Page 29 of Summertime Forgiveness

ChapterEleven

“Hello, welcome to the Willberry Inn. How can I help you?” Jo smiled at the young couple standing before her with equally bright smiles of their own.

“Hi, we made reservations to stay here for a week,” the woman spoke, coming closer to the reception desk with the man following close behind. “It’s under the names Selena and Mark Johnson,” she clarified further.

“Okay. Let me check on that for you,” Jo replied. Turning her focus to the computer screen, she pulled up the Google booking calendar. “Ah yes, your reservation is here,” she confirmed, turning to smile at the couple once more. “The room is already prepared for you. I’ll take you up as soon as you sign here.” Jo pushed the signature book and a pen over to the couple. The man took the pen to sign.

“Great. Now let me show you your room.” Jo grinned, moving from around the desk. The couple followed her toward the grand staircase that led to the first and second floors. From over her shoulder, she could see the couple running their hand along with the smooth mahogany wood of the banister in appreciation.

“Is this your first time on the island?” she asked as they stepped onto the landing of the first floor.

“Oh, yes, it is,” the bubbly female replied while nodding profusely. “Mark and I just got married. We wanted to do something outside the box, you know, get away from the city and all its hustle and bustle. So naturally, we wanted it to be somewhere where we would be able to enjoy nature and just more time spent with each other,” she divulged.

“Oh, that’s lovely,” Jo spoke, turning toward them. “You’ve come to the right place then. There is so much that Whidbey has to offer. I know you won’t be disappointed you came,” she said confidently.

Both guests smiled warmly at her.

“I really like the beauty of this inn,” the woman stated. “The minute I saw it on the website, I just knew that this is where we should honeymoon, and then when I got here and saw it up close and just how beautiful the grounds were, I knew we had made the right choice. Right, honey?”

“Yes, right, darling,” Mark readily agreed.

Jo chuckled at this, knowing that Mark’s answer had been to appease his wife’s excitement. She could tell that Selena was talkative by nature as opposed to her husband, who she could clearly determine that he was shy and reserved. But he looked at his wife and hung on to her every word. Jo was certain he told her that he truly adored her and quite possibly only made the trip for her sake

“I’m glad you like it,” Josephine replied. “This inn has been in my family for five generations, but before that, it was a colonial home belonging to the once governor of Whidbey. We haven’t done much in terms of renovations because we wanted it to maintain that authentic feel of the past and the history behind its existence. At the same time, adding a few modern touches gives it the perfect balance, so it doesn’t feel overly antiquated,” she explained.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t change much because I am totally in love with this place,” Selena expressed.

“Be sure to say that in your reviews,” Jo spoke half-jokingly, earning a laugh from both guests. “Your rooms are this way.” She gestured toward the corridor closer to the set of stairs on the east side of the double grand staircase.

The couple followed her dutifully until she came to a stop at the door to their room. She unlocked the doors with the set of keys for the room, then pushed it open and ushered the couple inside. She could tell that they were pleased with what they saw and that, in turn, satisfied her.

The room, like all the others, could be described as a small self-contained studio space. The queen-sized bed stood against the far wall opposite the door. An antique wooden wardrobe filled out the space between the bed and the wall adjacent to it. A small sitting area adorned by a corner sofa and a small coffee table was on the next side of the bed and turned toward the large French doors that led out to a private balcony overlooking the property and the waters. Just to the left of the entrance to the room was the en-suite bathroom, separated by a door. The only thing missing was a small kitchenette. Most meals were prepared by the restaurant, or they could use the kitchen on the ground floor.

“Oh, wow, this is truly magical,” Selena gushed. She made her way over to the bed to run her hand over the duvet on the bed before heading toward the French doors and opening them. Jo chuckled at the loud gasp that traveled to her ears as the woman stood out on the balcony, enjoying the view. “Honey, you have to come to look at this. It’s spectacular,” she urged her husband.

Placing the suitcase at the foot of the bed, her husband stepped out on the balcony to join her.

Jo was very happy that they liked the room. She hadn’t encountered one guest that had a complaint against the inn, and she was glad— the more positive reviews the inn got, the more appealing and noticeable it became to potential guests.

After advising the couple of the restaurant’s hours and suggesting a few site attractions, they could visit while on the island, Jo returned to her reception post. A few hours later, Marg walked in.

“Hi, Josephine,” she greeted warmly.

“Hi, Marg,” she replied, the woman’s warm, bubbly personality instantly triggering a smiling response to hers. “You’re early. Your shift doesn’t start until six, and now it’s just…” Jo looked down at the watch on her wrist before lifting her gaze back to the woman before her. “It’s only four-fifteen.”

“I’m sorry, Jo, I just couldn’t stay home,” Marg responded apologetically.

Jo realized that even though the woman before her was smiling and her voice remained light and friendly that something seemed to be bothering her. She could see her dark brown eyes seemed duller than she’d ever seen them behind her black-framed glasses.

“Marg, is everything okay?” she asked in concern.

Marg’s eyes widened in surprise before shuttering. She opened her mouth several times as if to say something but closed it each time, resembling a fish gasping for air. Jo noticed the slight shake of her head before she looked back at her with a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“It’s fine, Jo,” she assured her. “I’m just a bit worn out. My grandmother is sick and has me worried,” she confessed, wringing her hands before her.

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Marg,” Jo consoled the woman who had become a dear friend to her and her sisters in such a short span of time. “Is there anything we can do?” she asked, coming around the reception desk to rest her hand on the woman’s upper arm.

Marg grasped the hand on her arm and squeezed Jo’s fingers in gratefulness. “Thank you for the offer, Jo, but no,” she declined. “My grandmother is getting the best care she can, but it’s not enough. She hasn’t been responding to the treatments, and the doctors don’t know what to do.”

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