Page 58 of The Beachgoers
twenty-one
— Now —
ELSA CROSSES THE YARD AS if she’s the sea breeze herself. She skims across the grass, barely stops to take hand-squeezes and hugs from her guests, and keeps moving until she’s inside the inn.
“Hold on, woman!” Cliff calls as he follows behind her. “You’re a fast walker!”
“Everything’s got to be perfect for Lauren and Kyle,” Elsa says over her shoulder as she hurries to the kitchen.
“Wait.” In the hallway near the reception desk, Cliff takes her arm. “Elsa! I have something for you.”
Elsa turns to him. “Cliff. You shouldn’t have. You’ve been such a help and… Cliff?”
Cliff, while concealing one hand at his side, is distracted by the moon-phase grandfather clock delivered earlier today. It stands tall beside the reception desk. And beneath the Mason-jar chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the clock’s brass spandrels and dial glimmer against its mahogany case.
Cliff lets out a low whistle. “My word. Now that’s a piece of furniture,” he says, looking back at Elsa.
“It’s a gift for the inn, from Jason. He had it delivered today.” Elsa walks closer and lightly touches the gold stars painted on the moon-phase feature. “Isn’t it special? Look, it says there’s just a sliver of a crescent moon tonight.” Again she turns to Cliff. He’s standing there in his checkered button-down with khaki suspenders over his navy pants. He’salsoholding a hand behind his back. “And Shane surprised me with this!” She flashes him her wrist corsage—a mini white starfish nestled in greens.
“Now that’s very lovely. Those two gents went all out.”
“Theydid… Wait. Did you sayyouhave something for me, too?” Elsa asks.
“I do. Butthisisn’t a gift, tonight,” he explains. “I mean, Idohave a gift for the inn, it’s just not ready yet,” Cliff says while still taking in that stately clock.
“Oh, it doesn’t much matter now since zoning put the kibosh on everything.”
“Which youshould’vetold me about, Elsa. Over dinner yesterday.”
“No, no.” She waves him off. “I just couldn’t keep rehashing it. There was only going to be one announcement, Cliff. And there was, tonight.”
“Well,” Cliff goes on. “This here is just… a token.” He swings his hand out from behind his back and gives her a large white feather. It’s tinged with silver, including the downy puff at the bottom of the quill.
“A feather?” Elsa takes it and turns it in her hand. “Aseagullfeather?”
“Well, yes. Because you did it, Mrs. DeLuca.”
“Did what?”
“You got that Justice of the Peacefeatherin your cap. Heck of a surprise, too! Tonight you conducted your very first wedding at the Ocean Star Inn.”
“Who but you would’ve thought…” Elsa lightly traces the long feather. “Really. It wasn’tquitea wedding. But that’s actually very sweet, Clifton.”
“Close enough. So let’s put that feather in your happiness jar, why don’t we?” He loops his arm through hers and leads her into the living room.
Elsa glances back, hearing other chattering guests coming into the inn. But she follows Cliff to her driftwood mantel strung with a garland of seashells. Above it, Sal’s old blue oars hang from knotted sailor-rope loops.
But anchoring that mantel, right in the center, is Elsa’s inn happiness jar—which Cliff reaches for now. After he takes off the lid, Elsa gently places the white feather in the jar, gives Cliff a kiss on the cheek and hurries off to the kitchen.
* * *
And stops short in the doorway. There’s food, food, food—everywhere! On the counters, on the marble-top island, simmering on the stove and stacked on a barstool. Dockside Diner is catering tonight. So Kyle’s cook, Rob, and head waitress, Stacy, are fussing at the counter.
“That smellssogood,” Elsa says, rushing into the kitchen. She squeezes beside Rob and Stacy and sees a deep tray filled with fresh-made relish. “Did you add the whiskey?”
“We did,” Rob tells her. “But weren’t sure if you wanted it—so went light with the amount.”
“Weren’t sure if Iwantthe whiskey flavoring? Believe me, weneedit.” Elsa turns to Cliff when he walks in the room. “Can you get me that whiskey bottle from the shelf?” she asks, pointing to a cabinet across the kitchen.
