41. Leo
41
LEO
I stand in front of the Madrona Inn and consider it my new home, no longer a temporary spot to put down my bags and sleep. It’s weird to think I won’t be writing articles anymore or traveling nonstop. Soon I’ll be doing the job I went to school for. Not long ago, I would’ve run back to the airport instead of agreeing to come back here permanently. Now I look forward to it because Olive will join me here one day. We’re going to discuss that in more detail when she arrives on Monday.
I enter the hotel and breathe in the familiar scent of my surroundings. My eyes scan the area, recalling the one time Corey and I played basketball in the lobby. I threw the ball over Corey’s shoulder, and it hit an expensive antique, shattering it. Per my usual punishment, I was grounded for two weeks.
Donna jumps up from behind the front desk when she sees me. I guess her back is doing better. “Leo, you’re finally here.” She hustles toward Mom’s office. “Marla, Leo’s back!”
I set my stuff aside, then give Donna a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Mom runs out of her office, swerving around Donna. She wraps me in a warm, motherly hug. “Leo, we’ve really missed you around here. We’re glad you’re home. Come back to my office for a few minutes, or would you rather go home and freshen up?”
“Let me go take a shower first. It’s been a long day.”
“Go do that. Come over for dinner. I’ll whip something up, and I’ll tell Sully and Tonya to join us,” Mom says, shooing me away.
“Sounds great. Thanks, Ma.”
I walk through the halls, trying to imagine me and Olive living on Orcas Island. Finding a place we call home. I wonder how quickly I can convince her to move here.
The scent of fresh coffee brewing from Café Charmant tempts me to say hello to Louis and grab a tart, but I need to settle in. I stayed at two new hotels this week. The one in Las Vegas was phenomenal. I’ll definitely take Olive there. The one in New York City was good, but nothing near the exceptional quality of the other. The flight from Vegas was delayed three times, making me miss the connection to Orcas Island. I’ve had it with traveling.
My little cottage comes into view, and all I want to do is face-plant onto my bed. Once I’m inside, I take a deep breath. It smells thoroughly sanitized from ceiling to floor. It’s all wrong. It should smell like Olive. I leave my suitcase by the door and go straight to the bathroom.
It’s time to tell Mom I’m staying.
* * *
“Ma, it’s me,” I shout out as I close the front door. Instantly, I smell the tomato sauce recipe I made at Olive’s apartment. My stomach rumbles loudly. All I want is a home-cooked meal.
“In the kitchen,” Mom hollers.
As I enter, she drops a large spoon of sauce on the counter, red liquid shooting everywhere. I grab some paper towels and help her clean up the mess.
“Well, shit. That spoon’s a slippery little sucker. Thankfully, I’m wearing black.”
“Butterfingers again?” I kneel and wipe up a couple drops off the floor. “Are Sully and Tonya coming?”
“Yes, but later. They’d rather eat at home,” she says, cleaning her shirt.
Good. I was hoping to chat with her alone. I purposely didn’t call her during the week because I wanted to speak face-to-face.
We finish cleaning up, and she puts the lid on the sauce. I refill her wine glass, pour myself some water, then sit at the kitchen table.
She tosses a dishtowel on the counter. “The sauce can simmer for a little while. I thought I’d make you spaghetti, since you eat at fancy restaurants in the hotels all the time.”
“I know I’m spoiled when I travel, but yeah, I’m fancied out. Come and sit, Ma.”
She sits across from me at the table. “I want to hear everything about the surprise skydiving and the Super Bowl party.”
I prop my leg over my knee. “Didn’t Tonya and Sully tell you anything?”
“Yes, but I want to hear your version.”
Thinking about it again energizes me. “It was beyond amazing. I can’t believe Olive pulled that off. Tonya kept asking if we could do it again. And for Sully to show up and skydive? I’ll never forget his face. He actually looked happy for once.” Not that it lasted long.
“I was Smokey’s babysitter all weekend. Boy was she a handful. She doesn’t like me very much. I swear she whined the entire time he was gone and hardly ate. It was like I had a toddler again because I couldn’t sleep. A soon as Sully walked through the door, she climbed up his clothes and curled up in his arms.” She places her hand over her heart and grins. “It tickles me the way he loves that kitten. I think she soothes him somehow. He knows she won’t hurt him. Anyway, tell me more.”
“Like the others, I was high on adrenaline all weekend. When I jumped, I swore Corey was right there with me. It was out of this world. Skydiving with my friends and family, seeing Olive again, and getting to know her brother Andy better…it was an unforgettable experience.
“Oh, and Andy was hysterical with Sam. They were best buds by the time we left. I wish I could’ve been there when they met the first time. Andy’s cool. He’s the goofball in the group. I can’t say Tonya liked him. He’s also very protective of Olive. He takes their mom down a peg or two when things get heated…which seems to be all the time. It hasn’t been easy for Olive.”
She grimaces. “Is Evelyn trying to keep you two apart?”
I tilt my head. “Evelyn? How’d you know her name?”
“Olive told me, or you did.” She swipes her hand like it’s no big deal.
Hmm. Maybe we did. I don’t remember, but whatever. It doesn’t matter.
“Anyway, things are really tense between them, but Olive’s handling it well. I’m proud of her because I’m not sure how I’ll act when I see her mom next. Thankfully, there are no plans for that to happen anytime soon.”
“Be careful what you say or do. You don’t want to add to the tension.”
“Easier said than done, Ma.” I take a few gulps of water and change the subject before I get fired up. “So, Olive’s looking forward to coming here on Monday. We discussed a lot when we were together in San Francisco.”
She sips her wine, hiding her grin. “Like what?”
My throat dries up, and I don’t know why I’m nervous. “I want to take the manager position.”
She springs from her chair, nearly toppling it, sprints over to me, and wraps me in a hug so tight I’m about to burst. “I can’t believe it! My baby boy’s staying home!” I feel like I’m seven years old again. “This makes your ole Ma a happy camper.” She pats my cheek and returns to her seat. “You’ll do a great job. I can’t wait to tell everyone.”
I love how excited she is. She lists all the people she wants to call tonight. Once she calms down, I explain to her I’ve quit my job, and this will be the last article I submit. That chapter of my life is now closed.
“I love Olive, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, Ma.”
“And she feels the same?” she asks, a smile dancing across her lips.
“Yes,” I mutter, a smile spreading uncontrollably across my face. “And she’s open to moving here. But since she’s only been here that one week, I want her to get familiar with the island before making such a big decision. If it doesn’t feel right for her or us here, I wouldn’t hesitate to move.”
She leans forward, hands splayed on the table. “Okay…what are you asking me? I can sense there’s something else on your mind.”
“I want to become manager, but only for two years. If Olive and I decide to stay here, then it’d be for longer.”
She doesn’t even blink before she responds. “Consider it done. And you don’t have to promise two years. It’s your life. Don’t worry about what anybody else wants.”
I rest my elbows on the table. “But I’m supposed to take over the hotel when you retire. Who would take over then? Tonya doesn’t seem too interested.”
She reaches across the table for my hand. “We’ll worry about that when the time comes. I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. Your happiness is the most important thing here. Watching you move on, in love with your perfect match…it does something funny to my heart.”
I rest against the chair and cross my arms. “You really think she’s my perfect match? You weren’t the friendliest when Olive was here.”
She pulls her hand away and looks down. “I know, and I’m sorry. It’s a mother’s job to protect her child. I don’t want you to get hurt if things go south.”
“Ma, nothing could make me change my mind. She’s the one for me.”
“Good, because you have no idea what might come your way.”
“Olive and I have dealt with a lot in the past. It’d have to be pretty bad to rip us apart.”
“Good.” She pats my hand and stands. “Time to make the pasta.”