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Like the wife mentioned, the aesthetic of the home always draws people here, too. Lorelei is a practicing witch, and this old Victorian-style home is furnished with a mixture of old and New-Age decor. The shop sells things such as Tarot and Oracle cards, candles, incense, crystals and crystal balls, books about Wicca and other New Age topics, and things of that nature. Lorelei also offers Tarot readings. People love this place, including myself. I love living and working here.
I head back to the kitchen to put my muffins away. Baking has been a hobby of mine since I was a teenager. I worked at a bakery in college, and I learned a lot to sharpen my skills there. Having the opportunity to bake for the B&B is a pleasure. I love what I do here.
Lorelei starts the dishwasher. “I’m going upstairs to do housekeeping. We have a new guest coming this afternoon.”
“All right. Let me know if you need a hand.”
“Olivia!” My friend Chelsea sounds enthusiastic on the other line. “How are you?”
“I’m good! How are you, Miss Bride-to-be?” I look at the Pacific Ocean in the distance as I sit back in an Adirondack chair. I love sitting on our back deck, enjoying the view of the beach.
“We booked the venue! The wedding date is set!”
“That’s exciting,” I reply. Chelsea’s boyfriend proposed to her on New Year’s Eve, and they’ve been vacillating on the location of their wedding ever since. “Where’s it going to be?”
“Vegas!” Chelsea practically squeals into the phone. “We decided on a destination wedding!”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Vegas? Really?” To say I’m shocked by this decision is an understatement. I thought for sure Chelsea would have a traditional wedding. “What made you and Carson decide that?”
“His sister, actually,” she says with a laugh. “She got married in April, and she told us to skip all the drama and bullshit and just go to Vegas. We decided to look into it, and we found the perfect place!”
“That’s great. I can’t wait! I haven’t been to Vegas in quite a while.” The last time I went there, I was with Clint, and I could definitely use a new trip to wipe away the old memories and create new ones.
“Of course, I want you to be one of my bridesmaids. You and Brianne,” she says. Chelsea, Brianne, and I have been friends since middle school. We’ve been through everything together.
“Girl, you know it! I’m here for you!”
“I’m not going to pick out a dress for you guys to wear, either. I’ll send you a picture of the color I want you to get, but you can pick the dress.”
Chelsea and I continue to talk on the phone for quite a while. She fills me in on all the wedding details. I think back to when my dad got married right here at the Sandy Shore Inn last February––Valentine’s Day, to be exact. Although it was a cold day, the sun was shining, and they chose to have the ceremony out here, just yards from the beach. It was a great day, and I’m so happy for my dad. I have plans to visit him and his new wife in California in a few weeks. I’m looking forward to the trip.
“Olivia!” Lorelei’s voice resounds from the back door of the house.
I turn and wave to her, then tell Chelsea, “Lorelei needs me for something. I’ll call you
again soon, okay?”
“Sounds good. It was so good talking to you!”
By the time Chelsea and I end the call, Lorelei is standing in front of me. Her purse is hanging on her shoulder. “I’m going to the grocery store,” she says. “Can you come inside and man the front desk?”
“Of course,” I reply as I stand.
“Cassie is working in the gift shop, and none of the guests are currently here, but we are expecting a new one sometime this afternoon.”
“All right. I’ll just hang out in case anyone shows up and needs me.” We walk back into the house, then Lorelei leaves. I grab the book I’ve been reading and settle on the couch in the parlor, adjacent to our front desk in the foyer.
Just as I finish reading the chapter, the front door opens. I look up and see a man walk in, so I place my bookmark in the book and head to the front desk.
The man’s back is turned to me when I approach the desk. He’s looking at the artwork hanging on the walls in the foyer. “Can I help you?” I ask, and he turns around.
Holy hell. This man is attractive. Short, brown hair, five o’clock shadow, strong build… and, for some reason, I feel as if I’ve seen him before.
“Hi there,” he says. His lips lift in a smile, and I can’t help but smile back. “I’m checking in. My name’s Stone Ryder.”
My jaw drops. “Wait––” I suddenly know why he seems familiar. “Are youtheStone Ryder? The author?”
He nods. “That’s me,” he says.
