Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Aperfect Monday to write the perfect letter. Hopefully she wasn’t too late.
Ava walked across the brick-laid pathway of the grounds and up the three steps to the interior of the Grand’s iconic gazebo and took a seat on a bench.
Delicate woodwork traced its way around the top of the octagonal structure.
Take one early spring morning, one cup of coffee in hand, mix well, and pour into an inspiring setting, and you had a recipe for a piece of perfection.
Focus on what you know. Ava looked down at the stationery in front of her. This weekend had been so full of activity that she hadn’t had time to focus.
She bit the end of her pencil, adding another round of teeth marks to the ones already marring its surface. How was she supposed to start a letter that could change her life forever?
To whom it may concern:
Nope. She scratched the words out. Too impersonal.
Dear Homeowners:
Better.
A laugh just beyond the row of trees to her left caught her attention. She watched as an older couple strolled past, hand in hand.
Her chest squeezed. She’d always thought by now she’d be married. Maybe a few kids. Definitely a house. Something permanent.
Please help me make my dreams come true. No. No. No. Too desperate.
She double-tapped the pencil against her knee.
Then tapped out the beat for “Yankee Doodle.” Her eyes traveled the length of the pillared column directly across from her.
Up to the ceiling, where the gazebo bristled with golden hanging bulbs.
They must add an air of romance when lit on a summer evening.
Another couple came walking past, this time much younger. She recognized Dani by her blonde hair and waved.
“Oh, hello,” Dani called. Then she tugged on the arm of the tall, dark-haired man next to her, and they made their way to the gazebo. “Ava, this is my husband, Liam. I can’t remember whether I properly introduced you yesterday, as we got distracted with all the others.”
“You did, although I don’t think I had the opportunity to say ‘Pleased to meet you.’” She stood and held out her hand to shake Liam’s.
“You too.”
“So, you’re the mastermind behind the renovations on the Grand Sullivan.” Ava jutted her chin to where the hotel loomed on the hill.
The side of his mouth turned up. “I’d say it was more of a joint effort with Dani.” Liam wrapped his arm around his wife and tucked her close. Dani beamed up at him. Ava could practically hear the air crackling between them.
Sigh. With the birds singing in the row of pine trees, the warm, light, spring breeze tickling the tops of the grass, and the hint of lilacs just beginning to scent the air, it was a fairy-tale-like day for love. She half expected to see bluebirds flying over the heads of Liam and Dani.
She blinked the image away. “Well, you make a good team. Everything I’ve seen looks amazing.”
“Thanks,” Dani said. Her phone buzzed and she looked at it for a moment, her face creasing into a frown before her eyes opened wide.
“Oh, shoot! I really need to get over to the festival grounds. It was nice seeing you, Ava. Thanks again for being willing to partner with Zach for the charity stuff. I know he really wants to win. The Silver Platter means a lot to him.” Giving her a huge smile that faltered after a moment, Dani turned with Liam and hurried away, still tucked close to his side.
Ava watched them go for a moment and then returned to her bench, the seat cold underneath her.
After writing and crossing out three more sentences, Ava stood and walked a circuit around the inside of the gazebo.
On her second turn around the interior, she spotted a familiar figure striding across the lawn toward her.
The morning sun streamed over Zach’s dark locks, highlighting a few golden strands she’d never noticed before.
He wore a white button-down shirt, rolled to the elbows, and black jeans.
A hint of his ankle showed above a pair of checkerboard deck shoes.
“Good morning,” Zach said.
“Good morning, yourself.” She stood in the doorway to the gazebo. A ripple of something unfamiliar zinged up her spine.
“Beautiful weather.” Zach paused just outside the gazebo.
“Yeah. Nice day.” Seriously? Talking about the weather?
He nodded toward her hands. “I see you have your ever-present notepad. Working on a story?”
“Not really.” Just something much more important. But Zach wouldn’t care about that.
“Notes for our competition?”
“You told me you’d take care of that. You made it very clear.” She pointed at him with her pencil.
“True. And I have very good news on that front.” Zach pulled a crumpled bit of paper from his shirt pocket. “I worked out a perfect recipe.” He handed her the note. His bold handwriting ran all over the page, smudged in a few places, but still legible. And all completely unintelligible.
“I don’t know what half of this stuff means.
” A pang ran through her stomach. Zach deserved to win.
She thrust the note at him. “I should find Dani. Tell her to find you a different partner. One who can help you win.” It was the right thing to do.
Even if it meant tanking her article. It wasn’t fair to saddle him with her incompetence.
She would just have to find a new angle. That shouldn’t be too hard.
But he shook his head and tucked the slip back into his pocket. “I’ll write it out again, but clearer next time. We can win. I know we can.” He moved a half step closer to her. “With your help and my skills, we’re good partners.”
She searched his gaze. “Okay. Partners.” The thought rippled through her, making her heart flutter. “Did you come out here looking for me?”
He looked away. “Partly. I hoped I’d find you.
I saw you walking in this direction earlier.
I also have to find Dani.” Zach tucked his hands into his pockets.
“She asked me to teach a class, and I just saw the sign-up list. It’s way too many people for one class, and I need her to split it into two groups. ”
“Dani was just here. She and Liam went to the festival grounds. I think there was some kind of emergency.”
Zach’s eyebrows rose. A muscle in his jaw jumped. “Emergency?”
“Festival emergency. I’m sure she’s fine. She looked like she had everything under control.”
“She’s good at that.” He nodded. “Um, I’m going to go find her. Want to come along? Or are you busy with…” He gestured at her notebook.
She really should finish the letter, but maybe a walk was just what she needed to jump-start her creativity. “Lead on.”
They fell in step across the spongy grass. “Okay. So. Here’s what I’m thinking,” Zach said. “We’ll start by julienning some carrots.”
She really should mention in the letter that she wanted to make the island her permanent home. And maybe also talk about how much she had been enjoying meeting the people who already lived here.
“Ava, are you even listening to me?” Zach stepped in front of her and tapped her shoulder. He walked backward in front of her for a few steps.
She shook her head. “Sorry. No. I was miles away.” More like a half mile away.
“Want to tell me what’s going on? I can’t have you this distracted when we’re working.” He turned and fell into step with her again.
Right. She needed to be locked in for that. Partners.
She let out a long breath. “I’m trying to compose a letter to the current owners of a house I want to buy.”
“Are you moving?” Zach’s strides began eating up long stretches of grass.
“It’s a cute little place.” She double-timed to keep up with him.
“Old but with a great layout. The bathroom is a Pepto-Bismol pink, but I actually might leave it that way. Keep some of its charm.” She smiled and then sighed.
“But I found out that there’s a bidding war on the place.
I can’t afford to go much higher, but my agent advised me to write a letter.
She said that sometimes people can be swayed by that. ”
He stopped suddenly, and Ava almost ran into him. “I admire you for wanting to find a place that you can make your own. Just tell them a little about yourself. I’m sure they’ll love you.” His shoulders hitched up a notch, and he began walking again.
Okay. Whatever that was about.
They reached the festival grounds. Dani stood next to the ice cream truck.
“Dani!” Zach jogged over to her, and Ava tried to keep up. “Tell me you didn’t give me thirty people for my class.”
Dani blew out a breath. “I didn’t give you thirty people for your class.”
“Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” Zach ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m just telling you what you want to hear,” Dani shot back. She looked down at her clipboard. “I’m really busy, Zach.”
“I can’t teach that many people at one time. I need you to cancel half of them.”
Dani’s head whipped up. “No way. I can’t cancel them. They all paid good money. I need this festival to be a success. For Jonathon Island.” She stressed the last words. A muscle tightened in Zach’s neck.
“Then split them into two classes. I’ll just do the same thing twice.”
Dani ran a finger down the paper in front of her. “Can’t do that either. There’s just no time for a second class. You’ll figure it out. I know you will.” She gave him a grin full of teeth and hurried away.
“Dani. Dani!” But she didn’t hear him. Or, Ava suspected, she was ignoring him. He looked at her. “That sister of mine.” But his growl didn’t fool Ava for a minute. She could see the sparkle in his eye. He loved his baby sister and would do whatever she asked.
Zach stared at her for a long moment.
She felt her face heat. Did she have a smudge or something? “What?”
“You could help me with the class.”
“What?” She’d never heard that kind of a shriek come out of her mouth before. She cleared her throat. “Um. I mean. Are you crazy? I don’t even know how to cook, let alone how to teach other people.”