His Winter Rose. Lois Richer
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laughed, rapped the door twice, then opened it.
“We’re here,” he announced in a loud voice, then motioned for Piper to precede him inside.
A man emerged from the room beyond, ducking his head to walk beneath the low, exposed beams.
“Don’t call her,” he murmured, shaking his head as he beckoned them inside. “She’s at the crucial stage.”
“Of what?”
“I don’t know, exactly, but she says it’s crucial.” He held out his hand, smiled at Piper. “I’m Harold Cranbrook, Ida’s husband. And you’re the lady who’s going to put the Bay on the map. Come on in.”
“Piper Langley.” She shook his hand. “And I hope you’re right.”
“Jason hasn’t steered us wrong yet.”
As far as she could tell, everybody liked Jason. That would make it easier to work for him. She hoped.
Piper glanced around. It was like walking into a doll’s house. Everything seemed so tiny. How did a man as large as Harold endure living among all this china, crystal and dolls?
“Ida’s out on the deck. Is it too chilly for us to join her?”
“Let’s do,” Piper agreed, relieved they’d be away from the fragile objects, at least for a little while. She eased left, leaving a wide gap between her leg and the tiny, blue china ladies perched atop a table, then blushed when Jason winked at her and followed suit on tiptoe.
“Hey there! I didn’t hear you arrive. Come on out.” Ida slid open the patio door, then wrapped her tiny arms around Jason in a hug. She did the same to Piper. “I’m glad you could come, Miss Langley. Welcome to Serenity Bay.”
“Thank you. It was sweet of you to invite me.”
“Jason told me you used to live here. We only moved here two and a half years ago, so I didn’t know your grandparents, but I’ve heard a lot about Sara and Gordon Young from the old-timers on the Bay.” She basted the ribs, pushed a fork against the meat, then shook her head and closed the lid. “People used to talk about how he’d sail her around the coves in that cute little sailboat. What’s it called—Shalimar, that’s it. Such an unusual name.” Ida glanced at Jason, raised one eyebrow.
“Papa said it sounded like a faraway place you’d escape to. That’s why he chose it.” Piper noticed some kind of under-current running between the mayor and his office helper. She decided to wait and see what it was about.
“Piper uses Shalimar to get to work.” Jason’s gaze remained on the sizzling barbecue.
“Only when it’s good weather,” she said.
“Like today. I heard you’ve been talking to the guild.” Ida glanced at Jason as if she knew something. “So has Piper given you her report yet?”
“What report?” Piper glanced back and forth, even checked Harold’s expression. “Did I miss something?”
“Jason here is a bit obsessive when it comes to business in the Bay. Scratch that. He’s a lot obsessive. Not that he doesn’t have a good reason. Betrayal by your best friend is never nice.” Ida patted his shoulder as if he were six. “If my hunch is right, and it is, he’ll want to know exactly what you did this afternoon.”
“But he already knows. I told him my plans this morning.” Piper accepted a seat on a wicker chair, then glanced at Jason. He was frowning at Ida. Piper didn’t blame him. Being betrayed by your best friend sounded horrible.
Maybe that’s why he’d come to Serenity Bay, to prove to the powers at Expectations that he could handle more than one aspect of development. Maybe he hoped his work here would push him up their career ladder faster. Please, not another Baron.
“I am not obsessive.”
“Ha!” The tiny woman sat down, crossed her arms over her thin chest. “You like to pretend you aren’t, but you’re totally obsessed by the Bay’s future.” She looked at Piper. “Controlling, too.”
“Stop badgering the boy, Ida. We elected him to be concerned about Serenity Bay. I’d say he’s doing his job perfectly.” Harold turned to Piper, lowering his voice. “They’re like two five-year-olds in a school yard. Best to change the subject. You got a boyfriend?”
Piper gulped. What ribs could be worth this?
“Don’t answer that. Harold fancies himself a matchmaker. You give him the least bit of information and he’ll go hunting up a beau for you.” Ida poked Jason’s leg. “You read those test results?
“What tests? I go to the boat show in Toronto for two days and you’ve got people doing tests?”
“I do my job,” the older woman sniffed. “Public health said we had to have a water check. I got it done. No problem there.”
“Good.”
Ida stood and peeked under the barbecue lid, adjusted the heat.
“Ribs need a few more minutes,” she explained. She wiped her hands on a towel hanging on the front of the barbecue. “Water’s okay, but we do have a problem with some of the campsite facilities. He’s going to let you know.”
“Fine.” Jason switched subjects, but he didn’t meet her stare. “Piper thought someone was working up on Lookout Point. Know anything about that, Ida?”
“Nope. But the telephone people visit it in the spring and the fall. Could be them.” She turned to Piper. “What was Serenity Bay like when you used to come here?”
“Pretty much the same. Maybe there were a few more people but then I was mostly here in the summer. In the winter Gran and Papa went to Florida but only after we celebrated Christmas together at Cathcart House.” She didn’t want to talk about the past. “About the summer people—do you know the kind of radius you’re drawing from?”
“We’ve done some surveys.” Ida prattled on about the city dwellers who came north to get away.
“Would you be able to get me a list with addresses? I’d like to get an idea of our current market.”
“Sure.” Ida shrugged as if it wasn’t important. “I’m in Tuesday.”
“Do you always take Mondays off?”
“Unless there’s something pressing. The town hasn’t got enough money for full-time office staff in the winter.” Ida plunked down on one of the patio chairs. “I’ll start working full-time after Easter.”
“Is there any new industry in the area?” she asked, looking for something to hang her plans on. “There used to be a sawmill—”
“It’s been closed for years.” Harold pulled out a map. “I heard that years ago some folks found a nice vein of copper up past the mill road—about there,” he said, pointing. “Purest ever seen, according to the stories. Shone in the sun as if it had been molded into those rocks forever. People used to stop by, take little pieces of it. Few years of that and it was gone, too.” He shrugged. “But it brought the place a minute or two of fame.”
While he’d been speaking, Ida had hurried away. She now returned with a platter and scooped the ribs off the barbecue onto it and handed it to Harold.
“Time to eat,” she announced.
Piper followed Ida to the dining room, where a long buffet table, six chairs and a huge black table were set.
“Piper, you sit there. Jason can sit across from you and Harold and I will hold down the ends. Good. Now, grace, Harold.”
Harold gave thanks, then picked up one of the plates stacked in front of him and began to load it with ribs, creamy mashed potatoes and bright green peas.
“Oh, my!” Piper gaped when he placed it in front