Chapter 18
S helly’s commanding voice rang out from the car court. She wore her straw hat and boots, already dusted with soil. Ivy could picture her sister at sunrise, lining up trowels and flags, her clipboard at her side, ready to conquer the day.
“We’ll be right down,” Ivy called out from the balcony above. She and Bennett had just finished a quick breakfast and were ready to go.
With this much activity around, Ivy was glad there weren’t many guests in residence this weekend. No guests to dodge or apologize to for the noise. Kiko and Ken had already disappeared down the coast, and the last-minute cancellation meant the inn belonged to the family for the weekend.
Engines rumbled into the rear car court, one after another, until the driveway looked like a family parade. Ivy counted at least four cars, each packed with family members and supplies. The Spring Fling was coming fast, and every hour mattered.
Over the past week, Sage and her small crew completed the irrigation system.
Her uncles had also brought in helpers to assist in restoring the greenhouse, much to Shelly’s delight.
The vintage structure looked cleaner, though it still bore the patina of age.
Sage’s uncles had started replacing the glass panes and mechanical parts.
There was still more to do, especially on the inside.
Ivy gazed at the old greenhouse with renewed appreciation. It was on its way to being resplendent once again, framed by swaying palm trees.
Shelly loved it, and so did Ivy. She couldn’t wait to see it finished. Hopefully, that would be in time for the event.
“Let’s go welcome them,” Bennett said, holding the door for her.
Their brother, Forrest, arrived first with his wife, Angela, followed by their adult children. Reed brought his construction work truck, and his brother Rocky pulled in with their sister Coral in a pickup truck that was usually full of surfboards. Today, the bed was loaded with gardening tools.
Reed climbed out and stretched, rolling his shoulders. Ivy noticed her nephew’s strong, capable hands had grown calloused from work. Libby, the librarian he’d been seeing, had already won over the family with her wit and kindness.
“Where do you want us, General?”
“Don’t call me that.” Shelly gestured toward the work plan she’d posted for the garden club.
“Gather around, and I’ll assign spots and tasks for each of you.
Bennett and Flint, I need experienced tree planters.
Reed and Rocky, I need your muscle on the terrace planters because they’re heavy.
The soil mix is staged by the garden shed in the rear.
It’s rich with compost, meal, and all the good nutrients. ”
“Yes, ma’am,” Reed said, tipping an imaginary hat.
“And if I catch anyone freelancing with my plant layout, I will make your life miserable.”
Rocky leaned toward Ivy. “She’s serious, isn’t she?”
“Dead serious,” Ivy whispered. “Follow the flags and ask questions.”
“We’re not finished.” Shelly clapped her hands for attention. “Poppy, Coral, and Summer, I need you three to plant flower beds and the vegetable garden. I have seedlings, potted plants, and extra flats of annuals in the greenhouse. Be careful. It’s messy in there.”
Shelly motioned to Ivy. “You’re on special, delicate duty.”
Just then, their other brother, Flint, arrived with his wife, Tabitha, and their grown children.
Sunny and Poppy greeted their cousins with hugs and plenty of good-natured verbal jabs.
“Listen up, everyone,” Shelly said. She assigned mulching and other tasks to Flint’s rambunctious offspring, Skylar, Blue, and Jewel.
She pulled aside her niece Sierra, who was an electrical engineer. “I need help with our lighting. The event occurs during the day, but the awards will probably run into twilight, and I want to make sure all the spotlights come on, especially on the palm trees.”
“Sure, that’s what I’m here for,” Sierra said. “Where are Mitch and Daisy?”
“Mitch is at Java Beach, but he’ll bring lunch. Saturday is his busiest day, so he gets a pass on landscaping. And Daisy is with our neighbor next door. Darla is like a grandmother to her.”
By midmorning, the inn buzzed with movement. Bennett and Flint wrestled trees into place, sweat clinging to their shirts. Angela and Tabitha corralled their kids into mulching teams, laughter and shouts echoing between the wheelbarrows.
Vanz and Moss arrived on their bikes and went right to work, falling in with the family crew as though they’d been doing this together for years. Vanz knelt beside Rocky, sifting soil through his fingers before giving a silent thumbs up. Shelly caught the gesture and grinned, her approval obvious.
That boy took his compost and soil amendments seriously.
Shelly brought Ivy into the greenhouse and gestured toward an array of orchids.
“These will be part of the interior decor. I’d like you to place these all inside.
They’ll be fine for the week, and it’s one less thing we’ll have to do.
The day before the event, Imani is bringing me cut flowers from the flower market. If I can get away, I’ll go with her.”
Shelly paused. “Have I told you how much I’ve loved doing all this? Thanks for bringing in more help. I’ve learned a lot about managing others.”
“You’re doing great,” Ivy said, hugging her.
Ivy carried armfuls of orchids through the open doors and into the front hall.
She walked out for the next batch, where Poppy darted between her cousins and the garden club members, her phone aloft, narrating the chaos to her followers.
Ivy caught snippets of laughter and reminders to smile.
Briar’s list of hashtags was already in heavy rotation.
“Aunt Ivy, can you and Aunt Shelly stand by the kumquat tree for a second?” Poppy asked. “I need a before-and-after shot with you in it.”
Ivy grinned, smoothing her flyaway hair. “Is that of me or the garden? I’ll be a real mess in a few hours, but the landscaping should be looking great.”
“Don’t worry about how you look. It all adds to the authenticity,” Poppy said.
Shelly straightened her straw hat and stuck a pose. “As long as I can use some of the videos for my social channels.”
“Got it,” Poppy said, checking the shot. “You’re both totally on brand.”
“Now get back to planting flowers,” Shelly said to Poppy. “Your sisters need you, too.”
“Just a few more quick ones,” Poppy said. “Aunt Ivy, I need one of you with the orchids.”
Ivy smiled for Poppy, orchids in hand. Once again, her family showed up when it counted. She remembered right after she and Shelly moved in. There had been paint rollers, tools, and cleaning supplies everywhere. Ivy had been so grateful to them, and she still was.
She hosted every holiday, mostly because she had the space. Mitch and Bennett always claimed the grill, arguing over the best way to flip burgers while the young cousins threw frisbees on the beach or strung up a volleyball net in the pool.
Ivy wouldn’t have it any other way.
Angela stopped her. “How is Misty doing? Will we see her today?”
“She wishes she could make it, but she has a matinee performance for a new play she’s in.” Ivy missed her eldest daughter, but she was happy that Misty was living her dream.
“We saw that on her social media,” Angela said, her eyes lighting. “We should all drive to Los Angeles and see the play together.”
“That sounds like fun,” Ivy said. “Since we have to run the inn, we’ll have to take shifts, but we’ll all go to see her soon.”
By noon, Ivy could see the difference. The queen palms framed the front path, which was lined with a fresh riot of color. Bright pink bougainvillea rested in new stone pots, and the scent of earth and grass drifted on the breeze.
Shelly was everywhere at once, kneeling in the dirt to show the kids how to tuck roots just so, then popping up to direct the next batch of planters. Ivy watched her sister’s hands work their magic.
The landscaping was finally starting to look like the picture Ivy imagined Shelly had carried in her head for months.
Just before noon, Mitch arrived with armloads of food, so everyone took time out to clean up.
Mitch brought several platters of sandwiches, a massive green salad, and several trays of cookies, which disappeared almost instantly, especially with the garden club teens.
Flint and Forrest had brought their own picnic hampers from home to share.
The family sprawled in chairs and on the low stone wall, eating and talking over each other. Daisy sat in Mitch’s lap, crumbs dropping as she demolished an oatmeal cookie.
Shelly caught Ivy’s eye. “Just look around at what’s been accomplished in a few short hours.”
“It’s because you were incredibly well organized,” Ivy said. She glanced around. The first zone was planted and mulched. The next was nearly done. The place barely resembled the patchy yard she’d seen at sunrise.
Bennett found her and handed her a glass of lemonade. “How are you feeling about this now?”
“I’m glad everyone showed up,” Ivy said, taking the lemonade. “Poppy kept us on track, and Shelly—well, I had no idea she could run a crew like this. They surprised me.”
“And you inspired and guided them.” Bennett put his arm around her. “Never belittle your efforts. You provided the opportunity for them to rise to the occasion, and they always know you’re behind them. You’re a good leader, sweetheart.”
She smiled at his words and his confidence in her. “I’m learning as I go.”
“We all are,” Bennett said with a wink. “That’s the big secret few people tell you. We learn more from mistakes. That’s why some of the most successful people in their fields have failed more than others. It only takes a few big wins.”
“Then I’m clearly destined for greatness,” Ivy said, laughing. “Or at the very least, a good turnout for the Spring Fling.”
In fact, the next challenge would be a test of the marketing program she and Poppy had drawn up. If the crowds showed up, they’d done something right. If not, she could always try again next year. At least, that was the story she told herself.