Page 19 of Moonshine and Magnolias (Just Add Peaches #1)
Brandi had handled the Kiplings’ check out of Southern Belle, but she wasn’t around when Wendy opened the room to start the cleaning later that afternoon. She went into the private bath and grabbed the towels that covered the grey stonework along the floor.
Her little experiment with Rob had backfired. She sat down to talk, hoping he’d be boring and the spark that set her insides aflame would dull. Instead, he was funny and charming and she was increasingly aware of every move, every breath, every heartbeat.
All her life, she’d been able to shut off her own wants and desires.
When her dad got new orders and she had to move for the umpteenth time.
When any guy she ever liked in high school ignored her intelligence and went for bimbo instead.
When she settled for being alone, convincing herself that she was happ y .
And after a while, she began to believe it.
Until her mind laughed at her every time she was in the same space as Dr. Robert Upshaw.
The door to the room creaked open, and a glimmer of hope formed in her chest. So Brandi was a little late for their shared tasks. At least she was here.
Except when Wendy peeked out of the bathroom, it was Aunt Eulalee stripping the sheets off the four poster bed. “Now before you say anything about your cousin, know that she was on her way up here and I sent her on an errand of my own.”
“For what?”
Eulalee sat on the mattress, rolling the bed sheets into a ball.
Her lined face looked every one of her seven decades.
“Truth is, Wendy, I don’t know if I can handle all the cooking for the special events by myself.
The retirement party, Pansy Hamilton. Even the knitting circle.
I’m not your grandma. You and Brandi are getting some sort of routine down with the rooms and serving food, but you’re absolutely no help whipping stuff up in the kitchen.
” She smiled when she said it, taking the sting out of the truth.
“You’re not going to,” Wendy swallowed and fisted her hand in the towels, “going to retire, are you?” She couldn’t blame Eulalee if she did, even if it meant Wendy’s own plans would have to be readjusted.
“No! I was born here. And it’s been my home for the last ten years.
Where would I go? Heavens, the thoughts you come up with.
” Her aunt shook her head. “I just need some extra help is all. Brandi is putting a call out on your alumni social media things to see if there’s anyone local who can lend a hand in the kitchen when we need it. ”
“That makes sense.” Wendy’s mind flipped to the budget and the extra money while she stepped into the hallway and dropped the towels down the laundry chute. “Did Grandma like playing poker?”
“Bridge was more her game. Why?” Eulalee followed her and dumped the sheets.
She hadn’t finished her research on the funds yet, so she didn’t answer.
Footsteps sounded outside the room, too light and fast to be anyone but Brandi. For once she wore the appropriate clothes on top, but the blue shirt was paired with khaki shorts. Wendy handed her a broom.
“No rest for the wicked,” Brandi said. “Message out in cyberspace, Aunt Eulalee.”
“Thanks, honey. ”
“Hey, are you playing Pansy in the reenactment again?” Wendy asked.
They left Southern Belle and moved to Fairhill, where the grandmother had been staying.
Thank goodness the Upshaws kept their do-not-disturb sign on their door.
Cleaning Rob’s trash and seeing his dirty clothes would not add to his mystery.
“Of course. They asked me a couple of days after the funeral.” Brandi pulled the towels off the bathroom rack and tossed them to Wendy.
“One of these days I’ll find my own stalwart Captain and can pass the torch to someone else.
But in the meantime, it’s pretty fun. Dressing up in those clothes, entertaining everyone. ”
Wendy looked at her cousin’s reflection in the bathroom mirror and at her aunt sweeping the floor.
An unexpected shot of longing hit her heart.
The three of them working toward one goal, not keeping score, not in a competition.
Just together. Her throat tightened at the image.
It would never be permanent. Her cousin would prove untrustworthy.
Any extra help wouldn’t be family, wouldn’t share the history. And Wendy was going to leave.
Brandi came out of the bathroom, a roll of toilet paper in her hand. “OMG I just got the most amazing idea.”
“If you can’t even wear the right uniform skirt, how do you expect to put on a hoopskirt every day?” Wendy asked.
“Funny. But I have another amazing idea. Why don’t you play Pansy this year?” She punctuated her statement by pitching the roll.
Wendy caught it easily and kept her face from showing a reaction.
The problem with Brandi’s idea is that being Pansy required looks and charisma, which left Wendy unable to fill her shoes.
Her cousin was a natural at engaging the crowds.
And the reenactment brought hundreds of people to the Fountenoy Hall grounds every year.
Who wanted a boring, whey-faced substitute for everyone’s favorite heroine?
“If I do that, who’s going to be available in case of an emergency and get everything in order for the vendors and keep the performers on task and make sure the trash gets emptied? ”
“You could just give me your to-do list and see how it goes.”
“Nice try. Not gonna happen.” Wendy tossed the paper back as the lobby bell chimed.
“Is that me?” Brandi asked.
“I am going to pin a copy of the daily schedule to your shirt. Today’s our shared day, but since you got here late, you get to finish. I’ll check in later. Please,” she added as an afterthought.
Brandi smiled at the asking. “Sure thing.”
Wendy left the room and headed for the grand staircase but stopped when she heard the familiar, commanding voice of Jordan Shoenover drifting to the second floor.
Her friend had always been driven. In charge.
One of the reasons she was the starting first baseman their entire college career, and on the All American team with Wendy.
Now she stood in the lobby, her dark hair piled on her head in a sophisticated twist. Her phone was attached to her ear with one hand, and the other held purple high-heeled shoes.
“Oy, Mark, you can get along fine without me for a few days. I promise. If someone shows up, call me. Like you are now… We can videoconf... no, the subpoena won’t be for…
” Jordan spied her waiting and waved her dangling shoes. “Just handle it, Mark!”
She hung up the phone without saying goodbye and ran on her bare feet over to Wendy, enveloping her in a hug complete with a subtle scent of citrus and spice. “I missed you!”
“Me, too. It’s so good to see you.” She didn’t ask why Jordan was standing in her lobby when her organizational talent development business was ten states north. After Sebastien’s arrival, it just made sense.
“I’m sorry about your grandma.” Jordan said in her ear. “Hell, even I miss her. I can’t even imagine.”
The sincere words cut tiny slices into Wendy’s heart, but she tried to laugh it off. “Not so nice that she burdened us with this house!”
Her friend raised an eyebrow at the comment.
“Jordan! I thought I heard your voice.” Brandi thundered down the stairs and barreled into the other woman hard enough to make her drop her shoes. “What are you doing here?”
“Did you expect me to let Sebastien have all the fun?” She readjusted her glasses as she stepped back, and put one hand on each of her friends’ shoulders. “God, I missed you guys. And I’m in desperate need of a break. What a better place to get one than here?”
“You’re taking time off?” Brandi asked. “You?”
“People take time off, you know.” Jordan’s normal poise and cool efficiency commanded attention like the ninth inning of a no hitter, but her body looked drained, exhausted, like if she sat down she’d be asleep in five seconds.
“Is everything okay?” Wendy asked. “Your family is fine?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
Her tone was too breezy to be believable, but if she didn’t want to share her other reasons for visiting, Wendy wasn’t going to push.
Too many people had tried to do that with her, and she didn’t need collective advice to figure out her problems. “Having both you and Sebastien is like a college reunion,” she said.
“Let’s get you to a room. Is this your only bag?
“Darling, really. The rest of the set is in the rental.”
“The set?” One bag for a few days Wendy could understand, maybe even two, since it was her high-standards, high-maintenance friend. “You planning on moving in?”
“You never know what you’re going to need.”
“You do know that Claremont has department stores nearby and all sorts of other things that they have in Connecticut, right?”
“And here I thought you guys just got your first traffic light.”
“Oh come on. That was at least ten years ago.” Brandi hefted the bag and staggered toward the staircase. “Let’s get you settled in your room. Which is?”
“Crap. Did you make a reservation?” Wendy moved to the other side of the lobby desk and hauled out the day’s guest list. The check in column was empty.
“No, messing up your well-ordered schedule was the start of my plan for having fun.” Jordan grinned .
“Cute. We have rooms inside, but you’ll be near Sebastien. Or you can stay on the family floor. That way if you need to do any dallying in what you call your career, you’ll have some privacy if you want to leave your room.”