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“He doesn’t have a metal detector here,” Sarah said, looking at the photo. She hadn’t even noticed him on that side of the beach that day.
“Friend of your grandma’s, maybe?” Jessica suggested.
Sarah shrugged, taking the phone back. “Maybe. He didn’t talk to us.” Most likely just a stranger strolling the beach that morning. She could crop him out if she decided to frame the picture.
“Did your grandmother leave a note or anything, explaining this?” Whitney asked, gesturing around them.
Sarah nodded, reaching into her pocket for the ambiguous five-word sticky note she’d been trying to figure out all day and handed it to Whitney.
“A Post-it? That’s it?” she asked.
“Grandma kept things brief,” Sarah said, gulping her wine.
“You’ll know what to do,” Jessica read over Whitney’s shoulder. They looked at her. “Do you?”
“Nope. Other than selling it, what else can I do?” She checked her phone. She’d left three messages for her boss, who was now ignoring her calls, and Sarah recognized the power move that said she was on thin ice. “I really need to get back to L.A.”
“Have you heard about your promotion yet?” Whitney asked.
“Not yet. Being here isn’t exactly helping.” She bit her lip. Her boss was a workaholic. She never took time off and didn’t love the fact that she was expected to give her staff holiday time. This time off was the first “vacation” Sarah had taken in four years. She loved her job at Digital Strategies, where she worked developing new apps for long-distance communication and teleconferencing. And with the promotion, she’d be working directly under the VP of development, a position she’d been busting her butt for, hoping it would give her more freedom and flexibility to work on projects she was passionate about.
“Staying in town for a while wouldn’t be so bad. We love having you here.” Jessica nodded. “And you can help us plan Whitney’swedding.”
As one of the bridesmaids, Sarah would be heavily involved in her friend’s big day…if Whitney ever committed to a date. A year since she’d gotten engaged, Whitney turned a shade paler whenever anyone asked when the big day would be.
Like now.
“Do we have a date yet?” she asked.
Whitney squirmed on the chair. “We’re getting closer to nailing down a day…” She sipped her wine.
“So…fall?” Jessica asked.
“Maybe fall…maybe next spring,” Whitney said, unfolding her legs and sitting forward on her chair. “Right now, we’re dealing with Sarah’s dilemma.”
Sarah suspected Whitney had good reason for putting them off, and she respected her friend’s privacy, so she shot Jessica a look that said,Let it go for now.
Her cell chimed with a new notification, and she dove for it.
But she frowned, seeing the Facebook message. “It’s a Facebook message from Wes.”
I’ve attached the quote for renovations based on the inspection we did months ago. Let me know what you think.
“It’s a quote for renovations,” she told her friends.
“How much?” Whitney asked.
Sarah lowered the phone and shook her head in disbelief. “You know, that guy has a lot of nerve just assuming I’ll do what he wants. I told him I didn’t know what I planned to do yet.”
“How much?” Whitney repeated, sending her a look that suggested her past grudge was showing.
Sarah sighed as she skipped the list of things needing repairs and found the price at the bottom. She squinted to look at the dollar amount. “Could that be right?” She’d estimated at least double what he was quoting. She quickly responded, asking Wes if there was a mistake.
Seconds later came his reply:Incentive pricing to give the inn a second chance.
She sighed.
“What did he say?” Jessica asked.
