Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Zane had spent all of today in town instead of at Tidewater. The resort would have its grand opening in two days, and everything was working like a fine-oiled machine, giving him the opportunity to stay in the Bay today.
This week had sped by. He’d attended the closing at Patti Perkins’ office with his grandparents, where he revealed that he was the buyer of the Driftwood Diner, admitting he wasn’t quite ready to let it leave the family just yet.
They had been happy at the news, but Gran had quizzed Patti about the sale price.
Zane had prepared the realtor for this, and Patti had breezily said that Zane offered a fair market price for the diner.
What she didn’t say was that he could have purchased two restaurants for that price.
Patti’s reply had satisfied Gran, and they had left the closing together so that she could deposit the check in her and Gramp’s joint bank account.
They had returned home, where the pair cooked a veritable feast, and Kylie had joined them for a crawfish boil, complete with potatoes, steamed corn, and baked beans.
Gran had produced a pineapple upside down cake, and Zane had accompanied Kylie home, where they both became couch potatoes who couldn’t move.
He’d tried to squeeze every minute he could with Kylie, knowing their time drew to an end.
She had been interested in the business which had taken place this week.
The luxury coaches were ready to roll, drivers hired to bring guests to and from the Corpus airport.
The ferry waiting room had been completed, and Denise was having to provide more baked goods than expected.
Even the ferry undergoing construction was ahead of schedule and would arrive by the end of July.
Because of that, Kylie had drawn up a new schedule to implement when all three ferries were in use, and Bill had adjusted the staff schedule as to who would ride which ferry and when.
The Mayfields’ original ferry would make trips to and from Tidewater, but they also had to fulfill their city contract to ferry people to Renner Beach each day, and that had been factored into the schedules Kylie created.
Zane reached Patti’s office, receiving a warm greeting from the realtor.
“You’re becoming a fixture around here,” Patti joked. “I may not have any business to do once you’ve left the Bay, Zane.”
The thought of leaving caused a wave of sadness to wash over him. Quickly, he shook it off.
“I’m eager to close on today’s property.”
“I’ve got all the paperwork ready. Come to the conference room, and we’ll go over everything.”
As promised, Zane had spoken with his dad about building an event center in Driftwood Bay.
Dad had thought it a terrific idea, especially since The Island no longer provided the social outlet residents had depended upon in the past. Patti had shown Zane three parcels of land which would be suitable for his purposes, and he had gone with ten acres just on the outskirts north of town.
Sullivan had been commissioned to design the center, and it would be built at Wagner Enterprises expense, as a gift to the City of Driftwood Bay.
Once completed, a director would be hired to staff and run the place.
Already, Sullivan had sent Zane a few early renditions, and he liked what he saw.
The main building would house room for receptions and parties, from weddings to retirements to school proms. It had an industrial-sized kitchen, adequate restrooms, and a few smaller rooms for limited social events.
Sullivan had also designed separate spaces for brides and grooms and their wedding parties to dress.
A separate chapel would be built apart from the main event center, so both weddings and their receptions could take place on the same grounds, with guests having a short walk from one site to the next.
Patti walked him through the documents, and he signed everything. She had copies emailed to New York.
“The town is certainly going to appreciate having a facility to replace the one formerly on The Island,” Patti said. “How is your architect coming on the plans?”
“We’re about there. He should be submitting them for final approval to my dad early next week.”
“Gosh, with Tidewater opening and the new event center being built, your company has definitely put their stamp on the Bay.”
“Dad is from the Bay originally,” Zane explained. “He’s always wanted to come back and do something for his hometown. He’s coming in before the parade next week.”
“Oh, I’d love to meet him,” the realtor gushed. “Maybe he might even want to have a summer home here?”
“That’s up to him,” he said, knowing his father already had one on the east coast and wouldn’t need another one this far from his corporate offices.
His next stop was Tidal Treasures, Annie Mayfield’s shop. He had a favor to ask and hoped she would be willing to accommodate him.
Zane entered the store, and a clerk said, “Let me know if I can help you find anything.”
“I’d like to speak to Annie. Is she here? I’m Zane Wagner.”
The clerk’s eyes widened hearing his name. “Yes, Mr. Wagner. She’s in her office. It’s this way.”
She led him through a set of doors and down a corridor, stopping to knock on an open door.
“Annie, Mr. Wagner would like to see you.”
She glanced up. “Come in, Zane. Have a seat. What can I do for you? Is this about what we’re stocking at our kiosk at the ferry waiting room?”
He sat. “No, I’m here to ask a personal favor.”
She frowned. “I’m not sure what I could help you with.”
“I know retail means long hours, even on weekends, and you value your time with Karl. First, I want to say thank you for allowing him to take Kylie’s shifts last weekend so I could really show her Tidewater.
I appreciate the sacrifice Karl made. And you.
You’ve got children and want to spend time with them. ”
“It is a balancing act with both of us working full-time,” she agreed.
“Karl and I try to prioritize family time. Fortunately, we’re in management and have great employees, so while we may stop by and check on things at each of our stores during the weekend, it takes a real crisis to pull us away from our kids. ”
“I’m leaving the Bay soon. The day after the Fourth.” He hesitated a moment. “I’d like to see Kylie that last day as much as I could.”
Understanding filled her eyes. “You want Karl to take her place on the charter that day.”
“Yes. I know it’s asking a lot. If I asked Karl, he would say yes. That’s why I came to you.”
“That was kind of you.” Annie paused a long moment. “I know you and Kylie have been inseparable during your time in the Bay. I think Karl can handle doing one more charter for her. Kylie works nonstop. She deserves the time off.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“The twins have talked about you a lot these last few days,” she revealed. “You were quite a hit with them.”
“They’re great. I worried about babysitting because I’ve never been around kids, but they made it easy.”
“I’ll let Karl know he’s subbing for his sister.”
“If you’d tell him to keep quiet about it, I’d like to surprise Kylie.”
“I can do that,” Annie said, smiling at him in approval.
Zane stood. “Thank you. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Zane,” she said, her eyes questioning him silently.
He knew she was warning him and chose not to acknowledge that. “I’m off to see Gran and Gramps now.”
“Tell them hi for me.”
“Will do.”
As he left Tidal Treasures, he glanced at his watch, seeing it was five minutes until three, almost closing time.
Today was Gran and Gramps final day to work, and he was going to surprise them with his plans for the future.
He walked the few doors down to the diner, knowing this was a momentous day for his grandparents.
Opening the door, he saw the Roberts and the Perrys standing at the register.
They were Piper and Mila’s parents, and he had met them when they came to stay at Tidewater and give feedback.
Zane had dined with the two couples one of the evenings they were there and had really enjoyed their company.
Mr. Roberts had recently retired from the police force, serving as its chief, while Mrs. Roberts had retired at the end of the school year, having been the high school’s drama and choir teacher.
Dr. Perry also had retired from the school district, having served as its superintendent for many years.
Mrs. Perry was the only one of the four still working.
She owned Coastal Charm Boutique, but he could see her handing over the reins to her assistant manager, if not outright selling the boutique.
“Hello, Zane,” Mrs. Perry said. “It’s good to see you again. Are you ready for Tidewater’s big opening on Sunday?”
“As ready as we can be. There always are a few last-minute curveballs thrown, but we have a great staff in place. They’ll be able to handle anything.”
“We can’t thank you enough for allowing us to test the waters at Tidewater,” Dr. Perry said.
“Amen to that,” Mrs. Roberts added.
Mr. Roberts finished paying the bill and greeted Zane. “I hear your dad is coming into town. He was a couple of years ahead of us in school. Great guy.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
The two couples left, and he saw Gramps was cleaning the grill.
“Come sit and have some pie,” Gran said. She called out to Cinda Murphy, who was cleaning a table. “Cinda, want to join us for pie? It’s our last hurrah.”
The server set down the rag and bottle she held. “I’ll cut the slices for everyone and bring some iced teas, too.”
“She’s a hard worker,” Gran said to Zane. “I hated telling her and the others about the diner closing.”
The door opened, and a tall, thin woman with dark hair stepped inside.
“Honey, we’re closed,” Gran called out. “I forgot to flip the sign.”
“She’s with me,” Zane said, waving the woman over.
Gran gave him a quizzical look as Gramps joined them, carrying a tray of pie plates as Cinda placed glasses of iced tea on the table for everyone, including the newcomer.
“I’ve got some news for you,” he began. “First, this is Rae Anne, Cinda’s sister.”
“Oh, the one who works at a restaurant in Houston, right?” Gran said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rae Anne replied. “At least I did until two days ago.” She looked to Zane.
“Gran, Gramps, I’ve met with Cinda, and she’s going to take over as the manager of the Driftwood Diner.”
His grandparents beamed as they congratulated Cinda, and Zane added, “Cinda loves this place. She’s going to keep the rest of the staff on, and she’s hired Rae Anne as her cook.”
Rae Anne grinned. “I’ve missed living in a small town. Houston is a big woolly mammoth, while the Bay is a tame pussycat sunning himself on the porch. When Cinda told me of the opportunity Zane was giving her, I leaped at the chance to come home and cook for the residents of the Bay.”
Zane looked to Gramps. “Gramps, Rae Anne is going to do things her way. Cinda, too. That means you—and Gran—are welcomed to come in as customers, but you no longer own the place. Understood?”
“Loud and clear,” Gramps said, laughing heartily. Then he sobered. Looking at the two women, he said, “You’ll want to do things your own way. Make the place your own. We’ll keep mum.”
“Glad to hear that, Neville,” Cinda said.
“We’re going to close for two weeks. We’ll be painting.
Getting some new tables and booths in. Zane has worked with me about financing the décor changes.
Rae Anne and I will examine the current menu, and there’ll definitely be some carryover.
” She smiled. “I mean, it wouldn’t be the Driftwood Diner without the Number 2 Special. ”
Gran patted Cinda’s hand. “We’ll come in a couple of times a week. We’ve always tried to support local places in the community. But I promise, we’ll be quiet as church mice. You two do things your way.”
They finished their pie, and Gran and Gramps handed over their keys to Cinda and Rae Anne. Tears misted both their eyes as they stood at the door for the final time as cook and hostess.
Gramps gave Gran a kiss. “We spent some great years here, but we’ve got some even better ones ahead of us,” he promised. “Once we get those passports in the mail, we’re going to go all the places we’ve talked about and never been.”
“Goodbye, Driftwood Diner,” Gran said, blowing a kiss and stepping through the door and onto the sidewalk.
Zane joined her and Gramps, saying, “You two can sleep in tomorrow. At least until six,” he teased. “Remember, Gramps, we’ve got to be at the docks by seven-fifteen for our deep sea fishing expedition.”
“I assume you’re going to see Kylie tonight,” Gran said.
“I’m headed to her place now,” he replied.
Her brow furrowed. “You’ve gotten awfully close to her. I hope when you leave, you aren’t breaking that girl’s heart.”
Zane smiled brightly, even as he withered on the inside. He couldn’t speak for Kylie, but as for him?
Leaving Driftwood Bay—and Kylie—behind would be the hardest thing he had ever done.