She pushed her cart up and down each aisle, marking off each item on Simone’s list as she went along. Simone was going to feed the crew working on the inn. Carly had insisted upon it last night when the three of them finally sat down and started drawing up plans for the remodel. Brooklyn knew it was Simone’s idea to reopen the inn. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that Carly had been living the life of a recluse, and she mentally kicked herself for not figuring it out sooner. Conversations she’d had with Brystol over the years played on repeat in her mind, as she searched for signs that Brooklyn should’ve picked up on indicating Carly needed help. Nothing stood out. And she’d never thought to ask her daughter if her vivacious grandmother had turned into an eccentric homebody. Brystol wouldn’t have known the difference, and that made Brooklyn sad. Back in the day, Carly Woods was a sight to behold. A standout beauty among others, and the life of the party.
Brooklyn carried a tray of flutes filled with champagne around the crowded room. Everywhere she looked, women were dressed in glamorous ball gowns while the men were in tuxedos, chatting happily and looking more beautiful than Brooklyn could even imagine. After Carly had asked her and Monroe if they would fill in as servers for the annual Tulip Gala, a yearly fundraiser hosted by Carly and Skip Woods, Brooklyn found herself imagining what it would be like to attend the event as a guest. Her dress would be a full ball gown, in baby blue, with tiny diamonds sewn over the tulle covering. She would wear her hair up, in a braided bun, and a tiara, and when she would spin in a circle under the crystal chandelier, her dress would sparkle. Someday, she had thought to herself. Until her moment came, she would do what Carly asked.
She walked around the room, asking people if they would like a glass of champagne and taking their empty flutes if they had one. Monroe carried a tray of hors d’oeuvres, and each time Brooklyn passed by, her mouth watered. Bacon-wrapped scallops were her favorite and the only seafood she could stomach. She loved going out on Austin’s boat, and she loved fishing, but couldn’t bring herself to eat it. There was something about the smell that never sat right with her. Carly had tried numerous times, making the sea bass, salmon, and trout many ways, but Brooklyn could never find an acquired taste for seafood. She thought for sure, once Austin figured this out, that he would break up with her since his life revolved around fish, but he’d told her it didn’t bother him if it didn’t bother her.
“Mr. and Mrs. Woods, may I offer you a refill?” Brooklyn stopped at Austin’s parents and held her tray out and smiled. Carly was dressed in a red gown with a massive diamond necklace resting at the top of her dress. She was beautiful. Skip was an older version of Austin, dressed in a tuxedo. While Brooklyn and Monroe worked the inside, Austin, Graham, Grady, and Bowie were outside parking cars as the valets, and later the teens would help clean up. They were always helping Carly.
“Oh, Brooklyn, let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Long. Mrs. Long is on the committee with me. I shared some of your ideas for the tulip festival with her, and she loved them. Theresa, this lovely young woman is Brooklyn Hewett.”
Brooklyn steadied her silver serving tray and shook Mrs. Long’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too. Carly speaks very highly of you.”
Brooklyn blushed. She’d had no idea Carly was sharing her ideas with anyone but was happy to know that Carly thought highly of her. “It was nice meeting you.” She was unsure what to say after a compliment like that.
Throughout the night, Brooklyn served food, brought fresh drinks, and cleaned empty plates away. When the auction started, she stood off to the side and watched as the roomful of people threw money at Carly. By the end, the fundraising total exceeded their expectations.
It wasn’t long after the Tulip Gala that Skip passed away from a massive heart attack while at sea, and when he did, a little of Carly’s spirit slipped away, but she was steadfast, making sure Austin and his friends only saw her smile. Austin was her light, her pride and joy, and when he died, it seemed that his mother went with him.
Carly had mere months to come out of her funk, especially if she wanted the inn to return to what it used to be: a staple of Cape Harbor and Skagit Valley. It was the awe-inspiring place where everyone loved to visit, even the locals. Once word got around that the inn was going to reopen, which in a small town like Cape Harbor wouldn’t take long, Brooklyn expected companies to jump at the opportunity to host their holiday parties in the ballroom and to book their out-of-town guests to stay. She could see it now, the inn decorated for Christmas with thousands of white lights outlining the peaks and eaves of the building, and on the inside, trees of all sizes in the rooms guests would frequent, each styled differently. When she was a teen, she’d loved spending hours helping the staff give each tree its own identity. It was always the tree in the ballroom that would get the most attention. Hours upon hours, staff would spend decorating it with many strings of lights and bulbs. The topper was always a star to match the night sky. One time, Austin sneaked her into the ballroom to see the tree. On that night, the moon was low and beaming through the large windows. When he turned the lights on, everything sparkled. It was an image she would never forget. It had been years since she’d seen something so beautiful, and memories like that made her want to help bring back the prestige the inn’s name once held. One thing Brooklyn wasn’t sure of was whether the kitchen was going to open back up.