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Chapter Five
Holly's nervesstood on end for the remainder of the drive to the Archer House. Even though it had been years since she had last visited, she still knew the way there with her eyes closed. Not much had changed in Islamorada in her absence. In a way, the town felt frozen in time. And yet, somehow, nothing looked outdated or old-fashioned. The town had its own little charm and appeal, which brought tourists there in droves every year like clockwork.
But the moment she pulled up in front of the Archer House, Holly knew why her uncle had called her. The main family house (the Archer House) appeared to be the only thing that had changed. It still stood right where Holly remembered it, but the dilapidated exterior looked nothing like she remembered. The paint was faded and chipped in places. One of the shutters hung lopsided like it was ready to fall at any moment. Even the roof looked like it was overdue for a replacement.
The grounds were a bit better. The grass was at least cut and green, but the flowers and bushes her mother had carefully maintained over the years were gone, leaving everything bland and boring compared to how it used to look. God, how long had it been like this? And why hadn't Roger called her sooner?
Was Mom just overwhelmed? Holly wondered as she stepped out of the Jag. She and Dad had split the responsibilities before he'd died. Had Mom not hired someone to help her out? Was she trying to handle everything herself and getting burned out? There was no way a single person could handle maintaining this place. Heck, it was always a daunting task for two people!
Holly shook her head, then let out a sigh and headed into the lobby of the inn. There was a young woman Holly didn't recognize at the front desk, and she grinned cheerfully the moment Holly walked through the door.
"Good afternoon! Welcome to the Archer Inn! Do you have a reservation?" The girl was positively bubbling with energy. Holly froze in place and stared at her for a moment, trying to regain her composure.
"Erm, no," Holly managed to stammer out. She had never felt this flustered before, but somehow the sight of the deteriorating inn and the woman's unusually perky attitude had her brain a jumbled mess. "I'm looking for Mrs. Archer. I'm Holly, her daughter."
The girl blinked, and then her eyes suddenly went wide. Somehow, it seemed like she was bursting with more energy than she'd had only a few moments ago. "Oh, my gosh! Your mother has told me so much about you! I feel like I already know all of you so well!" Yep, she definitely had more energy. She looked to be practically vibrating. "Your mother went to speak with a guest. Room 109. It's... well, I guess I don't need to give you directions! I'm sure you know this place better than I do!"
Holly forced a smile and gave a polite nod, then headed in the direction of Room 109. The girl wasn't wrong. Holly did know the place inside and out. She had grown up here, helping her parents run the place as a kid. She had helped with housekeeping and gardening and had run the front desk as a teenager. All the Archer siblings had had to chip in around the place, each having his or her own duties.
It didn't take long to find her mother. Holly could hear the irate guest from the other side of the hallway. "I don't care!" the man shouted, his deep, booming voice echoing clearly for anyone around to hear. "I've been here for three days now and the shower still doesn't work. I've told you more times than I can count and you still haven't gotten someone here to fix the issue!"
Holly picked up the pace. When she reached Room 109, she found her mother at the entryway. If the sight of the inn had taken her breath away, her mother's appearance really threw her for a loop. Her skin was sunken and colorless. Her hair was frizzy and dry, hanging loose around her shoulders, so very different from the neatly maintained bun the woman had always worn at the base of her neck.
Uncle Roger had been right. It wasn't a problem with the inn being rundown. Her mother was run down, too.
Holly felt her heart break into pieces as she watched the man berate her mother. The older woman looked close to tears. Her entire body was trembling, and if Holly didn't step in and do something, she was afraid her mother might have a breakdown right then and there.
There were other people inside the room, a woman and two young boys. Clearly, they had come here for a family vacation, and Holly could completely understand them being upset over a shower that wasn't working. And considering they were in one of the nicer suites in the inn, Holly was flabbergasted at just how much her mother had let the place go.
But that was a conversation for another time. First, she needed to put out this fire. Then she could tackle the rest of the issues at hand.
"Excuse me," Holly said, stepping up next to her mother. "My name is Holly Archer. I'm the manager here at the Archer Inn. I want to personally apologize for the troubles you've been having. Our maintenance technician has had a personal emergency and hasn't been able to come in for the last couple of days."
Okay, so most of what she said was a complete and utter lie, but she had to do something to shut this man up before her mother lost it. And the lie seemed to mollify him, at least for the moment. That gave Holly the chance to keep going and try to salvage the situation the best she could.
"How about we move you to another room? One with a working shower. Then you can enjoy the rest of your vacation." Holly smiled at the man, glancing over at her mother for the briefest moment. Her mother mouthed a room number to her, and Holly gave a slight nod. "Room 307 is available. It's a tiny bit smaller than this one, but it has a beautiful view of the beach and ocean. And, of course, we'll be sure to give you a discount on your stay for the inconvenience."
The man mulled over everything Holly said for a moment. No doubt, the word "discount" had gotten his attention. "Yes, that should be fine," he replied, at last, giving the pair of them a quick nod.
"That's wonderful!" Holly clapped her hands together and grinned broader. This was all a familiar act for her. She had closed enough deals over the years to be able to recreate that same excitement and enthusiasm at will. "Come by the front desk in a few minutes and I'll make sure your new keys are ready. And please, if you have any other problems, stop by the desk and ask for me. I'll make sure to get anything sorted out for you. Enjoy the rest of your stay!"
Holly and her mother stepped back into the hallway, letting the man close the door. She could hear him telling his family to pack their things, so they could move to the new room. Pushing that out of her mind now that the problem was solved, Holly turned to her mother, who looked almost as shocked to see Holly as Holly was to see the state of everything.
"Hi, Mom," she said, giving her a small smile. She watched as her mother's eyes brimmed with tears, threatening to roll down her cheeks. Holly enveloped her mother in a gentle embrace until her body stopped trembling and then let her go.
When the hug ended, her mother whispered, "You're really here. Oh, how I've missed you."
"I missed you too, Mom. We really need to talk," Holly said simply, getting right to the point. Something was going on here, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.
