Page 31 of The Perils of Pretending
Robbie gives me a hug, moving on to Mom and Brody. “Hey, guys. Am I late?”
I check my watch. “No. We have twenty-five minutes until dinner starts.”
He frowns. “I might have to take a stroll around the property then. I don’t want my grandma to know I can be punctual.”
We all laugh.
Robbie might be late to things on purpose. Brody’s that way because he gets distracted.
“We have a golf cart you can use to transport your luggage,” Shari says, interrupting us. “Do you have any questions?”
“Do you have free Wi-Fi?” I ask.
Brody smacks my shoulder. “We’re here to relax, not work.”
If he thinks being around the Ashcombes is in any way, shape, or form relaxing, he’s gone delusional. “I don’t plan on being a slave to my computer. We have a list to complete. It’s only in case Dani needs me. She’s leaving for Oregon in three days to finish writing her next book. She might need my help as her editor.”
Mom chimes in. “You’re allowed to check email once a day, but that’s it.”
“Deal.”
Shari smiles sympathetically. “There’s a guest book in the cabin with the password.”
I take the map from the counter. “Thank you. We’ll be back soon for dinner.”
Robbie says goodbye and we load our luggage in the three-row golf cart. Brody drives us along the paved path to our cabin. Sparse trees line the pavement. I catch a glimpse of the bay, the sun shining brightly, making the water look bright blue. I inhale, luxuriating in the smells and sight before me. I hope we have fish tonight for dinner.
We pull up to the two-story cub cabin. The place is bigger than I expected. Grabbing all my luggage, I wheel it to the porch.
Brody scans his card, opening the door for us. I step inside, my jaw dropping. The place is a log cabin, with an upscale kitchen to the left, the dining room next to it, and the living room to the right. Stairs are straight ahead leading to the second floor. I leave my suitcases in the entryway and bound up to the second floor.
The master bedroom and connecting bathroom are to the right. The king bed frame is made of pine. A pretty blue plaid comforter set with enough pillows to make a decent fort decorate the bed. The room is cute with a touch of outdoors brought inside. This will be Mom’s domain.
Down a short hallway are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The first bedroom has two sets of bunk beds also made of pine. Each bed is covered in a hunter green bedspread and white sheets with pine trees on them. Amassive cream-colored rug is spread across the floor, covering most of the wood.
The second bedroom has a queen bed with the opposite bedding. The comforter is white with green trees and the sheets are solid green. The bedside tables are made of the same pine as the rest of the furniture in the cabin. A metal moose-shaped lamp rests on each nightstand.
“Dibs on the single bed,” Brody says right behind me.
Of course, as the youngest one here, I get stuck with the bunk beds. I’m a little claustrophobic, but I’ll play Goldilocks and figure out which bed is most comfortable and deal with feeling like I’m in a coffin with the lid too close to my face. If it gets to be too much, I’ll join Mom in the king bed.
“Fine.” It’s a good thing there’s a large closet and plenty of floorspace between the two bunks. “I’ll suffer with the kid room.”
“Sadie, hurry and get changed,” Mom says, inspecting the room I’m standing in. “We need to head back to the lodge for dinner.”
Right.
Time to get this reunion officially started.
I quickly change into a black sundress, throwing a denim jacket over the top. The shower is calling my name. I swear my hair absorbed the stinky cowboy’s scent from the first flight. I can’t wait to wash it out. I hope Grandma didn’t plan on an activity tonight so I can do a thorough washing from head to toe before bed.
Tying my white sneakers, I wonder which family member will insult me first (excluding Grandma, who already took her turn).
Only one way to find out.
Chapter 13
Sadie
