by Ben Rondelson from Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin
At this time of year, everything seems new again.
The Elderberry Bay Lodge is new again, also.
The glamorous old Victorian inn was abandoned thirty years ago when its owner at the time, Snoozy Gallagher, disappeared with the contents of the hotel safe.
Running a hotel in a gorgeous spot had always been my wife’s and my dream, but we kept putting it off. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and we realized it was time to make the most of the rest of our lives. We expected to have years left...
Deidre read that Snoozy Gallagher’s Elderberry Bay Lodge, complete with its own beach on the shores of Lake Erie, was finally coming onto the market.
And to make things even better, the nearby village of Elderberry Bay was now known as Threadville, with fabric, yarn, and sewing stores lining the main street. Deirdre became excited when she read that the shops sold all the supplies she could ever want for her hobbies, and that the warm and welcoming store owners taught wonderfully creative workshops.
The lodge wasn’t as rundown as we’d feared, and the local builder, Clay, inspected it thoroughly. Clay, Deirdre, and I agreed right away about how to restore and renovate the lodge. Deirdre and I bought the lodge, held each other tightly, and dreamed.
Deirdre was involved in every step of the restoration, even after her treatments began failing. Clay’s a genius at everything—planning, building, painstakingly refinishing intricately carved woodwork. He has a crew cleaning up the grounds. They’re going to build a gazebo.
Deirdre didn’t live to see the weeds cleared or the lodge completed. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I miss her.
Yes, there have been times when I’ve thought of giving up, selling, and going back to work for someone else. But I can’t. Now that the lodge is almost ready to open, I see Deidre’s touches everywhere, and I can almost believe she’s only in the next room. She would have loved living here, greeting guests, planning meals, and shopping and taking courses in Threadville.
I’m hosting an opening gala shortly after the summer solstice. Clay says he hopes to bring two guests. I’m guessing that one of them will be this Willow he keeps mentioning. She owns a store that specializes in machine embroidery. He claims that Willow’s not his girlfriend. I don’t know who his other guest might be, but I hope he’s not trying any matchmaking for me. I’m not ready, and I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone.
What about you? Have you ever dropped everything and changed your path to make a dream come true? How did it work out?
You can read more about Ben and the Elderberry Bay Lodge in the third Threadville Mystery, THREAD AND BURIED, coming out on June 4! Pre-order THREAD AND BURIED from any bookstore or from these booksellers.
The first Threadville Mystery, DIRE THREADS, was nominated for both an Agatha Award for Best First novel and for the 2012 Bony Blithe Award. The second in the series, THREADED FOR TROUBLE, has been nominated for the 2013 Bony Blithe Award. Visit Janet at facebook and twitter.
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O that is a sad story, and I love that you are honoring Deirdre's memory and keep going. I do hope the Inn will be a huge success.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aurian. Guests are already reserving rooms for week leading up to our official opening!
DeleteVery colorful cover. I'll put this on my list.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Thanks, Cozy in Texas! I love the cover!
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