The Lakeside Inn Page 8

  Ten feet up a rickety ladder, Penny’s jean-clad figure was perched on a rung as she cut through the drywall. Under any other circumstances he would have taken a moment to appreciate what she was doing, but not today. He hurried across the room, grabbed both rails of the ladder, and choked through a cloud of plaster dust.

  The screech of the reciprocating saw stopped and Penny looked down. “Wyatt? What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see who was making so much noise. I should have known it would be you.”

  Penny unhooked her face mask. “We needed to do a little reorganizing to make your Bed and Breakfast idea work. What do you think?”

  “You’ve cut an enormous hole in the wall. My only question is why?”

  “If five couples stay at the same time, we’ll need more space in the dining room. So we’re opening this wall to make the dining room larger.”

  Wyatt could see the sense in what they were doing, but it didn’t make the job less messy.

  Penny handed him the saw. “I just need to pull off the last piece of drywall and then I’m done.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I’m always careful.” With the saw and Wyatt out of the way, Penny grabbed hold of the drywall and twisted it sideways. It hit the floor with an almighty bang.

  From where he stood, it was easy to see why they’d removed part of the wall. Large French windows in the unused room opened onto the veranda, letting in lots of natural light and a view of the rose garden. It would make an impressive addition to the dining room, but it would take more than a hole in the wall to finish it.

  “Do you know how to frame the hole you’ve created?”

  Penny pulled a hammer out of the tool belt strapped to her waist. “I wouldn’t be my father’s daughter if I didn’t.”

  He couldn’t help smiling. The hammer in Penny’s hand was pink. Bright, in-your-face pink that stood out like a neon sign in Las Vegas. “Where did you find your hammer?”

  “Dad gave it to me for my last birthday. It’s a limited edition and really hard to find. Were you going for a walk or did I interrupt your painting?”

  “I was working, but it doesn’t matter.”

  Barbara and Diana walked into the dining room carrying two long lengths of wood.

  “Hi, Wyatt,” Barbara said. “I told Penny we’d have to cut through the wall quickly so we didn’t interrupt you.”

  “It was no problem. I needed a break, anyway.”

  Diana lowered her end of the wood to the floor. “That’s good, because so do we.”

  “We do?” Penny asked.

  Holding out her hands, Diana showed Penny the blister on her palm. “Chopping firewood is hard work. I understand why we need to get ready for winter, but doing it now seems a little crazy.”

  “It always pays to be prepared,” Penny insisted. “Once we open the Bed and Breakfast, we’ll be too busy with our guests to worry about having enough wood for the winter. I’ll bring in the rest of the timber framing while you and Barbara make coffee.”

  “Diana can make the coffee,” Barbara said. “You’ll need someone to help you carry the wood inside.”

  “I’ll help Penny,” Wyatt said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Diana said. “Can you bring in the cans of paint, too? I left them in the back of the truck.”

  Penny raised her eyebrows. “Is there anything else you want us to do?”

  “You could stand outside and give your T-shirt a good flick. You’re covered in plaster dust.”

  Penny looked down at her shirt. “It’s not too bad.”

  Diana’s scrunched up nose told Wyatt exactly what she thought of her sister’s comment.

  “It was okay when you pulled it on this morning.”

  He didn’t have any issues with Penny’s clothes. In fact, he thought she looked positively cute in her ripped jeans and baggy T-shirt.

  Penny picked up an old piece of drywall and threw it in the bag of trash. “If you want the room finished, you’d better be nice.”

  With an impish grin, Diana brushed the dust off her sister’s shoulders. “I’m always nice. Especially when we’re working together.”

  Barbara shooed Diana toward the kitchen. “Come on. We’d better get something for everyone to eat and drink before Penny quits.”

  Wyatt smiled. He was getting used to the way the sisters talked to each other, the way they came to a compromise even when one of them wanted the complete opposite of what the others wanted. And when Mabel and Allan were here, there was no doubt they were family. In a lot of ways, it reminded him of his own brothers.

  When they were outside, he turned to Penny. “Are you enjoying being back in Sapphire Bay?”

  She nodded. “Even though I resigned from work, it’s great to be back. What about you? Is Sapphire Bay everything you thought it would be?”

  “I didn’t have high expectations so, overall, it’s a lot better than I thought.”

  “Ah, you’re one of those people.”

  That didn’t sound like a good thing. “What are those types of people?”

  Penny’s footsteps slowed. “The types who keep their expectations low so they don’t get hurt.”

  His heart pounded. Before Anya died, he’d considered himself a risk-taker; the least likely person to settle for anything other than the best. But, after the funeral, when everyone’s life went back to normal, his world had collapsed.

  He’d retreated into his work, finding comfort in the routine of everyday life, in keeping his head above water and doing what he could to survive. “There’s nothing wrong with being realistic.”

  “No, there’s not. But don’t let it stop you from making an amazing life for yourself.”

  “I already have an amazing life.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Wyatt frowned. “You don’t believe me.”

  “Usually, when people tell you they have an amazing life, they smile. You didn’t.”

  He tilted the corners of his mouth upward. “Better?”

  “Your eyes aren’t gleaming like they do when you’re happy.”

  “I can’t do anything about that.”

  Penny raised her eyebrows. “I think you can, but it will take a few months to make it happen. In the meantime, we can carry the timber inside.” She walked toward the truck and opened the tailgate. “Three lengths shouldn’t be too heavy.”

  Holding the opposite end of the wood, Wyatt lifted them clear of the truck. They were lighter than he thought they’d be. “If you want to take everything inside at once, we could take the rest with us.”

  Penny looked at him and smiled. “I think we should be realistic. We can come back for another load after we’ve had something to eat and drink.”

  “What happened to being amazing?”

  “I’m saving it for the things that really matter.”

  So was he.

  Chapter 8

  Two days later, Penny opened the door to her favorite jewelry store. She’d driven into town with Wyatt, hoping to discover more information about the mystery box her grandmother had given her.

  While Wyatt collected the art supplies he’d ordered, she went to see Cassie, her friend and the owner of a jewelry store. Cassie designed and made all the necklaces, earrings, and rings sitting on the beautiful display shelves. Whenever Penny came here, she imagined she was stepping into Aladdin’s cave.

  Cassie walked out of the workroom and smiled. “It’s great to see you.”

  The last time they’d seen each other was at Penny’s grandmother’s funeral. Even though it was only a couple of weeks ago, it felt like a lifetime. “It’s good to see you, too. Thanks for coming to Grandma’s funeral.”

  “It was a privilege to be there. Your grandma was an amazing lady.”

  A knot formed in Penny’s chest. “She was. How’s Noah?”

  “He’s great. His company has just updated their online store, so the entire team has been busy. Is everything all right? You don’t normally come int
o work to see me.”

  “I need your help. Before Grandma died, she told me about a small enamel box she wanted me to have. I’m hoping you can tell me something about it.”

  Cassie placed the necklace she was holding on the counter. “I’ll do my best. What did your grandma say?”

  Penny took the box out of her pocket and handed it to her friend. “Not a lot. Her mom gave it to her, so it could be over one hundred years old. Inside the box is a key. Grandma and Mom tried to find the piece of furniture it belongs to, but it wasn’t in my grandparents’ house.”

  Cassie studied the box. “I don’t know a lot about the history of enameling, but I do know it became popular in the late nineteenth century. This is really pretty.” She turned the box over and sighed. “I thought there might be some marks to tell us who made it. Have you looked on the Internet?”

  “I have. One article talked about the enameling that was done in Switzerland. They used a lot of fantasy designs that included butterflies, birds, and fish. That matches this design but, if this box is Swiss, I don’t know how it came to belong to my great-grandmother.”

  Cassie ran her finger over the enameled birds on the lid. “Did her parents come from Europe?”

  “No, but my great-grandfather was born in Ireland.”

  “It’s closer to Switzerland then we are. In the 1900s, a box like this would have been expensive. Could he have afforded to buy it?”

  “He was a boxer who emigrated to America. From what mom told me, my great-grandparents didn’t have a lot of money.”

  “That makes it even more of a mystery.” Cassie opened the box and touched the key.

  “Diana told us it’s a skeleton key. They were popular during the Victorian era.”

  Cassie nodded. “Furniture makers still use them, but it’s usually in high-end pieces.”

  “If I wanted to buy a key as old as this one, would it be easy to find?”

  “There are probably hundreds of thousands of these in collectors’ cabinets, antique stores, or hidden in people’s attics.” Cassie held the key up to the light. “The age of the key definitely matches the age of the box. If it doesn’t fit any of the furniture in your grandparents’ house, you could have a lot of trouble finding where it belongs. Have you spoken to anyone in the historical society?”

  “I didn’t know we had one.”

  “It’s an off-shoot of the Polson group. They meet once a month in Sweet Treats.”

  Penny couldn’t think of a better place to have a meeting than the candy store. Just the smell of the freshly baked fudge and rich coffee beans would make the meeting worthwhile. “Do you know who’s in charge of the group or when they’re next meeting?”

  “I don’t, but try Brooke. She does all the bookings.”

  Cassie placed the key inside the box.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll talk to Brooke and see what she has to say. Are we still getting together next week?”

  “You bet. I wouldn’t miss having dinner with you and your sisters for anything.”

  Penny gave her friend a hug. “Barbara’s making her world-famous barbecue ribs.”

  “I can’t wait to taste them. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Bye.” As she left the store, Penny’s hand tightened around the box. Someone had to know something about it. Otherwise, the secret of her great-grandmother’s gift to her daughter would stay buried with her forever.

  Luckily, Wyatt had checked his cell phone before he left the general store. Penny was at Sweet Treats, talking to Brooke, the owner of the store.

  If there was one place in Sapphire Bay that he enjoyed spending extra time in, it was the candy shop. Looking at the line of people standing outside, so did half the people of Sapphire Bay.

  While he was waiting, he checked his emails and scrolled through Facebook.

  “I should have known you’d be here.”

  Wyatt looked up and smiled at Pastor John. “It’s not what it looks like. I’m meeting Penny.”

  “Well, you chose the right place. They made fresh chocolate fudge this morning.”

  “Is that why so many people are waiting to go into the store?”

  John looked ahead. “It’s normally like this in the afternoons. Most of the people would have come from one of the tourist buses parked at the end of the street.”

  “I didn’t know Sapphire Bay was so popular. How did they discover Sweet Treats?”

  “Word gets around, especially when food critics from big cities come visiting. Brooke had to double her kitchen capacity after they published the first review. She even used the commercial kitchen in The Welcome Center for a few months.”

  Wyatt was impressed with how successful the business had become. He hadn’t read any of the reviews, but he didn’t need to. Even if you hadn’t bought anything from the store, the sweet smell of the fudge was enough to draw people inside.

  “Penny sent me the latest list of registrations for the art project. It looks as though all the spaces will fill up fairly soon.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping.” Wyatt shuffled forward. “Why are you here?”

  John didn’t seem the least surprised by his question. “To buy candy, of course. The bottom drawer of my desk is getting a little bare. And if I don’t replace the fudge I took from my wife’s desk, she won’t talk to me for a few days.”

  Wyatt smiled. “It sounds like you’re a match made in heaven.”

  “When it comes to the candy from Sweet Treats, we are. Penny likes the peppermint cream chocolate bars.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “She was here when I was doing my last candy shop run. When she was younger, she used to buy it for her grandmother.”

  Wyatt stepped through the front door. “Is there anything you don’t know about the people of Sapphire Bay?”

  “There’s plenty. You’d find out more, too, if you asked the right questions.”

  “Are you trying to tell me something?”

  John looked over his shoulder before leaning forward. “You seem to be getting along really well with Penny. I hope it works out for you.”

  The heat of a blush raced up Wyatt’s neck. “She’s my friend, that’s all.”

  “Being friends with someone is a great place to start. It would have made my life a lot easier if Shelley wanted to be my friend when I met her.”

  Wyatt smiled. “You mean your easy-going charm and engaging personality didn’t win her over? I’m shocked.”

  “She’d heard about me but, before she met me, she thought I was eighty years old and losing my marbles.” John nodded to the people in front of them. “The line’s moving. You have to keep up. Otherwise, the people behind you start moaning and groaning.”

  The door behind the front counter opened. Wyatt’s heart rate kicked up a notch when Penny walked into the store. There was something about her that made him wish his life was different. That he had the time and space to see just how far their relationship could go. But he wouldn’t be here for long enough.

  John nudged him from behind. “I told you she liked Brooke’s candy.”

  Penny was holding two large paper bags. If she enjoyed the peppermint cream chocolate as much as John said, he wouldn’t be surprised if she’d bought enough for everyone in her family.

  When she saw Wyatt, she smiled and waved.

  “I think she likes you, too.”

  He turned around and glared at John. “You’re a pastor,” he whispered, “not a matchmaker. She’s being friendly.”

  John shrugged. “Okay. But when a woman smiles at you like that, smile back.”

  So Wyatt did what came naturally. He frowned.

  Penny bit into her bar of chocolate. “I can’t believe how delicious this is. If Cassie hadn’t suggested going to see Brooke, I might have missed out. Are you sure you don’t want a piece?”

  Wyatt shook his head, then looked in his rear view mirror before turning
right. “Peppermint isn’t my favorite flavor.”

  “That’s okay,” she said as she picked up the second bag of candy. “I’ve bought all sorts of things in here. There’s orange ripple chocolate fudge, salted caramel fudge, and caramel chocolate frogs. The frogs are Barbara’s favorite. But I’m sure she wouldn’t mind sharing a few with you.”

  “I’ll try a piece of the salted caramel fudge. I haven’t tasted it before.”

  Penny handed him a piece. “Brooke only makes it twice a month. It usually sells really fast, which is why I was lucky. And that’s not the only luck that was on my side.”

  “You pre-ordered more fudge for next month?”

  “I didn’t, but that’s a great idea. I’ll text Brooke and ask her to put some aside for me. Do you want some?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Her fingers flew across her phone. When a reply came straight back from Brooke, she smiled. “I now have enough fudge ordered for my entire family. And, if you change your mind, there will be plenty for you, too.” She slid her phone into her bag and looked at Wyatt. “Did you know that Sapphire Bay has its own historical society?”

  “No, I didn’t. Are you thinking of joining?”

  Penny shook her head. “Brooke gave me the phone number of the person who organizes the meetings. I’m looking for a piece of furniture my grandma owned.”

  Wyatt pulled into his driveway. “And you think they might have it?”

  “It would be extremely unlikely, but they might know where it went. Brooke said they have records of all sorts of things that happened in Sapphire Bay.” She undid her seatbelt, more excited than she’d been in a long time. “My great-grandmother gave my grandma an enamel box with a key inside. She said that as long as she had it, she’d never need anything else. Grandma never found the piece of furniture the key opens.”

  “And you want to find it for her?”

  “I think it might have something to do with my great-grandfather.”

  Wyatt seemed as confused as her sisters had been when she’d told them her theory. “What happened to him?”

  “He was supposed to have drowned in Flathead Lake. But, a few years later, a couple of people told my great-grandmother they saw him in Polson. She died not knowing if he was alive or dead.”