Page 7 of A Room By the Sea

“Just some rest.” Penelope rummaged in her wallet and tossed some cash down onto the table. “That’ll take care of my bill and my part of the tip. Thanks for a fun evening, ladies. It was great to spend time with all of you.” She smiled and stood up, waving quickly before exiting the restaurant so fast it almost looked as though she wanted to run.

“That was… is she okay?” Michelle asked, watching Penelope’s exit with a frown of worry.

“I hope so,” Harper said, shaking her head. “I’ve never seen her act like that before.”

“You should check on her, don’t you think?” Elaine asked Audrey softly. “Sometime when it’s just the two of you and she feels more comfortable sharing what’s going on with her.”

Audrey nodded gravely, her eyes on the doorway that her friend had just left through. “I think that’s a good idea. I want to make sure everything is okay with her.”

“She didn’t finish her pesto and chicken,” Harper said, glancing down at Penelope’s half-eaten plate.

“I’ll put it into a to-go box before we leave and drop it off to her,” Audrey said. She bit her lip. “It’s not like her to do that.”

The four women sitting around the table exchanged looks of concern.

I hope everything is okay with Penelope, Elaine thought. But at least she’s got good friends like Audrey and Harper who will have her back no matter what.

She smiled, thinking to herself that community was one of life’s true gifts. She hoped that The Birchwood House would offer a place for people to gather, like she was gathering with Harper and her daughter and granddaughter. Being able to share good times with good people was one of the greatest blessings in life, and she felt excited about being able to offer that to people who, like Penelope, might be in serious need of it.

CHAPTER FIVE

Michelle heaved a bag full of scented soaps and lotions into her car with a sigh.

Phew, she thought. That bag was heavier than I thought it would be. But at least I have my car this time!

She smiled, thinking of a time when she’d had her arms full of heavy bags after going shopping for The Birchwood House—something she’d been doing again that afternoon—and since she hadn’t had her car with her, she’d sat down to wait for the Coral Sands bus. Theo Hartman, a local mechanic who had been her nemesis when they were children, had driven up and offered to drive her to the mansion. Although she’d resisted at first, he’d been insistent, and she’d soon given in. They’d ended up having a fun time together, and he’d even tucked a flower behind her ear before she’d gotten out of his truck.

Theo’s not horrible all the time, she thought with a chuckle as she clambered into her car. I guess he’s mellowed out now that he’s an adult.

She turned the key in the ignition, wondering where she would go next. She’d spent the last several hours looking for bathroom goodies for all the rooms in the hotel. She’d had the fun idea of having a scent theme for every room, and she’d run with the concept, eagerly picking out mango scents for the red-themed room, rose scents for the pink room, and lavender scents for the purple room. She’d decided on vanilla for the yellow room, and of course mint for the mint-colored room. It had been an involved but rewarding endeavor, and she felt excited about all of the cute soaps and lotions that she’d picked out.

She started down the road toward the mansion, but before she’d driven a block, she got an idea.

I’ll stop by the animal shelter and visit Harper, she thought with a grin. I would love to get some puppy and kitty love. That can be my reward for doing so much shopping for the hotel today.

Michelle adored animals. If they hadn’t been so busy getting the mansion ready for its grand opening, she felt she would have adopted every animal in the shelter. Every time she visited, their wriggling furry bodies and their big eyes melted her heart past recovery. For the time being, she knew she couldn’t bring any of them home, but she loved knowing that she could at least partially satisfy her craving for a pet by loving on the animals that were waiting for their forever homes.

She arrived at the animal shelter a few minutes later and parked out front. She could hear the sound of raucous barking coming from inside, and she smiled. She hurried up to the front door and pushed it open, excited to visit all her tiny furry besties.

“Down, Prince, down, baby, come on!” Harper, whose long dark blonde hair was as disheveled as if she’d been wrestling with a crate of ferrets, was standing in the middle of the entryway, trying to get a rambunctious shepherd mix dog to stop jumping up and trying to lick her face. She was laughing and spluttering, looking as though she was having the time of her life despite the fact that the shepherd dog didn’t seem to be listening to a word she said. She looked up and saw Michelle grinning. “Oh, hey girl. This is a new addition to our little family. He’s pretty bouncy, as you can tell.”

Prince caught sight of Michelle and made her his new target for adoration. He bounded toward her, tail wagging furiously, and started to snuffle her jeans.

“Hey, cutie,” Michelle said, crouching down and starting to pet the adorable animal. “Hi. Yes, nice to meet you. Hi.”

Prince barked happily and licked Michelle’s face.

“He’s not too much, is he?” Harper asked, laughing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just let me know if I need to intervene.”

“Oh no, I’m happy as a clam,” Michelle said, meaning it sincerely. “I’m always thrilled to get doggy kisses.”

She spent a couple of minutes scratching the excited pup behind the ears while Harper went to get a harness collar to put Prince into.

“Here we go,” Harper said, starting to slip the harness around the wriggling dog. “This is comfortable for him but it makes it a lot easier for me to lead him where I need him to go. He’s still basically a puppy, so he’s got all this energy.”

“I can see that.” Michelle laughed. “I’ll see you later, buddy,” she said, standing up as Harper led Prince over to the dog run.

“Have fun out there,” Harper said, unclasping the leash and letting Prince bound into the enclosed outdoor area, which contained a variety of dog toys and fun obstacles for the animals to run over or underneath. “I’ll see you later.” She closed the door, laughing. “Phew! That should help get some of his energy out.”