The Inn at Holiday Bay: Kidnapped in the Kitchen

Book 33: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Mystery; Animal Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

A kidnapping, a shooting, a baby on the way, and three lives in the balance.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys seaside mansion, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay, 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 33 in the series, Georgia not only has a secret only Abby knows about, but she is kidnapped from the kitchen she's using to film her cooking special, and no one knows who took her or where she was taken.

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Release date: March 18, 2025

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Print pages: 140

Reader says this book is...: entertaining story (1) escapist/easy read (1) unexpected twists (1)

Sample

Chapter 1

“Are you Abagail Sullivan?” a woman clutching a hardcover book asked as soon as my best
friend, Georgia Carter-Peyton, and I were seated on the rooftop of our favorite lunch spot, the
Bistro at Holiday Bay.
“I am,” I smiled, suspecting that a request for an autograph was to follow. It had been a while
since my alter ego, Abagail Sullivan, had been in the spotlight, but with a new series in
production, my publisher had decided to promote my backlist in the hope of garnering
excitement for the new series, so my name and photo had been all over social media.
“I’m such a big fan of your work. I was worried when you hadn’t published anything new for
a while, but then I heard that something new was in the works. I decided to stop by the local
bookstore in the courtyard and ask about a new book, and a nice woman named Lou told me that
you were working on a new mystery series.” The woman referred to Lou Prescott, the owner of
Firehouse Books.
“That’s correct. The first three books in the series won’t be published until next year, but I’m
really excited about the direction the series might take and have soft plans to extend the plot
beyond the three books I’m already contracted for.”
The woman looked at her friend and squealed, which caught the attention of other nearby
diners.
“Would you like me to sign your book?” I asked.
She held it toward me. “Would you? I truly wanted to ask you to sign my book, but given that
you’re here for lunch with your friend, I didn’t want to impose.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I said. “Although I don’t have a pen.”
“I have a Sharpie that’s perfect for book signings,” Georgia said, digging around in her purse.
More often than not, Georgia was the one who was being asked for an autograph, and it seemed
like she was always prepared.
After Georgia handed me the Sharpie, I signed the book and returned it to the enthusiastic
reader, who ran a finger over my large scrawl.

“I don’t suppose you want to give me a hint about the subject matter of the new series,” she
wondered. “You said it was a mystery, but is it romantic suspense, thriller, or cozy?”
“I suspect the publishing house will classify it as a traditional mystery infused with a hint of
romance and a measure of suspense. I can’t give too much away, but I will say that to this point,
the characters have really captured my imagination and drawn me in. If you enjoyed the book I
just signed, I suspect you will find my new book equally enjoyable.”
The woman thanked me again for taking the time to speak with her and sign her book, and
then she and her friend continued walking to their table.
“It looks like I’m not the only one with super fans,” Georgia teased.
“I think Cindi with an ‘i’ was a regular fan and not a super fan, which reminds me that I
wanted to ask if Brad ever called you back.”
Brad Kingman was the new owner of the cable television station that produced Georgia’s
cooking show, Cooking with Georgia.
“Not yet,” Georgia replied. “But the man is busy and has more important things to do than to
concern himself with the fact that someone, most likely one of my fans, is sending me expensive
flowers and gifts.”
Georgia was a public figure with a growing fanbase who often received fan mail and even
gifts. But when an ordinary fan turned into a super fan, Georgia had learned from experience that
it was best to nip things in the bud. “I realize that your show is really taking off, and that might
mean an increase in fan mail, but the sheer volume of notes, flowers, and gifts seems excessive,”
I pointed out.
“I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but the notes aren’t signed, and so far, the flowers and
gifts have been delivered anonymously. I spoke to Brad about it, and he agreed that the gifts
were a bit over the top, but he didn’t think they were meant as a threat. I agreed with him, and we
decided to let it go, but he also said he would assign me a bodyguard if I felt unsafe at any
point.” She sipped the iced tea we’d ordered when we’d first been seated. Since we were waiting
for our good friend, Lacy Parker, to arrive, we’d decided to hold off ordering our meals.
“Given your previous experience with overzealous fans, I’d take this seriously. You might
even want to accept a security detail in certain situations.”
Georgia just looked at me. “Really? You want me to have someone following me around as I
go about my day. Do you have any idea how invasive that would be?”
I supposed Georgia had a point. “Have the notes been creepy or threatening in any way?” I
asked.
She shook her head. “They’ve been the opposite, in fact. Most of the notes that weren’t
accompanied by gifts have provided a message similar to, ‘I saw your show this week and really
enjoyed it.’ I guess there have been a few comments that might be construed as creepy, such as a
relatively detailed description of the color of my eyes and how the gold specks in them seem to
twinkle when I laugh, but I can’t say that I’ve ever felt threatened by the content of the notes.
The only reason I brought it up to Brad in the first place was because of the frequency of the
correspondence and the increased value of the gifts.”

“Twelve long-stemmed red roses most likely set your fan back a pretty penny. I wonder why
he had them delivered anonymously.”
Georgia shrugged. “I’m not sure. Since Brad was at the television station when the roses
were delivered, he asked the delivery guy about the sender. Of course, the kid who delivered
them didn’t know who’d sent them, so Brad called the owner of the flower shop, who told him
that the flowers were ordered and paid for online. The name on the order form was simply ‘a fan’
and nothing else. The flowers were paid for with a cash app that tracked to an account owned by
someone identified as GBH Media. Brad looked into it, but the owner of GBH Media is only
listed as GBH.”
“GBH Media sounds like a name that might be associated with another television station.
Maybe someone is setting things up to poach you from your current situation.”
“Maybe, but Tanner said he has never heard of GBH Media and figures that the name is a
fake, or GBH Media might be the umbrella used for one of those content creators or social media
influencers. I honestly have no idea who sent the flowers at this point, but Brad seemed to think
the guy or girl sending the flowers is harmless and, at some point, will likely make their intent
known. I wasn’t as sure, but Brad reminded me that I’m a hot commodity right now and have
likely come to the attention of others in the industry.”
“I guess it is true that some businessmen prefer to play games rather than just coming out and
presenting their offer or idea. But whoever is sending the gifts has put out some serious cash.
That really doesn’t sound like someone hoping to work with you professionally. Flowers,
especially a dozen long-stemmed red roses, and jewelry seem like the sort of thing someone
intent on more than cooking would send.”
“Maybe. I’m not overly worried at this point. Tanner, however, wanted me to be careful
while he was out of town, which is why I called and left a message for Brad as soon as I received
the sapphire necklace and why I decided to stay at the inn while Grover stays at the house and
looks after the dogs.”
I knew that Grover was one of Tanner’s newer trainers, but he’d taken care of the dogs in the
past when Tanner was away. “You know the entire inn family is happy to have you any time.” I
reached across the table and put my hand over Georgia’s. “Honestly, I love that we’re roomies
again, even if it’s only for a week.”
“I’m also enjoying our time together, although I feel bad about kicking Bailey out of her
room.”
She referred to Bailey Sullivan, my daughter by choice, who lived in my second bedroom
with her seven-month-old daughter, Hazel.
“Bailey and Hazel are fine with Haven,” I assured her, referring to Haven Hanson, my other
daughter by choice. “Even though I hate to admit it, I think Bailey prefers staying in Haven’s
cottage now that we’ve permanently relocated her into the two-bedroom next to mine. I guess I
get it. Since the two girls are about the same age, they have many things in common. When
Bailey first moved into my cottage, I think she found comfort in living with me. She was alone in
the world and needed an anchor. She seemed to have adopted me as her mother figure, and I
think she felt safe when I was around. But now that she’s turned eighteen and has gotten used to
being a mother to Hazel, I suspect she’s ready for some independence.”

“Are you thinking of permanently moving Bailey and Hazel into Haven’s cottage?’ Georgia
asked.
Was I? I wasn’t sure. The thought had occurred to me, but at this point in my life, I think I
needed Bailey and Hazel even more than they needed me. Of course, if I moved them, they
would be right next door, which meant I could still see them whenever I wanted. It would be
different, though. Just like things between Georgia and me had been different since she’d married
and moved in with the love of her life, Tanner Peyton. Tanner and Georgia lived on the property
directly bordering the east side of the estate where the inn we both owned and operated was
located. But even though she lived right next door, I still missed the intimacy we’d shared as
roommates.
“I’m not sure,” I eventually answered Georgia’s question. “When the basement first flooded,
and we had to move Haven out of the inn and into a cottage, I think Haven and I saw it as a
temporary move. But the inn is back up and running, and the basement is a livable space again,
yet I haven’t asked Haven to return to her apartment. Having Haven closer to Bailey and me has,
in my opinion, worked out quite nicely, and I believe that Haven thinks so, too. I suspect she felt
isolated in the inn, although we both know she’d never admit that she was anything less than
happy there.”
“Since it seems like Haven will be staying in the cottage, what are you planning to do with
the basement?”
“I’m not sure. You and I have discussed options, and Mylie, Jeremy, and I have also
discussed options.” Mylie and Jeremy Slater were a married couple who lived and worked on the
property, along with their eleven-month-old son, Danny, and Jeremy’s thirteen-year-old niece,
Annabelle Cole. “Lonnie asked me just yesterday what I’d decided to do with the space, and I
told him I wasn’t sure, but I really should give it serious thought. It will remain empty, at least
for now.”
Lonnie Parker was Lacy’s husband, a friend, and my contractor.
I held up a hand and waved. “It looks like Lacy made it.”
Georgia turned and waved as well.
“I’m sorry that I’m late.” Lacy settled in at the table that Georgia and I had already procured.
“Mary’s stomach was feeling queasy, so the school called and asked me to pick her up.” Lacy
referred to one of her six children.
“Poor thing,” Georgia said. “I’ve been fighting nausea for weeks as well and thought
something might be going around, but so far, my stomach issues really haven’t developed into
anything. I hope Mary merely has what I’ve had and isn’t getting the flu.”
“She doesn’t have a fever, and she kept the chicken noodle soup and crackers I gave her for
lunch down, so I suggested that she take a nap while I met you both for lunch. She has her cell
phone and knows I’ll drop everything if she needs me to come home, but I don’t think she has
the flu. I think she’s just stressed, and I suspect that might also be what is going on with you.”
“In my case, maybe,” Georgia said. “I have a lot going on with the launch of the cookbook
and the specials to film, but why would Mary be stressed? She’s nine.”

Lacy laughed. “I can’t wait until you have kids. You’ll have so many new experiences, and I
earnestly anticipate observing how you handle every one of them. But in answer to your
question, the world can be a very stressful environment for a nine, almost ten-year-old child.
Mary has the sort of personality that tends to have big feelings about a lot of different things. If
one of the kids at the school Meghan and Mary attend makes a rude comment to either girl,
Meghan will shrug it off, but Mary will obsess over it for days.”
“Has someone been mean to her?” Georgia asked.
Lacy poured herself a glass of iced tea from the pitcher our waitress and Georgia’s sister-in-
law, Nikki Peyton, had left for us before answering. “I’m not sure that anyone has been mean to
her in this instance. I was merely using the mean girl thing as an example of how Meghan and
Mary are different.”
It did seem as if Lacy’s six children all had different personalities.
Lacy continued. “If Mary gets worse or if the stomach pain doesn’t go away by the time I get
home, I’ll call the pediatrician, but I suspect my tender-hearted daughter just needed to process
whatever seems to be on her mind. Going home from school with a stomachache was her body
giving her a way to do that.”
I admired how Lacy always seemed to know the best thing to do.
“And you aren’t worried that she’ll fall behind in her classes?” Georgia asked.
“Mary is a self-motivated straight-A student. She won’t fall behind.” Lacy picked up the
menu. “Have you ordered?”
“No,” I said. “We were waiting for you. Nikki said that the daily special is a lobster salad,
and prime rib with horseradish sauce on a heated bun is today’s sandwich of the day.”
“Both sound delicious, but I think I’ll go for the salad,” Lacy said.
We all decided to order the salad. Once Nikki left to put our order in, Lacy asked Georgia if
she felt ready to begin filming the eight-part series she planned to film to promote her cookbook,
which was coming out the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
“I think I’m ready,” Georgia answered. “I went by this morning and ensured I had everything
I’d need to make the recipes from the cookbook I have scheduled for episodes one and two.
Aside from doing some additional prep work at the inn before tomorrow evening’s filming, I
believe I’m ready.”
“And the film crew and staff?” Lacy asked.
“They’re supposed to be checked into the hotel by the end of the day today. The plan is to
film the eight episodes in four days, but Brad arranged for the film crew and staff to be here for
five days. That way, if something goes wrong or refilming something is necessary, we’ll have a
day to take care of things.”
“Today is Tuesday,” Lacy said. “Will you film Wednesday through Saturday, with Sunday
being the ‘just in case’ day?”
“That’s the plan,” she confirmed. “Honestly, the timing is perfect since Tanner is out of town
this week. He’s not expected back until Sunday, and I should either be done filming or wrapping
up by then.”

“So, what’s Tanner up to this week?” Lacy asked.
“He’s delivering a search and rescue dog he’s been working with. The S&R team leader set
up a series of fake rescues traversing some fairly rough terrain as a test. Tanner felt confident the
dog would do fine, but I always get nervous when the dogs are tested. It’s almost like those sweet
things are my babies, and I don’t want them to fail.”
“That’s not surprising,” Lacy said. “The dogs live with you and Tanner during the training
phase. Many of them come to you as puppies. It would be crazy if you weren’t attached to them.
In fact, if it were me, I’d find it hard to let them go.”
“It can be hard at times, but I know the dogs have an important job to do. The dogs Tanner
trains will go on to save lives or, at the very least, improve the quality of the life of someone
impacted by illness or disability. And I have Ramos. He’s my all-the-time baby.”
I smiled at that comment since Georgia’s all-the-time baby weighed nearly two hundred
pounds.
“Speaking of Ramos,” Lacy said. “I was chatting with one of the moms in the pickup line at
the elementary school, and we somehow got onto the topic of the popularity of gourmet dog food
and doggy bakeries. She suggested that you do a cooking show devoted to doggy treats. I thought
it was a good idea and promised to mention it the next time I saw you.”
Georgia smiled. “I do like that idea. I could have Ramos on set with me, which would be fun.
Believe it or not, I thought about adding a section to the back of the cookbook dedicated to dog-
friendly recipes, but I ended up skipping it since the book was already so long. Maybe a dog-
friendly cookbook can be my next project.”
“I bet it will be popular,” Lacy said. “Lonnie and I try to be careful about the people food we
give Sadie. She’s an active dog, so we aren’t overly concerned about a few extra calories, but
since so many foods are toxic to dogs, we try to keep an eye on things. Of course, the kids are
always sneaking bites of their food to her, which we discourage. If we had dog-friendly cookies
and casseroles on hand, then Sadie could feel included in the meal, and we’d know the food we
were giving her was both healthy and safe.”
“I really do love the idea,” Georgia said. “I’ll look into it.”
Nikki came by with our salads, which caused our discussion to migrate from cooking shows
to beautiful presentations. Our friend and head chef at the Bistro, Amy Hogan, always managed
to make the food she served look so pretty.
“So I stopped by Amy and Cambria’s new place this weekend,” Lacy referred to Amy’s sous
chef and new roommate, Cambria Collins. “I was expecting it to be nice given that it’s right
across the street from the beach, but the view from their front patio is simply stunning.”
“They did manage to get the best condo in the complex in terms of view and proximity to the
beach,” Georgia agreed.
“They really were lucky to hear about the place before it was even listed for lease,” I said. “If
they hadn’t slipped under the radar, I’m sure the place would have been gone in minutes.”
“I guess this was one of those times where it pays to know someone,” Lacy agreed. “Lonnie
has ended up with several lucrative jobs lately that he didn’t even need to bid on after a client
he’d worked with in the past referred him to a friend or neighbor.”

“I found Lonnie via word of mouth,” I said. “And I never even considered another contractor
for the inn’s renovation after meeting him. Lonnie has this way of knowing exactly what you’ll
want even before you know what you want.”
“Lonnie really is the best,” Georgia agreed.
“Speaking of Lonnie’s job, did he start that new project?” I asked. I knew he’d been doing a
series of small jobs while he helped our friends, Alex Weston and Leo Atwell, with the new dog
rescue facility they were building.
“He isn’t going to start the new job until July, but, in the meantime, he has several small
projects to keep him busy. The kids will be out of school in less than three weeks, so I hope we
can take a family vacation before the new job starts. Once Lonnie gets into it, I doubt he’ll have
much free time until he’s finished.”
“Did you have a destination in mind?” Georgia asked.
“Probably camping. Camping is the only affordable vacation you can take when you have six
kids.”
“You could leave the kids with their grandparents, and then you and Lonnie could go
somewhere luxurious,” Georgia suggested. “Maybe somewhere with a spa.”
Lacy laughed. “Lonnie is more a camping person than a spa person, but I recently checked
out that new wellness center in town. Have either of you been?”
I responded. “I haven’t had the chance to stop by, but I spoke to Kelly, who managed to snag
a position as the front desk clerk, and she said that the response from new clients has been
overwhelmingly positive.” Kelly Howard was new to Holiday Bay. She’d first shown up in town
after her car broke down on the highway between the inn and town, and Jeremy had pulled over
to help her. When it became apparent that her vehicle would be in the shop for at least several
days, we offered her a place to stay. After getting to know everyone, Kelly decided to stay in
town. She’d moved into a two-bedroom apartment with another of our guests, Kyle Young, and
then found work at Elevate, the new wellness center everyone was raving about.
“You’ll need to stop by when you have the time,” Lacy encouraged. “I took a yoga class and
then had a massage. The place is just so calming and peaceful. Elevate truly is the sort of place
you need to fully experience in person to appreciate.”
Georgia and I promised to check it out as soon as we had the chance to do so. We continued
to chat about all the different services and products the wellness center offered before merging
onto a topic related to the Memorial Day event the town was hosting. It was a comfortable
conversation with familiar friends, and the meal was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and
conversation, but I couldn’t help but notice that while Lacy and I polished off our salads, Georgia
barely touched hers. Given the upcoming filming schedule, which was sure to be brutal, and the
commotion caused by her super fan and his extravagant gifts, I knew Georgia was under
considerable pressure. I just hoped that, like Mary, the stomach issues were due to stress and not
something viral. If Georgia became ill as the filming of her special episodes got underway, that
could result in a significant setback.
Lacy wanted to get back to Mary as soon as lunch was over, but Georgia and I had planned to
do a few errands before heading back to the inn, so we said our goodbyes, and then Georgia and I
headed toward the farmers market. Jeremy and Haven were going to take over the cooking duties

at the inn this week so Georgia could focus on her cooking show, and both had asked for plenty
of fresh produce to make salads and sides. With the early arrival of spring weather and the
higher-than-average temperatures, my team had decided to focus on grilled meat, fresh salads,
and seasonal veggies as the basis from which to build their meals.
“Let’s not forget the strawberries,” I said to Georgia. “Haven and Bailey have been going on
and on for days about how much they want to have strawberry shortcake with homemade ice
cream.”
“The inn is full again this week, so we’ll need to keep that in mind when considering
quantities,” Georgia said. “I’m glad the weather is so nice since I think the guests will enjoy the
grilled food, and I suspect grilling will make things easier on the staff.”
“When does the family with four children check in?” I asked. Our suites were really designed
to accommodate two adults and up to two children on the sofa bed, but this particular family had
four children, and they were willing to work with what we offered in terms of sleeping
arrangements, so we decided to let them build beds on floors if that was what they’d wanted to
do.
“Not until Friday. We have two doubles and four singles this week, so if we add the staff, we
should probably count on having fifteen for dinner. It is, however, always nice to have more than
we need in case Colt stops by or someone decides to invite a guest, so let’s plan on twenty for
meals this evening through Thursday, and then we’ll recalculate once the weekend group checks
in.”
“I don’t think Colt is going to have time to stop by until school is out, but I agree with your
strategy,” I said.
Colt Wilder was Holiday Bay’s Police Chief and my boyfriend. He was raising his niece and
nephew, Tyler and Mackey Hudson, and didn’t come around as often as he used to, but once
school was out for the summer, Colt’s parents planned to send the kids to visit family on the
West Coast while they went on a road trip in the motorhome they’d purchased a while back. As
for Colt and me, once his family was away, I had great expectations that the two of us would be
able to spend some quality time together.
Once Georgia and I had loaded up our cart with fresh greens, seasonal fruit, ears of corn, and
baskets and baskets of berries, we loaded everything into the cargo area of Georgia’s Jeep, and
we headed across the street to the pharmacy. Georgia’s stomach seemed to have gotten worse
rather than better since lunch, so she decided to buy an over-the-counter nausea aid.
“You mentioned at the restaurant that this had been going on for weeks,” I said as she
compared the two brands. “How long exactly?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A few weeks, I guess. Maybe a month.” She paused to think
about it. “I guess I started having periods of nausea after Tanner and I returned from our trip, but
they seemed to come and go. Initially, I figured I’d eaten something bad while we were in Turks
and Caicos, but eating a bad clam wouldn’t make me nauseous for this long.” She set one of the
bottles she was comparing back on the shelf and put the other in her basket. She smiled. “We did
eat a lot of exotic food, and we drank a lot more alcohol and fruity drinks than we normally
would in our everyday lives. I suppose my gut bacteria might be all wonky. I need to get through
this week, which is going to be grueling, but if I still feel funky next week, I’ll call the doctor.
She may want to prescribe probiotics.”

Georgia picked up an over-the-counter probiotic and began to read the label. “I guess I can
start with one of these.”
“Is there any chance that something other than a stomach bug is the cause of your nausea?”
She frowned at me. “Like what?”
I walked down to the end of the row and plucked a pregnancy test off the shelf. I walked
back down the row and handed it to her.
“You think I’m pregnant?”
“Is there any possibility that you could be?”
I could see that she started to say no, but then she stopped. The strangest expression crossed
her face.
“Georgia, are you okay?”
She looked at me and then shook her head as if coming out of a trance. “I’m fine. I was
merely thinking about your question, and the answer is that, while it is unlikely that I’m
pregnant, I guess it is possible. The birth control method I’m currently using causes me to skip
my period about half the time, so when I missed last month as well as this month, I didn’t really
think about it. But now that you asked and I am thinking about it, I realize there have been other
signs that your hunch might be correct.”
I nodded toward the test she still had in her hand. “Only one way to know for sure.”
She looked down at the box. “I’ll buy this, and we’ll head back to the cottage. This isn’t the
sort of thing I want to do in a public bathroom. If I am pregnant, I’m going to need to be
somewhere that will allow me time and quiet to process things, and if I’m not pregnant, I’m also
going to need to be somewhere quiet where I can have time to process things.”
As odd as that sounded, it all made perfect sense.

Chapter 2

When we arrived at the inn, Georgia announced that she wanted to take the groceries in and
get everything put away before we tackled the question: “Was she or wasn’t she.” I could tell she
was stalling, but I supposed I didn’t blame her. The irregularity of her periods could explain why
missing one or even two might not have raised any concerns. Then, when she started feeling
nauseated after returning from an exotic trip down south, she might have merely chalked that up
to a reaction to something she ate while away. If she hadn’t already suspected the nausea might
be caused by a pregnancy, then I imagined her mind was whirling over the possibility.
“Hey, guys,” Mylie said after walking into the kitchen through the back door with Danny on
her hip and my dog, Molly, and Georgia’s dog, Ramos, trailing behind her. “How was your
lunch?”
“It was good,” I said. “It’s always nice to catch up with Lacy. How were things here?”
“Uneventful, although the pilot in suite three was upset about our television channel selection
when he wanted to watch a sporting event on a premium channel we don’t get. I tried to explain
that while we offered several premium channels, the sports package wasn’t one of them. He
wanted to argue about our logic in choosing the upgraded movie channel over the sports package
even after I pointed out that most guests don’t come to the inn to watch sports, but then the
widow in suite two talked him into a walk along the bluff, and I haven’t seen them since.
Hopefully, he’ll drop the whole sports package issue and enjoy the rest of his trip.”
“You know, I think our pilot may be the first guest ever to complain that we don’t offer the
upgraded sports package,” I said. “It sounds as if you handled it just fine, and hopefully, the man
will have moved on by the time he gets back from his walk. Did the couple in the attic suite find
the makeup case the airline misplaced?”
“The airline delivered it today. I was somewhat surprised that they had someone drive all the
way here from Bangor, but I guess the couple did travel first class. The last time I lost my
luggage, the airline offered me a fifty-dollar flight voucher for my trouble, but they never found
the bag they lost. Of course, my ticket was a last-minute deal in coach and was already

discounted, so I supposed they didn’t feel that I warranted the VIP treatment.” She opened the
refrigerator. “Are we going to grill the filets and chicken tonight as you indicated we might?”
“I thought we’d just do the filets,” Georgia answered. “I was originally going to do chicken if
we had any guests who tried to avoid red meat, but I took a quick survey this morning, and
everyone said they’d prefer the steak, so steak is what we’ll do.” Georgia picked up her
pharmacy bag, which she’d left on the counter when she’d brought everything else in. “I’m
going to head over to the cottage to rest. I got the strawberries Haven and Bailey have been
asking for, and the corn looked really good, so we might want to grill a bunch of ears along with
the meat. I also have bread from the bakery that can be buttered and grilled. Have Haven toss
together a green salad. If she has any questions, tell her to send me a text. I don’t start filming
until tomorrow, so I’ll be back before we eat.”
With that, Georgia left, taking Ramos with her.
“Is she okay?” Mylie asked.
“I think she’s okay. Considering all the events that have been occurring at the television
station, she’s been experiencing a significant amount of stress. I don’t think she’s been sleeping
well, either, so a nap will do her good.”
Mylie agreed and then headed to the converted carriage house where she lived with her
family. Molly and I decided to head out to the seasonal pond area, where Jeremy was working to
get everything unwinterized and ready for summer. I really loved this time of the year when
every day resulted in a different part of the grounds coming to life. Jeremy was an excellent cook
and exceptional handyman, but he was an even better gardener. He had a knack for gardening
and seemed to know his plants. He had a system for bringing color to the grounds, and I, for one,
would never think to mess with it. While it was still early for some of the annuals that would fill
the planter boxes around the patio, the shrubs surrounding the pond were turning green, and the
nighttime temperatures were warm enough to warrant getting the seasonal pond’s pump going
for the season. We hadn’t accepted reservations for the two cottages at the back of the property
near the seasonal pond until after June first since the summer temperatures arrived at different
times each year. But I suspected that the area surrounding the pond would be lush and green by
the time the first cottage visitors arrived.
“Things are looking good,” I said as I took a moment to admire the significant improvement
in the pond’s appearance. The pump was working, and the waterfall was gently flowing over the
rocks that Jeremy had meticulously cleared of all the winter debris.
“I hadn’t originally planned to try to tackle the whole thing today, but once I got started, I
couldn’t stop.” He stood up from a squatting position and pushed his hands into his back. “I
called the nursery to inquire about the plants I ordered to replace the ones that died over the
winter, and they said they were expected with the midday order and promised to call me when
they arrived. I’m hoping to be able to pick them up when I pick Annabelle up from school. I
won’t have time to plant them until tomorrow, but it will be nice to get them placed and see how
the whole thing looks.”
“I think it is going to look gorgeous, as always,” I said. “The pond always looks so lush and
tropical by the time you’re done with it, and the sound when the waterfall meets the rocks is so
soothing. I can understand why we have guests who actually choose a pond cottage over an
ocean view, even on those occasions both are available.”

“I do have a specific vision for the area.” He wiped his hands on his pant leg. “As long as
you’re here, I wanted to ask about the color scheme for the patio area. I know we don’t plan to
plant the annuals until around June first, but when I spoke to the man at the nursery today, he
suggested we order the flowers early since there is so much demand for annuals during the spring
and summer months. It sounds like placing our order sooner rather than later will be essential to
ensure that we have our preferred flowers and colors. Do you have any thoughts?”
“I’ve enjoyed all the color combinations we’ve tried, and any of them would be fine again.
Although, if you had something different in mind, I’d be open to hearing your suggestions.”
“What about using orange in the mix,” Jeremy suggested. “I realize that orange is generally
considered a fall color, but if we mix it with colors such as blue or purple, it should really pop.”
I smiled. “I like the idea. If you can find the right flowers to use, go for it.”
Jeremy and I continued to chat about the colors to use in the various beds around the estate
until Mylie walked up with Danny. I spoke with both Slaters for a few minutes and then headed
to my cottage, where I found Georgia sitting on the sofa. She had the test in her hand, but her
expression wasn’t telling me how things had come out. “Well?” I asked.
She looked up at me. “I don’t know. I followed the directions and sat here to wait, but I’m
too scared to look.”
“Are you afraid that you are pregnant or that you aren’t pregnant?”
She took a moment before replying. “Both, I guess. On the one hand, Tanner and I definitely
want children at some point. On the other hand, we’ve talked about this a lot and have decided
that the timing isn’t quite right. I’m in the middle of a big and fairly ambitious contract with
Brad, which will be much harder to fulfill if I’m pregnant. And while Tanner came out of the
whole lawsuit fiasco okay, he seems to have gotten behind with some of his goals and timelines,
and it seems important to him to catch up.” She took a deep breath. “We’ve gone over and over
this many times, and it seems important to both of us to do things right. Initially, I wasn’t sure
what the right thing was, but in the end, we both agreed that the right thing to do was to wait.”
“So if you are pregnant, you’re afraid that will throw off your and Tanner’s plans.”
“Exactly.”
“However…” I said since I knew she had strong feelings about either outcome.
She placed a hand on her flat stomach. “However, the minute you suggested that I might be
pregnant, the face of my beautiful little girl flashed into my mind. I believed I was content with
waiting for her and that the plan Tanner and I devised made a lot of sense, but when I realized
that she may already be with me, I was overwhelmed with a profound feeling of love. I can’t
explain it. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. But it was as if my heart burst with
happiness when I realized that the tiny being destined to be my child might already be napping
safely in my womb.”
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. “That’s beautiful.”
The hand that Georgia had resting on her stomach began to rotate rhythmically.
“If the test is negative, then I suppose you can still talk to Tanner about altering the timeline
you settled on.”

“I could do that, but feeling in control of his life before we had a child seemed very
important to him. He wanted to wait at least two years.”
“Will you be okay with that?”
She took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “I will. Eventually. If I’m not pregnant, I think
I’m going to be sad that I have to wait for the baby I already love, but I’ll be fine.”
I pulled Georgia into my arms and hugged her tight. I tried to funnel my strength into her
body as she’d previously done for me so many times. After a good two minutes, she pulled back.
She turned the test over and looked at the results. I didn’t even have to ask what the test said
when a river of tears only served to bring luster to her brilliant smile. ...