“This job would have taken us weeks or cost a fortune,” Ivy said. “But we have to manage them well, or things will spiral completely out of control.”
“And feed them.” Shelly nudged Ivy. “Once they’re finished with the inside, I have an outside list to start on.” She glanced out the window, and her face lit up. “Oh, good. Breakfast is here.” Shelly raced to the door.
“Good morning,” Mitch said, looking like he’d just come in from a morning surf. His hair was spiky and damp, and he wore an old T-shirt and shorts with flip-flops. “You call, Java Beach delivers.” He had several boxes filled with coffee, pastries, and yogurt-granola parfaits, along with bananas, apples, and oranges.
Ivy smiled. So that’s who Shelly was on the phone with so early this morning.
A couple of their nephews, Skyler and Reed, jumped up to help. Shelly led Mitch into the kitchen, and everyone followed, swarming around the aroma of coffee and food.
“Good to know Java Beach delivers.” Ivy helped Shelly arrange the food on the counter while their younger nieces and nephews helped themselves.
“I figured Mitch would be up early, and he offered to bring everything over,” Shelly said. “He’s a sweet guy.”
“I think he likes you,” Ivy whispered, arching an eyebrow. She wasn’t surprised. With her natural beauty and easy-going ways, Shelly drew men with hardly any effort.
Shelly shook her head. “He’s too young for me. But he’s awfully nice.”
Their father insisted on paying Mitch, who gave Shelly a broad smile before he ducked out the back door. “See you around,” he called out to Shelly.
Ivy poked Shelly in the side. “See? You definitely have an admirer.”
Their older brother Forrest, a rugged outdoorsman who owned a construction company, gave a sharp whistle. “Attention everyone. You’ve all volunteered—or were goaded, shamed, or tricked—into being here.”
Laughter bubbled across the room as everyone grabbed pastries and coffee.
Forrest went on. “But we’re all here to help our sisters—your aunts—get this mess under control,” he said with a wink. “And let’s show them how glad we are that they’ve decided to move back here with us.”
When the cousins broke out in a cheer, Ivy and Shelly gave a few high-fives. It did feel good to be back among family.
“The Seabreeze Inn opens June first,” Forrest said.
“If not before,” Ivy added.
Forrest stretched his arm around Ivy. “I expect there will be an opening party, sis?”
“I can promise a party,” she replied. “Though we can’t officially operate as an inn until the zoning is changed. Still, your friends can find us on the iBnB website once we get this place spruced up and take photos.”
Her niece, Poppy, shot up her hand. “I can do that. And create your social media pages.”
“You’re on,” Ivy said, relieved. She’d offer to pay her, of course. Ivy hadn’t had time to think about the social media they’d need. Poppy had graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and was building her marketing business. She’d done a fantastic job helping their sister Honey’s daughter, Elena, promote her jewelry business in Beverly Hills.
Ivy unfolded her list. “Okay, here’s what we need to do. I’m going to divide you into teams with captains, and each team will have a section of the house to clean. If you see something that needs to be repaired, tell the captain, who will keep a list and call the repair team—that’s our engineer graduates and fix-it folks—Dad, Forrest, Reed, and Sierra.” Sierra had just graduated as an electrical engineer, and Reed had studied construction management.
Ivy caught an approving look from her mother. Carlotta had settled onto one of the stools, and Ivy hoped she would leave the hard work to the grandchildren. Her mother had aged, though she still looked vital and energetic—and easily a decade younger than her years. Sterling looked healthy, too.
A wave of guilt overtook Ivy. Having been wrapped up with the needs of Jeremy and the girls for so many years, she had often neglected to visit her parents, though they frequently spoke by phone. The thought that her mother or father might be concealing an illness terrified her. After losing Jeremy, she would be devastated to lose one of her parents.
Ivy shook off the thought and returned her attention to the other family members before her. “All right, team number one.”
She went on, separating her siblings and nieces and nephews into teams. “The first team to finish with a job well done—no sloppy shortcuts—gets a surprise.”
Ivy motioned to the long center counters filled with spray bottle and rags, brooms and mops. “Shelly will tell you what you need to use. Now, get your supplies and start work.”
“Woo-hoo!” Shelly banged a pot with a spoon and let out a rallying cry. Cheers went up, and everyone gathered around her.
Ivy made her way to her mother’s side. “Thanks for gathering everyone, Mom. I guess this old ship has set sail.”
“This is how we finished our home before we moved in.” Carlotta clasped Ivy’s hand. “We had a fix-up party, and my brothers helped your father hang cabinets, while my sisters helped me paint and hang wallpaper. Family pulls together, mija, even though we sometimes disagree.”
“I’m determined to see this through,” Ivy said, her hands on her hips. “The house is all I have. Since it hasn’t sold, I’ve got to do this, or face losing it to a tax sale.”
Ivy’s father hitched on a tool belt and joined them. “I didn’t know you were in such a dire situation,” he said frowning.
“I can manage, Dad.” Her parents had helped them all through college, though she and her siblings had also worked, earned scholarships and grants, and took out loans. Five children were a lot to support, and Sterling and Carlotta had supported their own parents, too.
“You were always responsible,” Sterling said, beaming at her. “Good to see you making sound decisions.”
Carlotta turned to her.
