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Later, Charlotte was in the kitchen at the Inn organizing the hors d’oeuvres for the guests when Shane surprised her. “Hi, what are you doing here?” she asked, aware of the smile spreading across her face.
“Granny Liz sent me here, said you might need the help because of all the new guests checking in. It’s something Grandpa Sam used to do for your grandmother from time to time.” He grinned. “Guess she knows how bored I am.”
She took a moment to study the dimple like his brother’s that showed up occasionally. “Okay. I’m working on the hors d’oeuvres; you can get the drinks set up. We’re trying out different things for cocktail hour. Tonight, I thought we’d offer some margaritas to those who want them.”
“Okay. Show me where to find what I need, and I’ll get it ready. Five o’clock is the time, right?”
“Yes,” said Charlotte, checking her watch. “Fifteen minutes to go. Just wait. Suddenly everyone will appear. My guess is all thirty-six people.”
“Even if they’re going out for dinner later?” asked Shane.
“Oh, yes. You’ll see. It’s one of the extras here at the inn that guests love. Even if it’s just wine and peanuts. But Livy, Brooke, and I want to make it even better.”
“Did you know I was a bartender in college?” said Shane. “I make a mean margarita.”
“Yeah? What’s your secret?” she said.
“A touch of orange juice and an extra squeeze of lime.” He reached into the cupboard she’d indicated and pulled out a bottle of tequila. He turned to her and grinned. “By the way, I like your T-shirt. Is that your new motto –Life’s Good?”
Charlotte shook her head. “One of them. Gran’s got a lot of cool shirts. I’ll take it day by day, and then I’ll see.”
He laughed. “I’ve always liked Gran, thought she was a free spirit. Maybe working and living here is helping you to change like you wanted.”
Charlotte grew serious. “I want to thank you, Shane, for allowing me to be open with you the other day. I’ve stuffed my feelings for so long I’d forgotten what it feels like just to be me. I want this fresh start. Talk about being in a rut.”
He put an arm around her and pulled her close, making her pulse surge ahead. “I’m happy I was there to listen to you. You helped me, too. I need to be able to let go of the past. Like you, I’m hoping for a fresh start.”
She stepped back, and they faced one another, smiling.
After a minute, Shane broke eye contact and turned away. Charlotte reminded herself they were just friends and went back to putting together a blue cheese dip for the carrots she’d peeled and sliced earlier.
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Just before seven o’clock, Charlotte cleared away the empty plates and bowls used for the cocktail hour and started the roundup of empty glasses scattered around the gathering room and outdoor pool deck. This was a valuable time for her to connect with the guests, to make sure they were having a nice time. The work was worth the effort, she thought. Guests were happily chatting with one another, making friends and memories. From here, they’d go their own way or, perhaps, decide to dine out together. There were a number of nearby restaurants to choose from, including the Pink Pelican Bar down the road and Gavin’s at the nearby Salty Key Inn.
Charlotte loaded glasses into the bus tubs on the small rolling cart used for this purpose. She and her cousins had talked about hiring one or two people to help with this social hour in the future, but until they decided they could afford it, they were committed to doing it themselves.
She glanced at Shane talking to one of the guests about the Family First program. It was an opportune time to discuss many things with interesting people.
After everything had been cleaned up, Charlotte sat in the kitchen with Shane, sipping a margarita.
“Refreshing, just as you said,” she told Shane. “Tell me about your job in college. Did you have to work your way through?”
“My parents paid for my tuition and books. Everything else I had to cover myself. Jed and I shared a small apartment, and we didn’t go out a lot, but we still found time for fun in between working stints. He worked in the same bar as I did.”
“Nice,” said Charlotte.
“Yeah, we’re different, but we get along well,” said Shane. “Neither of us did a whole lot of partying. Not with our family backgrounds.”
“That made it easy then,” said Charlotte. “Being in the city at NYU, I was more interested in food than getting smashed at a bar. There are so many small, neighborhood places to get take-out that it made living easy. Guess that’s why I’m not a great cook. No need.”
He winked at her. “But you make a damn good salad.”
She laughed. “That’s not hard to do.”
“What about tonight? Do you want to get something to eat?” Shane asked her.
