Chapter 4 #2
“Mom!” a voice came from somewhere else in the library.
My eyes widened. I hadn’t realized someone else was there.
“Sorry. My son is bored in the summer. Camp starts next week, but for today, he’s stuck with me.”
I shook my head. “I can only imagine how tough it is. I teach third grade and was a nanny for the last few summers. There’s a lot parents have to keep up with.”
“Don’t I know it. My son’s nine,” Brinley said. Her face lit up as she looked past me.
I turned and saw a boy who was taller than some teenagers. He kept going, walking right into Brinley’s arms.
“This is Adam. Adam, this is Ms. Ashlyn’s friend, Reegan.”
“Hi, Adam. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” the boy said, shaking my offered hand.
“I would have guessed much older than nine.”
“He gets his height from his father,” Brinley said without further comment.
“Makes sense,” I said, sensing the subject was not up for more conversation. Not that it was any of my business anyway.
“Nice to meet you, Reegan,” Brinley said, effectively dismissing me.
“You, too. Both of you.” I took my books and headed for the door, wondering about the sudden change but reminding myself I didn’t know her and didn’t have a right to her personal life.
I slid the books into my oversized tote, thankful I was always carrying a bag that held way more than I usually had. I let the sunshine warm my face, then continued on my way through town.
I paused every so often to take pictures of the town. An old clock on a pedestal. A small river running beneath an old bridge. A flowering tree with a dilapidated building in the background. As I kept going, I heard water rushing and followed the sound down a sidewalk.
“Amethyst Bay Getaway,” I read on a sign just before the waterfall I heard as I got closer. Below the name of the place was All are welcome to visit Sunset Falls.
I looked at the waterfall and felt beckoned closer. I continued up the sidewalk, watching the water rush past me a dozen feet below the sidewalk. I stopped a few times to take pictures of the waterfall and the surrounding area, feeling peaceful.
I reached the edge of the sidewalk and saw a path down to the water. No one was down near the bottom of the falls, so I continued down the pathway to where the water drowned out all other sounds. I lifted my face to the water, enjoying the gentle spray that softened the heat of the sunshine.
I found a rock to sit on and stared at the water until my phone buzzed with a text.
Ashlyn
Where are you?
Sunset Falls
Ooh, nice. Did you meet Cora and Jean?
Uh, no?
They own ABG. Usually they come and say hi when someone is at the falls. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
It is. Very peaceful.
Yes, it is. Are you hungry? I was going to start dinner.
Always. I got coffee and a quiche a few hours ago.
I’ll get started. See you when you get here.
Thanks! Heading back now.
“Hello,” a voice said as I walked up the pathway from Sunset Falls. “I’m Jean.”
I chuckled. “I’m Reegan. My friend just asked if I had met you.”
Jean’s eyebrows spiked. “I take it your friend is a local?”
“She is. Ashlyn Whittier.”
“Oh, we love Ash. She’s so sweet. She helps us keep this place booked. She’s been so helpful with marketing and getting our weeks full.”
“She’s very talented,” I agreed.
“She is. What brings you here, Reegan?”
“I’m a teacher, and Ashlyn just went through a breakup, so I decided to spend the summer with her.”
“Oh, things didn’t work out with Rob?”
I shook my head.
“Between you and me, she deserves so much better than him. He’s a nice guy, but he’s a bit of a user. Hooks up with women who take care of him or get things for him or something, then he drops them when he finds someone who can do more for him. I’m sorry Ashlyn got wrapped up in him.”
“She’s always had trouble saying no to a project.”
Jean laughed. “Well, that’s probably what makes her so good at her job. But it sucks for relationships. She needs to find a man who knows what a treasure she is.”
“I agree.”
“Hello, my love,” Jean said, smiling as another woman approached. “Meet Ashlyn’s friend, Reegan. She said Rob and Ashlyn broke up.”
“Oh, thank goodness. She deserves better than him,” the other woman said. She wrapped an arm around Jean and smiled at me. “I’m Cora. It’s so nice to meet you, Reegan.”
“You as well. I was exploring and checking out your waterfall.”
“Not our waterfall,” they said at the same time, then laughed.
“We own the property the waterfall is on, but something that beautiful shouldn’t be limited to who can enjoy it. We’re happy you ventured out.” Cora’s gaze strayed to the waterfall as she spoke. “It’s such a peaceful spot.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“You are welcome back whenever the mood strikes you. We have theme weeks for our guests, so sometimes there are some interesting characters running around here, besides us, but everyone is friendly. Just passionate about different things,” Jean said.
“Theme weeks? That sounds like fun,” I said.
They both smiled. “It is. We have six cottages and the main house. Some guests book the entire place for their event, but sometimes we plan the event and open it up to whoever wants to come. When you find something you’re passionate about, it’s always fun to find others who feel the same way,” Cora said.
I nodded. “That’s very true.”
Cora and Jean both turned when a door closed. “We should go, but we will see you again, Reegan,” Jean said, hugging me quickly before she headed back to the house.
Cora hugged me next, then thanked me for stopping by.
I walked back to my car, feeling like visiting Amethyst Bay for the summer was the best thing I could have done.