Page 4 of The Spotted Cottage By the Sea
This was silly. She just needed to say it.
Patty took a deep breath and steadied her voice. “I am fine, thank you. You are welcome to visit, but I’m afraid it might be your last visit to San Juan Island. At least with me here.”
“What?” Sheila’s voice boomed through the phone. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
Patty took a seat on the worn recliner in her living room. She’d set it up facing the large bay windows overlooking the water. It was her favorite view on earth, and she would miss it terribly.
This house had been her and Ray’s dream. They bought it in retirement, and Ray’s handiness led them to repair the old building on the property and turn it into a darling tea shop.
The one that was now locked and surely coated in inches of dust. Patty’s chest swelled with shame when she thought of it, but she didn’t know what to do. Nothing had gone according to plan. Ray would be disappointed in her, but at the same time, he wasn’t supposed to die and leave her to take care of it on her own.
“Life happened, Sheila. I’m not asking for your pity, and I’m not asking for your help.” She paused. “Derby will need you, though.”
“My word, Patty. Are you sick?”
She chuckled. “No. I’m just old. I’ve decided it’s time for my next step.”
“Your next step?” Sheila laughed. “What are you going on about? I told you you’re too old to join the circus again.”
That simply wasn’t true, but she wasn’t going to argue. “I talked to Brian and he found a place for me.”
“You already have a place, Patty?”
She cleared her throat. “He found a place closer to him. Closer to New York City.”
“I bet he did,” Sheila spat. “What about the tea shop? You can’t be ready to give that up.”
“Who said anything about giving it up? I’m moving on, Sheila. On and up!” She forced a smile. She could believe it if she faked believing it. Maybe. “I just can’t take Derby with me. Will you take him in? Give him the golden years he deserves?”
“Absolutely not. I’m coming up to see you. I’m buying a ferry ticket as we speak.” There were tapping sounds, then, “Looks like I’ll have to leave my car on the mainland. There aren’t any reservations. But you’ll pick me up, won’t you Patty?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Patty said. “Don’t you have to work? You can’t drop everything and come up here. This is why I didn’t tell you in the first place.”
“I don’t have work. I just got fired. So I’m free for…” She paused, drawing out a “Hm,” then added, “forever.”
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Patty said. “I do not want to see you here, Sheila. I will not pick you up from the ferry.”
“I’ll be there in three hours. I’m bringing donuts.”
Baffled, Patty pulled the phone away from her ear. “Sheila? Do not come here! You are not welcome!”
But Sheila was already gone, calling her bluff.
Three
The announcement for walk-on passengers to board the ferry rang out. Sheila picked up her box and started moving, keeping her eyes fixed on the sparkling water beneath the ferry.
This time, she had the right box. She was sure of it. The burglary box, as Amy called it, had stayed behind in her car in the ferry parking lot.
Dear, kind Amy. She had tried to save Sheila’s job – she really did. As an HR director, she had a lot of experience in smoothing things over and a lot of tricks up her sleeve. She pulled out every one.
Her first attempt was saying the items in the box were for rock climbing, but the ski mask made it a tough sell.
Then she suggested it was poorly thought-out joke, not worth losing a star accountant over. Unfortunately, the CEO had suffered three break-ins and a slew of threatening notes in the past year, so he didn’t find it funny.
Sheila walked into the quiet passenger cabin of the ferry. There were the familiar fluorescent lights, the linoleum floors, and blue pleather booths. Wide windows spanned the entire length of the cabin, where astounding views of the islands contrasted with the drab interior of the ship.
It hadn’t changed one bit. Even the posters on the walls look the same as the last time she’d been here, as though frozen in time.
