Page 23 of The Summer Inn on Plum Island
“It was great! We found a lot of old articles about the Summer Inn,” Harper chimed in, her enthusiasm infectious.
“Why were you looking into old articles about the Summer Inn?” Dawn asked with a frown.
“We heard rumors that the Inn had similar incidents before,” Lila told them. “While we were in town, we passed the library, and Harper and I decided to look into the old library archives.”
“Yeah, we used this ancient machine,” Harper said, and the girls laughed. “So we took pictures of everything we found on our phones and then had them printed.”
“We felt like we were back in the old days.” Lila grinned. “You know, surrounded by your Google, Dad.”
“Oh, wow!” Liam said, ruffling his daughter’s hair, saying playfully, “Theold dayswere not that long ago, you cheeky brat.”
The girls laughed.
Lila asked, “Can we come with you guys? It could be fun, and Harper hasn’t seen much of Cobble Cove yet.”
“Sure, why not?” Liam said, opening the passenger doors of his SUV. “The more, the merrier.”
Dawn smiled at the teens. “Should we pick up Tiger on our way back?” she asked, thinking of the cat’s comfort as she climbed into the vehicle.
“No need,” Harper quickly said. “Aunt Betty told us Tiger could stay with her until everything at the hotel is sorted out. It’s probably best for him anyway.”
They climbed into the back of the vehicle. The drive to Liam’s house, adjacent to Finn’s, was short but filled with light conversation about their day and Harper’s first surfing lesson. Pulling into the driveway, the excited barking of Hicks, Finn’s Cane Corso, immediately greeted them, along with the curious gaze of Ritz, the green iguana, staring from the window beside the large oak door.
As they entered Liam’s house, the dog bounded up, all wagging tail and slobbery kisses, while Ritz watched from her perch on the back of the sofa, her eyes tracking their every move. Despite her general aversion to reptiles, Dawn found herself fascinated by the iguana’s calm observance and surprisingly majestic presence.
“Aren’t you adorable,” Dawn commented as Hicks nudged her hand with his nose, seeking pats.
“They’re a great company,” Liam said, leading the way to the shed where the animal feed was stored. Dawn, Harper, Lila, and Hicks followed him. “Hicks here is a big softie, aren’t you, boy?” He ruffled the dog’s ears affectionately before opening the shed.
Lila immediately darted in with Hicks’s food bowl and prepared his food.
“Nice shed,” Dawn commented, looking around.
There was a large cabinet where the animal food was stored—a double-door glass refrigerator with a selection of beers and white wine. A bar graced the one end with shelves stocked with various alcohol and a wine rack built into the wall ladened with red wines.
A big screen TV graced the one wall with plush chairs scattered about around small coffee tables.
“This is Dad’sman cavewhen it’s not being used to store animal food,“ Lila told Dawn and Harper.
“I can see that,” Dawn said with a smile.
“The guys and I like to watch football here sometimes,” Liam told Dawn. “Out here, I can keep the alcohol away from the teens.” He gave his daughter a smug smile. “All neatly locked up in mydad’s shed.”
“Man cave,” Lila corrected him with a grin. She and Harper ducked out of the shed, followed by a hungry Hicks.
“She always does that,” Liam said, rolling his eyes. “Has the last word and ducks out to make sure she does.”
“Clever girl,” Dawn said with a laugh, watching Liam lift a bag of dog food.
“Would you mind getting that box of parrot food?” He pointed to a shelf while picking up a box of cat food.
“Sure,” Dawn reached up and got the box.
They spent the next hour feeding Hicks and refilling Ritz’s feeding station with fresh vegetables and water. The teens played fetch with Hicks for a while, and Dawn enjoyed the simplicity and routine of being there, giving her a sense of normalcy that Dawn hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the island, they made their way to the lighthouse with extra supplies. The lighthouse, an old structure that had been recently automated,still served as a symbol of the island’s rich history and as a beacon for boats navigating the tricky coastal waters.
“I love coming here. It’s so beautiful,” Dawn said, taking in the view from Caroline’s living room in the lighthouse cottage a few minutes later. The ocean stretched out before them, vast and seemingly endless, its surface reflecting the fiery hues of the sunset.
