Page 14 of Searching for Sunshine

Stella: Hey! We just made it to the Hideaway. Let me know when you want to go over logistics for tomorrow.

Wyatt: Sounds good. I have one more tour for today, but as soon as they’re over, my brother and I will come by to help you unload.

Stella: That sounds good, but you don’t have to help us. Pretty sure I’m never gonna repay you for all you’re doing for me as it is.

Wyatt: This isn’t a competition, Stella. We’ll be over there in a few hours.

Stella: Sounds good. Avery’s dying to see the town so we’ll probably walk around while we wait.

After pressing send, I look back at the backseat where Duke spent the ride napping. He perks his head up at me, and his tail knocks against the side of the door.

“You ready buddy? Come on, let’s go see our new home,” I tell him, getting out of the car and opening the back door to let him out.

Avery throws open her door from where she pulled up beside me, and yells, “Oh my god, I can’t believe we’re here!”

“Yeah, we made it,” I tell her, leading us toward the main entrance.

“Wait, so I totally should have asked this already, but do you know who’s been keeping everything running since your Memaw passed?” Avery asks, and I shrug.

“Not really. When I called Mr. Marshall on Tuesday to tell him the plan, he said the place has kinda been in limbo for the last few months. I think there might be a few people here, but I really don’t know what to expect,” I admit, stopping to let Duke sniff the bushes beside the door. “I’m so damn nervous.”

“I know, but whatever it is, we’ll figure it out,” Avery says. “Let’s do this, Stels.”

She opens the door for me, and I take a deep breath before stepping inside the lobby. I smile at the sight of the bright pastel interior where I spent all my childhood summers and breathe in the familiar scent of the sea breeze mixed with the vanilla air freshener my grandmother always loved.

Tears prickle my eyes, longing for her to come sweeping out of the small office behind the counter to kiss me on the cheek like she used to. Blinking them back, I turn to my best friend. “Well, welcome to the Hideaway.”

“It’s really cute,” Avery tells me, looking around. “But, uh, are we the only two people here?”

“Um, I’m not really sure,” I admit. “Hello, is anyone here?” I call a little louder, waiting to see if anyone emerges from the office.

“I mean the door was open, so surely there’s someone around here,” Avery says, turning in circles.

“Yeah, I mean I know the hotel’s technically mine, but is it weird that I still kinda feel like we’re trespassing?” I ask, and Avery giggles.

“We’re definitely not trespassing, but I know what you mean. Come on, you can give me a tour, and hopefully we’ll run into someone.”

“Okay that sounds g—” I start just as I hear an excited shriek behind me.

“Oh my god, Stella, is that finally you?”

I turn to see Miss Clara, one of my grandmother’s best friends, hobbling toward me. She’s gotta be in her eighties and she hobbles over to me on her cane.

“Hi, Miss Clara. How are you doing?” I ask, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“I’m a whole lot better now that you’re here, darling. We’ve been waiting for you to show up for months,” she says, almost knocking me over as she hugs me and hits me in the back with her cane.

“Wait, what? Have you been running this place, Miss Clara?” I ask, looking around.

“Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I guess you could call it that. I promised your grandmother I’d keep the lights on and the doors open until you showed up, but I never imagined it’d take this long,” she chastises me. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to keep an old lady waiting?”

“Oh goodness, I’m so sorry, Miss Clara. I don’t know why Memaw told you that, but I didn’t know anything about this whole situation until earlier this week. Last I heard, she was thinking about selling the place.”

“That old hag was always sprouting out the most ridiculous things, wasn’t she?” Miss Clara says with a wave of her hand. “Well, anyway, you’re here now, and that’s what matters. And you have the cutest little dog too,” she points out, bending down to pet Duke who’s sitting at my feet. “But wait, who are you?” she asks, turning to Avery.

“I’m Avery, Stella’s best friend. I moved down here to help her with the hotel,” Avery explains, reaching out her hand to shake Miss Clara’s. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, darling,” Miss Clara responds, taking her outstretched hand and pulling Avery into a hug. “I’m glad she has help. I’m afraid, with the state of things right now, she’s going to need it.”

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