“Good riddance,” she said.

“You’re here,” Hope managed.

“I don’t know how to be anywhere else. But I like it here, especially now that you are.”

“You have to tell me more, so I can find him for you, find Billy for you. We all want to find him for you.”

“It fades.” Lizzy lifted her hands, turned them. Hope saw them go in and out of focus. “I fade. But the love stays. You can find the love. You’re my Hope.”

“His name. The rest of his name.”

“Ryder. Did he come?”

“He was here earlier. He’ll come back. Tell me Billy’s full name.”

“He was here.” She crossed her hands over her heart. “Close, but too far. I was ill, and it fades, like an old letter. Rest now.”

“Eliza—” But she was gone in that same finger-snap. Hope tossed back the sheets. While it was fresh, she wrote down everything in that brief, surreal conversation.

Never sleep now, she thought, and lay in the dark, watching in case Lizzy reappeared. But the minute she shut her eyes, she dropped away.


SHE DIDN’T EXACTLY crawl out of bed, but it was close to it. She revved her shower on full and hot, then gritting her teeth finished it off with a blast of cold, hoping to wake up both brain and body.

One look at her face had her moaning. The day called for a whole bunch of concealer.

By the time she made it to the kitchen, Carolee was already there, humming away as she mixed waffle batter.

“Sorry. Little late.”

“No, you’re not. Have some coffee, and tell me how it went last night.”

“Oh boy, have I got an earful for you.”

“I knew that woman was trouble.”

“That’s not the half of it.” She poured coffee, made herself drink the first cup black. She began to arrange the fruit she’d sliced fresh the night before as she filled Carolee in on the details.

She got a lot of Oh my Gods, You’re kiddings, I can’t believe its, but finished the entire tale by the time they’d prepared the fruit, bacon, juices, cereals.

“You must be exhausted!”

“It wouldn’t be so bad, but this group’s full of night owls.”

“Didn’t Justine make it clear that just because a guest wants to stay up half the night, you don’t have to?”

“I know, but I can’t settle down until they do. I’ll work on it.”

“As soon as we get breakfast done, you’re going up to take a nap.”

“Let’s see how it goes. In any case, we’re down to seven rooms tonight.”

“Good riddance,” Carolee muttered, and made Hope smile.

“That’s what she said. Lizzy.”

“It’s so exciting.” Carolee’s bright hazel eyes danced. “She talked to you. I knew she would sooner or later. And if she’d let me, I’d give her a high five for chasing that woman out of here today.”

“We’re going to get a lot of rude or high-maintenance guests in the mix. It’s part of the hospitality package. But I can’t be sorry, either.”

“Sit down, have more coffee. I’ll get the tables set.”

“It’s done. I had plenty of time last night. Why don’t you fill the coffee urn? I’ll do the eggs.”

Hope liked the rhythm and routine she and Carolee worked out when they had a full house. And the snatches of conversation they managed between carrying out food, greeting guests for the day.

Despite the late night, several woke early and hungry.

She topped off Lola Redman’s coffee herself on a pass through The Dining Room. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

She spoke stiffly, but Hope detected more embarrassment than rudeness.

She checked chafing dishes, refilled, brought out refreshed pitchers of juice, chatted with Connie about the best antiquing prospects in the area, and with Mike and his wife about their planned drive to Cunningham Falls.

She gave all her guests high marks for steering talk away from the night’s disturbance, and imagined they all discussed it in detail outside of Lola’s hearing.

While some guests lingered over coffee and conversation and others went up to gather what they needed for the day’s adventures, Hope sat down to generate the Redmans’ bill.

Austin tapped on her open office door. “I’m loading up,” he told her. “Your key.”

“Thank you. I’m so sorry your stay wasn’t as pleasant as you’d hoped.”

“No fault of yours. I enjoyed it.”

“I hope you did. Do you want to leave the charges on your card?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Just give me a moment.”

“I think I’ll grab a couple bottles of water for the road.”

“Help yourself.”

When she went in, he stood in the kitchen chatting amiably with Carolee. “Thank you, Austin. Have a safe trip.”

“You went out of your way.” He took her hand, pressed bills into it.

“No, that’s not necessary.”

“Please. I’d consider it a favor if you’d take it. It was nice meeting both of you. You take care now.”

As he left, Hope looked down at the two folded fifties in her hand.

“It’s his way of apologizing,” Carolee said. “You don’t turn away a sincere apology.”

“It still wasn’t necessary. Here. Your half.”

Carolee shook her head. “That’s yours, honey.”

“Carolee—”

“No.” To add emphasis, Carolee shook a finger. “That’s yours, and you earned it. Why don’t you go on up for a little bit, get some rest?”

“Too much coffee.” The combination of fatigue and caffeine made her feel like an exhausted hamster who couldn’t stop running on its wheel. “Maybe later. But Avery’s opening today. Maybe I’ll run over, talk to her.”

“You do that.”

Time with a friend was as refreshing as a nap, Hope thought as she crossed Main. And she needed opinions, advice, commentary. She rapped on the glass door and waited for Avery, hair clipped back, bib apron in place, to come out of the closed kitchen.

“Hey, what’s up? I thought you had a full house.”

“Carolee’s got it for now. I’m taking a break, and boy, do I have a load to tell you. I wish Clare was around.”

“Good stuff? Juicy gossip?”

“All of that and more.”

“Come on back and spill it. We had a run on pizzas last night, and I’m prepping more dough.”

“I’m grabbing a Coke. I shouldn’t have any more caffeine, but I have to function.”

“Rough night?”

“All of that and more.” She walked in the back where Avery stood at the stainless steel worktable cutting dough for the rising pans. “First, there was The Pill.”

“Birth control pill?”

“You have a one-track mind. The Pill in the form of one Lola Redman.”

“Oh, I know the type,” Avery said when Hope elaborated. “We get them. You can’t deal with the public and not. Did I tell you about the guy last week who—Sorry, your story time.”

“And there’s more. I’m trying to decide if I tell it chronologically or in order of impact.”

“Impact.”

“Even then it’s hard to judge. So I’m going with sex.”

“You had sex?” Avery fisted flour-covered hands on her hips. “When did you have time for sex since I talked to you last?”

“I didn’t have sex. I’m going to have sex. Thank God. Next Tuesday night.”

“You’ve made an appointment for sex.” On a pitying look, Avery let out a sigh. “Only you.”

“There are logistics involved,” Hope pointed out. “We don’t have any bookings Tuesday night. I can’t have sex when I have guests.”

“Why not? You have an apartment with a door and a lock on it. I suspect, call me crazy, some of your guests have sex behind their own closed doors.”

“True, but I don’t want to risk it the first time. We could have another group who wants to party until one in the morning. I’d like more privacy.”

“Are you planning to raise the roof?”

“It’s been over a year,” she reminded her friend. “The roof may be raised. I need to buy some new underwear. Sexy underwear. I haven’t bought sexy underwear in a year either, which is a sad, sad thing. This requires new, doesn’t it?”

“Absolutely. Not that Ryder’s going to pay much attention to that before he yanks it off you.”

“I didn’t say I was having sex with Ryder.”

“I read the subtext.” Avery carried dough pans to the under-counter cooler, stirred the sauce already simmering on the stove. “Are you going out first, like dinner or a movie, or just jumping?”

“I suggested we order in, which got his approval. Then I’ll jump him.”

“That’s so sweet.” Avery beamed at her. “Why don’t I make you something, a grown-up meal? One of the entrees from MacT’s.”

“You don’t have to do that. Pasta’s fine.”

“Vesta’s pasta’s more than fine, but why not bump it up a level? It’ll be my contribution to the Hope Finally Gets Laid Event.”

“We thank you for your support.”

“Leave that to me. You can pay me by calling or texting at the first possible moment to confirm liftoff.”

“Done. Should I be worried about complications with this? With Ryder.”

“Ryder’s not a complicated guy. Him man, you woman. I’m pretty sure he’ll be okay with that. I know some of the women he’s dated in the past.”

“What are they like? Come on,” Hope added, “who wouldn’t want to know?”

“Hope, he’s been dating—and I assume ‘dating’”—she gave the word air quotes—“since he was in his teens. It’s a variety pack. But I can say he manages to keep it friendly after the ‘dating’”—more air quotes—“stops.”

“That’s all I want. Uncomplicated, friendly sex with a man I like—which is a surprise—and am attracted to, which really isn’t. Okay.” She swiped her hands in the air. “Settled. Now for the rest of the story. I fell into bed about twelve thirty last night. And woke up just after two, due to the screaming from downstairs.”

“Oh my God.” Avery stopped stocking her toppings dish. “What happened?”

“Let me tell you,” Hope said, and did.

At the point in the telling Avery doubled over with laughter, Hope shook her head. “I should’ve known you’d think it was funny. You and Lizzy have a lot in common.”