Southern Comforts

Marion tilted her head. “He’s here?”

“I don’t...” She took a deep breath, her face burning with embarrassment. “Miss Winters, I don’t have money for day care.” Without money for rent, how could she pay someone to watch her child?

“Is he in school yet?”

Cheryl shook her head. “He just turned five. He won’t start kindergarten until September.” If they were here that long. Staying away from Levi was more important than staying in one place.

“I’ll bet he would love some of this banana bread.” A grin spread across the older woman’s face. “It’ll keep him busy while I show you the ropes.”

As the meaning of Marion’s words sank in, Cheryl burst into tears. “Thank you!”

Marion moved over and laid a gentle hand on Cheryl’s arm. “Now, now. No need for all that. Let’s see how your boy is doing.”

* * *

ABBY PUSHED THE remnants of lunch to the end of the kitchen table and convened the weekly Fitzgerald House staff meeting.

Dolley checked her laptop. “This week we have three sets of Moons checking in—two today, one on Wednesday. There’s a Scrapbooking Sister group coming in today, thanks to Bess’s efforts—two rooms and one of the parlors for their work.”

“There’s a group coming for the Scary Sister weekend—three rooms. They’re staying Friday through Monday.” Dolley tucked her bright red curls behind her ears. “Another Repeater couple, oh...it’s their fortieth anniversary. Neat. They’ll be here Saturday and Sunday.”

“So I need three honeymoons and one anniversary basket. Got it,” said Marion.

“Ten out of twelve rooms occupied.” Abby grinned. “Nigel, keep the vacancy sign up. I’d love to fill up this weekend.”

If they could keep up this pace and open more rooms, they would easily make their balloon payment. Assuming nothing else broke down.

“That’s better than last year at this time.” Dolley tipped her chair back on two legs. “We need to firm up Fitzgerald House’s St. Paddy’s Day plans.”

“Give me a couple of days.” Abby took a deep breath. The celebration, parade and bedlam would be here before they knew it.

“I can pull together the packages.” There was an unexpected sharpness to Dolley’s tone.

The group around the table went quiet. Abby pushed her hair back and looked at her sister. “You already do so much.”

“So do you,” Dolley replied.

“But I don’t have to hold down an outside job,” Abby explained.

“That doesn’t mean you have to do everything around here.” Dolley pointed a finger at her.

Marion patted Abby’s arm. “If she’s volunteering, let her do the work.” She leaned in. “You need to learn to take help when it’s offered.”

“I do,” Abby said defensively.

Marion raised her eyebrows. “And be gracious when you do.”

Abby huffed out a breath. “Thanks, Dolley.”

Her sister rolled her eyes.

Abby looked at her to-do list without seeing it. She did let people help her.

“Nigel,” she said. “The hallway near Eleanor Roosevelt needs touching up—again.”

He nodded, running his fingers through his white hair. How much longer would they have him to rely on? They’d celebrated his sixty-fifth birthday last month.

He’d been driver, handyman, assistant gardener and jack-of-all-trades since Mamma had first turned their home into a B and B.

“I think we should add wainscoting in the hall,” he suggested. “It’s too narrow. People bump the walls with their luggage. It would take a little more of a beating and we wouldn’t have to paint the whole wall.”

The group discussed the hallway and the following weekend’s catering event.

Abby checked her notes. “Nigel, Bess would like the tables set up by four-thirty, so she can bring in the flower arrangements.”

Bess was part owner and operator of Fitzgerald House, but she also worked at a local florist and landscaping business, which was why she rarely attended the staff meetings.

“I’ll shoot you copies of the St. Paddy’s Day info before I post it.” Dolley closed her laptop. “I’ve got to get back. My client is howling for his website redesign. Can I help it if he’s changed his mind—three times?”

Abby couldn’t wait for the day that her sisters didn’t have to work second jobs. Someday the B and B would support them all. She would make it happen.

Nigel picked up his notebook. “I’ll paint the hallway tomorrow and get those bids on wainscoting. Got to get to it.” He ambled out the door.

“Hey, Abs, it’s karaoke night at McMillian’s.” Dolley slipped her computer into a messenger bag. “Want to go?”

“I’ll pass. I barely wake up with two alarms now. If I gallivanted with a night owl like you, our guests wouldn’t get breakfast tomorrow. Plus, I have an association meeting tonight.”

“Your loss.” Dolley shrugged on her jacket.

“Any more surprises coming this week?” Abby asked. Although having dinner with Gray hadn’t been a hardship.

“I’m sorry about the Smythe mix-up, really, I am.” Dolley tucked her phone into her pocket. “I was working on the arrangements but didn’t want to get your hopes up. The assistant was talking to two other places at the same time. Originally, he’d asked for a twenty-percent discount.”

“I’m glad you talked him down to ten percent.” She touched her sister’s hand. “You’re our best negotiator.”

“Yeah, yeah.” But her sister grinned. “We need new registration software. After I shifted the other bookings, I had to wait for a system backup before locking in Smythe’s reservation.”

“We need a lot of things. We need to fix the third-floor water damage. We need to open more rooms. But foremost, we need to make the loan payment.”

Personally, Abby would like to replace her eight-year-old car, but that wouldn’t get her any closer to restoring the main house and opening Southern Comforts. Hard work, frugality and dedication were the only ways she would open her own restaurant.

“You’re right. Loan payment first.” Dolley sighed and headed out the door.

Marion pushed her wiry body away from the table. “You know you can’t live and breathe the B and B. A young, pretty thing like you should be out enjoying yourself.”

Enjoying herself? “I’ve got a business to run.”

“And you do it well.” Marion wrapped her arm around Abby’s shoulders. “Just don’t be afraid to accept help when it’s offered and to have a little fun.”