29. Sydney
“It’s going to be a great day,” I sing to myself as I bound down the loft stairs, ready and eager to get to work. I mentally run through my checklist as I head to start my morning coffee. A barge is scheduled to drop off the flooring I picked out for the individual cabins later this morning, and I need to keep making headway on the interior of the lodge.
Cole must have left early this morning. I didn’t even hear him get up, but his blanket is folded neatly over the cot that’s pushed against the wall, and the pillow he’s been using is laid on top of a nearby stool.
I push start on the Keurig and lean my hip against the counter while the coffee drizzles into the mug behind me. My eyes roam nonchalantly over the cabin, and when I glance over at the puzzle that’s almost completed, I notice a slip of paper that’s been tucked underneath it.
“What could that be?” I ask out loud, crossing the room to pick it up.
Something came up. I’m not sure when, but I’ll be back soon.
~C
My good mood immediately deflates. He’s not here? Where could he have possibly gone? Into town? Did he go back to Longville without telling me? I don’t think he would, given our history, but if that’s the case, there’s no way he’ll be back by tomorrow morning when I’m planning to go see my mom. The thought sends a sharp pang to my stomach.
“Okay, calm down,” I tell myself. No need to overreact.
I pride myself on being a fairly reasonable person, and I don’t want to get upset about something without knowing the facts. The last time that happened, I ended up inadvertently starting a childish rumor about someone who was actually hurting.
So I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could even still be on the island—his message was vague enough. Worst case, he’ll probably be back sometime tonight anyway, so there’s no point in letting it ruin my day.
Brushing it off as best I can, I pour my coffee into a to-go cup, leave his note on the counter, and head out to start my day.
The first stop is always checking in with Neal, so I head toward cabin one. My muscles tense when I find him with his arms crossed, talking to one of his crew members outside the cabin. His face is gloomy, which brings a twinge of panic to my stomach.
“How’s it going, Neal?” I ask with a smile, hoping I’m reading the situation wrong.
“Good morning, Sydney,” he says, although his voice is a little clipped.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s not major.” He puts his palms up in an attempt to reassure me right off the bat—not a great way to start a conversation. “But we have a problem with the electrical wiring in these cabins.”
“Okay. Tell me about it,” I say as we step out of the way for two of his men that are hauling the old flooring out of the cabin.
“Well, I’m assuming the wiring in here is original to when the cabin was built. Graham didn’t seem to know if they had ever been updated, but I’m guessing not, because we are definitely not up to code.” He cringes.
“Which we didn’t plan for,” I add with a sigh.
“Nope. Not only is it expensive, given how many cabins we have to do, but it’ll set us back another couple weeks on our timeline.”
“Alright.” I lift my shoulders. “Well, do what you need to do. It needs to be up to code. There’s no way around that. So we’ll have to take the hit—both financially and timewise.”
“Sorry, Sydney. I wish I had a better update for you this morning.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “These things happen, right?”
“Unfortunately, they do. I’ll keep you posted with what the cost is looking like.”
“Great. Any other issues?”
“Not today.” He smiles warmly.
“Sounds good. I’ll check in later this afternoon,” I say. With a wave, I head back to the main lodge.
“Perfect,” I grumble to myself as I walk. We’re at the very edge of maxing out our budget, so I’m hoping this will be the last roadblock we run into. We can’t afford much more at this point.
Inside the lodge, I head straight for Graham at the bar.
“I’ll take whatever comfort food Shirley is whipping up this morning,” I tell him, struggling to keep my mood upbeat.
“Uh-oh. Is it something with the wiring in the cabins?” he asks, concern creasing his forehead. “Neal was asking me about that this morning.”
I fill him in on the electrical setback with the cabins and the delay it will cause.
“That sounds like an expensive fix.” He cringes.
“I’m sure it will be,” I huff in agreement. “Hence why I need the comfort of Shirley’s food.”
“You got it.” He smirks, wandering back into the kitchen to find Shirley. When he comes back, he leans over the counter onto his forearms.
“What’s Cole up to today? He said he was going to find me this morning to help me move another piece of furniture in.”
My stomach sours even further. The current Cole I’ve come to know is a man of his word, so for him to bail on Graham too makes me nervous. Where could he possibly be?
“I’m not sure. Haven’t seen him yet today.” I try to keep my tone as light and unbothered as I can. “I’ll let him know to come find you if I see him, though.”
“Sounds good.” He pats the counter before grabbing a glass to fill with ice.
“How’s the new bar working out?” I ask, shoving the uneasiness down.
“Great.” He lights up. “It’s a dream, Syd. I know there have been plenty of guests who’ve seen it already, but I can’t wait for the grand opening—for everyone to see all the hard work you’ve put into this. It’s truly incredible.”
His words make me blush, and I wave him off with a subtle smile.
“For real. Have I said thank you lately?” he asks warmly.
I shake my head slowly while he grins at me.
“Well, thank you. Truly.” He emphasizes the last word, really driving it home. His show of appreciation warms my heart, and the faintest of emotion prickles my eyes.
Before I can spiral into an emotional freefall, Shirley emerges from the kitchen with a plate.
“One ham-and-chive scramble for one special girl,” she says, placing it in front of me.
“Thank you, Shirley. This is just what I need.” I pick up a fork and dig right in.
“Where’s Cole today?” she asks, looking around. Has it been that noticeable that we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately? Enough so that everyone assumes I’ll know where he is?
“I’m not sure,” I say through a bite.
“Alright, just wondering.” She shrugs with a smile. “Enjoy, sweetie.”
Shirley disappears back into the kitchen while Graham heads to the other side of the bar to help a guest.
While I eat, I feel increasingly unsettled and a bit agitated. Partially from the renovation hiccup, but if I’m honest, it’s mostly due to Cole disappearing. It feels wrong that the one person who’s been helping to soothe me when I feel this uneasy is actually the reason for it this time.
I finish my breakfast while going over the rest of my to-do list for the day, but I’m never quite able to bury the tension in my stomach. When I spot the barge coming into the bay, I push thoughts of Cole to the side and slide off the stool to forge ahead with what needs to get done.