Page 12 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

Nell blushed and beamed at me. “Thank you. Melinda did such a great job. Now, I’m ready to spruce up my wardrobe. Dad gave me some money.”

“That was generous of him,” I said. “First, we’ll have lunch and then we’ll go to Styles and some other shops to look for new clothes for you.”

“I’m already feeling better,” said Nell. “Dad is taking the kids to lunch and the zoo. He was such a great father, and now he’s a wonderful grandfather.”

“A great man, period,” I said, wrapping an arm around Nell’s shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

Instead of sitting for a while at André’s, Nell opted to go to Ken’s Bar and Grill downtown for a hamburger.

“A hamburger there is a lot better than the kids’ favorite place,” she said, sitting in the passenger seat of my car.

“Perfect. Ken’s has delicious salads, too,” I said. “Tasty everything.”

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Sitting in a booth at Ken’s, I could watch people come and go. Locals loved Ken’s, and though it was busy, not many tourists were present, which made it a special gathering place.

Facing Nell, I said, “Good news. The hotel employees are delighted to have you. Rhonda says, ‘Welcome Aboard’. They’re ready for you to begin tomorrow. The job will entail flexible time slots, so be prepared.”

Nell reached across the table and gave my hand a squeeze. “Thank you. This is going to be fabulous for me.”

“I think so, too,” I said. “If you decide to stay, a job at the hotel can be yours. But if you stay, what about the kids’ schooling?”

“Because Bailey is in private school, I don’t think it’ll be an issue for her to switch to a public school. Ned is still young enough that a change shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Both will go to public school here?” I asked.

“Yes, it’ll be much cheaper, and I know Angela’s children go there,” Nell said.

“Sally Kate has dyslexia and will be going to a private school, but Evan is thriving at his public school.”

“That’s even better, knowing there are other options,” said Nell. “The important thing for Bailey and Ned is to be near family. After Clint’s father died and his mother remarried, she has very little interest in our family.”

“It’s wise to talk about this,” I said, “but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. You and Clint need to discuss it and have some privacy together.”

“I know. But for once I’m beginning to think of me and what I want,” said Nell.

We finished our lunch and went to Main Street to Styles, the clothing shop where I bought most of my clothing.

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Christine greeted us at the door and gave us each a hug. “It’s nice to see you back in town,” she told Nell. “And, Ann, I have some new items I think you should look at.”

“Thanks. I’ll look,” I said, “but we’re here for Nell. She needs a couple of work outfits and other items to spruce up her wardrobe.”

“It’s time,” said Nell. “I haven’t been shopping in a while and will need clothes for working at the hotel. Simple, classic dresses, skirts, and pants. Then I want a few others just for fun.”

“Are you staying in town?” Christine asked Nell.

“Maybe,” Nell said. “I’m working at the hotel this week. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

“Okay, I think I have exactly what you need. Come with me. I’m going to pull some clothes from the back.”

After she showed us several items, Nell chose a number of them to try on. Nell might’ve complained about letting herself go, but she had the ability to make any item she wore look fantastic on her.

After a couple of hours, Nell was ready to leave with several outfits for both work and play.

Wanting to keep my focus on Nell, I asked Christine to set aside a couple of dresses for me to try on at a later time.