Chapter 5
A fter the reception, Bennett returned to their apartment, which had been the old chauffeur’s quarters above the garage. He changed into jeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with the town’s slogan, Life is Better in Summer Beach .
In the kitchen, he tapped the electric teapot to make tea. Ivy would be here soon, and he suspected it would be a late night. He brought out vegetables and began washing and slicing them.
When he heard her at the door, he met her with a kiss. “Welcome home. I put the kettle on for you. Earl Grey tea?”
“Perfect. I need a shot of energy.”
He noticed the tiredness around her eyes. She had a yellow legal pad tucked under her arm. He nodded to it. “What have you got so far?”
“A title. Spring Fling Recovery Plan. Very official. Poppy should be here soon, and I’ll link in Shelly for ideas.”
“Walk me through the problem again,” he said, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table for her.
She sat down, pushed the legal pad aside, and rubbed her eyes.
“Shelly’s vision for the gardens has turned out to be larger than our budget, given the time we have.
Which I knew, but I thought we could revamp the areas that guests will see at the Spring Fling first. Later, we can phase in more upgrades. ”
Bennett prepared a cup of tea for her as she spoke. “Sounds like that would work.”
“Still, that’s more than we can afford. The contractor just emailed the bid, and the irrigation is far more than I expected. Shelly did a lot of the demolition, but the greenhouse needs professional work. It’s a weathered wreck. And I haven’t gotten to the landscaping cost yet.”
Bennett had come to understand how Ivy worked.
She didn’t need him to fix things, but it helped her to think out loud.
Sort of like when students ask teachers for help and then realize that, once they describe the problem, they understand and know the answer.
The way he saw it, his job was to listen and ask the right questions.
“What expenses or projects can you cut?” he asked.
“The greenhouse, for now. That’s the biggest single expense, and it’s not essential for the event.
Shelly won’t like it because she pitched it as a focal point, but she’s got to understand our dilemma.
She’s done incredible work with almost no resources.
But she’s stretched too thin to complete anything. ”
“Is it a personal issue or her side gig?”
“It seems to be everything all at once.”
Shelly had built a following on social media, filming her garden projects and beach lifestyle. The videos brought visibility to the inn, and Poppy folded that into her marketing strategy.
“She’s juggling too much,” Ivy said. “The videos, the blog, Daisy whirling around like a little tornado, helping Mitch’s relatives get settled in their new apartment.
She won’t say she’s overwhelmed because she likes to do things her way.
No one else’s method is quite good enough.
And I proved her point today with my miserable attempt at removing those old shrubs.
So she falls behind and fills in with flowers to divert attention. ”
Bennett nodded. The way he saw it, they both had a few issues to address.
Ivy sipped her tea. “The other homes and gardens on the tour are spectacular. I know the inn isn’t one of the entrants, but we’ll still be judged. The first stop sets the tone and the last is what they’ll remember.”
Bennett listened carefully, searching for a good analogy. “You once told me that some artists leave intentional flaws in their work to express humility and humanity. Wouldn’t that also apply in nature?”
“I see what you’re doing,” Ivy said, a smile lighting her eyes. “And that’s true, from Botticelli to Warhol. There’s also the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi , or appreciating the beauty in imperfection. Still, it’s the first year, and we want people to be impressed enough to return next year.”
“Do you have any ideas?”
She clicked her pen. “A few. Here at home, we’ll have to rescale the plan to what we can realistically finish. We should focus on the main entry, the terrace plantings, and the front lawn. Plus, the area around the rear patios. We can save the greenhouse and the rear gardens for later.”
That sounded logical to him. “The committee needs to trust that you have things under control.”
“It will be. I just need real help. Not me out there blistering my hands on a shovel.”
“Could Vanz assist you?”
At the mention of Mitch’s cousin, she lifted one side of her mouth. “Between school and homework, I’m not sure how much time he has. We’ll see if he’s available on the weekends.”
As she spoke, her phone buzzed, and an image of her older sister floated to the screen. Bennett got up. “I’ll let you talk while I take care of dinner.”
Ivy answered the call, and after a moment, she said, “Honey, slow down. You’re breaking up.”
Bennett glanced over from the stove, where he had started slicing garlic.
“When was the last time you spoke to them?” she asked.
He brought out the pizza dough and wiped his hands on a towel, watching her.
Ivy let out a slow breath. “I’m concerned about them, that’s all.
I just think it’s odd that Mom called a couple of times without leaving a message.
Her voicemail is full, and so is Dad’s. You know how they are about checking and deleting messages.
And there was no reply to my text or email, either. ”
Bennett spread out the dough and ladled tomato sauce over it. Honey’s voice came through the phone, but he couldn’t understand her words.
Ivy turned toward the glass doors, and Bennett saw her reflection. As she listened to her sister, she frowned and fidgeted.
“Of course they’re capable. But what if one of them is ill or in the hospital? Maybe they don’t have a phone charger or converter.” Ivy listened again. “Since you’re in a different time zone, would you keep trying, too?”
When she’d finished her call, she turned around, and Bennett raised his eyebrows in question.
“Honey hasn’t heard from them in a while, but she thinks they’re probably busy with friends. She wasn’t that worried until I called.”
“And now?”
“More so, for sure.” Ivy rubbed her temples. “She’ll call and try to contact the marina where they’ve docked. This is unusual, even for them.”
“Maybe Honey will reach them tonight. They’re probably fine, away from their phones and having fun.” He wasn’t sure what else they could do from here, but he hated to see Ivy worry.
Frankly, he was concerned, too.
A knock sounded, and Poppy opened the door. “Something smells good in here.”
“That’s the vegetarian pizza,” Bennett said. “I’ll make a salad, too.”
“Sounds yummy,” Poppy said, her eyes lighting. “Should we work here or on the balcony?”
Ivy picked up her tablet and her teacup. “Let’s go outside. I’ll turn on the heat lamp if it gets chilly.”
Bennett continued working in the kitchen, arranging sweet Maui onions he’d caramelized over his charred zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. Still, his thoughts were on Carlotta and Sterling.
When Ivy and Poppy were out of earshot, he called Gabe and left a message when he didn’t answer. “Hey, Gabe, Bennett here. Ivy is worried that her folks haven’t responded in a few days, and she just spoke to Honey. I’d like to talk about this and catch up. Would you give me a call when you can?”
He hoped nothing had happened to them. He’d grown close to them, too. But he wanted to get in front of the problem, just in case.
Within a few minutes, the oven timer buzzed.
Bennett slid the pizza from the oven to let it cool.
With a flourish, he tore fresh basil leaves from one of Shelly’s pots of herbs they’d brought up from the greenhouse.
He enjoyed having access to fresh fruits and vegetables on the property.
His sister-in-law contributed a lot to the inn and their lives here.
After slicing the pizza, he poured glasses of lemonade he’d made with lemons he’d picked this morning.
Although his home on the ridgetop was larger, he still preferred living with Ivy on the property. He liked meeting guests and stepping onto the beach every morning for his run.
The little things made life good. He didn’t need a house or boat the size of his friend Tyler’s to be happy. The easy cozy intimacy of their oceanfront perch was more his style. This was home now.
Most of all, he loved Ivy, which was why he stayed out of her business. He’d learned that her creative solutions were usually surprising and almost always better than his.
He didn’t want to step in unless he had to.
But for the good of the community, he would if he had to. And he’d never let Ivy fail.
He loaded the tray and carried it out.
Flanked by tall palm trees that rustled in the breeze, the balcony of their apartment had the best ocean view on the property.
It was their magical retreat where they both liked to unwind.
When they’d built it, they christened it the treehouse.
He’d surprised her with a marine-blue, canvas-covered sofa and chairs she liked from Nailed It, the local hardware store.
“Dinner is served,” he said with a grin.
“Everything looks delicious, sweetheart.” She kissed him on the cheek and patted a spot next to her for him.
Bennett served them and sat down to listen.
“We’ve been brainstorming some ideas,” Ivy said between bites.
Her phone sat on the table with the speaker on. Shelly was outlining her landscaping plan, with Daisy singing in the background, while a distant clattering sound drifted in.
“I hope that’s not too loud,” Shelly said. “Mitch is making our favorite shrimp stir fry. Daisy is helping, so I don’t have much time.”
“This has been helpful,” Ivy said. “I have some ideas. Besides being short on manual labor, we have a budget issue. Not for the Spring Fling,” she added quickly, glancing at Bennett. “I’m talking about our personal landscaping budget.”
Poppy sat beside her, an open laptop before her. “You always find a solution, Aunt Ivy.”