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“I’m serious about staying away from the Strauss sisters, Wendy,” Anita called after her. “You’re better than them. You can invest your money in much better ideas!”
Wendy had no idea what Anita was talking about anymore, but she didn’t care. Without saying another word, she unlocked her front door and went inside. She made sure to relock it as soon as she was inside, and then quickly went around her small home to ensure the back door and windows were locked as well.
ChapterFour
“Anything?” Wendy asked Cynthia as she popped into the tented office. Cynthia shook her head, looking disappointed.
“Everyone we’ve seen has been on the up and up so far,” she replied. “Frank, Anita’s husband, did come in, but he had a voucher for a scalp massage, stayed just long enough to receive it, and then left. He came in with nothing and left with nothing.”
Cynthia took a seat in the empty chair beside Wendy and gave her a small smile.
“What about you?” she asked. “How are you feeling about your little visit from Anita last night?”
Wendy looked around at their surroundings, thankful that the last day of this little wellness market thing was nearly over. She had been on edge all day keeping an eye out for Anita, and she was looking forward to spending the evening in Birgit’s company as well as maybe the others.
“It is what it is,” Wendy replied, her gaze making its way over to Erik. He was handing a couple two take-away containers, and the moment her eyes landed on him, he looked up and back at her.
“Erik seemed pretty miffed when you told us this morning,” Cynthia went on. “I think he’s a little protective of you.”
“He’s a little protective of all of us,” Wendy replied, looking away from Erik. “Tucker is his cousin, and he looks at all of you like family.”
“You too, you know,” Cynthia added with a smile.
Wendy laughed dryly. “That’s very nice of you, but Tucker doesn’t even know me.”
“He knows that you were here to help me after the water incident and that’s enough,” Cynthia replied, her tone serious.
This time when Wendy smiled, it was genuine. “He really seems to care for you, doesn’t he?” she asked.
Cynthia’s cheeks turned pink as she nodded.
“I don’t know why, but he does,” she said with a dry chuckle. “I keep waiting for him to say “sike!” or “gotcha!” and then magically have a twenty-year-old babe show up on his arm.”
“Well, Ihighlydoubt that is going to happen,” Wendy retorted. “You’re a pretty amazing woman.”
“Right back at ya, toots,” Cynthia replied with a wink and a smile, then changed the subject.
“So, I’ll see your dinner, right? The rest of us are good to meet with you and Birgit after your coffee?”
“Yes,” Wendy agreed, excited for both.
“Excellent,” Cynthia beamed, “I’m going to start helping the other vendors tear down and I’ll see you at six.”
Wendy spent the next few minutes gathering up her supplies and taking down what she could in her tent. It wasn’t too long at all before Birgit showed up, and after they hugged, she quickly assured Wendy that Jerry and Steve would be able to see to the rest. In the restaurant of the hotel, they ordered a pot of French-pressed coffee, and it took no time at all for them to start delving into their lives.
It was obvious to Wendy that taking over the hotel was a strain on Birgit, but a strain worth having all the same. She knew by the excited and proud way Birgit spoke of her and her sisters’ work that she truly did have a passion for the place, even when it did have its drawbacks. As for her divorce, while it was sad, Wendy was also relieved. Birgit was always too good for him, at least in her mind.
In turn, Wendy told Birgit about her life. There wasn’t much for her to tell, though. There were a string of dead-end romances with a doctor, a couple of nurses, one of the hospital social workers, and some seminars that she really enjoyed. But that was really it. Except, of course, for her recent news about her father’s inheritance. She debated about whether or not to bring it up, but when she realized she would have to share the details anyway when they moved on to Anita’s visit the night before, she gave in.
“Oh, honey,” Birgit breathed, her eyes full of sorrow. “I’m so sorry to hear about his passing. He was such a great man. Remember when he used to pick us up from school and take us for ice cream before softball sometimes?”
Despite missing her father, Wendy felt herself smiling wide as she recalled the memory.
“Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that.” She laughed. “The rest of our team would get so jealous. Or when he tried to teach us how to drive in the mall parking lot?”
“How we didn’t give him a heart attack was beyond me.” Birgit laughed. She shook her head, then reached across the table to hold Wendy’s hand.
“He will be sorely missed,” she said emphatically. “And I’m so,sosorry that I wasn’t there for you when it happened. I didn’t even hear about it.”
