“What an amazing voyage,” Ivy said, trying to imagine the fascinating trip they were on. “I almost wish I’d stowed away with them, but I have too much to do here.”
“They said any of us can fly out to meet them. If you and Bennett are planning a honeymoon, that could be a sweet place.”
“A honeymoon with Mom and Dad?” Ivy grinned at the thought. “I’m not so sure that’s what Bennett would have in mind.”
Forrest laughed and shook his head. “I guess I’ve been married too long to remember what young love was like. Not that you’re that young.” His face reddened, and he smacked his forehead. “What I meant was—”
“I need to cut you off right there for your own good,” Ivy said, chuckling. “Do you need another cup of coffee or something to eat?” Even as a child, Forrest had stumbled over his words. But he’d do anything for her, and Ivy felt the same way about him.
“How’d you guess?” Forrest said. “I haven’t been sleeping well. I’ve been worried about Mom and Dad, so when they called early this morning, I was relieved.”
“We’re all worried about them,” Ivy said, leading him toward the coffee machine. “But they’re more experienced sailors than any of us. And this is their dream.” She poured a steaming cup for him.
As he sipped his coffee, Ivy showed him the sketch of the downstairs she’d made. “Think we can do something like this? I would like some flex space for events. Book club meetings, wine tastings, corporate retreats.”
Forrest studied the paper. “This looks feasible. I’ll inspect the area and let you know what we can do.”
“I sure appreciate that.”
“Now, where’s Shelly?” Forrest asked. “I want to hear all about her trip to Baja.”
“I haven’t seen her yet, but when I do, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”
Poppy gathered everyone in the kitchen, where the remaining breakfast muffins were quickly disappeared among the young cousins. Poppy’s siblings—Rocky, Reed, Summer, and Coral—were there. Flint’s children—Skyler, Blue, Jewell, and Sierra—were there with his wife, Tabitha. Everyone was ready to work.
Through the kitchen window, Ivy was relieved to see Mitch setting up the grill for the noon break. Shelly must be around somewhere.
Ivy could hardly wait to begin. She whistled for attention, and everyone turned to look at her.
“Thank you all for coming to lend a hand today,” Ivy began, stepping up her energy level. “You have no idea how grateful I am to you. We’re celebrating our first year in business, and I’m so thankful that we’ve made it this far. I know this old house still has a lot of good times left in it, but it needs a little more love and care right now. And I know this is just the team to do it.”
“Whoop, whoop,” Reed and Rocky called out. Now in their twenties, Forrest’s sons were built like their father—tall, athletic, and muscular. “Let’s do this.”
Ivy pointed to a corner where she’d deposited cleaning supplies. “Team Poppy is in that corner with cleaning, Team Forrest is over there with repairs, and Team Shelly is right here with painting. We need volunteers for each one, so find a group and huddle.”
“Where’s Shelly?” Poppy asked.
Biting her lip, Ivy glanced around. “Mitch is here, so she must be here, too. I’ll take over until then. Would someone go out and ask Mitch where Shelly might be? I saw him outside getting the grill ready for later.”
Once again, Ivy was irked that Shelly wasn’t here. She was trying to remain happy for her sister, but she’d had enough of Shelly shirking her duties. While Shelly was decorating the beach cottage and planting a new garden, it was also high season at the inn, and Ivy was paying her.
She would have it out with Shelly today.
After grabbing breakfast, everyone picked up cleaning supplies and rags, brooms and mops, and tools for repairs and trooped downstairs. Sunny took charge of the music, setting up a pair of speakers to broadcast an upbeat mix of tunes. She had also set up a buzzer at the front desk that had a remote ringer they could carry around with them in case a guest needed them upstairs—not that many were still in the house.
Downstairs, with the windows flung open, sunshine streaming in, and ocean breezes cooling the space, Ivy began to see the possibilities she’d had in mind emerge.
“Let’s start in these sections,” Ivy said, motioning to an area by the bookcases and the wine racks and cubbies. “Everything here needs to be wiped down. We’ve got at least fifty years of dust here, so put on a dust mask. And we need a window cleaning team that can prep window frames for painting.” At some point, she would replace the old windows, but not this year.
“You got it, Aunt Ivy,” Reed said. “Who’s on windows with me?”
Rocky and Skyler stepped up beside him.
Ivy glanced around. All the cousins were pitching in, and Forrest was inspecting the electrical system. She made her way toward him.
“How does it look?” Ivy asked.
“Your electrical system needs a professional. I’ll send my guy next week.”
When Ivy started to protest, her brother shook his head. “My cost. Have to make sure you’re safe here.” Forrest slapped his hand on the concrete wall. “I wouldn’t worry. This place is built like a fortress. Made it through more than one earthquake, I imagine.”
Ivy shuddered. “Don’t even say that word.” People often joked about the big one, but she couldn’t imagine what she’d do if this house was damaged.
“It’s our reality,” Forrest said, raising his brow. “I hope you have earthquake supplies.”
“We’re prepared,” Ivy said, acknowledging the fact. “We put flashlights in every guest room, and Poppy drew up an exit map.”
Forrest grinned and shook his head. “I’ll bring some more survival stuff over for you.”
Eager to change the subject, Ivy shifted on her feet. She also needed to pick up the paint Jen had mixed for her. “Has anyone seen Shelly yet?”
“Oh, yeah,” Reed said as he passed by. “I forgot to tell you, but Mitch said Shelly is coming in later. Guess she had some food poisoning or something.”
Ivy pressed her lips together. It was one more excuse. Not that she didn’t feel bad for Shelly—if she was actually sick. Every day, her sister had a reason for being late or not coming in at all.
“I need to pick up more paint and supplies,” Ivy said to Forrest. “Can you oversee everything while I’m gone?”
Forrest grinned. “You know that’s what I do for a living, right?”
Ivy made a face. “I’m a little flustered right now. Is there anything else I can pick up at Nailed It for you?”
Forrest squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll let you know if there is. Ivy, try to relax. We’ve got this.”
She patted his hand. “I will.” Glancing around, she saw all the young cousins were pitching in and getting the job done. “Running this place can be overwhelming at times, especially during the high summer season.”
“You’ve done an incredible job so far. I have to admit, last year when Angela and I heard you were taking on this old house and turning it into an inn—without any prior experience—we had our doubts. We didn’t want to see you hurt again after all you went through with Jeremy. But I also knew that if anyone could do it, it would be you. My dedicated sister with reams of to-do lists and a huge heart. You’re going to be okay, Sis.”