Summer Beach: Seabreeze Summer, page 5
“Sounds like you’re arguing for Ivy’s success.”
Bennett liked to see people succeed against the odds. “I represent Summer Beach constituents. What would benefit the community is to have access to the house as a community meeting place, as we did when Amelia Erickson’s estate owned it and leased it out for events.”
“Which was technically against the zoning,” Boz said, lifting an eyebrow. “Although the former mayor overlooked that point for his personal benefit.”
The mayor before him had owned a catering company, which catered all the charitable events that were held there. “I don’t want to get into that,” Bennett said. “Times have changed, and now we abide by the law.”
Bennett stuffed his sooty clothes into a bag from Jeffrey’s Menswear. He could see that trying to balance his position as mayor with the community’s needs—and Ivy’s—might prove to be a dilemma. And staying at Ivy’s house was compounding issues.
“Just wanted you to be aware of the situation, boss. Darla’s pretty vocal. I imagine the Java Beach crowd has already gotten an earful.”
Bennett shrugged. “Of what? Ivy’s personal houseguests trampling Darla’s flowers as they saved her house from swirling embers? That’s all they’ve got, Boz.” Bennett rifled through his messages. “And don’t call me boss.”
Boz grinned. “Just reporting in.”
“Got it.”
As Boz turned to leave, Nan slipped into Bennett’s office. “Wanted to see how the clothes worked out. Jeffrey was wondering if everything fit.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Nan. That was a good idea.”
“I wanted to tell you that the Wilcoxes have been located,” Nan said. “They were staying at a friend’s home.”
“That’s good news,” Bennett said, greatly relieved. He’d feared that they hadn’t gotten out of the path of the fire.
“Anything else I can do?” Nan swept a blaze of red curls from her forehead.
Bennett heaved a sigh. “Could you find another place for me to stay in Summer Beach?”
“Aren’t you comfortable at the Seabreeze Inn?”
“We don’t call it that, and that’s part of the problem.” It’s not that he wanted to move. In fact, he’d hoped to get to know Ivy better.
“That zoning issue?”
Bennett nodded. “Just see what you can find.”
“Not that many places in Summer Beach. I heard the Seal Cove Inn is full. But there might be a cot at the gymnasium.”
“Please check. I need something for at least a couple of months.”
“Summer is high season,” Nan said. “Won’t be easy.”
Bennett picked up the phone to start returning calls. “Maybe you’ll find a cancellation.”
Nan shook her head. “It’s just not right about the Seabreeze Inn, you know. Those women need a break. Can’t you rezone the property and let them do what they need to do to make a living here?”
“Ivy has filed for rezoning, and the residents will have their say. It’s up to them, the city council, and Boz’s department.”
“But this is an emergency. By taking in all those folks after the fire, Ivy’s doing a service to the community. She’s just got to find a way to pay that tax bill and stay here.”
“And I hope she does,” Bennett said, trying to sound impartial, but he was secretly pulling for her success, too. This issue was new territory to him as mayor, but more than that, it was becoming a deeply personal issue. Part of him even hoped Nan wouldn’t find another place.
Nan crossed her arms and huffed. “I’ll look for other accommodations, but like I said, it’s—”
“High season,” Bennett finished, nodding. This is when Summer Beach burst with visitors, and merchants made their money for the year. The fire couldn’t have happened at a worse time. He didn’t care where he slept, other than under Ivy’s roof.
Professionally speaking, of course.
Chapter 4
WHILE POPPY AND SHELLY TOOK care of guest needs, Ivy took the Jeep to load up on supplies.
Standing at a giant big box store on the outskirts of Summer Beach, she wondered how to calculate how much of everything she would need. The paper supplies alone would practically fill up the old Jeep. She’d get the necessities—laundry detergent, toilet paper, tissues. And sponges, dish soap, and coffee. She ticked off her list as she went.
After pushing the cart through checkout and loading the old Jeep, Ivy started back. She’d used a bungee cord to strap bulky items to the roof. When she pulled up to the house, Poppy ran out to meet her. Her niece began laughing and pulled out her phone to snap a photo.
Ivy stepped out of the Jeep. “Do you have to take a picture of everything?”
“Come on, Auntie, this is hilarious,” Poppy said, laughing. “Who drives around with toilet paper on the roof? People love funny behind-the-scenes shots like this.”
Ivy struck a pose, then made a face and tossed a bundle of napkins at her. “Here, find another way to help.” She was glad that Poppy was around to lighten the mood.
Still chuckling, Poppy caught it. “Okay, I got it. By the way, Imani is looking for you. She’s in the library.”
After carting detergent and fabric softer to the laundry room off the kitchen, Ivy nudged open the door and dropped the giant containers. She brushed off her hands and made her way to the library.
Imani was sitting at a small table where she’d set up a mobile office with her laptop, tablet, and phone. She wore a bright tie-dyed sundress, and a broad-brimmed hat sat next to her. She frowned at the screen in front of her.
“Hi Imani,” Ivy said, sitting at the table across from her. “I see you found a quiet place to work.”
“The internet reception is better here than upstairs,” Imani said. “I sent Jamir off to handle the flower buying this morning because I wanted to put in a call to my insurance agent.” Imani sighed and ran her hands over her face. “I’ll be straight with you. I’ve got a problem, and I’m hoping we can work together on it.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“It’s like this,” Imani began. “I know you’re not running a charity here, and I don’t expect you to, but I’ve got to submit receipts for lodging reimbursements to my insurance company. They warned me it will take time to handle the claim and process expenses before I begin to receive reimbursement.” Imani paused, blinking hard when her eyes filled with tears.
Ivy reached across the table and took her hand. “I know it’s hard. Go on. I’m listening.”
Imani continued. “Although I have a sister in L.A., she’s at the far northern edge of the county. With morning traffic, it would take me hours to get here and hours to drive home. Not to mention the gas. I really can’t afford it.”
“But you’re insured, right?”
“I am, but I was underinsured to rebuild the house as it was.” Imani grimaced. “Not that I need much. But even though Jamir’s tuition is covered in the fall he still has books and other expenses. So I’m trying to find other solutions.”
Ivy nodded. She knew Imani was devastated at the loss of her home and was trying to do her best. She recalled how shocked she’d been at Jeremy’s death and how her entire life had changed in a matter of weeks. When the mortgage came due, without Jeremy’s monthly income, she had to move fast or risk foreclosure. And yet, she faced the same problem now.
“We’re stronger together,” Ivy said. “What can I do to help?”
“Besides running the flower shop, I have skills. I’m an attorney, and since your business is new, I thought you might need some help setting up your corporation, shielding yourself from liability, and making sure your limitations of liability are correct with your insurance company.”
Ivy blinked. She hadn’t even thought of all that. “You know, I have some challenges, too. Let me explain, and maybe you could help.” Ivy told her about her situation with the city and the zoning problems.
“Can’t Bennett help you with that?” Imani asked when she finished.
Ivy shook her head. “Appears it’s a conflict of interest or something like that.”
“Sounds like Ben. There was a scandal surrounding the last mayor and his catering company, so he’s playing by the book.”
“That’s what I want, too.”
Imani tapped her fingers on the table, thinking. “I can help to get that zoning passed. And you need it as soon as possible if you’re going to save this property. I could help you with the paperwork you’ll need for the zoning and to stave off a tax sale. I’m not suggesting an exchange of services either. I’ll still pay for the room, but as I said, I need time. And I’m thinking you might be short of funds for legal fees.”
“Not the least because I just spent a small fortune on toilet paper.”
Imani chuckled. “Maybe you can crowdsource that.”
“Crowdsource, that’s it.” Ideas began bubbling in Ivy’s brain.
“That was a joke.”
“I’m serious. Since insurance won’t cover everything, what if we run a crowdsourcing campaign for funds to help people—like you and Jamir—get back in their homes. Friends and family often want to help, but they think their assistance will be turned down, or the other party will feel like they owe them something. With crowdsourcing, people can donate anonymously if they want so their friends can rebuild their lives without feeling like they need to pay it back.”
“That’s brilliant.” Imani’s eyes glittered. “A portion of that could go to lodging expenses until they can move back in. So you get what you need, too.” She thought for a moment. “I could put Jamir on that.”
Ivy appreciated Imani’s way of thinking. It wasn’t what she’d intended, but she was grateful the other woman thought of her needs, too.
Thinking in business terms was new for Ivy. Except for her private art students, she’d never managed a business, but she had run a household. She was an expert on managing expenses, though her business development—that’s what Jeremy had called it—needed practice.
Ivy summoned her courage and touched Imani’s hand. “Shelly mentioned that you might be able to refer business to us.”
“That’s right,” Imani said. “See, I deal in cut flowers. I love visiting the flower mart in the early morning and inhaling those beautiful scents. The colors and variety are spectacular, and this is an ideal climate for flower growers. I buy direct, too, especially my poinsettias. Did you know the Ecke family ranch down the way was the largest producer of poinsettias for years? Old Paul Ecke is the one who was behind the concept of poinsettias as a Christmas tradition.”
Ivy grinned. “We used to visit the farms as kids.”
“Well, I sell cut flowers and create simple bouquets for people. Sometimes my regular customers ask me to provide floral arrangements for weddings and parties.”
“That must be good business.”
“Sure, except I can’t design arrangements like that. Nor do I want that kind of stress. I’ve seen Shelly’s creations online. She’s super talented. And you have plenty of space here for events.”
“I understand that people used to love coming here for parties.”
“Maybe you could get away with the occasional party this summer.”
“I don’t want to risk it until we have the proper zoning.” Ivy appreciated how quickly Imani was grasping her situation. “But I think we women need to stick together and help each other.” She held out her hands to Imani, who clasped them. “You and Jamir are welcome to stay and pitch in.”
A smile bloomed on Imani’s face. “My son is pretty handy, too. He helped fix up our old bungalow—painting, laying tile, yardwork.”
“Shelly and I haven’t had time to put the old maid’s quarters in the rear of the house in shape, so Jamir could start on that. More rooms give us more inventory to rent out. I’ll take you up on that, but I’ll insist on paying Jamir.”
“We’ll agree to disagree on that later,” Imani said, as joyful tears spilled onto her cheeks.
Ivy stood and hugged her. “I have a feeling we’re going to become good friends through all this.”
“I think so,” Imani said. “You’ll meet some nice folks here. Maybe even meet someone special.”
“I’ve got to focus on my business first,” Ivy said, smiling. She’d been worried about rezoning and the property tax issues, so she was grateful for Imani’s assistance.
Jamir would be a valuable addition to the Seabreeze Inn team, too. Ivy and Shelly had the newly discovered lower level to think about as well, but Ivy knew that area would require a lot more renovation. For now, they were still using it for storage of the older furnishings they’d discovered but decided not to use.
After leaving Imani, Ivy climbed the stairs to her room to put away a couple of packages of coat hangers she’d purchased at the store. When she’d packed her clothes to ship from Boston, she hadn’t bothered to include bulky hangars.
After depositing the hangers in the closet, she tapped the loose floorboard she’d snagged her slippers on earlier. It sounded hollow, just like the small opening in the rear of the closet. She tapped around the slat; the sound was different.
Retrieving a metal nail file, she slid it in one side and lifted. The old wood creaked against the effort, but after a few tries, the slat sprang free, sending up a small spray of dust. Inside was a folded piece of paper and a small, dusty box. Sitting cross-legged, Ivy scooped out the items.
“Ivy, are you in here?” Shelly’s voice rang out at her door.
“In the closet.”
“Come on, I need your help,” Shelly called out, clearly perturbed about something.
Dusting off her jeans, Ivy stood up. “I’ve found something,” she said, emerging from the closet.
“What’s that?”
When Ivy opened the box, both of them exclaimed. A small diamond ring rimmed with rubies and tiny seed pearls was nestled in the box.
“That’s vintage,” Shelly said. “Nineteenth-century, I’ll bet. I saw a lot of old family jewelry at auctions in New York.”
“It’s sweet,” said Ivy, slipping the small ring onto her pinky finger, where it fit perfectly. “Though it seems small for the wealth that the Erickson’s had.”
Shelly shrugged. “Maybe it wasn’t hers. Where’d you find it?”
“In the closet under a floorboard.”
Shelly blinked. “How many hiding places did that woman have in this house?”
“No idea.” Ivy held up the paper, which was yellow around the edges and the crease. “This was in there, too.” She began to unfold it, but Shelly clasped her hand over hers.
“We don’t have time for this. Remember what happened the last time we opened Pandora’s Box?”
Ivy stared at the paper. Shelly had a point—their lives had been upended when they’d found Amelia Erickson’s secret stash of stolen masterpieces, even though Ivy still refused to believe that Amelia was doing nothing more than protecting them for posterity. The woman had been suffering from Alzheimer’s. Of course she would hide things and forget about them.
“Maybe this is nothing,” Ivy said, turning the ring on her finger. “Just a keepsake she’d tucked away.”
“That’s right. Come on.” Shelly tugged on her arm. “I need you downstairs now.”
Ivy stared at the folded notepaper. She still wondered what had been so important about this ring to Amelia Erickson that she’d hidden it under a floorboard.
Shelly blew out a breath of exasperation.
“Okay, I’m coming.” With a sigh of regret, Ivy tucked everything into a drawer in her vanity. “What’s so urgent downstairs?”
“Our neighbor must have some disconnected brain cells.” Shelly motioned for her to follow. “Seriously. You’ve got to see this.”
Shelly raced down the stairs, and Ivy hurried after her. When Shelly opened the door, Ivy’s mouth fell open.
“How dare Darla stoop this low,” she said and charged out the front door.
Chapter 5
“YOU CAN’T DO!” IVY MARCHED down the front stone steps toward Darla, who was standing on their lawn holding a hand-lettered sign that read Neighbors against the Seabreeze Inn.
“Free speech is my civil right,” Darla said, waving the giant red letters in her face.
“You’re out of control.”
Darla this ignored her. When a car drove by, Darla raised two fingers to her mouth, let out a screeching whistle, and waved the sign.
The high-pitched whistle brought Poppy and Imani to the front door.
“This is rich,” Poppy said, flicking on the video on her phone.
“I call it harassment,” Imani said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Darla, I respect your privacy, but no one here is bothering you today,” Ivy said. “Can’t you leave these poor people alone? Imani and her son lost their home last night, and Celia and Tyler and others were evacuated. Can’t you have some compassion?”
“Gotta nip this in the bud,” Darla replied. “The high school gymnasium shelter is open. They can go there.”
“Is that what you’d want in their position?” Ivy put her hands on her hips. “Better yet, why don’t you offer your spare bedrooms to some people? You have room. Why not help your neighbors?”
Poppy stepped closer and zoomed in on Darla, who seemed to be at a loss for words.
Imani strode forth. “Miss Darla, do you want me to call Chief Clarkson and report you? I can’t get you out this time because I’m representing Ivy now. And old Hal won’t take your frivolous cases anymore.”
Ivy widened her eyes in surprise. Sounded like more Summer Beach gossip she was sure she’d hear later.
“They weren’t frivolous,” Darla shot back.
Imani crossed her arms. “The judge didn’t agree. Come on, you haven’t been to Java Beach yet, have you? Your folks there are probably missing you.”
Darla cast another narrow-eyed look at Ivy. “I’ll be watching you and your sister.”
“You can watch all you want,” Ivy said. “Just don’t set another foot in my yard unless you have something nice to say.” She turned to go back inside the house.
