Page 52 of The Wedding Twist

“I’m so glad to hear that, Celeste,” Stephan said. “I’ll have my assistant make arrangements and send you the details. Is Tuesday morning okay with you?”

“Perfect,” she said. She couldn’t tell if the nausea she was feeling was from her hangover or the decision she’d just made.

“We’ll look forward to seeing you then.”

“Likewise,” she said.

“Oh, and Celeste,” he said, “it’s probably best not to have that type of video circulating. For your professional reputation.”

“Agreed,” said Celeste, her stomach sinking with embarrassment. “That…was a one-off.” A one-off caused by a total disappointment.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you Tuesday,” said Stephan.

“Me too,” she said. “See you then.”

She tossed her phone onto the couch, then looked out the window and saw her parents down by the water. Perfect. They were together, with no one else around.

Celeste took the gravel path down to the waterfront, to the seasonal boathouse where they kept the canoes and kayaks. Everett was wiping down boats with a rag, while Jeannie was organizing paddles into piles.

“Hey, sweetheart,” said Everett. “Can you believe it? We don’t usually take these out until June. This’ll be a record for getting out on the water. Want to take one out for a spin with me?”

“Ah, no, not today,” Celeste said. “But glad to see you’re doing better. I hope you don’t plan on lifting those on your own.”

“I’ll get help,” he said.

“He’s threatening to sleep outside tonight,” Jeannie said, rolling her eyes at Celeste.

“I’ve been cooped up for four days. I feel like a caged animal,” said Everett. “And I can’t get over this weather. We’ve usually got a foot of snow still.”

“Well, before you head out,” said Celeste, “I need to talk to you both.” She perched on the armrest of a Muskoka chair, then nodded toward the other seats. “Can you two take a quick break?”

“Sure thing,” said Everett. He wrung out the rag he was using, wiped his hands on his pants, then sat down across from Celeste.

Jeannie sunk into the chair next to him. “I heard you put on quite a show at the brewery last night. Is Ava okay? I had half a mind to text Calista and see if there’s anything going on at home.” Calista was the nanny that Ava employed to help with school drop-off and pickup. She stayed with Sam until Ava got home from work and lightened Ava’s load by keeping the condo tidy and doing some meal prep. Jeannie was worrying about the wrong daughter.

“What? No. Mom! You text with Calista?”

Jeannie shrugged. “What? Ava doesn’t always answer her texts.”

“Does Ava know that?” Celeste had to bet the answer was no. Of the four of them, Jeannie’s nosiness drove Ava the most up the wall.

“Beats me,” said Jeannie.

Celeste shook her head. “Ava’s fine. Listen. I haven’t made any decisions yet. But I want you both to know that I’ve been invited out to Lagoon Island on Tuesday. There’s a new resort being built there, and they’re interested in hiring me to manage the staff.”

She studied her parents’ expressions. Jeannie’s eyes widened and she smiled, and Everett looked impressed. Was it genuine?

“That’s great news, honey,” said Jeannie, but her voice lacked enthusiasm.

“Lagoon Island,” said Everett. “I was there for a wildlife-tracking seminar back in ’87. It’s stunning. Pretty off the grid, though, as far as I can remember.”

“I know. I’m just going to check it out,” said Celeste. “I haven’t committed to anything.”

“Well,” said Jeannie, “good for you. They’d be lucky to have you.”

“They sure would,” said Everett. “Make sure you insist on benefits. And a good salary. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Thanks. I will,” said Celeste. It was a strange feeling, telling her parents, who were also technically her employers, that she might be quitting. She hadn’t expected them to beg her to stay. Likely they knew as well as she did that her tenure at the lodge was uncertain with the new owners. She hadn’t expected them to be overly happy for her either; her departure would put more strain on them while they continued operations until the sale.

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