The Inn at Holiday Bay: Clue in the Cottage

Book 27: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Animal Cozy Mysteries; Culinary Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn't seem to convince to leave, and a new family she'd never be able to live without.

In book 27 in the series, it’s summer in Holiday Bay and the flowers are in bloom. Abby meets a mysterious stranger who is destined to bring changes to her life she could never see coming, Mylie is awaiting the birth of baby Danny, Jeremy and Haven are determined to stay on top of things in the garden, and Georgia merges toward a part time commitment at the inn as her show, Cooking with Georgia, begins to expand and grow.

With so much going on, Annabelle decides to attend day camp with Colt's niece and nephew as they adjust to life in Holiday Bay on a full-time basis.

Meanwhile, the cottages have been opened for the season and the inn is full to capacity when first-time guests Rowen and Linda reserve the entire property to celebrate their 35th anniversary. When the couple's friend and financial advisor turns up dead, everyone begins to wonder if perhaps the announcement of an amendment to Rowen and Linda's will might be behind the unexpected turn of events.

 

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Release date: May 14, 2024

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Print pages: 167

Sample

Chapter 1

The mysterious young woman with jet-black hair tucked into the collar of a trench coat three
sizes too large for her small frame moved awkwardly through the crowd. I’d noticed her a few
times in the past few weeks, and each time I’d seen her, she’d been wearing that same overly
large trench coat despite the sunny spring weather we’d been blessed with. I wasn’t sure why I
felt drawn to her silent presence, yet each time I’d noticed her, she seemed to have been
watching me, and I had to admit that I’d found myself unable to look away.
“Something on your mind, Abby?” asked my good friend, Georgia Carter, as the two of us,
along with our friends Lacy Parker, Mylie Slater, and Kennedy Swanson, watched a hotly
contested flag football game. It was Memorial Day, and half the town had turned out for the
annual picnic in the park.
I turned and looked at Georgia. “I’m sorry. I guess I was distracted.” I watched as the young
woman navigated her way through the crowd, paused to look in my direction for a final time, and
then effortlessly disappeared into the crowd.
“Distracted by what?” Georgia asked. “I’ve been talking to you for at least five minutes, but
at some point, I realized you weren’t listening to a word I’d said. In fact, you seem a million
miles away. Is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.” I looked around and tried to figure out where the woman had gone,
but she was nowhere in sight. “Remember the woman I pointed out during lunch the other day
when we were looking down on the sidewalk from the rooftop of the Bistro?”
Georgia nodded. “The young woman with the overly large trench coat. You pointed her out
and then mentioned that you’d noticed her walking along the bluff near the inn a while back, and
then after that, you’d noticed her around town several times.”
“Yes, that woman. I’ve noticed her a few more times since our lunch. So many times, in fact,
that it feels destined that we’re to meet, yet I can never seem to pin her down.”
Georgia began scanning the crowd. “Did you see her here today?”
“I did. I watched the woman make her way through the crowd as I tried to decide whether or
not to approach her, but she disappeared before I could even make up my mind.”
“Disappeared, as in poof?” she asked.
I smiled. “No, disappeared as in becoming lost in the crowd. I wish I would have made up
my mind to approach the woman sooner.”
“Do you think this woman is in some sort of trouble?” Georgia asked.
I frowned. “I’m not sure. Maybe. I just have this feeling that fate keeps putting her in my
path for a reason.”

“Fate?”
I shrugged. “I know this sounds odd, but something about the woman just seems to call to
me. I wish I could explain it better than that, but I can’t.”
Georgia looked back toward the field where the kids were playing flag football against the
adults and then continued searching the crowd beyond the field. My gaze followed hers.
“I don’t see her,” Georgia said after a few minutes.
“Yeah, me either. I guess I missed my chance.”
Georgia laced her fingers through mine in a gesture of support. “If fate is responsible for your
previous encounters, then logic would dictate that fate will grant you another chance to speak to
the woman. In the meantime, I guess we should be cheering for our men. It looks as if the kids
are killing them.”
“That does appear to be the case.”
Cringing as five preteen boys worked together to tackle my boyfriend, Colt Wilder, to the
ground, I turned my attention to my good friend, Lacy Parker, who stood next to me. She seemed
oblivious to the massacre on the field as she chatted with Mylie and Kennedy about the fact that
the school year seemed to have ended early this year. All three women had school-aged children,
so it made sense they’d all be interested in the same topic.
“It does seem that the schools let out early,” Mylie agreed, rubbing her very pregnant belly as
she shifted from one foot to another. “I’m sure Annabelle went to school for another week or two
after Memorial Day last year.” She referred to Annabelle Cole, her husband, Jeremy Slater’s
niece.
Kennedy responded. “In the past, the school year started later and then ended later, but the
school board decided to change things up this year. I guess that wrapping things up before the
end of May does feel odd, but in a way, it makes sense to do it that way. Those who have
vacations to plan or summer programs to attend can get an earlier start.”
“Are you and Addy doing anything special this summer?” I asked. Addy was Kennedy’s
twelve-year-old daughter.
“I know Addy’s father wants her to spend a few weeks with him at some point. He mentioned
a visit in July, but we haven’t set a firm date. Other than a week or two with her dad, I’m not sure
how I’m going to keep her entertained.”
“Mackenzie and Tyler are here for the summer,” I referred to Colt’s niece and nephew. “I
think Colt plans to send them to a day camp at least part of the time. Addy might enjoy
something like that.”
“It sounds like something she might be into,” Kennedy agreed. “I’ll talk to her about it.”
“I wonder if my kids would be interested in attending as well,” Lacy said. “The triplets get
along well with Tyler, and the twins love Mackie. Maddie will be mad that she won’t be able to
go, but she’s not even six yet, so I’m sure she’s too young. I’d need to find something fun for her
to do, but it would be nice to have five of the six occupied at least part of the time.”
“You should ask Colt about it,” I said.
“Ask Colt about what?” he asked after walking up behind me and kissing me on the cheek.

“Abby just told me about the day camp you’re thinking about sending Mackie and Tyler to. I
wondered if it might be something my five older kids would enjoy,” Lacy said.
“I have a brochure in my truck if you want to look at the pricing and the activities they offer.”
“I’d like to take a look,” Lacy said. “I’ll do that before we leave.”
I looked toward the soccer field where the flag football game was winding down. “It looks
like the kids are winning.”
Colt laughed. “They’re killing us.” He crossed his arm over his chest and rubbed his shoulder
with his opposing hand. “I think I’m getting too old for this.”
I smiled. I knew that being too old to be a good dad was a sensitive subject with Colt, but the
reality was that he was only forty-three, and he was in really good shape. Mackie and Tyler had
been living with their grandparents, Colt’s parents, ever since Colt’s sister and brother-in-law
were killed in an auto accident, leaving the kids orphaned. The kids were young when the
accident occurred, and it was determined that they would benefit from having a stay-at-home
mom or, in their case, a stay-at-home grandmom. But as far as I knew, the plan had always been
for Colt to take over as the custodial parent once the kids got a bit older. Tyler was a teenager
now and seemed to need a strong parental presence more than he needed a full-time parental
presence, so the dialogue between Colt and his parents seemed to have gravitated along the lines
of the kids moving to Holiday Bay full-time this school year.
Shortly after Colt had wandered over for a break, the game was called, and Mylie’s husband,
Jeremy, Georgia’s boyfriend, Tanner Peyton, and Lacy’s husband, Lonnie, wandered over to join
us.
“Now that the game is over, I thought we might head to our place to grill some steaks,”
Lonnie suggested. “Not that the hotdogs the town’s grilling don’t look delicious, but steak, baked
beans, and corn heated on the grill sounds even better.”
Everyone agreed that Lonnie’s plan did seem to be the superior option.
“I wanted to have you over to the house anyway,” Lacy informed Mylie. “I finished the crib
I’ve been refinishing for Danny, and I wanted you to take a look at it before I have Lonnie bring
it out to the carriage house. I think it looks pretty good, but I can still make small changes if
there’s anything you don’t like.”
Mylie grinned. “I’m so excited to see it. I can’t believe you and Abby went to so much
trouble for us.”
“I knew how much you loved the crib, and Abby and I wanted you to have it.”
On the way to the parking lot, Tanner’s sister, Nikki Peyton, showed up with her boyfriend,
Nick Jergenson, and best friends, Haven Hanson, Eden Halliwell, Lucy Lansing, and Joy
Christianson. As predicted, they managed to snag an invite to the cookout. Given the increasing
number of guests, I wondered if Lonnie had enough food to feed everyone. Deciding to ask, I
pulled Lacy aside.
“We have plenty of steaks in the freezer,” she assured me. “It won’t take long to defrost
them, along with some chicken for the kids and anyone who might not want steak. We have large
cans of baked beans in the pantry that can be doctored up with tomatoes and seasoning and then

heated, and we have plenty of fruit to make a salad. We could use additional ears of corn and
maybe something to munch on beforehand, like a couple of bags of chips.”
“I’ll ask Tanner to ride with Colt and the kids, and then Abby and I can run by the farmers
market and the grocery store,” Georgia offered. “We’ll get some bread for grilling as well as the
corn and chips.”
“That would be helpful,” Lacy replied. “I’d stop myself, but I’d like to go home and get
started on the other sides.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Georgia assured her. “Abby and I are happy to go.”
I told Colt what we were doing, and then Georgia and I headed toward Tanner’s truck. I
hoped it would be a quick trip to pick up what we needed, but, of course, given the fact that half
the residents of Holiday Bay were in town for the Memorial Day festivities, both the farmers
market and the grocery store were busier than usual. All we needed from the farmers market was
the corn, and since it wouldn’t spoil if left in the car for a bit, we decided to stop there first.
“You know,” I said as I paused by a stand selling the biggest tomatoes I’d ever seen, “you
were looking for ideas for some of the Cooking with Georgia specials you promised Brad, and it
occurred to me that doing a cooking show that focused on ingredients from the local farmers
market might have a wide appeal. You could interview the local farmers as you wander from
stand to stand, picking out produce, nuts, honey, and whatever else you might find in a place
such as this. Then you could cut to the inn’s kitchen, where you might prepare a meal using only
locally sourced ingredients and then serve the whole thing on the patio. It would be lovely to
feature Jeremy’s gorgeous flower gardens.” I referred to Brad Kingman, who had recently
purchased the television station that hosted Georgia’s cooking show.
Georgia smiled. “I really love the idea. I already have an outdoor cookout theme planned for
July, but I could use a fresh idea for June. I’d need to pitch the idea right away, but I think we can
make it work. I can have the camera crew meet me at the farmers market to film my interviews
and produce selection, and then we can do the filming at the inn the following day.” Georgia
reached over and gave me a hug. “Thanks for the idea. I really love the concept of a farm-to-
table sort of episode.”
“I’m glad I could help,” I said, slipping several huge tomatoes into a bag. “I’m going to grab
some fresh lettuce, cucumbers, and onions to go with these tomatoes. Lacy didn’t mention a
green salad, but these veggies look too delicious to pass up.”
“There’s a vendor who sells freshly made salad dressing over near the nuts and honey. I tried
the raspberry vinaigrette, and it was delicious.”
“The salad you made for Mylie’s baby shower was really good,” I said. “The one with the
mixed greens, pistachios, apples, pears, and pomegranate seeds.”
“That was a good recipe. The salad dressing I used was one of my own. It would take too
long to make it for the cookout today, but maybe it would be a good choice for the farm-to-table
special I’ve been developing in my mind ever since you mentioned the idea. I’ve added
strawberries to the salad in the past, which will make for an early summer feel.”
“That sounds wonderful. In fact, the salad might even be the sort of thing to include in the
Cooking with Georgia cookbook you’re working on.”

“I plan to have a soup, salad, and other starters section,” Georgia responded.
Once we paid for our selections, we headed over to the grocery store for bread for grilling,
chips for snacking, and something for dessert. I didn’t think Lacy wanted to take the time to
make anything complicated for dessert, so we bought a selection of gourmet ice cream
sandwiches, rich and creamy ice cream bars, and whole fruit juice bars to serve from the outdoor
freezer I knew the Parkers kept on their covered patio.
By the time we finally arrived at the Parker home, the group had gathered, and everyone
seemed to have settled in with their favorite beverage. Georgia and I each grabbed a hard
lemonade before heading to the kitchen to assemble the salad, butter the bread, and shuck the
corn. Lacy and Amy were already there, putting the other sides together.
“This corn is beautiful,” Lacy said as we began to place cleaned ears on the counter for
cooking.
“It looked as if the vendor had brought out a fresh batch just before our arrival,” Georgia
responded.
“The tomatoes for the salad are a work of art as well,” I added. “In fact, these gorgeous
tomatoes are what inspired me to suggest a farm-to-table special for the Cooking with Georgia
show.”
“How’s that going?” Amy asked.
“Which part?” Georgia asked.
“All of it. The show, the new boss, the new contract.”
Georgia paused before answering. “It’s going okay. There are things that I really like about
the new situation and things I really don’t. Brad has been surprisingly easy to work with. For a
very wealthy man who’s used to getting his way, he has been a lot more adaptable than I
expected. Of course, once things were up and running, Brad left the new station manager in
charge and moved on to other projects. Elroy is okay, but he gets these wild ideas and expects
everyone to simply jump on board without taking the time necessary to think things through. I
know there has been a lot of discontent from some of the crew assigned to other shows, but my
director seems to have shielded my show from the worst of it.”
“Your new director is a woman,” Amy confirmed.
Georgia nodded. “Blake Landcaster. She’s fairly new to the role, but she’s really nice, and
she listens to what I have to say. At first, I wasn’t sure about having someone with so little
experience, but she seems to know what she’s doing. I actually think that we’ll end up working
together quite well.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It sounds like the opportunity you’ve been presented with is a once-in-
a-lifetime sort of situation.”
“I guess. I am enjoying my work on the cookbook, and the specials we’ve filmed so far have
turned out really well, but I’m nervous about taking my show to the next level if Brad can work
out the syndication thing. At this point, I’ve just decided to take things as they come and then
wait to see how everything works out.”

“That makes sense,” Amy said. “I guess it’s been busy out at the inn with Mylie being on
limited hours due to her pregnancy.”
“It has been a busy time for the staff, who are pitching in to pick up the slack. At least the
baby is due in July and not January. I can’t imagine trying to keep up with everything if Jeremy
and Haven had a lot of snow removal to see to on top of everything else.” Georgia held up the
knife she was using to butter the bread for grilling. “Should we lightly season some of this?”
“Maybe half,” Lacy answered before turning to look toward me. “I made Mylie wait to see
the crib until you got here since the gift is from both of us. Should we show it to her before we
eat?”
“Let’s,” I said. “I can’t wait to see Mylie’s face when she gets a look at it. You did such a
good job.”
Lacy washed her hands in the kitchen sink, dried them with a paper towel, and suggested we
follow her to her workshop. Mylie wanted both Jeremy and Annabelle to be there for the big
reveal, so the group who made the trek across the yard was large.
“Oh my,” Mylie’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in delight before stepping further
inside the workspace. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
Jeremy took Mylie’s arm, and the couple stepped closer to the expertly refinished antique
crib. “This must have taken you so much time.”
“It was a lengthy process, but it was a labor of love, and I really wanted to do this for you,”
Lacy said, smiling proudly. “I think the stain you chose is perfect for the style of the crib.”
Everyone in the room agreed. The project had turned out even better than I’d imagined.
“I can’t wait to see how it looks with the dresser and changing table I got for my shower,”
Mylie said as she ran a hand over the crib’s headboard. She looked at Lacy. “When can we take
it?”
“Any time,” Lacy said. “It would be easiest if we moved it without taking it apart. I have
moving blankets and straps to tie it down, and we have a lot of extra muscles here today, so
maybe we can load it into Jeremy’s truck after everyone eats. Lonnie can go with you to help
carry it from the truck to the carriage house.”
“Colt has the kids, but I’m sure Tanner will help,” I volunteered the man without even asking
him.
“I’m sure he’d be happy to help carry the crib from the truck to the carriage house,” Georgia
seconded. “We don’t have any plans after we leave here.”
Since Georgia had basically been living with Tanner for the past month, she was in a better
position to volunteer his muscles than I was. She hadn’t made the move official to this point, but
she’d been slowly moving her stuff out of her bedroom at the cottage, and I couldn’t remember
the last time she’d spent the night there.
“Thank you again, everyone,” Mylie said as her expression took on a dreamy look. I
remembered the joy I’d felt when Ben and I had picked out the crib for our new baby boy. He
hadn’t used the crib long, but I could still see him all snuggled up under the thick puppy blanket
I’d found at a specialty shop, and just had to have. Remembering the contentment I’d felt in that

moment as I watched my sweet baby sleep peacefully within the cocoon of his crib bumpers was
enough to bring tears to my eyes all these years later.

Chapter 2

It had been three weeks since the Memorial Day cookout at Lonnie and Lacy’s place.
Annabelle had decided to attend the same day camp that Colt had signed his niece and nephew
up for, and so far, it seemed as if all three kids were having a wonderful time. In addition to
Annabelle, Tyler, and Mackenzie, Lonnie and Lacy’s five older children had also decided to
attend the day camp. Addy, who’d just turned twelve, was in the same group as Annabelle and
the triplets. I’d spoken to Kennedy about her equally positive experience with the day camp,
although Addy planned to take a break to spend time with her father in July. Maddie wasn’t old
enough to attend, but Lacy had found other moms interested in trading playdates, so even
Maddie seemed to be set for the summer.
Georgia had taped her Farm-to-Table special at the beginning of the week, which had turned
out to be even more awesome than we’d anticipated. In fact, it had gone so well that Georgia
thought she might do something similar in the fall with a harvest-to-kitchen theme. She already
had a script and a menu for the outdoor cookout in July and a Romance at the Beach segment,
which would be filmed and aired in August. The cookbook was coming along nicely, and the
first of the network interviews that Georgia had been stressing over since deciding to work with
Brad was set to be filmed in mid-July. I was still waiting to see how the rest of it would work
out. While Georgia was still very much present at the inn, she had a lot of irons in the fire, and I
could see that we would probably need to hire another full-time employee at some point.
Between Georgia, Jeremy, and Haven, they were getting the cooking done, but if Georgia
officially moved in with Tanner, which it looked like she would eventually do since she was all
but living there now, then another cook to fill in would become a necessity.
On the baby front, Mylie was impatiently awaiting the arrival of Daniel Alexander Slater,
named for Jeremy’s grandfather, Daniel, on his father’s side, and Mylie’s grandfather, Alexander,
on her mother’s side. The nursery was set up, and car seats had been installed in both Mylie’s car
and Jeremy’s truck; and, according to Mylie’s doctor, Danny would arrive on time in about three
weeks. I could remember how hard it had been at the end when you felt heavy and awkward and
sympathized with Mylie and the seemingly still long wait ahead of her.

As for our current guests, all the suites in the inn and all four cottages had been leased out by
a couple who chose the inn as the venue for their thirty-fifth-anniversary celebration. Given our
less-than-perfect experience with these sorts of events in the past, Georgia expressed concern
about having so many members of one family present at the same time when Rowen and Linda
Rosenthall expressed their desire to lease the entire property, but not only were Rowen and Linda
Rosenthall willing to pay the regular rate, they had called early enough that we didn’t have other
bookings to work around, so we decided to give it a try.
The Rosenthalls were due to begin arriving later this afternoon. The last time I spoke to
Georgia about it, she had indicated that half the group would check in today and the other half
would show up tomorrow. The family had booked the property for the entire week and seemed to
have planned a busy agenda for each day they were in town. Again, I hoped that the Rosenthalls
all got along and there wouldn’t be any family feuds to contend with.
“Something sure smells good,” I said after joining Georgia in the inn’s kitchen, where she
was baking something that smelled wonderful.
“Cinnamon bread for tomorrow’s breakfast buffet. I plan on asking Jeremy to slice it thick,
grill it like French toast, and serve it with cinnamon apples and freshly whipped cream.”
“I’ll need to make a point of coming by for breakfast. That sounds so good. Are you
expecting a crowd in the morning? I remember you telling me some guests would arrive today,
but others planned to check in tomorrow.”
“I emailed you a list. I know we both like to have an idea of the sort of personalities we
should expect, and I figured that with such a large group, it would be best to get a head start on
learning everyone’s name and preferences. I took a moment to speak to each guest on the phone
when I got their personal information, and I feel fairly confident that I have a preliminary idea of
how everyone fits together.”
While Jeremy and Haven had been helping with the cooking, and I knew that once Danny
was born, Mylie would be back on registrations and events, I also knew there was no one like
Georgia when it came to making our guests feel at home. When it came to connecting with
people, Georgia had a gift that came naturally, and I expected that it wasn’t the sort of thing that
could be learned. Georgia had assured me on more than one occasion that while her new job with
Brad would likely require her to cut back on her hours at the inn, she had no intention of leaving
altogether, which I truly hoped would be the case.
“Okay, so tell me about each guest,” I said, pulling up my list so I could follow along.
Georgia began. “Beginning with the cottages, Rowen and Linda Rosenthall will be booked
into cottage one. They are the ones who planned and paid for the entire weeklong celebration,
and as far as I’m concerned, they are the ones we’ll need to attend to the most.”
“I remember you mentioned that the couple plan to celebrate their thirty-fifth anniversary
during their stay.”
“They do,” Georgia confirmed.
“And do you know anything about the pair as a couple?”
“Not a lot. While this is Linda’s first marriage, it’s Rowen’s second. I know that Rowen and
Linda met when Linda went to work for Rowen at his real estate office. And I know that they fell

in love and married. Once they were married, Linda quit her job to raise the children while
Rowen built a real estate empire.”
“It sounds to me like you know quite a bit,” I said, wondering how Georgia was able to glean
so much information out of guests before she even met them.
“I guess I did manage to get a basic overview.”
“And how many children do Rowen and Linda have?” I asked.
“Four between them,” Georgia replied. “All are adults now. The eldest, Liz Linebacker, is in
her late thirties. She’s Rowen’s daughter from his first marriage. Liz has four children. Her oldest
is a son named Kyle Rosenthall-Henderson. Kyle, a product of a teenage pregnancy, lived with
his mother and grandparents when he was young but moved in with his father, Jeff Henderson,
after his mother met and married Randy. Kyle lived with his father until he left for college.
While Liz and Kyle are not close, Kyle is close to his grandparents, who invited him. Kyle
wasn’t willing to stay with his mother and her family and requested a suite in the inn. I’ve
booked him into suite six. In addition to Kyle, Liz had three daughters with her husband, Randy
Linebacker. Jaquie is eight, Julia is ten, and Jordan is thirteen. I’ve booked them into the two-
bedroom cottage near the pond.”
Even though we hadn’t yet discussed all the guests, it was apparent that there were a lot of
names to remember, and I was grateful that Georgia had taken the time to create a cheat sheet
with our guests’ names and room assignments that I could refer to when needed.
“And Rowen and Linda’s second child?” I asked. “Which I guess would be the eldest child
they had together.”
“Jacob Rosenthall, a son, is the eldest child Rowen and Linda had together. He’s currently
doing time in prison for his part in an embezzlement scheme, so his ex-wife, Melissa Conner,
agreed to attend the anniversary celebration with their three children, Ella, who is twelve; Eric,
who is fourteen; and Coby, who is seventeen. I likewise put them in a two-bedroom cottage. The
sofa in cottage three is a sofa-bed that makes into a bed, so we were able to accommodate all of
them in one unit.”
“Talk about an interesting family dynamic.”
Georgia laughed. “Tell me about it. I really hoped this would be a drama-free group, but the
more I learn about the relationships between family members, the more certain I am that we’ll
likely be in for some drama.”
I took a moment to really study the cheat sheet. “It looks like you reserved the second one-
bedroom cottage for Rowen’s mother, Maeve.”
Georgia nodded. “That’s right. Maeve is in her eighties, so I debated whether to put her in a
cottage or the first-floor suite. I figured the suite would require less walking to attend meals and
group activities, but when I asked Rowen where he thought his mother would be happier, he
assured me she’d be happiest in the cottage where she’d have more privacy.”
I supposed that made sense since having so many family members together was likely to
cause things to get loud at times. “Okay, that takes care of the cottages, so who do we have in the
inn?”

“The inn will be occupied by Rowen and Linda’s two younger children and a few others.
Brandon Rosenthall, the third child in the line of four Rosenthall children, will be in suite four.
He will be attending with his fiancée, Jasmine Forrest, a supermodel whose name I apparently
should have recognized but didn’t. I did, however, look her up, and it does appear that she has
been featured in dozens of magazines as well as several national commercials.”
“I look forward to meeting her,” I said. “And suite three?”
“Suite three will be occupied by Rowen and Linda’s youngest, a daughter, Kim Rosenthall.
As far as I know, she’s attending alone.”
“Okay, so Rowen and Linda’s four children are Liz, Jacob, Brandon, and Kim. Who else do
we have in the inn.”
“As I mentioned, Kyle, Liz’s son from a teen pregnancy, is in suite six and will be attending
alone. In suite one, we have Ross Rosenthall, Rowen’s brother, and suite two has been reserved
for a woman named Layla Stevenson, Linda’s sister.”
I paused to go over everything in my mind. “I guess that just leaves suite five.”
“Suite five will be occupied by a friend of Rowen’s named William Viceroy. I don’t know
anything more about him than his name.”
I clicked out of my mail program. “I may need to print that list out and really study it.
Although, I imagine it will be easier to remember so many people once everyone arrives and I
match faces to names. What do you have planned for dinner tonight?”
“A buffet, actually. When I last spoke to Linda, she was still uncertain how many of her
guests planned to show up today, so I decided a buffet would be easier than a sit-down meal, and
Linda agreed.”
“And the actual anniversary party?” I asked. “I assume we’ll be doing something special here
at the inn.”
“Actually, we aren’t. The couple is hosting a dinner at the Cliff House on Friday evening.”
The Cliff House was a high-end steak house set on a bluff overlooking a gorgeous section of
coastline.
“From what I understand,” Georgia continued, “Rowen and Linda have reserved the entire
restaurant that night.”
I raised a brow. “The family must have money. A lot of it. I remember you said that Linda
met Rowen when she went to work for him at his real estate office. I guess he must be a very
successful realtor.”
“Based on what I’ve been able to dig up, I’d say he is. Not only does his office specialize in
listing homes and commercial property in the seven and eight-figure range, but Rowen also buys
undeveloped land and develops it.”
It really did sound as if we were going to have an interesting week.
“So, how did your visit with Colt’s parents go?” Georgia asked as she returned to her
cooking while continuing the conversation.

“Not that the visit had anything to do with me, but it went well. Colt’s parents wanted to
check in on the kids, so they decided to stop by on their way to Florida, where they plan to board
the Caribbean cruise they’ve been talking about taking ever since I’ve known them. They were
only going to be in town for a couple days, so Colt arranged for the six of us to have dinner
together.” I paused and then continued. “It was nice.”
Georgia stopped what she was doing. “Your words say one thing, but your tone says
another.”
I took a breath. “It really was nice, and I do want to get to know Colt’s parents better, but I
always feel like an outsider whenever I’m with him and his family. Not that anyone is
intentionally unkind, and it seems like his parents go out of their way to include me in
conversations, but the reality is that in terms of the family dynamics, I am the outsider.”
“I’m sure they don’t see you that way. You have been dating Colt for a long time.”
“I have, and his parents seem to support our relationship, at least to a point, but I could tell
that his mom, at least, was a bit worried about how our relationship would affect Colt’s
commitment to take over as custodial guardian for Mackie and Tyler.”
“I suppose that’s a natural way for her to feel. I’m sure that letting the kids live with Colt
full-time will be a big adjustment for everyone. Colt’s mom has been parenting those kids since
she lost her daughter. Letting go isn’t going to be easy.”
I knew Georgia was right. This situation likely was difficult for Colt’s mother. I imagined it
was hard on everyone, but especially his mother. “On the one hand, when I spoke to Colt’s father
about the upcoming changes, I sensed relief. I think he did the best he could, but I think he was
ready to admit that dealing with Tyler’s behavioral issues was getting the best of him. But on the
other hand, when I spoke to Colt’s mother about the same changes, I sensed worry rather than
relief. I know she has agreed to the change, but I’m still not sure that she’s a hundred percent on
board.”
“Maybe this cruise will allow them the space they need to come to grips with the situation,”
Georgia suggested.
I hoped that was true. Colt’s parents were very nice people who’d been thrust into a very
difficult situation when their daughter and son-in-law had died. I knew it hadn’t been easy, but I
could see they’d done their best for their grandchildren. They were in the golden years of their
lives and really deserved to have this time to focus on whatever goals they may have for their
own lives.
“Did you bring Ramos with you today, or is he with Tanner?”
Ever since Georgia had been basically living with Tanner, Ramos had been spending the
majority of his time over there as well.
“I brought him with me today. He’s in the cottage with Rufus and Molly.”
“I think I’ll take them all for a short walk, and then I’m planning to head into town to have
lunch with Colt.”
“I guess it’s been difficult to find time together now that Colt is a full-time dad.”

“It has been, but we try to talk on the phone every day, and we make a point of getting
together for lunch while the kids are at day camp. So far, that seems to be working. It’s not an
ideal situation, and we may need to reevaluate things a bit now that it looks like the kids will be
staying through the school year, but Colt is committed to those kids, and I am committed to
making this work.”
“I know the two of you will figure it all out.”
“I won’t be long,” I said as I headed out the inn’s back door to round up the animals. “Maybe
a couple of hours if Colt has time to go out rather than having us eat in his office.”
Deciding to grab Haven’s dog, Baxter, as well, I headed toward the garden where Haven and
Baxter were helping Jeremy with the weeding, and then I grabbed Ramos, Molly, and Rufus and
headed down the path that bordered the sea. I didn’t want to be late meeting up with Colt, so it
was a very brief walk, but at least the dogs had the chance to stretch their legs. Once I returned to
the inn, I put Rufus and the dogs in the cottage, and then I let Haven and Jeremy know what I
was doing. When I arrived at the police station, I found Colt’s second-in-command, Alex
Weston, sitting at the reception desk. Colt was nowhere in sight.
“Where is everyone?” I asked Alex.
“Gabby’s at lunch, Brax is off today, and Colt is in the interrogation room talking to a woman
he picked up for shoplifting. He mentioned you’d be stopping by and asked me to let him know
when you arrived. Go ahead and have a seat, and I’ll text him.”
“I hate to interrupt him if he’s busy.”
“I think the interview is basically over. At this point, Colt’s just trying to figure out his next
move.”
Alex texted Colt as she indicated she would, and a few minutes later, Colt emerged from the
hallway.
“Any luck?” Alex asked after Colt entered the room.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Colt replied. “I received a call from the grocery store’s manager this morning. He explained
that he had video proof of a woman stealing cereal, milk, and fruit on multiple occasions. I guess
the woman had managed to slip out before he could confront her on the previous occasions, but
he noticed her when she entered the store today and asked me to come by and arrest her when
she left with the items he was sure she wouldn’t bother to pay for. I did as the man asked, and
sure enough, the woman had a box of cereal, a quart of milk, and a bunch of bananas hidden
under the trench coat she wore.”
“Trench coat?” I asked. “Does this woman have long black hair?”
“She does. Do you know her?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t know the woman, but I have seen her around town several
times in the past month or two. Every time I recall seeing her, she’s been wearing an overly large
trench coat, no matter how warm it is outside. Did she tell you her name?”

“Bailey. She refused to tell me her last name, and when I asked where she lived, she said here
and there. I assume she’s homeless, which does explain why she’s been caught on camera
stealing food. In the case of petty theft, I usually write up a report, issue a stern warning about
the wrath I’ll inflict if the individual in question is caught shoplifting again, and then allow the
shoplifter to go, but I’m not sure that allowing the woman to leave is my best option in this case.
Not only do I not have a full name or place of residence, but the woman is obviously pregnant,
and while she told me that she’s eighteen, she looks about fourteen.
“Did she have any type of ID on her?” I asked.
Colt informed me that she didn’t.
“So, what are your options?” I asked.
Colt leaned a hip against the empty reception desk. “I can let her go with a warning. If she is
stealing food to eat, then I doubt that will be the last of her shoplifting, but she may move on
now that she knows we’re watching her. If I choose not to let her go, I can always turn her over
to the county. They have the resources to keep someone in lockup that we don’t have here.”
“You’d lock her up for stealing cereal, milk, and fruit?” I asked.
“No,” Colt replied. “But given the fact that she looks to be a minor and refuses to provide a
last name, home address, or an ID of any sort, I can probably hold her pending an investigation.
To be completely honest, if I had a way to hold her here while I did some research, that would be
my first choice, but I don’t have enough staff to provide a babysitter once we close the office for
the day.”
I paused for a moment to really think things through and then came to a decision. “I know
this is going to sound odd, but ever since I first saw the woman wearing the overly large trench
coat, I felt we were somehow connected.”
“Connected?” Colt asked.
“I’ve just had this gut feeling that our lives were going to intersect, and I was supposed to
help her. I can’t explain it beyond that, but I’ve felt drawn to her each time I’ve noticed her.
Georgia and I talked about it after I noticed her in the crowd at the Memorial Day picnic, and we
basically concluded that if I really was supposed to help this woman, fate would put her in my
path. I feel like this is fate putting this woman in my path.”
“So what are you saying?” Colt asked.
What was I saying? Did I really want to take on any level of responsibility for this pregnant
woman who may or may not even have reached legal adulthood?
“I’m really not sure what I’m saying,” I admitted. “But I do feel like I’m supposed to help
this woman. Maybe I can talk to her. I don’t know why she’d open up to me if she wouldn’t open
up to you, but I’ve sensed her watching me the way I’ve been watching her. If I had to guess, she
feels the same connection I do. Maybe she’ll talk to me.”
Colt glanced at Alex.
“I think it’s worth a try,” Alex said. “I mean, really, what do we have to lose?”
“Okay,” Colt said. “You can talk to her. If you can get her to tell you who she is and where
she lives, maybe we can let her go with a warning.”

“And if she is homeless?” I asked.
He hesitated.
“I know you need to confirm her status as an adult if you feel uncertain about that. I can
understand that you need to make sure she isn’t a runaway or that she isn’t wanted by the law in
another town for a crime more serious than shoplifting, but if she is pregnant, you don’t want to
send her to the county for holding.”
“I don’t want to send her to holding, but I am limited in my options.”
“I know. I’ll talk to Bailey, and then we can talk again.”
Colt escorted me to the room where he’d left Bailey waiting, introduced me, and then left.
I sat across from the girl who had been catching my attention for the past month or so. She
did, in fact, look both younger and tinier up close than she had appeared from a distance.
“I know who you are,” she said as soon as Colt left the room. “You live on the bluff.”
I nodded. “Yes, I do. I own the Inn at Holiday Bay. I’ve noticed you around town. Have you
lived here long?”
She shrugged. “Not really. I move around and never stay in one place long, but I do like it
here.” I noticed that she placed a hand on her stomach, which was hidden beneath the trench coat
and the table. “I need to find a place to stay for the next few months, so I’ve been thinking about
sticking around for a while.”
“Police Chief Wilder mentioned that you’re pregnant. When is your baby due?”
“Not until October,” she said, adjusting her position in the chair. “Am I going to jail?”
“I guess that depends on you.”
She narrowed her gaze. “What do you mean it depends on me? Do I need to apologize? Make
amends in some way? I know stealing is wrong, and I’m very sorry, but I don’t have any money,
and I was hungry and knew I needed to eat.” She looked down at her stomach. “My baby needed
to eat.”
“I can understand that, and I want to help you, but in order for me to help you, I have to
understand what exactly is going on.”
Her expression grew wary. “What do you mean?”
“Police Chief Wilder needs to know more about you before he can allow you to leave. You
told him your name is Bailey, but you wouldn’t provide a last name. He’s going to need that.”
“Jones,” she said. “My last name is Jones. Now, can I go?”
“Not yet. We’re also going to need a birthday.”
“May. My birthday is in May. May the sixth. I’m eighteen years old. I don’t have a cell
phone, so I don’t have a phone number. I don’t have an address since I move around a lot. If you
let me go, I’ll leave town, and you won’t have to worry about me shoplifting in Holiday Bay ever
again.” She took a deep breath. “Please. I can’t go to jail. If you tell Police Chief Wilder that I
really am sorry that I stole the groceries and will never do it again, maybe he can let me go.”

Suddenly, I had an idea. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but it was an idea. “Police Chief
Wilder might be willing to allow you to leave as long as you pay the fine before you go.”
“Pay the fine? What fine? I just told you that I have no money.”
“That’s true.” I tapped my index finger to my lower lip, pretending I was contemplating the
situation. “I guess you could work off your fine.”
“Work it off? Doing what?”
“I know some people pick up trash and that sort of thing, but given the fact that you’re
expecting, it might not be the best idea for you to be out in the sun all day. I might be able to
arrange for you to pay your debt by working for me.”
“Working for you? Out at the inn?”
I nodded. “One of my employees is on maternity leave, so we’re a bit shorthanded. I could
use another set of hands. You’ll need to live on the property,” I continued. “The inn is quite a
way from town, and the job is the sort to require flexible hours. Meals will likewise be included,
and I think we can work out a fair payment schedule for your fine so that you’ll be left with a bit
of spending money as well.” I glanced toward her stomach. “You’ll need to buy things for the
baby. This job will allow you to do that.”
She shook her head. “I won’t need anything for the baby because I’m not going to keep the
baby. I won’t be able to care for her, so I plan to find someone who can. But having a place to
live and plenty of food to eat until she’s born would be nice. Do you think the job will last that
long?”
“I do,” I said. “So, are you on board?”
I could see that she wanted to accept my offer, but still, she hesitated.
“I don’t have any references or an ID. I’ve tried to get jobs in the past, but everyone wants
references and an ID. Are you going to be okay hiring me without these items?”
I knew I couldn’t hire the girl in the traditional sense, but I could provide her with room and
board and pay her fine on her behalf. Additionally, if she was living with me, it would give Colt
time to work on figuring out who she really was since I was willing to bet a month’s pay that
Jones wasn’t her real last name. He’d taken her prints and had her photo, so he had a place to
start.
“We can work out the details as we go,” I said. “All I really need from you is your promise
that you will do the work assigned to you, try to get along with the guests and other residents of
the inn, and not move on or run off until your debt is paid in full.”
“Okay. I can agree to that.”
“Great,” I said, knowing my next step was to explain my plan to Colt and convince him it
was a good plan. “I need to speak to Police Chief Wilder, but I should be back in a few minutes.
Are you okay? Do you need to use the ladies’ room? Are you thirsty?”
“I’m fine, but I would like to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“Okay. Hang tight. I shouldn’t be long.”

It took a bit longer than I’d anticipated since it took more than a little convincing on my part
to get Colt to agree to my plan. But once I convinced him that she was likely a scared teen on the
run who truly needed our help and that placing her in county lockup wouldn’t help anyone, nor
would releasing her into the wild, he finally conceded that my plan was pretty good. Once Colt
was on board, I called Georgia and filled her in. We decided to have Bailey bunk with Haven for
the time being. Haven had taken over the basement apartment when Mylie, Jeremy, and
Annabelle had moved into the carriage house, and since the basement had two bedrooms, there
was an unoccupied room available. In addition to the basement having the extra bedroom, I felt
that Haven and Bailey would get along just fine.
Once the decision to allow Bailey to come home with me was made, Colt began preparing
the necessary paperwork. Gabby returned from lunch and jumped right in with a story about the
new chef at Jaspers on the Bay while Alex took Bailey to fetch the backpack she’d hidden near
the grocery store before going inside to steal the cereal, milk, and fruit she planned to dine on
that day. The girl liked to travel light and didn’t have much, but I figured I’d take her back to the
inn, get her settled, and then we could prepare a list of the items we’d need. She was a tiny thing.
Five feet tall at the very max and thin as a rail except for the bump where the baby was
beginning to show. I supposed the reason Bailey wore the overly large trench coat all the time
was to hide her bump, but as summer really took hold, not only would it be much too hot to wear
the trench coat, but her baby bump would soon be large enough that hiding it wouldn’t be an
option.
I called and chatted with Georgia while Alex took Bailey to fetch her backpack. We agreed it
might be best to introduce Bailey to the Inn at Holiday Bay’s family slowly. Since she would be
bunking with Haven, it was decided that Haven would be the first inn resident to be introduced to
the newest member of our ever-growing family.