A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,75
the cottages.”
Tia froze in place, staring at Meg. “Is this because of me? Because I needed a place to live?” She almost didn’t want to ask, but she had to know the truth. After the words were out though, she realized how selfish they sounded. Of course they hadn’t changed their plans just for her.
Meg hesitated and Tia’s fears were confirmed. They had changed their plans to accommodate her. She didn’t know whether to feel flattered or devastated to have squashed Meg’s plans. The barn restaurant was incredibly important to Meg. Had she been included in the decision to alter the construction timeline?
“No, it wasn’t completely because of you.” Meg looked in the direction of the Inn and barn. “There’s so much left to do in the barn before we start renovations. At this rate, I doubt I’ll even be finished clearing it out before the cottages are refurbished.”
Tia scrutinized Meg’s face. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Meg grinned. “I’m sure. With my new role on Coffee Talk Seattle, and everything going on with the Inn, this just isn’t the right time to start on the barn. I'm going to use the extra time to make sure I know exactly what I want for the space.”
With tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, Tia impulsively threw her arms around Meg. “Thank you.”
Meg patted her back. “No problem.” She stepped aside and grimaced at the cottage. “But I think we’ve got our work cut out for us to make this livable.”
Shawn waved his hand in the air. “Eh, it looks worse than it really is.” He pointed to the door. “Does anyone want to take a tour?”
A thrill shot through Tia and she nodded her head vigorously. “I know I do.”
“Well, let’s do it.” Shawn climbed the porch steps and unlocked the door, letting it swing open. “The power’s off out here, but that’s an easy fix.”
Tia and the others followed him inside. After her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the small entry, she tentatively made her way into the living room. The air was musty, but didn’t contain the telltale reek of mold and mildew. Natural light shone through the big front window, illuminating the generously sized room and fireplace.
Meg, Zoe, and Shawn trailed behind Tia, letting her take it all in first. She quickened her pace, striding through to the kitchen in the back. With every step she took, she became more excited about the prospect of living there. The kitchen was dated, but, like the living room, in decent shape for not being used in over a decade.
She stopped in front of a dirty window to peer into the backyard. The grass was long, and the shrubs and weeds had long ago overtaken it, but she could see how it once had been, and what it could be in the future. They circled through the kitchen back into the hallway, and she peeked into the bathroom. A clawfoot tub sat under the casement window. She’d always wanted one of those.
Shawn cleared his throat. “The bedrooms are upstairs.” He moved down the hallway, past the bathroom.
Tia hurried to catch up to him, and they all went upstairs. Shawn and Zoe seemed familiar with the layout, but from the way Meg was examining everything, she’d never been inside the cottage either. They reached the top of the stairs, exiting onto a landing bracketed by a door on each side.
“Wait, are there two bedrooms?” Tia asked. “I thought the cottages all had only one bedroom.”
Shawn shook his head. “No. The ones closer to the Inn, like where Zoe and I live, are smaller. Down at this end, most were built for families and have at least two bedrooms. One even has three for larger groups.” He pushed open a door and gestured for her to enter.
The room still held a full-sized bed with a brass frame, a tall bureau, and a nightstand—all covered in a thick layer of dust. The window looked out over the front of the cottage, revealing a lovely partial view of the bay.
Tia’s eyes blurred with tears as she turned to face them. “I love it. Thank you.” She pivoted slowly, taking in her new home. “It’s awfully big though. Maybe one of the smaller cottages would be better for me?” Although she’d always admired this particular house, she didn’t need two bedrooms. Maybe it would be better to save it for future guests.
From the doorway, Meg cleared her throat. “Um, how