Chapter 6
“How about a wine tasting?” Shelly suggested, tapping her pencil at the desk in the foyer. “Emilie and Tristan want to visit anyway, and they could sell their wine.”
“I forgot to mention that we agreed on a wine tasting week in the new year,” Ivy replied. “But they might like to join us for our Thanksgiving celebration, unless they have other plans. I’ll ask them.”
Even though several days had passed, Ivy still thought about the magical weekend she’d shared at the vineyard with her family and friends. The couple enjoyed visiting while their vines were sleeping in the winter.
However, Ivy couldn’t afford to let the inn sleep in the off-season. To many travelers, this was the best time to visit Summer Beach. Crowds were thinner, and the beach was generally sunny. A light jacket was all people needed to make the transition from summer days to cool autumn evenings.
Every year, their challenge was how to let people know that autumn was still a great time to visit the beach. Ivy reviewed the reservations on the screen at the front desk. They needed more ideas, especially given they’d been closed for the renovation this year.
Shelly snapped her fingers. “What about a cooking week? We’ve had good luck with those before.”
“Or a spa week,” Sunny added, rounding the corner. “People would need that after a week of cooking. I was wrapping up homework on the computer, and I heard you talking in the office.”
Ivy appreciated the input from her daughter, but there was a catch. “Those courses depend on who we can get to teach them. Any ideas?”
Shelly shook her head. “I’d offer Mitch for a cooking week, but he’s pretty busy at Java Beach now that one of his part-timers went back to school.”
Sunny spoke up again. “What about that cookbook author who stayed here? Even though I don’t cook, I love watching videos of her making dishes on her social channels. She’s all about the fusion of flavors.”
“Diya Donnelly,” Ivy said. “Those chai cookies she brought with her last year were amazing. I’ll call her. Good idea, Sunny.”
The compliment lit Sunny’s smile. “Thanks, Mom. I’ve got to go to class now.”
Her daughter was taking extra classes at the university now. She slid her laptop into her backpack, twisted her strawberry blond hair into a knot, and left for school.
Just then, the front door creaked softly. When it swung open, Ivy flicked her eyes up and hesitated, taking in the younger man who stood before her.
Oddly, she’d seen him before. A memory flashed through her mind.
The horse whisperer.
With dark-lashed blue eyes, a muscular build, and tattoos covering his arms, this man filled the room with his presence. A fluffy white Australian Shepherd beside him stared up at Ivy with alert eyes.
She tried to recall what Emilie said about him. A doctor, that was it.
Behind the polished antique reservation desk, Shelly nudged her.
Ivy ignored her sister, though she wondered what the man’s story was and why he was here. She cleared her throat. “Welcome to the Seabreeze Inn.”
The sound of the surf drew his attention, and his gaze drifted through open windows. “Looks like a great day to catch waves out there.”
“Sure is,” Shelly said, a mischievous smile on her lips. “Hope you brought your swimsuit.”
A grin crossed his face. “This time of year, I think I’d need a wetsuit. I’m Caleb Montana. I reserved a pet-friendly room.”
Ivy tapped the reservation screen, ignoring another jab from Shelly. “I see your reservation, Dr. Montana. We have a room for you in our Sunset suites behind the main house.”
Ivy began the registration process while Shelly fished out an old-fashioned key. They still used these, even after the renovation they’d just completed. The inn still retained the flavor and charm of a grand, century-old beach house, just with working plumbing and electricity, much to Ivy’s relief.
Ivy looked up. “And who is this with you?”
Caleb looked down with admiration at his canine companion. “This is Starry. She found me on a camping trip when she was a pup. The stars overhead were amazing that night, and when I spun around, it reminded me of a van Gogh.”
“Starry Night, right?” Ivy recalled seeing the Vincent van Gogh painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Caleb grinned. “Yeah, at MoMA. So that’s how she got her name. Don’t worry, she’s friendly.”
Ivy held out her hand, and Starry inched forward to sniff it. The dog’s tail began to wag, and she licked Ivy’s hand.
Caleb nodded his approval. “She seems to like you. Do you have any dogs?”
Before Ivy could answer, footsteps creaked on the stairway behind them. Glancing up, Ivy saw their long-term resident descending.
Gilda was a magazine feature writer who often kept to herself, except for volunteering at Thrifty Threads, a secondhand shop that supports animal rescue and helps find new homes for abandoned pets.
Her pink-tinted hair glistened in the sunlight flooding the entryway, and she carried a small Chihuahua in her arms.
At the sight of Starry, the little dog’s ears perked up, and she fairly vibrated with excitement.
Gilda laughed. “Pixie wanted to go downstairs, and now I see why. She loves big dogs and thinks she’s one of them, don’t you, sweetikins?”
Starry lifted her nose to Pixie, acknowledging her with keen interest and a wag of her tail. Still, Starry remained by Caleb’s side.
However, a split second later, Pixie wriggled free of Gilda’s grasp and leapt, sailing through the air like a fearless hang glider—only without the glider.
“No, no, baby!” Stretching her arms toward Pixie, Gilda stumbled on the stair. She grabbed the railing to stop her fall.
Shelly cried out in horror, but she was too far from Pixie. “Catch her!”
Ivy couldn’t move fast enough, but Caleb dove for the tiny dog in a flash. Unfortunately, he fell short, hitting the floor with a thud.
Pixie landed with a thud just out of his grasp, her front leg buckling on impact. An anguished screech split the air.
Horrified, Ivy rushed to help Pixie, and they all gathered around the poor little creature.
“Oh, my baby,” Gilda said, tears filling her eyes. As she scooped Pixie in her arms, the little dog cried out in pain again.
Caleb pushed himself from the floor. “I don’t like the sound of that. May I look at her?”
When Gilda looked doubtful, Shelly added quickly, “It’s okay. He’s a doctor.”
Ivy wondered what he could do for the little dog. “There’s an animal hospital in the next town. It’s not far from here.”
“I know right where it is,” he said.
With a gentle touch, Caleb inspected Pixie’s front leg while the little dog whined.
“She has pain and instability in the leg. It appears to be fractured, though it’s a closed fracture, meaning the skin isn’t punctured.
That’s good. I’ll get my bag and put a temporary splint on this leg.
She’ll need X-rays to determine the extent of her injury. ”
He paused and turned to his canine companion before leaving. “Starry, stay. Stay with Pixie while I’m gone.”
The fluffy white dog stretched out beside Gilda and licked Pixie’s face in comfort.
Pixie quieted, and Gilda let out a breath. “It all happened so fast.”
Shelly shook her head. “As things do, poor baby.”
“Where did the doctor come from?” Gilda asked.
Shelly twisted her lips to one side. “My money is on Mount Olympus or the Mr. Universe competition. Did you see his arms? He didn’t get those from lifting a stethoscope.”
Ivy blew a wisp of hair from her eyes in exasperation. “You’re incorrigible. And very married.”
Shelly shrugged. “I still have an eye for artistic form. I’m just window shopping for my single besties. You know I always help my friends.”
Ivy rubbed her side. “You were jabbing me so hard, he’ll have to treat me for broken ribs next.”
Caleb hurried through the open door. After opening a black bag, he withdrew some supplies. “I’ll stabilize this leg, so she doesn’t sustain further injury.” He looked up at Gilda with a sympathetic smile. “She’ll be okay. You can hold her and ride with me if you want.”
Gilda turned to Ivy. “Would you get her favorite blanket for me?”
“I’ll be right back.” With her heart still racing from the incident, Ivy dashed upstairs to Gilda’s room.
She found a small pillow that had disappeared from the living room last month, but she decided to leave that in the dog bed.
She returned with Pixie’s blanket and a couple of soft toys from her dog bed.
Caleb worked quickly and then walked with Gilda to his SUV. Starry trotted protectively behind them.
Shelly leaned against the door, wiping her eyes as she watched them go. “Poor little Pixie.”
Ivy was touched at Shelly’s sudden emotion. “Dr. Montana seemed confident she’ll pull through.”
Shelly sniffed. “As annoying as that little kleptomaniac dog is, I love her. She’s one of us.”
Ivy put her arm around her sister. “Doggie therapy hasn’t helped Pixie much. I found that missing seashell pillow from the living room in her bed. But she’s ours. She’s been here almost from the beginning.”
From the night of the Ridgetop Fire, Ivy recalled, when they welcomed local refugees from the ridge, including Bennett.
Shelly managed a weak grin. “If the doctor were thirty years older, that would have been the perfect meet-cute for Gilda. He seems to know what he’s doing around dogs. Do you think Pixie will come back with a cute little cast we can sign?”
Heaving a sigh, Ivy said, “What am I going to do with you?”
“The question is, what are we going to do with him? I’m betting on Sunny to fall for him. She took the reservation. Too bad she just missed him.”
Ivy swatted her. “Don’t set anyone up for a broken heart. He’s just passing through town.”
Poppy came through the rear carrying bags of supplies. “When I drove by the front, I saw Gilda getting into an SUV with Pixie and a guy who looked like a tattooed bodybuilder. What’s going on?”
They quickly filled her in.
“I hope Pixie will be okay. She’s like a member of the family.”
Shelly drummed her fingers on the desk. “In the meantime, do you think it’s safe to go digging for buried treasure yet?”
Ivy shrugged a shoulder. “We need to do that in the daylight this time, so I should tell Forrest and Bennett.”
“I could talk to Dad,” Poppy began.
“No, I can handle our brother,” Shelly said, making a face. “He can’t say no to his little sister.”
“His spoiled little sister.” Ivy grinned. They’d all doted on Shelly by the time she came along. She was like a baby doll they dressed up and played with.
Shelly turned to Ivy. “How do you plan to get Bennett on board?”
“I didn’t say I was asking for permission,” Ivy replied. “I don’t need it, but I should show him the courtesy of telling him what we’re up to this time.”
“So we don’t get arrested,” Poppy said, excitement filling her face.
“Or draw a lot of nosy neighbors.” Ivy paused. “Shelly, you get to tell Darla.”
Shelly sliced the air with her hands. “No way. I’m drawing the line at that. Or maybe I’ll tell her we’re breaking ground on a community garden until we’re ready to build. That’s a good story for her.”
Ivy stared at her. “Actually, that’s a good idea.”
“You really think she’ll believe it?” Shelly arched an eyebrow.
“No, I meant we should do something like that,” Ivy said, her mind turning. “It’s good for kids to learn how to cultivate food. I think a lot of people would be interested in a community garden. I only wish it could be permanent.”
Having studied horticulture and managing gardens at the inn, Shelly brightened. “Oh, my gosh, yes. The town needs that. Is there room on the land?”
Ivy tried to recall the placement. “I don’t know. I’d have to ask Forrest.”
“I’ll do that,” Shelly said. Grinning, she held up her hands. “Let’s do this next week. I can’t wait to say, ‘Ladies, start your shovels.’”
They all laughed, though Ivy was serious about this potential new project. A community garden might be just as intriguing as whatever was buried under there.