Lost and Found in Lavender Bay (The Lavender Bay Chronicles #2)

4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

“ A nd one more thing, Maureen,” Mrs. Whittaker said. “Not too much orange. I want a splash of color with all that navy, but I don’t want it to be overpowering.”

Maureen nodded, did a half turn, and headed toward the door. She had a lunch date and was already late.

But Mrs. Whittaker was at her side with more instructions. “And not a neon orange.”

The older woman was a recent widow whose husband had never wanted anything changed in the house. The entire place was dated: wood paneling, plastic covering over the furniture, and serene countryside paintings that looked suspiciously like paint-by-number. The kitchen had an old linoleum floor, dark cabinets, and busy wallpaper. The rest of the house was carpeted wall to wall in sculpted, multi-shaded broadloom. The living room was done up in mauve and gray. Relishing her decision-making freedom and access to a substantial amount of money, Mrs. Whittaker had called Maureen for a consult a month after her husband’s death.

On that first visit, Maureen had spent more than two hours going over her services and showing her client fabric books and paint charts. But it had all proved too overwhelming for the woman, who kept looking over her shoulder as if she expected the late Mr. Whittaker to appear in the form of a disapproving specter. Today Maureen had brought only one book along, kindly suggesting to Mrs. Whittaker that she remodel one room first, ideally the living room as that was where she spent most of her time. The one thing Mrs. Whittaker was sure of was she wanted to “lighten and brighten the place up.” Maureen had a lot of ideas for the space.

She had her hand on the knob of the front door.

Mrs. Whittaker’s brow furrowed. “You think these are the right colors?” She placed her hand at the base of her throat.

“I do. I think when it’s finished, you’re going to be really pleased.”

The older woman laughed nervously. “George is probably rolling in his grave.”

Maureen laid a hand gently on the woman’s arm. “I know these are big changes for you, but I’ll be there with you every step of the way and we’ll get it to your liking.”

Mrs. Whittaker drew in a deep breath. “Thank you, Maureen.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

“I can call you anytime?”

Maureen nodded. “Yes, of course.” She said goodbye and slipped out the door, making her way down the porch steps. She sympathized with the woman, understanding how afraid she was of making the wrong decision. What was needed here was a spectacular job and some handholding. And Maureen was more than up for the task.

She might have gone slightly over the speed limit to get to the Annacotty Room to meet her cousin Esther for lunch. Growing up together, the two of them had been thicker than thieves. Maureen had always looked up to her cousin, who although only a year older, seemed to know the ways of the world even at the young age of twelve. She was the older sister Maureen wished for but never had, being the eldest of four girls herself.

The Annacotty Room was a recent addition to Lavender Bay’s restaurants, opening in the last five years. Maureen had been hired to design the interior, and she’d chosen plum, lime green, and turquoise as the main colors. It was a job she was proud of. She spotted Esther already seated at a table for four. As Maureen walked by the length of the bar and past the gray vinyl booths with plum upholstered banquettes, she heard the familiar sounds of cutlery and ice clinking in glasses.

Esther had her head lowered, a pair of cheaters perched on her nose as she scrolled through her phone.

Maureen pulled out the chair and laid her purse on the vacant seat next to her. “I’m sorry I’m late. I got held up with a client.”

“No problem.” Esther set her phone aside, face down. She had dark hair and dark eyes, and was perpetually tan, not from spray but from actual sun as she spent much of her time traveling back and forth to Florida.

As soon as Maureen seated herself, a server appeared with a glass pitcher of water with ice and sliced lemons and set it down on the table. She handed each of them a menu. “ I’ll give you a few minutes.” She walked away, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

“What’s new?” Esther asked.

“The boys are home this weekend for spring break, and Allan has a dentists’ conference in St. Paul next week.”

Esther picked up the water pitcher and filled their glasses. “Are you going with him?”

Maureen shook her head. “I can’t. I’ve got too much work to do. He’ll only be gone for two nights.” She had accompanied him to other conferences in the past, hanging out at the pool with a good book or doing some shopping and sightseeing while Allan attended talks and workshops. But not this time, even though the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport was one of her favorites for shopping alone, despite the outrageous prices.

Esther scanned the menu, snapped it shut, and set it down.

Maureen laughed. “That was fast.”

Her cousin shrugged with a smile. “I always order the same thing: the burger classic with fries. I guess that makes me dull that I never try anything new.”

Maureen would not protest, because she knew her cousin didn’t care. Esther had always marched to the beat of her own drum. And Maureen wouldn’t have her cousin any other way.

“Anything new with you?”

Esther opened her mouth but no words came out as the server reappeared, plucking a pencil from behind her ear. “Are you ready to order?”

“We are.” Maureen quickly scanned the menu. She looked up at Esther. “Go ahead. ”

After taking Esther’s order, the server turned to Maureen.

“I’ll have the French dip.” Back in college, when things were much simpler, she’d lived on French dips and Reubens.

As soon as the server disappeared, Esther said, “Nothing really new. I’ve booked a cruise after Christmas.”

“Going by yourself?” Maureen knew that this never held Esther back either.

“So far. Mom’s on the fence and Suzanne’s out,” Esther said, referring to her younger sister. “We went on a cruise once and she spent the entire time with her head in a puke bag. I save her for the trips that are on terra firma.”

“Good idea.”

“How’s everything going?”

“Good. I can’t complain. Since Allan is going to be out of town next week, did you want to grab dinner on Wednesday?”

Esther grinned. “I’ve got a date that night.”

Pleasantly surprised, Maureen broke into a smile. “That’s great. Who?”

“His name is Lou. I met him last year at the Hot Air Balloon festival.”

“And you’re only just going out now?”

Esther was vague. “Yeah, I had to think about it.”

“For ten months?” Maureen was incredulous.

Esther laughed.

“Does he live in Lavender Bay?”

“He does. And I don’t know how we’ve never met before.” Esther, her mother, and her sister seemed to know everyone in Lavender Bay.

“You must be looking forward to it.”

“I am. I figured it was something to do on a weeknight,” Esther said easily.

When they were young and while Maureen was dating Allan, Esther had been going out with a guy she was head-over-heels in love with, expecting a ring at Christmas, like Maureen. Maureen got her ring and her guy, but her cousin didn’t. A week before Christmas, Esther had been dumped. She never spoke about it. But Maureen thought her cousin had kept careful guard over her heart ever since.

“Do you ever regret not getting married?”

Esther didn’t hesitate to reply. “Nah. It wasn’t meant to be. I like my life. Love my life. I’ve got the dogs and cats, and let me tell you, pets are highly underrated.”

Maureen laughed, thinking of her cat at home.

“Granted,” Esther continued, “it would be nice to have someone around to check for wonky moles on my back every once in a while, but I’m happy.”

“I know you are.”

“And let’s face it, marriage is tough. You lucked out with Allan. Yours is one of the happiest marriages I know.”

Maureen knew she was lucky. She and Allan had a good strong marriage, which had helped them weather some unpleasant storms. She couldn’t imagine life without him. And she knew he felt the same way.

The server appeared with their meals.

Esther looked at her plate and tapped herself on her forehead. “I almost forgot. I’m putting together a team for the bowling league this fall. I was hoping you’d join.”

Maureen groaned. “I haven’t bowled since school.”

“I know. That’s when I got hooked.” Maureen already knew that her cousin was a serious bowler. When they were in their twenties, she used to go midnight bowling, but Maureen was too busy having kids.

“Come on, it’ll be great fun. Think of it like a girls’ night out.” Esther could be persuasive when she wanted to be.

“Who else will be on the team?”

“I need five, and you and I make two.”

“Your math skills are stellar.”

Esther’s shoulders shook with laughter. “I’m going to ask Nadine.”

“My sister Nadine? Is that a good idea?” Maureen joked.

“Hey, she got the most improved bowler award that first year,” Esther reminded her.

“That’s what I mean. I think her average went from twenty-seven to seventy-one.”

Esther shrugged. “Who knows, maybe she’s been a closet bowler all these years. I won’t bother with Angie because we know she doesn’t do anything but work. I’ll strong-arm my sister, of course. And maybe I can ask a friend, and if worse comes to worse, I’ll ask either your mother or mine.”

“Can I think about it?”

“No. I’ve already added you to my team.” Esther dipped a french fry in ketchup. “In my head.”

Considering it a fait accompli, Maureen shook her head, chuckling, and changed the subject. “So, tell me about this Lou,” she prompted as she picked up half of her sandwich and dipped it into the au jus.