River's Song - The Inn at Shining Waters Series (21 page)

"If you're working on a budget, we have some
bargains
in the back room," the woman told Anna. "Markdowns on some, uh, damaged or dated pieces."

Anna's first reaction was to feel slightly insulted by this suggestion. She could tell by the woman's tone and expression that she doubted that Anna was a serious buyer. But hearing the words
dated pieces
sparked Anna's curiosity. So she said she'd like to see them and followed the smartly dressed woman to the back of the store. Wearing a narrow, black pencil skirt and pale blue sweater set, the woman's high heels clicked on the floor with importance, almost as if she was in a hurry, although there were no other customers in the store.

In comparison, Anna realized she probably looked like a hick (or a backwater bumpkin as Lauren might say). She hadn't bothered to change from her serviceable green corduroy trousers, loafers, and plaid blouse. But at least she was comfortable, and riding a boat down the river hardly called for high style.

The woman pushed open the door and Anna studied the random pieces arranged willy-nilly in the back room. Some of them were just plain ugly, but a couple of things were actually in the old camp style that she was going for. Without secondguessing herself, she pointed to several pieces. "I'll take that and that and those."

The woman nodded in a slightly smug way. "I thought you might like these old things." She pulled off their tags and smiled. "Would you like them delivered or did you plan to pick them up yourself?"

"Delivered."

"Fine. I'll write them up for you."

"Thank you." Still thinking about the leather sofa, Anna went back into the showroom and was just heading for the leather sofa when the owner stepped in.

"Hello there, Anna," Carl called out, tipping his hat.

"Hi, Carl." Relieved that he remembered her name, she went over to him and asked how he was doing.

"I'm just fine. Anything I can help you with here today?"

She smiled. "Well, your saleswoman showed me some bargains in the back room and that was helpful, but I'd like to consider something else as well."

"What are you looking for?"

She pointed to the brown leather sofa. "I'm thinking about that."

He nodded with his hat in his hands. "I could tell you were a woman with fine taste, Anna. Just by looking at you." Now he told her a little bit about the sofa and its quality construction." This piece will probably last until your great-grandchildren come along."

She laughed. "That I'd like to see." Now she showed him the other pieces she was considering and he told her a bit more about them, showed her some things she'd missed, and before long he was writing up a very large order. Meanwhile the saleswoman was helping an elderly woman pick out a new bedroom lamp, but glancing back at Anna with a puzzled expression. Anna hoped she wasn't calculating her lost commission.

"And since you're buying so much today, I'm going to offer you a ten percent discount," Carl told her. "What do you think of that?"

"I like it." Anna carefully wrote out the check, trying not to cringe at the large amount. "Thank you very much."

"I can't wait to see your inn, Anna." He gave her the receipt." Are you going to have some sort of open house to let the locals see what it's like?"

"That's a great idea, Carl." She nodded and closed her purse." I'll make sure you get an invitation." Then she thanked him, smiled at the saleswoman, and left.

Now instead of feeling nervous and jittery, she felt exhilarated—and strong. She knew it was probably silly to feel this way, like she'd just won some small battle with her motherin-law, but she did. Unfortunately, she knew that this was far from the last battle. Because Anna knew that, whether imaginary or real, her run-ins with Eunice were far from over.

By the time she met Clark for dinner, Anna was feeling a bit giddy. Besides purchasing the furniture, she had also ordered new appliances for the kitchen, including a freezer chest, and a new automatic washer and dryer as well. And although there was still an amazingly large balance in her checking account, she couldn't believe how much money she'd spent today.

"You look flushed," he told her after they were seated at a table. "Are you feeling well?"

She quickly explained what she'd been doing and how unnerving it was to spend so much money so quickly, but he simply chuckled and said, "Good for you."

She gave him a nervous smile. "I'm sure that's easy for you to say since you deal with large projects on an ongoing basis, but this is all new to me."

"Well, I'm sure you're making wise choices."

"I am learning a lot," she confessed. "I probably ask far too many questions. But I want to use my funds wisely. The inn will be my livelihood and I want it done right."

Now he told her about some of the things he'd found today." The good news is that I might've actually been a little high on some of the estimates I gave you," he said finally. "The prices on lumber and a few things aren't as high here as I'd figured they'd be."

"You said 'good news.' Does that mean there's bad news too?"

He laughed. "No. Don't worry. I didn't mean it like that. Sometimes good news is just that—good news."

She sighed in relief. "I must seem like a neurotic worrywart to you, but I'll be glad when this part is over—the buying and building and setting up part I mean."

His smile faded. "You mean the part where I'm involved."

Now she was flustered. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I do enjoy your involvement, Clark. And I truly appreciate everything you're doing. It's just that all these preparations are a bit stressful."

"Then take a deep breath and just enjoy them." He grinned." Most women don't have a problem spending money on their homes."

"That's probably true. I know my mother-in-law didn't think twice when she had rooms redone in her house. Of course, she had an interior decorator to pick everything out for her— and then other workers would come in and complete the project. Then she would complain if something wasn't done perfectly, so much so that it seemed she didn't even notice all that had been done right."

"I've had clients like that before. My rule is that I only work with them once."

"That would be tricky in a town as small as Pine Ridge. Not too many wealthy customers to choose from. Eunice Gunderson gets most people to do what she wants."

"Yes, I suspected as much. All the more reason you should be thankful to be away from her clutches, and why you should enjoy doing what you like with your own place. This is your big chance, Anna. Why not have fun with it?"

She nodded. "You're right. I should."

"Sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination."

She studied him closely. "How did you get to be so wise?" He laughed. "I think I got my best training in the school of hard knocks."

"You and me both. But I'll take your advice. I'll focus on the journey. Although I am looking forward to the destination. I'm so excited to see what it'll be like when everything is done and operational. Oh, I know it will be work to keep the inn running, caring for guests, and preparing food, but I honestly can't wait to get started." Now she told him about Carl's idea for an open house. "I have no idea when I'll be ready for that." She glanced curiously at him. "Do you have a time frame?"

He got a thoughtful look. "Well, the rooms in the main building will be done soon—hopefully in time for Lauren and her friends to visit. Although I'm not sure about the bathhouse, but I hope to have it fully running by mid-September."

Anna felt a twinge of disappointment. "So it won't be done when Lauren and her friends come."

Clark's eyes lit up. "Unless I have some help. How would you feel about having my son, Marshall, come out to give me a hand? He's worked with me before and knows his way around a construction site."

"Do you think he'd come out here?"

"I know he's trying to earn some money before school starts. And he works hard when he's not distracted." Clark chuckled." Lately it's the girls that distract him, but I don't think that will be a problem out here."

"Would he mind the rustic conditions?" she asked.

Clark shrugged. "Might be good for him."

Anna wasn't too sure about that, but she did like the idea of getting the bathrooms done in time for Lauren and her friends—especially since she knew that Lauren didn't like rustic conditions either. And one bathroom in the house, plus the outhouse outside, probably wouldn't please her pampered daughter. More than anything, even if it was slightly shallow and shortsighted, Anna wanted Lauren to arrive at the inn and be pleasantly surprised, perhaps even impressed. It seemed a possibility.

Two days later, Marshall arrived on the boat with Henry— along with all the furnishings Anna had ordered in town the other day. "Right handy that I had to give this young man a lift up the river," Henry told Anna as she met the boat. "We'll need an extra hand to unload all these things."

Anna quickly introduced herself to Marshall, apologizing for having to put him to work so quickly. "If we just get the things unloaded onto the dock, Henry can get on his way. He probably has more deliveries to make."

"Your lumber order won't be ready to pick up until after one," Henry told her. "You're my number one customer today, Anna."

"Well, if you can help us with these things, I'd love to have you stay for lunch."

He grinned. "You got yourself a deal!"

They were just unloading the second chair when Clark joined them on the dock. "I'll take it from here," he told Anna." You just direct us as to where these things go." He grinned at Marshall as he helped to set the chair onto the dock. "Hi, Son, good to see you made it."

Marshall gave his dad a slightly aggravated look, then paused to remove his black leather jacket. But before he could set it down on a pier, Anna grabbed it. "Here," she said with a smile, "let me put that someplace safe for you."

"Thanks."

She smoothed her hand over the leather. "It's a very nice jacket."

Now he smiled and she saw how much he resembled his father.

Anna directed them and as they were bringing up the last load—the brown leather sofa that went in the living room— she went to check on lunch. Fortunately, she'd put a roast in the oven that morning. She'd planned to use it for a couple of meals, but realized she'd be lucky if it filled up everyone for lunch today.

"What're you doing with your old furnishings?" Henry asked after they put the sofa into place. All the new furnishings were still wrapped in packing blankets and cardboard, and Anna was eager to see how they looked, but knew she needed to get lunch served first.

"I'm not sure," she told him as she mashed potatoes. "I want to save a couple things, like Mother's old rocker and Daddy's desk, but the old sofa and chairs . . . I haven't really thought about." She looked at the crowded room. "Do you know anyone who could use a few things."

Henry grinned and rubbed his chin. "Well, you know, my place ain't terribly big, but if I got rid of a few old things, I might be able to take 'em off your hands, if you like."

She nodded eagerly. "I would love that, Henry!"

"All righty, boys, you wanna help me load them up in my boat?"

"You got it," Clark told him.

Shortly after they left with the old sofa, Hazel came into the house. "Something smells delicious in here," she said as she came into the kitchen to take a peek. "Ooh, roast and potatoes and gravy—and it's not even Sunday! You're spoiling us, Anna."

Anna just laughed. "Well, those guys deserve a little spoiling. They're doing a lot of hefting and hauling today."

It was fun to set the dining room table with five places. It made Anna wonder how it would feel to be running a real inn. She realized that serving new and various groups of people each day would require some planning and preparation on her part, but she felt she was up to it. She hoped she was up to it.

After they were seated at the table and Clark's usual blessing was said, he explained to Marshall and Henry what his general construction plan was. "We'll finish up the rooms downstairs first, then the bathhouse, and when those are complete, we'll move on to building the first four cabins."

"Four new cabins?" Henry looked impressed.

"Yes,"Anna told him. "We plan to keep them simple—with a small bath and kitchenette."

"The permit allows for up to twelve cabins." Clark poured gravy over his potatoes. "But it might take a while for the inn to get that busy. However, if business picks up, and if Anna is game, I'll come out and build the other cabins next spring or summer."

After lunch, Marshall went on the boat with Henry. The plan was to help Henry unload the used furniture at his shanty, then to help him pick up and load the lumber.

"Do you think Marshall minds playing delivery boy today?" she asked Clark as she set a fresh pile of bedding in one of the downstairs bedrooms. It was next to the room where Clark was staying and she wanted to get it ready for Marshall.

"He seemed happy to go." Clark paused from where he was fitting in a sliding glass door. "Hopefully he'll be equally happy to stick around and help me too."

"That looks great," she said as she admired the view from the wide opening. "You were absolutely right about these glass doors. You can even see the river from here."

Clark stood and looked out. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"I still have to pinch myself sometimes," she admitted. "This all feels a bit dreamlike when I think of where I was a couple of months ago."

"Well, with Marshall here, I hope to hurry things on a bit." He pulled a screwdriver from his tool pouch. "Any word from your daughter yet?"

"Yes,"Anna said happily. "Lauren and her friends are all coming in just two weeks."

"Two weeks." He nodded and continued installing the sliding door.

"I've decided that even if the bathhouse isn't finished, we will just make the best of it."

"I'll do what I can," he told her. "With Marshall's help, it might happen."

She left him to his work and continued getting the room ready for Marshall. She wanted the boy to feel as at home as possible. The downstairs rooms were nearly finished now. With just the sliding doors to be finished and some touch-up painting, they would be ready for real guests before long. Plus she'd been working on the upstairs bedrooms as well. And after she got Marshall's room arranged, she planned to put the living room together. She could hardly wait to unwrap the furnishings up there. And later this week, the appliances would be delivered. Everything, it seemed, was falling into place.

For the next two weeks, everyone at The Inn at Shining Waters was kept very busy. Marshall and Clark focused on the construction, finishing up the downstairs rooms and the bathroom in the suite, as well as getting the bathhouse nearly completed. Meanwhile Anna did the painting and cleanup, as well as fixed meals and kept things running smoothly. It was hard work with a tight deadline, but Anna knew it would be well worth it once Lauren and her friends arrived on the third Saturday of August.

All the bedrooms, both upstairs and down, were in great shape now, with fresh new linens and interesting albeit slightly woodsy furnishings and rugs. Each room had its own unique look, with Pendleton blankets on the beds, rustic lamps and headboards, comfortable chairs—all the things she hoped would make her guests feel at home. Even the living room had come together nicely. Across from the stone fireplace, the leather couch and Navajo rug were flanked by the rust club chairs and her mother's old wooden rocker. This, combined with some unique end tables and lamps and the Indian artifacts added here and there for interest, made for a surprisingly pleasing effect. Hazel had proclaimed that portion of the house "the Lodge at Shining Waters." She told Anna that from now on she had to call it the lodge.

Also, with the appliances installed and running, life began to run a bit more smoothly and easily for Anna. She almost thought she could keep up—even with a houseful of guests. Not only that, but with Babette's help, she'd come up with a simple yet interesting menu that was actually fairly easy to shop for as well.

"I have brought you something special," Babette told her a few days before her guests were scheduled to arrive. She held out a basket. "A surprise." She removed the linen cloth to reveal a number of tiny jars containing her wonderful lavender cream, as well as miniature soaps, all prettily packaged and tied with purple satin ribbons. "To put een your guest rooms and for you too." She nodded. "You like?"

Anna threw her arms around Babette. "I
love!"

"And maybe . . . eef guest like, I will sell more." Babette laughed. "I can be businesswoman too."

Everything seemed to be coming together just perfectly. So much so that on the afternoon before the big day, Anna even had time to take a short canoe ride. Although she now had three additional dark green canoes for guests to use, she still preferred the
River Dove,
and before long, she was peacefully paddling along. By now she'd gotten somewhat used to the logs in the river and she told herself that, in time, these logs would all be gone and that the river would return to its former glory. She was determined to do her part to make sure that happened. In the meantime, she would enjoy what the river still had to offer. As Hazel had so aptly put it in June, the river would help to heal Anna, and Anna, in time, would help to heal the river.

Anna knew she wasn't the only one enjoying the canoes lately. Marshall had grown fond of canoeing during the past couple of weeks. In fact, he'd even taken out her dugout canoe a couple of times, which was fine with her. Marshall also seemed to like working with his dad and he was really helping to speed things along, putting them ahead of schedule. It was fun listening to the two of them talk as they shared meals. It was obvious that Marshall admired his father and when Clark praised Marshall's efforts, the boy beamed. So much for wanting to be a rebel.

Hazel was enjoying having her grandson nearby too. They'd taken some nature walks together and Marshall seemed impressed with his grandmother's knowledge of so many things. Then every evening the four of them would gather after dinner—outside if the weather was pleasant, in the lodge if it was windy—and they would visit or play games and sometimes Hazel would tell a story, often one of Anna's grandmother's old stories, and even Marshall would listen with what seemed genuine interest.

So although the past two weeks had been busy and intense, they had been good. And now Anna was almost sad to see they were coming to an end. Marshall would be going home on Sunday. His mother claimed it was time for him to get ready to start back to school. And Clark sounded as if he was planning to go home for a week or two as well. Even Hazel was nearly done with her work.

If it wasn't for the highly anticipated visit from Lauren, Anna might actually be on the verge of feeling rather lonesome just now. As it was, she was too full to feel sad. It was one of those rare summer days of clear sky and sunshine and just a slight ocean breeze to keep things fresh. Anna hoped this weather would hold for Lauren and her friends during the following week. Setting the paddle to rest in front of her, Anna leaned back in the canoe. Taking in a deep breath, she simply relaxed, letting go of everything as the motion of the water gently swayed her, like a mother rocking her child, and the river's song was the soothing lullaby.

Anna closed her eyes, soaking in the sunlight and the musky smell of both the living and the dying vegetation along the riverbanks, and the
shush-shush
sound of the water. Anna felt completely at peace on the Siuslaw, with the assurance that she was in the right place . . . at the right time . . . perfection. She couldn't remember a moment, unless it was in childhood or the day that Lauren was born, in which she had felt this perfectly happy.

Finally, she knew it was time to see about dinner, so she paddled back home and pulled the canoe up on the riverbank, turning it upside down, laid it next to the others, and headed up to the house. On her way she noticed a small pile of building scraps that she'd meant to put on the burn pile. Scooping them up she carried them over to the bonfire site she'd been making these past few weeks. To celebrate the girls' first night here, Anna planned to torch the scraps. Then they'd all enjoy a blazing bonfire. She hoped it wasn't too childish, but she'd even gotten marshmallows and the fixings for s'mores. She remembered how much Lauren had loved them at a summer camp she'd gone to a few years ago. One time Anna had even tried to make them in the oven for Lauren and her friends, but the result was a sticky drippy mess, which Eunice had frowned upon.

Clark came over to join her, tossing a couple pieces of scrap wood onto the growing pile. "Are you getting excited about your guests arriving tomorrow?"

She grinned. "I am. I feel like a kid I'm so giddy."

"Well, it's all coming together. We just finished the grouting on the last two showers on the men's side. It should be dry in a few days. In the meantime, I've got them taped off with a sign." He chuckled. "Not that the girls are apt to want to shower on the men's side."

"Even without those other two, there should be plenty of showers for everyone," she told him. "Even if everyone wants to shower at the same time."

"This is turning into a lovely piece of property, Anna. You should be very proud."

"Mostly I'm very thankful." She smiled. "I never could've done it without you. Not just the construction, which has been major, but without your help I never would've gone back to Pine Ridge and discovered the insurance money."

He cleared his throat. "Speaking of that, I returned Joe Miller's phone call this afternoon."

"Oh?" She tried to read his expression. "How did that go?"