Hometown Harbor 2 (Melbourne Beach #2)

Chapter 1

1

T abitha stood beside her jam-packed car as she processed the news that her summer sabbatical plans in Maine had been scrubbed. After receiving the news from Val that they were selling their house and moving to Guam, she called April, Mel, and Deb. Mel was in bed with her husband, and April was driving to Tampa, but Deb was home alone. She said she would be there in the morning with a plan, although she had no idea what that was yet.

Deb pulled up in her white convertible sports car. It was 8:00 a.m. and Deb had perfect hair and makeup. Tabitha knew she was able to pull off looking picture-perfect because she had no husband or children. It wouldn’t be a trade-off she’d never choose, but – to each his own.

Deb stepped out of her car and opened her arms for Tabitha to fall into. She cried over her destroyed sabbatical plans.

“It’s not like there was a death or some other sort of tragedy, but my summer plans just hit a cement wall. I threw myself a farewell party and had the car packed for the ride to Maine. I worked like a dog to earn this sabbatical and planned my getaway a year in advance,” Tabitha said. “I pushed my daughter out the door and broke up with my boyfriend.”

“You planned it while you were still recovering from your divorce. Now you’re recovered, and the serenity of Coastal Maine may not have been what you needed. With that in mind, I have a realtor looking for something you can slip into that’s a little closer to home. I’m waiting to hear back from him,” Deb said. “Another thing, Deenie was planning to spend the summer in Texas, and you had planned to break up with Maxim.”

“You’re right about Deenie and Maxim.”

“I’m always right,” Deb said jokingly.

“I was thinking about going to Arizona for a few weeks and spending quality time with my mother and Chet,” Tabitha said. “Maybe my brother will come, and we can make it a family affair.”

Deb twisted her face. “A few weeks in a retirement community would be torture. Don’t pull your brother in because I like Roth.”

"They have a pool, exercise room, and beautiful view of Saddleback Mountain.”

“Those things would be good for one day, but longer than that will be too much for you and Gloria. I’m sure she and Chet have fallen into a rhythm, and having a guest for more than a couple of days will throw them off,” Deb reasoned. “I called Marcus, a realtor I know who may be able to save the day.”

“It’s good to hear you have ideas because I don’t,” Tabitha said.

Marcus specializes in renting homes in Melbourne Beach, both long- and short-term. He sells homes, too. I can’t remember where I met him, but he’s in my phone under realtors, and I know he’s not a former client,” Deb said. “I have them in a special folder. He’s adjacent to someone, but I just can’t remember who. My contact list is my most prized possession, and thank God for the cloud because that is backed up.”

“Melbourne Beach is close, so I could still see all my besties. Maybe he has a charming one-bedroom bungalow for a few months. I’m sure things like that are already snatched up, but I might get lucky. I’d be fine staying home and having a few weekends away,” Tabitha said with very little enthusiasm.

Deb’s phone rang, and it was Marcus. When she heard his voice, she remembered meeting him at a charity event for a children’s hospital.

“Did you get my message, and is a summer rental still available? My friend Tabitha Dixon is desperate.”

"Deb, I'm not desperate. If you say that, he'll overcharge me,” Tabitha said. "Realtors will squeeze every penny out of you if you let them. They're leeches.”

“You’re on speaker,” Deb informed her. "Sorry, Marcus. My friend Tabitha is in a fragile state. Her summer plans just fell through at the last minute,” Deb said.

“Please, I’m not desperate or fragile. Hello, Marcus. This is Tabitha. Let me tell you my story and what I’m looking for in a rental.” Tabitha started to explain how her trip to Maine came about.

Deb interrupted before Tabitha could get started. “Sorry, Tabitha doesn’t quite get that time is money when you’re trying to get rentals filled. Do you have something close by or on the beach with two or three bedrooms?”

Tabitha had something smaller in mind, but Deb was thinking of visitors. Her friend sounded like she had rented many places and knew exactly what she was doing. Tabitha stayed silent as Deb turned down a few ideas that Marcus had. One was too far from the beach, and another was a studio attached to a larger home where the owners would spend the summer.

“You’re a tough customer, Deb. I have something special that I’d like to run by Tabby. May I call you that?” Marcus asked. He had no idea that was out of the question.

“I prefer Tabitha because I’m a woman and not a cat,” she said flatly.

“I have a six-bedroom house that was rented by a family, and they backed out yesterday. The owner is motivated to get it occupied this summer so the rent is 1/3 less than a week ago.” Tabitha gasped when he mentioned it was six bedrooms. “It’s the cost of most three bedrooms that I have in inventory. It’s by the historic pier and a stone’s throw from the beach. I was holding it back for a client I’m sure will snap it up, but I’m offering it to you,” Marcus said. “I liked your response about not being a cat. Seriously, the owner is motivated to rent it out for three months because one-week rentals are a hassle. I just sent photos so you can check it out. It’ll be gone by the end of the day. I’m being honest, and this isn’t just a sales pitch. Last I checked, I wasn’t a leech.” She heard his smile when he made the final comment.

Tabitha looked at the photos with Deb and loved that it had a huge front porch with an ocean view. He also sent over the monthly rental amount alongside the original amount. She could afford it alone but wouldn’t have to if she had roommates.

“Can you hold it for one hour, please? I need to see about filling the rooms, and I'm leaning toward taking it," Tabitha said.

“I’ll wait for your call, and if you do take it, I expect to be invited over for a beer at sunset. The deck offers a perfect view for saying goodbye to the day,” Marcus said. “Deb, I’ve been trying to remember where I know you from. Don’t tell me because I’ll think of it.” He hung up.

Deb was disappointed that Marcus didn’t remember her because she saw his picture on the real estate company’s website, and he was hot. Being memorable was one of her hallmarks, but she failed to linger in Marcus’ memory. Tabitha looked at his picture on Deb’s phone and agreed that Marcus was quite good-looking with a thick head of wavy brown hair that touched his collar. His eyes were blue-grey, and in them was a look of mischief.

“Allow me to be the first to take one of your six bedrooms. I know the salon owner in Melbourne Beach. She’ll let me use one of her chairs for the summer, and I can come back here once a week. My manager Zoey can keep an eye on things for me, and my long-time clients have my cell if there’s an emergency. That deck is just what I need to solve the world’s problems. I assume you’ll be looking for additional roommates?”

“Yes, you assume correctly. Consider yourself roommate number one,” Tabitha chirped.

Tabitha’s phone rang, and it was Mel. “I didn’t listen to my messages or check my texts until I got to work. I wish this weren’t happening to you. Have you figured out your next step?”

“Deb came through for me, and I am looking at Melbourne Beach. My only problem is that it’s a six-bedroom house, so I need roommates. Interested?” Tabitha asked. “I know you have work and plans with Dale, but at least think about it.”

Mel was silent for a beat.

“I’m done thinking. I can delegate a lot of the day-to-day stuff to Safir and work remotely for most of the summer. Dale can come up on weekends, so of course, I want in. This is a dream come true for me, and I’m sorry it’s coming at your expense.”

“I got the call last night and haven’t slept, so I cried all my tears. There’s no more time to waste since I have a vacation to plan. Three rooms down and three to go. I’ll keep you posted, and I can tell you if this is even going to happen,” Tabitha said.

Tabitha looked at Deb, and they both nodded. She was taking the house and called Marcus before calling anyone else to join. In a matter of minutes, she had filled half the rooms, and it was really happening. Tabitha thanked Deb as she had to go to help a client out of a hair emergency.