SOMEWHERE by the Sea

Gabby

Returning to the intersection of Main Street and Ocean Boulevard, where Hope Bed & Breakfast was the last business on Main Street, Faith followed the driveway of the B & B to a parking lot at the back of the Victorian manor. For long moments she sat in her car and gripped the steering wheel. Her lengthy, cross-country journey was about to end and she wondered if her emotional journey would also end, or at least get better. She had all summer to find out. After making the decision to come to Somewhere she had called the B & B and worked out arrangements for a long-term stay, and although expensive, it was much less than the nightly rate. And even if she hadn't gotten a break on the cost, she would have stayed for a few weeks anyway before finding a less expensive place. Her husband's life insurance policy had been more than adequate and now it was time to fund her new life.

The back door of the home opened and Faith watched a tall man, probably about her age, mid thirties, with short-cropped black hair, carry a bag of trash to a green painted enclosure that blended with the surrounding foliage. On his way back to the house he paused when he saw her, nodded, and then continued to the door. Faith wondered if he was the custodian or maintenance man, and then discarded that notion. There was something commanding about his presence, as if he were a man of some stature in the community. Perhaps he was the owner of the B & B. Soon she would find out. Garnering her courage she reached for her purse and decided to retrieve her suitcase later, just in case her escape from her former life was a mistake and she needed to hightail it back to St. Louis. In her heart she knew that wouldn't happen, but just knowing she could run was comforting.

She stepped from her car and followed a pink, azalea bordered pathway that led to the main entrance. She paused when she reached the porch steps and the wheelchair ramp beside it. Inhaling a calming breath she whispered, "Hammond, I'm here. Let's see if this home is everything we dreamed of." She climbed the steps and again paused at the screen door. The inside door was open and she could make out a foyer. Beside the entrance was a sign that read:

WELCOME TO HOPE BED & BREAKFAST
A HAVEN FROM THE STORM

Faith's eyes got stuck on the word "HOPE" and started to sting. Immediately, she entered the B & B to keep her emotions from overpowering her yet again, and stopped short. She turned in a circle studying the lavender walls, moss green panels, and sunflower yellow molding of the foyer.

"The colors are unexpected, don't you think? I always get the same reaction from people who haven't been here before."

Faith turned to face a woman who had obviously been part of the hippie movement. She was smiling widely and stuck out her hand. "Hello, my name is Gabby Hope and I'm the proprietress of this monstrosity. Are you Faith Bennison?"

"Yes. How did you know?" She shook Gabby's hand.

My son, Baxter, was just taking some trash out and saw your car. He noted the license plate was from Missouri, and since you registered with an address in that state, I took a wild guess."

Faith shifted the strap of her purse to her other shoulder and found herself smiling at the engaging woman.

Gabby said, "Follow me and we'll get you signed in. Then I'll show you to the pioneer bedroom that you requested. If you change your mind, however, the Queen Elizabeth room is available."

Faith followed Gabby to what had probably been a parlor, but was now the check in station, with its elegant freestanding counter strewn with a collection of brochures and business cards in ornate holders. Everything from sunset cruises to jet skiing, trail hikes, and fishing were advertised. The remainder of the room was furnished with a redwood antique writing desk with a Queen Anne chair, and three French Gentlemen's chairs. The walls of this room were painted yellow with lavender panels and green molding. The Gentlemen's chairs were purple and the affect was literally breathtaking.

"What do you think about the colors in here, Faith? They're the same as the other room, but coordinated differently."

Faith accepted the pen the proprietress handed her and said before completing the information form, "They're exquisite. You certainly have a talent for dramatic color combinations." A minute later she handed the form and pen back to her hostess.

"No, hon, you keep the pen. As for my color choices, some guests take one look and cringe, which doesn't bother me. A long time ago I learned that I can't please everyone or fit into their mold, so I don't even try." She slipped the paper into a drawer and pushed a guestbook toward Faith. "One more thing, please sign our guestbook." After Faith signed the register that had entries from all over the United States, Gabby continued, "So, Faith, I remember speaking with you on the phone when you made your reservation, but I didn't get a chance to ask what brings you to Somewhere?"

Glancing away from Gabby's intense blue gaze, Faith replied honestly, "I decided to change my routine."

There was a short silence before the hostess replied, "Well, hon, Somewhere is the best place in the world for changing routines. We got tons of extracurricular activities, but the best part about our town is that it isn't on the mainstream radar because most folks are drawn to Brookings south of us. So if its solitude you want, there's plenty of that, too." She motioned toward the door. "But we can chitchat later. Let's get you settled."

They reentered the hallway that ran the length of the house to stairs at the back and paused at the entrance to a formal dining room on their left. Gabby said, "This is where all meals are served, unless, of course, you want to eat in your room or on the second floor balcony. We have six bedrooms for guests and there's a brochure in your room giving mealtimes and other particulars. We try to be as accommodating as possible, so let us know if you have a favorite food or there's anything you need to avoid." She pointed to a closed door at the back of the dining room. "The kitchen is through there. We modernized it about five years ago and you're welcome to join our cooks at any time. They love mingling with guests. They're a young couple that I hired out of Dallas about two years ago. We also have a fulltime housekeeper and two part-time workers who fill in wherever they're needed." She continued toward the stairway still talking nonstop.

At the top of the stairs the landing faced a stained glass window of yellow sunflowers and then continued along the eastern and western sides of the house, so that from anywhere above, the main floor was visible below. Ornate railings as high as Faith's waist kept the landing safe, and on both sides were four doors.

Gabby said, "My son and I live on the third floor, which is reached from a stairway at the back of the kitchen. Years ago, when my husband was alive, we remodeled the old servants' quarters into a sitting room, two bedrooms, and added a bathroom. Baxter lives in California, but spends his summers with me." She pointed to the center door on the western landing. "That's the pioneer room and it has its own bathroom, as you requested. The Queen Elizabeth room which is directly opposite does too. The other guests share a bathroom." She pointed to the first doors on both sides of the landing. "Those are the bathrooms." She paused for breath and pulled a key from her pocket as she walked to the western side. "All the bedrooms have doors that open onto balconies that run the length of the house. The eastern rooms have a view of town and the western, the ocean." She handed Faith the key. "You go ahead and open the door since it's your room."