk to the guy. I need to make sure he understands we aren’t fully open and that the meals that will be served won’t be of the usual quality. Go ahead and jump in the shower. I’ll take one when I get back, and then we can figure out dinner for tonight.”

  Georgia spoke to the man and determined that he’d had a long drive and really just wanted a quiet room so he could get some sleep. He asked about the attic suite, which would provide the most privacy should we have other stranded visitors, so Georgia settled him up there. He asked to have his dinner served in his room, and Georgia assured him that she’d bring something up around seven.

  “So, did you take care of the stranded motorist?” I asked Georgia, who looked like a drowned rat when she returned.

  “Conrad Bethel is all settled into the attic suite. He prefers to have his meals served in his room, which works out great for us. I can take his food up, and then you and I, Jeremy, Mylie, and Annabelle can eat in the kitchen.”

  “I’m going to call Colt. He’ll probably still be working, but I’ll ask him if he wants us to save him a plate.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m going to grab a shower, put on some dry clothes, and then head back to see what I can scrounge up for dinner. I have plenty of meat in the freezer as well as canned and frozen veggies and potatoes, although fresh produce and dairy are in limited supply.”

  “I’m sure whatever you come up with will be wonderful.”

  By the time Georgia returned to the inn, Jeremy had checked two more stranded motorists, Greg and Sandy Roper, into suite one on the ground floor. Sandy was pregnant with the couple’s first child and was due in three weeks. Greg was concerned about the contractions she’d been experiencing that afternoon, but her doctor had assured her that the irregular contractions were normal and just to keep an eye on things. I hoped the doctor was right and that the contractions Sandy was experiencing were nothing to worry about. As an innkeeper, I was prepared for many things, but delivering a baby wasn’t one of them.

  Jeremy had also checked Joel Stafford, a retired history professor on his way home from a conference, into suite three. He seemed to be an easy-going guy who was enthralled with our library and assured us that he’d be quite happy reading and we wouldn’t need to go out of our way to entertain him.

  By the time Georgia had a pot roast, new potatoes, baby carrots, gravy, and a fruit salad made from the apples, oranges, and pears we had on hand ready to serve, Ginny and Phyllis Goodman, sisters in their late sixties who were on their way to a bridge tournament when they ran into the closed road, had checked into suite two. Personally, I was thrilled to find out that Ginny was a retired nurse who assured me that she’d be happy to look in on Sandy.

  As he’d requested, Conrad Bethel was served in his room while the rest of our guests gathered around the table and got to know each other. Mylie, Jeremy, and Annabelle joined the guests while Georgia and I decided to eat our meal in the kitchen where we could speak freely.

  “I guess our week off to do needed cleaning and repairs isn’t going to work out after all,” I said to Georgia as we settled in at the counter.

  “I guess not. Any word when the road will reopen?”

  “Not anytime soon. When I spoke to Colt, he told me that the amount of water over the roadway has increased and not decreased as the day has passed. He also said it’s looking more and more as if the hurricane might sideswipe us. He said that we should be prepared for stronger winds and additional rain.”

  Georgia looked toward the small kitchen window that hadn’t been boarded even though it looked out over the dark sea. “I guess it’s
a good thing we’re way up here on the bluff.”

  “Yeah. I wouldn’t want to worry about protecting a structure at sea level. Colt said the mayor is thinking about evacuating those condos that are near Seahorse Beach as well as the houses along the lower coastline.”

  “That’s probably a good idea. If a surge follows the storm, it might come in fast. Is Colt still planning to come out to the inn for dinner?”

  “He is,” I confirmed. “He said the state police are in charge of the road closure, and he has two men on call for the evening, so he plans to come out, have some dinner, and get some sleep before heading back to town before the hurricane actually hits.”

  “Isn’t that supposed to be tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Late morning, actually. I’ll just take a plate to the cottage for Colt. He’ll be tired and ready to relax when he gets here.”

  “I guess I’ll check in with Jeremy, and then I’ll head to the cottage as soon as I finish up here. Mylie, in true ‘Mylie fashion,’ has all the guests other than Mr. Bethel and the Ropers playing board games near the fire. I left coffee and dessert out, so I think everyone should be fine until breakfast.”

  Just as I was getting ready to head back to the cottage, I heard a commotion in the lobby. A quick peek out the kitchen door revealed a whole herd of teenage girls, at least ten of them.

  “Perhaps we aren’t done checking in stranded motorists after all,” I said.

  “I’ll see what’s going on. You go ahead and take Colt’s food to the cottage and get it warming in the oven. I’ll call you if I run into any trouble.”

  I hated to desert Georgia, but since Jeremy and Mylie were there should she need help, I did as she suggested and headed toward the cottage in the downpour. I figured the dogs would need to go out, so I put the food in the oven and called them to the door, thinking I’d complete that task before I changed into dry clothes. I was huddled under the overhang along the front deck when Georgia called to let me know that the girls who’d arrived were on their way home from a cheerleading competition and wondered if we had rooms for ten girls and two chaperones.