lax she might as well be living in a tent at the back of the driveway.
He unconsciously let out a sigh of disgust and found himself on the receiving end of a scowl from Stan.
Lynda explained, “We originally built this for our daughter. After she got her degree, going from adult autonomy in a busy dorm to her childhood bedroom felt like a step in the wrong direction, so this arrangement was perfect. She had her own space and didn’t feel like she was under our thumb.”
“I take it she moved out and moved on?”
“She’s living her life—what every parent hopes for.”
Stepping into Summer’s apartment shook Arnie to his core. He could smell her, and everywhere he looked, there was evidence of her personality and spirit.
The door opened into a long rectangular space with large windows at the far end. To his immediate left was a kitchen with a modest island. Past the kitchen was the main living area. It wasn’t big—just enough room for a sofa set with a table and chairs under one of the windows.
“So the kitchen is my husband’s design. The tight footprint was a challenge, but he maximized the space with clever upgrades while keeping the appliances full size. Fridge, gas cooktop, and a combo appliance like you’d find in a deluxe RV. It’s a microwave and a convection oven.”
While Stan discussed the pros and cons of kitchen redesign with Lynda, Arnie wandered away. On the other side of the room, the long wall leading to the back of the apartment was painted with a dark toned colonial blue.
The first thing he noticed were baskets and bowls cluttered atop a long half-moon table sitting beneath a wall calendar. As he got closer and could make out the theme, he was shocked and pleased to see a New York Yankees monthly calendar. A bunch of smelly markers sat in one of the bowls.
Stan said she’d been wearing a Yankees hoodie, and now, here was a Yankees wall calendar.
A little farther along the wall, his heart seized, and goddammit if tears didn’t sting his eyes and make the damn contacts swim. It was the Tintagel picture. He thought he’d never see it again, and this time, when he did, his fingers stroked the shabby chic wood frame. He remembered his recent conversations with Hadley. The presence of Merlin’s cave in Summer’s life was no fluke.
Neither was the Yankees paraphernalia.
Clearing the kitchen, he found himself in the living room. Instead of the gargantuan Brady Bunch couch he expected, Arnie found a discreet, functional, and very plain gray sofa set. It reeked of IKEA.
Beneath the big window were a table and chairs. Beyond the window and clearly visible was the backyard space and a pool. He scowled anew at the flimsy doors leading to the private yard. An entry door with a frosted glass top offered little safety or security.
Good god.
Lynda and Stan caught up with him. He joined them mid-conversation.
“Check this out,” Lynda crowed. “The bathroom has the same footprint as the kitchen. They’re back-to-back.”
Arnie’s bushy eyebrows rose. From a practical standpoint, it was a clever concept.
Right inside the bathroom door were a large closet and a built-in cabinet. Beyond was a long counter with a bowl sink. The room was long and narrow, so every inch of space was put to maximum use. On the other side of the sink was a linen closet next to the tile enclosure for the toilet. A walk-in shower dominated the back wall.
Stan asked a bunch of questions about the built-ins and plumbing while Arnie studied the long blank wall. There was a window for ventilation and, once again, no additional security.
His eyes skimmed a basket of stuff on the back of the toilet. Nothing stood out, and he was about to turn away when a laughing snort shook him. Nestled amidst a bunch of hair ties, hand sanitizers, and hand cream samples sat two bottles of Poo Pourri. The very same stuff Dottie tucked inside everyone’s NIGHTWIND Christmas stocking along with a note begging them to use it.
Every time he found or felt another thread connecting his life to Summer’s, he took it as compounding proof of their destiny.
Leaving the bathroom, he went back to the main part of the guesthouse to continue formulating a strong mental visual of the layout. In the living room, he looked to the right. The back door and another window made up the back wall. An archway and a visible door must lead to