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I park under the portico, and key in the code on the lock to let myself in. A light shines in the foyer, and I can see another soft light glowing from the kitchen.
Luna wanted to have dim lights placed throughout the inn for nighttime, so guests would be able to navigate their way through the building after dark, without the harshness of bright bulbs.
Seeing it in the dark like this, it makes total sense.
My first stop is the small dining room. The tables and chairs are set up, complete with tablecloths and candles placed in the center of the tables. An antique sideboard sits along one wall, and will be used as a buffet for treats to sit out during the day for guests to grab and go.
I pass through to the kitchen and smile. This space is just amazing. The Kinnard sisters know their kitchens, and this one is state of the art, but it also beautifully blends into the vintage feel of the inn. Anyone would love to work back here. Mira insisted that she wanted stools to sit along the outside of the huge island so guests could come and watch her cook if they wanted to.
She may even host cooking classes here, which I think is awesome.
Maybe I’ll take a class. Maybe I’ll even cook for Apollo.
“Who am I right now?”
I shake my head and peek out through the glass French doors that lead to the patio I installed a couple of weeks ago. There’s a view of the water in the daylight, and it’s amazing.
Room by room, I make my way through and find that Luna has placed every piece of furniture, every pillow and knickknack just so. It’s exactly the way she envisioned it.
Walking upstairs, I take in the rooms. Each one is themed and has a piece of original art painted by Sarah that fits in with that theme. Our sweet friend is a talented artist, and I know it meant a lot to her that Luna asked her to paint the pieces for the inn.
When I reach the last room, the largest, I’m surprised to see that the door leading out to the balcony is open.
“What in the world?” I cross over, and then I see her. Luna’s sitting in one of the two outdoor chairs, a glass of wine in her hand as she watches the scene before her. “I don’t want to startle you.”
She turns her head and smiles at me. “Hi. I saw you drive up a few minutes ago. Figured you came to see how we did today.”
“Yeah, and just to walk through, take it all in before it’s full of people.”
“I hear you. Sit with me.” She gestures to the seat next to her and then offers me her glass. “I only have the one glass, but I’ll share.”
“Thanks.” I take it and sip, before passing it back to her. “Wow, this view is just incredible.”
“I know.” She takes a deep breath, and for a long moment, we’re quiet as we take in the view. The lighthouse, so tall and strong and proud, is on the left. The way the inn is situated, the lighthouse doesn’t block the view of Huckleberry Bay and the ocean. “I love watching the lights from town. You can see just about everything from up here.”
“Grab a pair of binoculars, and we could be regular Peeping Toms.” I smile over at her. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Luna this serene, thispeaceful.“You okay, friend?”
“I’m great. For the first time in over a year, I don’t feel like I have to rush or worry. It’s just done. I can sit up here, on this gorgeous balcony that my best friend in the whole world built for me, and I can look out over the property that I share with the man I love most in the world, and I know that I’m going to make a difference in the community that’s shaped who I am. It’s an incredible feeling, and for tonight, while no one else is here yet, I can just sit in the quiet and soak it in.”
“Until I interrupted you.”
“You’re never an interruption.” She smiles over at me and offers me more wine.
“Where’s Wolfe tonight?”
“Still at the garage with Zeke. They got in a new car that they’re geeking out over. And that’s fine, because it gave me time to be here for a while. I can’t wait to offer the Ford we found in the barn for rides to and from town. The guests are going to love that.”
“Oh, for sure.”
“Holy shit, you went on a date! How did I space on that? Tell me everything.”
I take in a deep breath full of clean ocean air and let it out slowly. “Worst date of my life.”
“Oh, no.”
“Pretty horrible.” I nod and pass back her wine. “I’ll wait to tell you all about it when we have Sarah with us so I only have to relive it once.”
“Probably a good idea.”
