Page 1 of Hargrave Flame Out
Chapter One
There weretimes when Celeste regretted being the responsible one among the three Hargrave sisters. Although part and parcel of being born first, it meant she was saddled with a lot of the details behind the scenes that kept their business going. The regular budget. Profit and loss reports. Advertising and networking. All the maintenance schedules, just to hit the high points.
She had help—Veronica and Natalie were all-in on this venture as co-owners of the Hargrave Hideaway B&B on Brookwell Island.
And still, as much as she loved it, there were times when it felt so heavy. Maybe they shouldn’t have been so hasty to open their childhood summer home to guests.
But the house—like Celeste—had needed a fresh start and they were finding incredible success so far.
She enjoyed chatting with the guests and making them feel welcome. The flow of visitors breathed new life into the house, filling it with laughter and light once more.
Veronica—the middle sister—managed the booking software, reservation questions, fielded special requests, and handledthe bulk of the email. A massive weight lifted from Celeste’s shoulders.
And little by little, as Natalie’s work allowed, she was spending more time on the island, taking on more tasks around the B&B. She planned the menus, handled most of the grocery runs, and served as the airport shuttle service. All three of them pitched in with the housekeeping and hired Billings Landscaping for the yard and surrounding property.
Celeste double checked her numbers one last time, then sat back in her chair and stretched out the kinks in her neck and shoulders. They were turning an excellent profit as a B&B. Quite an accomplishment for such a young business that sprouted from a tragic loss.
Swiveling around to gaze out the window, she watched the sunlight play across the glossy, dark green leaves of the magnolia tree. If she opened the window, she would hear the gentle thrum of ocean waves rolling into the private cove.
A sound their mother had loved to her dying day. She’d left the house to them in her will after succumbing to cancer. The length of the illness, the roller coaster of hope and despair, had wrecked them all. The Hargrave family changed shape during those eighteen months.
After the memorial, their father disappeared—walking away from his medical practice to travel the world. He’d told them he needed space and time to grieve.
Apparently, he did not need his daughters.
Celeste tried not to blame him for any of the feelings his abandonment caused her. He’d been a loving, involved father when they were young. They all knew he loved them still, despite his continued distance. But he loved their mother more.
Though she hadn’t been married for decades like her parents, having been widowed, she understood his loss in ways her sisters could not.
It was a strange point of bonding with her father—or would’ve been, had he stuck around.
Most days she counted it a blessing that he wasn’t here and they weren’t dwelling on what they’d lost.
Cancer sucked. Grief was no better. And everybody had to find their own way through it.
For Celeste, losing her mom so soon after her husband created a vacuum. Too much time to think and wonder and wish for a different outcome. Desperate to distract herself and fill the endless hours she’d once spent on caregiving, she’d poured her energy into this house her mother had loved so much. And convinced her sisters this was the business they needed to invest in.
With little more than a few questions, they’d joined her—heart and soul. Rearranging their lives to accommodate her vision. She’d never forget their faith in her ideas.
This wasn’t a journey she would’ve wanted to take alone. Not a project she could’ve managed without their support and commitment.
Hours of brainstorming and design decisions had culminated in a place their guests raved about. They’d even had their first return visitors this season. A milestone that arrived well ahead of her projections.
She had so much to be thankful for as the primary B&B hostess and mind behind their original business model, that her new idea felt almost like a betrayal.
Her sisters would listen, but would they get on board?
The key would be explaining it without sounding ungrateful for what they’d already accomplished.
Several weeks ago, the Guardian Agency, a personal protection and investigations firm, had rented the entire B&B for a special protection service.
Until her routine had been interrupted, Celeste hadn’t realized she was growing tired of the schedule. For nearly a month, her days had been her own. No stripping and remaking beds, no linen changes. No baking cookies for the afternoon check-in or getting up at five to have breakfast service ready in the dining room by seven.
What had she done instead?
Walked the beach, let Veronica—the fitness expert—upgrade her training routine, and met friends for coffee. She’d even baked bread just for the adventure of it.
Natalie always said Celeste didn’t know how to dial it down and unwind. Proving her wrong had been a bonus.
