Chapter 4
4
I vy wound her way past the construction, stepping over electrical cords and avoiding the scaffolding for work on the second-floor windows and painting.
Her nephew was speaking to his crew while the men were packing tools.
“Hey, Reed, got a minute?”
“Sure. The guys will start work on the other side of the house.” As his men left, Reed’s phone interrupted with a song ringtone. After a quick glance, he frowned.
“Do you need to take that call?”
“I’m waiting to hear from a supplier, but this is something else.” A look of dismay crossed his face as he shoved it into his pocket. “Or rather, it was. No surprise, though.”
“Forrest told me you’re dating someone.” Reed was a smart, good-looking young man with a big heart. “Is that your girlfriend?”
“Not according to that text. She just broke up with me because I canceled our weekend plans. I don’t like ultimatums, so I let her go.”
Ivy was appalled. “She broke up in a text? Who does that?”
“No one I want to be with.” Reed sighed. “It’s more common than you think, Aunt Ivy.”
“Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding.”
“She’s a travel blogger, and she needs someone with free time to travel and film her.” Flexing his jaw, he added, “That’s not me. My work is here with Dad, and I love what I do. Someday, I want to build a home for my family in Summer Beach.”
Ivy’s heart went out to him. “Your dad was committed to work when he was starting the construction business. We always knew he would be successful.”
“That’s what it takes,” Reed said, blowing out a breath. “At least you understand.”
She paused, sizing up her nephew. He was tall and well-built from working in his father’s construction business. More than that, Reed was a young man of substance and, judging from the sadness around his eyes, one who seemed ready for a partner. “Was it a serious relationship?”
Reed raised a hand and let it drop. “I thought so at first, but she clearly didn’t share the big picture.” He scuffed his work boot on the flagstone path. “Did you need to talk to me about the work?”
Ivy had almost forgotten. “I was looking at the plans this morning. Since we’re making improvements, I wondered if we could create more storage in several places. I wanted to let you know before you got too far along. I have ideas, but I thought you might have a few, too.”
“Sure. I’ll look at the plans tonight and make notes.”
Reed left to supervise his crew, leaving Ivy wondering how a young woman could let go of someone like him. Everyone had their priorities, she supposed. Maybe he didn’t have scads of money to blow on expensive holidays, but he was smart and building a business under the tutelage of his father.
She liked to think he had a great family, too.
Just then, she saw the book club ladies arrive. She hurried to greet them.
Their neighbor Darla led the way, pushing a small baby stroller. The older woman’s short, royal-blue hair and sparkly visor shone like a beacon in the sunlight.
Shelly met them in the entryway and reached for the little girl. “Hiya, sweetie. Did you have a good time with Granny Darla today?”
Daisy cooed her approval as Darla passed her to Shelly. “You bet she did. Daisy scoots on the floor faster than any child I’ve seen since my son was young. She’s pulling up on the furniture, though she’s still wobbly. Cute as a flower, she is.” Darla tickled Daisy’s neck, and the little girl laughed. She parked the stroller by the door.
Shelly kissed her child’s fair curly hair. “Thanks for looking after her today. This place is such a mess. I was afraid she might get hurt.”
“I’m happy to take care of her until this construction is over.” Darla’s gruff voice held a note of hope. “She’ll be right next door anytime you want to check on her.”
Relief filled Shelly’s face. “That would be a huge help, at least for part of the day. We can work around Mitch’s schedule, too. Once she starts walking, you might change your mind, though. With her energy, she’ll be unstoppable.”
“Like her mother,” Darla said with a chuckle.
Ivy had never imagined Darla would look after Daisy like a grandmother. She’d been a grouchy neighbor when she and Shelly moved in. She even sued them. Thankfully, all that was in the past. Mitch had seen through Darla’s gruff exterior and became the replacement for the son she’d lost years ago. With him came Shelly and now Daisy.
She’d never seen Darla look happier.
Jen from Nailed It hardware store stepped inside to greet them with hugs. “How are you doing with the construction?”
“It’s progressing,” Ivy said. “All guests will be gone by Monday, and everything will begin in earnest.”
Jen surveyed the prep work, taking in the plastic-draped furnishings and the heavy paper on the wooden floor to protect it from damage. The vintage chandeliers would soon be removed for cleaning and rewiring. “Tell Reed we can make special deliveries as needed. That will save him time.”
“I sure will,” Ivy said.
Louise, a steel gray-haired woman who owned the laundry in the village, arrived next, clutching a book and a bottle of wine. “I just finished reading. What an incredible story.”
More women and a few men arrived with their books, and chatter quickly rose in the air. This scene occurred a few times a week with different book clubs. Tonight was the sip-and-share club that read biographies and historical sagas. The romance readers club also met here, as did the men’s club that liked thrillers, spies, and espionage.
Darla raised a hand and motioned everyone toward the lower-level staircase. “Let’s go, I’m thirsty. Everyone downstairs.”
With a few hoots from the crowd, they all clomped downstairs. This club meeting was the second today. This morning, the story time group had been here. Shelly had joined the parents with Daisy before Darla fetched her.
“That’s a lively group today,” Shelly said, bouncing Daisy on her hip.
Ivy grinned. “With those libations, they usually are.” Providing space for community meetings was part of what Ivy had promised to raise funds for the historical restoration. Still, she enjoyed being part of the fabric of Summer Beach.
A few minutes later, construction sounds filled the air.
“Guess Reed’s demolition crew relocated near us,” Poppy shouted.
Ivy had to raise her voice, too. “Better than disturbing our paying guests.”
“The book club won’t like that,” Poppy added.
They all looked at each other. Shelly raised her brow and began counting. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four?—”
Darla charged up the stairs. “What in heaven’s name is that racket? We can’t hear ourselves think, let alone discuss the book.”
“I’m sorry, Darla, but we warned you,” Ivy said, although she hadn’t realized it would be quite so loud.
“I know, I know. But where can we go?”
Ivy blinked, trying to think of an option. Several club members often put up their extended family and friends at the inn, so they were important to keep happy, too.
“How about gathering around the fire pit on the beach? There are plenty of Adirondack chairs. It will be quieter out there, and it should be a beautiful sunset. We only have a couple of guests. They might even join you.”
“Well, I suppose that will work,” Darla said in a grudging tone. “Some people might have to take off their shoes.” She looked down at her sneakers.
“Nothing like the feel of sand between your toes,” Shelly said, giving Darla a high-five. “I’ll even whip up some Sea Breeze cocktails for you.”
Darla seemed to like that idea. Ivy flashed a grin at Shelly. “Take them through the kitchen and out the back door.”
A few minutes later, the book club members were fleeing the premises for the relative quiet of the beach, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore notwithstanding.
Poppy smiled, holding her hand over her ears. “That was quick thinking.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen,” Ivy said. “Might be a little less volume back there.”
However, before they could leave, the front door opened again. Two high school students and an older man stepped inside.
“David and Sophie,” Ivy said, greeting them. “Are you here to study?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sophie replied. “Our midterm exams are this week, so we brought a tutor. I hope that’s okay.”
“It is, but it’s pretty loud where you usually study.”
Worried looks filled their faces. “I don’t think we can study with that,” David said.
Ivy felt sorry for these two siblings. They were the oldest in their house, and with several younger siblings, they had nowhere else to study. Usually, they sat quietly in the ballroom, out of the way. She knew how important their grades were to them. They were top students and hoped to gain scholarships to the university in San Diego or elsewhere.
Quickly, Ivy fished in her pocket for her key. “Take my apartment above the garage. You can study at the table. And help yourself to soft drinks and snacks in the refrigerator.” Bennett wouldn’t mind, and they wouldn’t be home for a while anyway. She’d bring a bottle of his favorite wine.
Sophie looked relieved. “Thank you, but we always pack sandwiches.”
“We’re going that way now,” Ivy said, motioning them to follow.
Ivy directed them through the kitchen, and as they crossed the car court, she saw the book club members gathered around the bookmobile.
Curious, Ivy stepped into the car court, intrigued by the vintage RV-turned-bookmobile. Fantastical murals that warmed her artist’s heart covered the exterior.
Darla gazed at the vehicle as if it were an answer to her prayers. “Would you look at this beauty?”
She looked closer. Towering castles sprouted from open books, dragons swooped through starlit skies, and mermaids dove through waves morphing into turning pages. The words Adventures Await splashed across the side in swooping calligraphy.
“Wow, that’s breathtaking,” Shelly said in awe, with Daisy wedged on her hip.
The little girl cried with glee, reaching toward the painted butterflies that seemed poised to flutter away. Shelly kissed Daisy’s cheek. “This is like something from a fairytale. And not one of those scary warning fairytales, but the happy kind we read, right, Daisy-do?”
Darla circled the RV, her bedazzled visor catching the sunlight. “This is what Summer Beach needs.”
A thought struck Ivy, but before she could speak, Darla’s face filled with excitement.
“This is for Summer Beach, isn’t it?” Darla clasped her hands. “I knew you and Bennett would work out something for us.”
“Why, it must be.” Louise’s face lit. “I can hardly wait to tell everyone. Will it open tomorrow?”
Ivy’s heart fell at their excitement. “It’s really not?—”
“I can open it.” Libby emerged from the driver’s side, smiling. “I’m an itinerant librarian. Tomorrow, I can park somewhere in Summer Beach and open for checkouts. You can follow me on social media to see where I’m stopping and when I’ll return.”
“So you’re just passing through?” Louise’s elated expression faded. “Couldn’t you stay a while? We haven’t had a library since the fire, and the children will be thrilled.”
Ivy touched Louise’s shoulder. “Libby’s our guest. She just checked in for the weekend.”
Libby’s face flushed. “I could stay a little longer if people would like to check out books.”
Although everyone would like that, Ivy didn’t want to trouble their guest or cause a construction delay. “Don’t you have a job interview in Los Angeles?”
Libby pressed her lips together for a moment. “I could probably reschedule it.”
“We couldn’t let you risk that position.” Ivy shook her head. “As I explained, the construction level will escalate next week. We must close to guests due to liability concerns.”
“Oh, sure,” Libby said quickly. “I understand. I could return to Summer Beach in a couple of weeks. On the weekend, I mean. If I get the job.”
Something in Libby’s voice struck Ivy as odd, but their guest’s business was none of hers.
Shelly stepped closer to admire the vehicle. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Those colors are extraordinary. That ocean blue there, it’s practically luminous.”
“Whoever painted this is incredibly talented.” Ivy had an idea. “I have a friend whose business is food trucks. There aren’t many people who work at this level of quality. I’m sure she’d love to see this so she could recommend your person to others.”
“It was just someone I knew back home.” Libby seemed a little nervous. “I think they moved away.”
“Maybe they have a website?”
“I don’t think so.”
Ivy noticed the way Libby’s fingers twisted together, and the slight tension in her shoulders. There was a story there, but clearly not one their guest wanted to share.
“Well, it’s magnificent,” Ivy said, steering the conversation. “How many books do you carry onboard?”
Libby’s posture relaxed slightly. “I’ve never counted. The books come and go. I take donations of new titles, and when I have too many, I sell a few. I try to have something for everyone. Children’s books, bestsellers, classics. Even large print editions.”
“Sure wish you could stay a while,” Darla said, looking disappointed. “When Mayor Bennett sees this, maybe he could work out something for the community.”
Libby’s eyes flashed at the perceived opportunity. “I’d be open to that, as long as it paid what the job in Los Angeles does.”
Ivy sent Darla a warning glance, though she understood the other woman’s impulse.
Darla edged closer and touched her shoulder. “Maybe you could talk Bennett into it.”
“Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I have influence over his city business.” Many people in town assumed that. Bennett made the separation clear, and Ivy respected that. Although admittedly, she had overstepped the boundary on the library. “Besides, we can’t hijack Libby’s personal vehicle.”
Libby adjusted her backpack. “In the meantime, where could I set up tomorrow?”
“You should park by Java Beach,” Darla offered. “I’ll talk to the owner about it. He’s like my son.”
Shelly brightened at the suggestion. “Books and coffee. Mitch would like that.”
“You might need city approval to park there,” Ivy said.
Knowing how Bennett felt about this, she didn’t want to take any chances. She’d mention it to him. Maybe not tonight, though. Early in the morning should give them enough time, and he was always in a good mood after a morning run that flooded him with feel-good endorphins, or whatever they were.
“Really, Ives. Who would she be hurting?” Shelly stepped closer to the RV, pointing out a detail to Daisy. “Look at the little reading mice in the corner there.”
The tension broke as everyone gathered to spot the whimsical details hidden throughout the mural. Ivy watched as Libby relaxed, answering questions about her favorite books and the challenges of driving such a large vehicle.
Still, she saw something in the young woman’s eyes. Wariness, perhaps, or sadness. She sensed the cheerful artwork might be concealing more than books.
Libby opened the rear door. “The inside is even better. Would you like to see it?”
Though the book club members were eager to look inside, Ivy hesitated, rubbing a tickle on her neck. The story of Pandora’s box sprang to mind. She blinked to dispel it.
“Come on, Ivy.” Shelly stepped inside. “Oh, my gosh. You need to see this. And I have to call Mitch. Be right back.”
Shelly wedged past her with Daisy, and Ivy wondered if Bennett was on his way. She glanced behind her. Not seeing him, she stepped into the bookmobile.
Instantly, she felt transported to a magical world.