“What the hell am I gonna do with it once I’m done reading it? Let it collect dust on my shelf? I’d rather see it in the hands of another reader. Besides, sharing is caring.” Fran waves me off.
“Okay, well, I grabbed a book for this trip that I started already. It’s a romantic comedy. If you’re interested, I’ll let you know when I’m done, and if you haven’t read it yet, you can have it. How’s that sound?” I ask, feeling like I need to give back somehow.
“Well now, that depends. Talk spice rating to me.” Fran pops a hip.
“Two chili peppers—according to the internet.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Fran’s face lights up. It would appear book swapping is a love language for her.
She lifts our bags over the counter and hands them over.
“Names?”
“I’m Liv, this is Viv.”
Fran laughs softly, a wide smile stretching across her face.
“Two peas in a pod. I’ll get that book over to ya, Liv. Enjoy Maple Cove, ladies.”
“Seriously, what is in the water in this town? Why is everyone so nice?” Viv whispers as the door to Beach Babes closes behind us.
We get back a little after lunchtime to find Sunny lounging across the check-in desk with Holly rubbing his belly.
“Liv, I’m sorry. He burst through the door when I went to clean your room, and then he just lay down here. I couldn’t bring myself to put him back. He seems so happy.” As if to emphasize this point, Sunny stretches his paws wide and twists his body back and forth.
Brief hesitation washes through me, but here he is, perfectly safe.
“It’s fine, Holly. Don’t worry about it. We plan to hang out on the beach today, so I’ll be close by. This is a good test for both of us.” I scratch the soft fur under his chin, trying not to feel stressed about my little boy roaming free in an unknown place.
I throw a glance at Viv, who’s checking something on her phone, and turn my attention back to Holly.
“Hey random question, but would you be interested in setting up a social media account for the bed-and-breakfast? I feel you’re missing out on a lot of business without it. Viv and I can help you get it up and running if you need.”
“I tried to get my mom to set up an account a few years back, but it was right after my dad passed away, and she just… It wasn’t on her radar, you know? She had a lot on her plate, trying to manage the house without my dad around.” Holly’s expression shifts, hands covering her cheeks. “Wow, I didn’t mean to, like, get so personal.” She slides her hands over, covering her eyes and shaking her head. “I’m sorry! Anyway, I’d love that. And I think, like you said, it would help us a lot!”
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad,” I say, rubbing Sunny’s nose.
“Oh, yeah, thanks. Luke really stepped up, you know? He and Josh, and my sister Zoe, kept my mom and the business going. I was still up at school finishing up—my mom insisted I graduate.” Holly stops, throwing her hands into the air. “I’m rambling again. I’m sorry! Enough about me and all that. Let me talk to my mom about the social media stuff.” Holly waves her hand across her face and smiles brightly.
“Great!” I lean over and kiss Sunny on the head before we go. “Be good, cat.”
Viv and I change into our suits, grab some towels and chicken salad wraps from the counter in the great room, and make our way down to the beach.
There are about ten chairs on the private beach, all unoccupied. Umbrellas stand sentry, folded up and ready to be used. Having selected chairs, laid out our towels, and devoured our lunches, Viv and I were officially ready to kick off our first beach day.
“My favorite guests! Enjoying some of the excellent relaxation that the Huffman House offers, I see!” Josh saunters over carrying a pair of inner tubes. He puts the tubes down in the sand and gestures to them. “Your chariots, should you feel a bit overheated by the sun.” Josh lavishly sweeps his arms out over the inner tubes and bows.
“Are you always this ridiculous?” Viv laughs, sitting back against her lawn chair.
“Absolutely. Life’s a little more fun when you add a touch of ridiculous to it. What’s on the agenda today, ladies?”
“Oh, you know, a bit of this, a bit of that,” I answer, pulling my book from my bag.
“So, no plans then, huh? That’s cool. Ohhh whatcha reading?”he sits down on the end of my chair and grabs my book. “Loved this one. If you haven’t yet, go meet Fran. She runs the Beach Babes shop in town and has the most gigantic stack of books to recommend. She reads anything and everything, but I think romance is probably her favorite.”
“Oh, we met,” I say, snatching my book back. “She’s dropping a book off for me in the next day or two, so I need to finish this one to trade with her.”
“Well, don’t let me stand in the way of a good book. Here, take down my number. My workload is a little lighter today, so if you need anything, just shoot me a text.”
