1
“I can hardly believe my work is on the cover.” Deb touched the new issue of Coastal Design & Living with reverence, thrilled with the exposure. Page after page of the magazine featured her interior designs.
Seated next to her at a table on the Majestic Hotel’s sunny patio cafe, her friend April lifted her champagne glass. “To Crown Island’s most celebrated interior designer.”
April’s mother, Ella, raised her glass, too. “I’m so proud of you, dear. The career you’ve worked so hard for is now on an even higher upward trajectory. It must feel wonderful.”
Deb touched their glasses and sipped her well-deserved bubbly, courtesy of Ryan Kingston. “This project is my largest job and best work so far. I have to give Ryan credit for the publicity firm he engaged.”
As the new owner of the vintage Majestic Hotel, Ryan was determined to showcase his beloved hotel’s renovation through extensive publicity and advertising campaigns.
The glossy pages of the hotel’s transformation documented their team’s work with before-and-after photographs that captured their attention to detail. They had worked diligently to preserve the original character of the Victorian-era beach hotel.
Deb had refurbished or chosen every new piece, including the wrought-iron table where she sat under a marine-blue umbrella with her closest friends.
April was like a sister. Her mother, Ella, had been like an aunt to her. She’d known them all her life because her mother and Ella were friends.
Pride shimmered in Ella’s eyes. “Would you ever leave us if an amazing opportunity came up?”
“I’ll always come back to the island. I have plenty to do here.” Deb appreciated their enthusiasm, but she enjoyed living and working here. Her entire family lived on Crown Island, just off the coast of Southern California.
She loved her boisterous older brothers, but when she was younger, they had intimidated and chased off every one of her boyfriends.
Although she usually beat them to it now.
Her brothers were inescapable on this island. Even now, she spied one of them across the patio with new clients and nodded at him. David was just a year older, and he worked as an architect. He grinned and lifted his hand in a brief wave.
“Who is that with David?” Ella asked.
“The Hunts,” Deb replied, folding back the sleeves of her white linen shirt. The sun was warmer now, and the light breeze carried the fresh scent of the sea.
Deb went on, “They’re here for the summer, and they’ve asked David to design a new beach house for them. I might bid on the interior design work.”
A smile played on Ella’s face, barely lined by her years. “You’re a star now. You’ll have to think like one.”
Deb nodded, grateful for the opportunity she’d pursued. “I haven’t forgotten that Ryan took a risk hiring local talent. Most developers would have brought in a New York designer, gutted the old beauty, and created a modern atmosphere. Luxurious but generic, devoid of Crown Island personality or history.”
Ella pressed her lips together. “That’s what the community fought against.”
“The Historical Society must help preserve the island charm,” April added, brushing her hair over her shoulder.
Fresh highlights, new yellow sundress, Deb noted, approving of April’s evolving look. Love looked good on her, and Deb was pleased for her.
She sipped her champagne as April and Ella perused the article. She counted herself lucky to have friends who were like a chosen family, not that she didn’t love the one she was born into.
As a retired nurse, Ella had been a beloved force in the community for decades. Just last year, April had returned to her hometown after her divorce to start a new chapter in her life. A historian and former university lecturer, she deserved every good thing that had recently come her way, from Ryan Kingston to the historical society she’d conceived and created.
Ella paused and looked up. “I’d like to read this at my leisure. Did you buy out Ace’s newsstand, or can I still find a copy of this edition?”
Grinning sheepishly, Deb said, “Actually, my mother bought them all, so Ace is trying to get more copies. But you can have this one.”
They flipped through the pages, pausing at a photograph of the lobby restoration. The three-story rotunda was a masterpiece of original design, with a ceiling finished in white oak, cedar, and hemlock. The vintage wooden panels had taken artisans weeks to restore, but the effect was breathtaking. It was a beautiful balance of historic craftsmanship and casual beach elegance.
Now more than a century old, the beachside resort was an island landmark, known for movies filmed on the property and presidents who’d vacationed there. Significant deliberations that changed the course of history had taken place at the Majestic. The grand hotel was polished to perfection once again.
Deb turned the page to a photo of her with Ryan and Knox MacKenzie, who oversaw construction. To pull off the job before the high summer season, the three of them had worked many long days for months.
“That’s a great photo of Ryan.” April’s cheeks colored slightly.
