The Inn at Angel Island

Chapter Four

LIZA woke to the sound of rain pounding against the building. The spring storms on the island could be fierce, but this one sounded like a hurricane.

She jumped out of bed and ran to the window-then realized she heard not only water but men and machinery. Outside the building, on the front lawn just below, she saw Daniel Merritt and a helper, both wearing big gloves and goggles. They were working with some sort of water equipment, with a hose and a pointed nozzle aimed at the house.

Power washing, she realized. The preparation for the painting had begun. Daniel certainly didn’t waste time. She had called him back last night about the estimate. The price seemed reasonable and the timing fast enough. He had said he would start with power washing to strip off the old paint. But she had not understood that meant he would start before eight a.m., and it would sound and feel as if the house were under attack.

Liza took a fast shower and pulled on her jeans and a black turtleneck, a somewhat more attractive outfit than he had seen her in yesterday but not nice enough to look as if she had gone to any special trouble. She hoped.

Just to make sure, she pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail and left her face bare of makeup.

It was too early to call the office. No one important showed up before nine. She looked around for her BlackBerry. It was on the nightstand next to a seashell she had found in her pocket last night, one she had picked up during her walk on the beach.

Now she took a moment to look at the shell, turning it over in her hand. The spiral structure was so smooth and unified, so perfect. She could understand why certain artists, like Georgia O’Keeffe for instance, had been fascinated by spirals and other organic shapes found in nature.

A few moments later, she laid the shell down and picked up the BlackBerry, then slipped it into her back pocket.

There was a hot pot of coffee waiting in the kitchen. Liza saw Claire’s parka and tote bag on a chair, but Claire wasn’t in sight. Liza poured herself a full mug and sat at the table, where a copy of the local paper, The Cape Light Messenger, lay open.

She scanned the headlines. There was a photo of the island’s mayor breaking ground for the new park on the island. “Mayor Joe Gilroy breaks ground for Lighthouse Park on Angel Island. Mayor Emily Warwick of Cape Light and Mayor Noah Simms of Newburyport stand by. The park will be built adjacent to Lighthouse Beach and recreation area, with direct ferry service from the town dock in Newburyport. Plans include a sports center with tennis and basketball courts, luxury locker rooms, and a café.”

Luxury locker rooms? That sounded pretty high-end for this island. Changes were definitely coming.

A sharp rap on the window of the kitchen door roused her.

Liza got up, expecting to see Claire, and found herself looking at Daniel Merritt. At some point while she had been reading the paper the machinery sound had stopped, she realized.

She opened the door, wondering why her heart had started racing. Too much black coffee on an empty stomach, she told herself. But when Daniel greeted her with a wide smile, she knew that coffee was not the problem.

“So, you got an early start,” she said as he walked in.

“Yep. We’re about halfway done. Sorry for the noise.”

“That’s okay. I didn’t want to hear myself think today anyway.”

He smiled at her joke. “I know what you mean. Whenever I get in one of those moods, I just turn the thing on and give myself a splitting headache. That keeps me from thinking too much.”

“That would do it,” she agreed, wondering what sort of concerns he had weighing on his mind. “Would you like some coffee?” She gestured toward the pot and mugs on the countertop.

“Sure, thanks.” He stepped over and poured a cup, then added milk and sugar-the complete opposite of the way she drank it. I could live with that, Liza decided with a secret grin. Nobody’s perfect.

“Have a muffin,” she said, pushing the dish toward him. “Claire made them this morning.”

“In that case, I definitely will.” He took a muffin on a napkin, then took a bite. “Banana. One of her best.”

“She made oatmeal raisin yesterday. They were pretty amazing, too.”

They sat for a moment without talking. Daniel noticed the newspaper. “Keeping up with current events?”

“Trying to,” Liza said between bites. “There’s a lot of good news in here, especially compared to what you see in the Boston papers every day.”

Daniel turned the paper to read the front-page story. “Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t call building an Olympic stadium on this island good news.”

“You mean the sports center?” Liza asked just to clarify. He was getting a bit carried away, wasn’t he?

“That’s right. Whatever they want to call it, it’s a huge waste of money. The county could put the funds to much better use. Or build it someplace else, where more people will have access. It will be underutilized out here.”

Liza was not surprised by his reaction. He had already made his feeling about the development of the island clear.

“What about all the new visitors who are coming over on that ferry this summer? Won’t they use it?”

Daniel shrugged. “People always came to this island because it didn’t have places like that.” He glanced at the article again. “Luxury locker rooms?”

She laughed at his expression. “I noticed that, too. It does sound a bit much.”

“If you want luxury locker rooms, go to a country club or a fancy spa or something. Don’t come out here. That’s not the point of this place. Or it shouldn’t be.”

“I see your point,” she said quietly. When Fran Tulley first told her about the island’s planned development, Liza thought it was a good thing, a lucky break that would make the inn more marketable. But now that she was back and had gotten to know the island again, with sand in her shoes and salt breezes tangling her hair, she wasn’t so sure. She could see Daniel’s side of it, too. Some things-some places-were meant to stay wild and rough. They didn’t need to be “improved.”

But who would stop it? The plan had already been set into motion. She gave herself a mental shake. She would be leaving in a little over a week. No sense getting all caught up in a battle she couldn’t fight.

“So, when will you start painting?” she asked, changing the subject.

“The clapboard needs to dry out for about two days. And we have to do some prep work-scrape a bit more and fill in some cracks. You said you didn’t want a perfect job, so we’re not going to go crazy on that phase.”

“That’s right, just the minimum will be fine.”

“One coat of primer, one coat of paint. It’s all in the contract…” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. “That’s why I came in here in the first place. You made me lose track.”

He smiled at her, and she knew that he hadn’t meant it in a bad way.

Liza pulled open the envelope. The letterhead at the top of the page read “Merritt General Contracting” in large bold letters. Very official sounding, considering it was just him and a helper.

She scanned the contract. Everything they had discussed over the phone seemed to be written down, and the price was the same as well. But she did need a few minutes to read it over carefully. Without him staring at her. That was definitely distracting.

“Do you need this back right away? I’d like to take a minute later and read it carefully.”

“Sure, take your time. No rush.” He sat back in his seat. “How is the clearing-out process going? Is Claire letting you throw anything away?”

Liza smiled at him. “We have a magic question. It helps a lot.”

“A magic question. That sounds interesting. I could use one of those.” He smiled curiously, looking extremely charming. “Can you disclose this magic question-or will that ruin the magic?”

Liza laughed. She knew she was flirting with him, pretty obviously now, but she couldn’t help it.

“I don’t think it will ruin the magic. I mean, I hope not. It’s really pretty simple. Whenever we get stuck trying to decide what to do with something, one person asks the other, ‘Save, discard, or give away?’ ”

“And the other person has to answer?”

Liza nodded. “That’s right. It’s sort of a game, I guess. It certainly makes the work go faster.”

“That’s a good thing, then. But I’d bet that Claire mostly answers ‘save,’ ” he replied with a grin. “I do know she likes to hang on to things until they’re just about falling apart in your hands. You should have seen the broom she handed me one day to sweep up some sawdust.” He leaned closer, aware that the housekeeper might be around. Liza leaned closer, too, suddenly very conscious of his nearness. “It hardly had two straws left in it. I was standing there, sweeping the thin air.”

She could picture it. Especially from what she’d seen yesterday. She laughed at the story, and he did, too.

“What are you two laughing about-something in the newspaper?” Claire came into the kitchen, and they quickly sat back and exchanged a look.

“It’s Mayor Warwick,” Daniel answered, quickly covering their tracks. “She’s always running around, getting herself in the newspaper. Her daughter doesn’t even work for the Messenger anymore, and she’s still on the front page every day.”

“She does a lot of good for the town of Cape Light,” Claire replied, defending the mayor. “People will vote for her again if she runs next fall.”

“For the tenth time, you mean?” Daniel teased her. “There are no term limits in Cape Light,” he explained to Liza. “Emily Warwick will run until… well, until she’s running in a walker, I guess.”

“Oh, Daniel. That doesn’t make any sense,” Claire said, shaking her head. Liza, though, glanced at him and smiled.

“Well, back to work.” He rose and took a long last sip from his mug. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Liza also took a last sip, secretly appraising his appearance as he walked to the door. Today he wore a blue sweater under a dark red down vest, his long, lean legs covered in worn jeans. For a guy out power washing, he looked good. Very good.

And he was clever and charming. But he had to be in a relationship, she reminded herself. And she was just divorced and not ready to date anyone, especially some guy living on a remote island. So what was the point of even thinking about him?

“Do you want to continue working on the closets down here today?” Claire’s question broke into Liza’s thoughts.

“I guess so. There’s so much more to sort out. We might as well stay focused.”

“Little by little, we’ll get through it,” Claire promised. “Your aunt was a big saver, but she knew how to store her treasures in heaven, too-‘where moth and rust do not destroy.’ ”

Liza nodded. The bit of scripture was vaguely familiar-and surprisingly comforting. Claire was right. Her aunt and uncle were not really materialistic people. They had always lived with strong faith and spiritual values. While Liza struggled to sort out the collection of possessions that chronicled their earthly lives, she had to remember that they both lived on in spirit, in some better place.

Looking at it from that angle, the rest of the closets didn’t seem nearly as overwhelming.

“All right, let’s get to it then,” Liza said. Then she remembered that she hadn’t checked in with her office yet. She had gotten distracted talking to Daniel. Now it was nearly ten, and no one had heard from her. That wasn’t going to look good.

“I just have to check messages from my office first,” she said to Claire.

She pulled out the BlackBerry, dismayed to see she hadn’t even turned it on. What was happening to her? Three days in this place and she was losing her edge! She pressed the Power button, relieved to see there was Internet service this morning.

Liza was hardly aware of the housekeeper leaving the room as she quickly scrolled down her new e-mails. A message from her boss immediately caught her eye. Subject: Shoe Paradise Logos.

Liza clicked it open, feeling an anxious knot in the pit of her stomach. But the e-mail wouldn’t open. The screen froze. The Internet connection was gone.

“Again!” she muttered. “Does this thing ever work out here?” She hit the Phone button and speed-dialed the office, Eve’s direct line.

Why did I ever come out here in the first place? It was just not the right time. I should have just let this place fall down…

The phone rang five times before Eve finally picked up. Liza greeted her with what she hoped was a cheery tone.

“Hi, Liza,” Eve said smoothly. “How’s it going?”

“Just fine. The house is already on the market. The real estate agent thinks we can sell it very quickly. I might be back even sooner than I thought,” she added, knowing that wasn’t entirely true.

“Sounds like you got a lot done out there,” Eve commended her. “I’m not surprised. You’re always so efficient.”

“Not always, but thanks.” Liza hesitated, knowing she had to ask about the logo. “So you got the sketches the other day? You should have seen me trying to find a fax machine.” Liza turned her frantic search into an amusing anecdote. “The new technology has definitely not caught on out here. My real estate agent finally took pity on me and sent the package from her office.”

“You poor thing. What an ordeal.” Eve laughed and Liza felt a sliver of optimism. Maybe this wasn’t going to be bad news after all?

Liza took a breath. “So, what did you think?”

“About the logos? They were fine. A little rough, but I could see where you were going.”

“Sorry about that. I didn’t have time to find a graphics place to do a mock-up.”

“Of course not,” Eve cut in. “You could hardly find a fax machine. Don’t worry about it. We were all able to visualize.”

We? Who did that include exactly, Liza wondered?

Liza guessed there had been a meeting about the logos-a big meeting probably-and wondered if Charlie Reiger had been included. Had the client been there, too?

“So you had a meeting about it?” Liza tried for a casual tone but heard an anxious note slip in.

Why didn’t they let her know? She could have been included by telephone. That wasn’t any big deal.

“It was sort of impromptu,” Eve explained. “Shoe Paradise wanted to see what we would do before they signed on. You know how it is.”

“How did it go? Did they like any of my ideas?”

“They did like one or two. I liked them, too,” Eve said. “But some other approaches seemed more in tune with the market they want to pull in. One concept in particular caught their eye, and we’ve sold them on a campaign built around it.”

An entire campaign from one sketchy little logo? It must have been brilliant, Liza thought. And not her brilliance either.

“Well, that’s great. That’s terrific,” she said, trying her best to sound like a team player.

“We’re all very pleased. We lost a few big clients this year, and nobody’s spending like they used to,” Eve reminded her. “Charlie is going to work with the shoe people,” she added smoothly. “His ideas brought them over, and he had good rapport with their CEO.”

Good rapport? Liza nearly dropped her phone. Charlie’s “rapport” usually consisted of discussing the Red Sox’s pitching staff. And she could have bet money that his ideas were borrowed from her. The little twerp was forever searching her old ad campaigns for his “new concepts.” She had taught Charlie Reiger everything he knew. Of course, it was easy for him to win the account while she was out of town. That was like saying you set a record for swimming, but Michael Phelps wasn’t in the pool.

“Liza, are you still there?” Eve asked.

“I’m here. Sorry. I got distracted a moment. So much going on.” The power-washing machine roared right near the window, blowing water against the building at gale force. “Sounds like it all turned out for the best,” Liza said, letting her boss off the hook. “I’m sure Charlie will do a good job.”

“I’m sure he will. And you certainly don’t need the headaches of a new account right now,” Eve added.

Perhaps she meant it kindly, out of concern. But Liza heard another message: You’re distracted and overwhelmed, letting your personal life interfere with your work and not doing a first-rate job around here anymore.

“You just do what you have to do out there,” Eve continued. “Don’t worry about us. This is a vacation break, too, right?”

“Not really,” Liza corrected her. “I’m basically working long distance for a few days. That’s all. I’m totally available to the office.”

“All right. I’ll remember that. You take care. See you soon.”

They said good-bye, and Liza ended the call. Her heart sank.

Charlie had won this round. Was he angling to force her out entirely? The economy was awful, and Eve had said that the company had taken a hit. Liza had never thought her job was in jeopardy, but maybe she had been wrong.

Or maybe it hadn’t been in jeopardy until she came out here.

She was fair game now, unable to defend herself. Who knew what would happen by the time she got back?

Eve had not mentioned the promotion, Liza noticed. Earlier, Eve had promised her that no decision would be made before she returned, and Liza trusted her. But she still worried. She had left a few days ago concerned about a promotion. Now she was wondering if she was losing her job.

Liza sighed and heaved herself up from the kitchen table. She walked to the sink and turned on the tap, hoping a cool glass of water would calm her down.

Back to battling the closets. At least that was a front she might win. There might even be some upside to all this anger if she could channel it productively. Maybe the closet question could calm her?

“Save, discard, give away,” she chanted under her breath. “Save… discard… strangle Charlie Reiger…”

“What did you say?”

Liza spun around to find Daniel standing in the kitchen doorway, staring at her. “Save, discard… strangle somebody?”

She laughed self-consciously. “I was just… upset about… something. A phone call from my office,” she confessed.

“That’s the problem right there.” He pointed to the BlackBerry still in her hand. “Don’t you know those things are bad for your health? They definitely raise your blood pressure-and put you in a bad mood.”

“Well, it did today,” she admitted.

“A problem at work?”

“You might say that. A problematic person,” she clarified, not knowing how much she wanted to confide.

“There usually is at least one of those in any office,” he said sympathetically. “What do you do for a living, Liza? I don’t think you mentioned it.”

“I’m in advertising. An account executive.”

His eyebrows rose a notch. “Nice. Very impressive.”

She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not. He didn’t seem the type of guy who was impressed by fancy titles or big salaries. Was she trying to impress him? She wasn’t sure.

How had he even snuck up on her like that? She heard the machine still running outside. But obviously, his helper was handling it alone right now. Daniel must have walked in the front door without her noticing.

“Do you need something?” Liza stared up at him, trying to act more businesslike.

“I just came in to tell you that a window on the third floor is open. Someone needs to go up and close it.”

“All right. I’ll take care of it,” she said, hoping he would take the hint and leave her be. She just wanted to have a good sulk. Now she was getting all distracted by him again.

He looked about to say something to her, something more serious. The BlackBerry buzzed. Liza tried to check the number but Daniel was faster, snatching it out of her hand.

“Why don’t you just shut this thing off for a while? You’ll feel a lot better, honestly.”

Liza tried to grab it from him. But he held it just out of her reach. Then he laughed at her. “I know it will be hard at first, but you can do it. I know you can.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “Would you please give that back to me? It might be important-”

“I doubt it. Probably just another annoying person.”

Liza couldn’t argue with that. He was almost certainly right. But it was also annoying to be teased like this. “Fine,” she said, pretending to give up. She started to walk away, then quickly whirled around and reached for the phone.

But he was quicker. “Whoa… nice move. You nearly got me.”

“This is so… silly. And childish. Just give it back to me, Daniel.”

He laughed at her again, and this time she started laughing, too, despite her efforts to look stern. This game was maddening! So why was she enjoying it?

The BlackBerry buzzed again and she pounced, grabbing his wrist so that she could finally see who was calling.

“It’s Peter! Give it, give it… I have to speak to him. Right now!”

Daniel finally heeded her excited tone, and his hold on the phone went slack. Liza snatched it back.

“Who’s Peter? Your boss?” He seemed genuinely interested in knowing-or was that just her imagination?

Liza quickly hit the Call Back button. “Peter’s my older brother.”

“I’ll give you some privacy, then. I’ll just run upstairs and close that window if you don’t mind.”

“Thanks. I don’t mind at all.” Liza met his dark glance a moment, then watched him leave the kitchen.

Daniel was likely right. These instant-communication devices were probably bad for your health and your mood. Luckily, there was a handsome home repairman around to put it all in perspective. The perfect antidote.

Peter’s phone rang several times. Liza hoped she hadn’t missed him. Finally, she heard him pick up and say hello.

“Hey, what’s up?” Liza greeted him.

Please don’t tell me you’re not coming. I’ ll just scream.

“We’re at Logan. We caught a flight late last night with a connection in Atlanta and just got in. We’re waiting for the baggage to come down-”

“You’re at Logan? That’s terrific!” Liza nearly hopped up and down, she was so relieved.

“The car rental is set. We should be there in about two hours.”

“Can’t wait to see you. Drive carefully, okay?… You remember the way?”

“Couldn’t forget it. See you soon.” Her brother sounded tired but eager to get out to the island.

Liza felt something deep inside her relax. Thank goodness he was on the way. There were still so many questions to be resolved, so many memories to be untangled. If she really had to say good-bye to the inn, at least she wouldn’t have to do it alone.