Free So Inn Love by Catherine Clark

Caroline had come to the end of the boardwalk, but she hadn’t progressed any farther. Her sunglasses were lowered on the bridge of her nose as if she needed to get a better look at something. Or someone. Us?
    What was she doing away from the reception desk, anyway? She never strayed from there—she considered herself too important to be replaced.
    “And what?” Hayden asked. “Keep going.”
    “I think someone wants to borrow your binoculars,” I said to Hayden. “Put me down, okay? This time I really mean it.”
    “What?” Hayden asked.
    I went to point out where Caroline was standing, but she wasn’t there anymore.
    “Likely story. Caroline was out here?” Hayden scoffed. “I’m sure.”
    “She was ,” I insisted. “And here’s proof.” I pointed to the boardwalk, where Miss Crossley was now making an appearance. It was like a runway in a bad fashion show.
    Except Miss Crossley wasn’t turning back. She marched across the sand toward me, still in her shoes, a pair of shiny brown penny loafers, which she wore with plaid Bermuda shorts and a white oxford cloth shirt.
    “Liza, are you paying attention to the children?” she asked.
    “Of course I am,” I said. I turned around to get Hayden to vouch for me, but he was already gone, disappeared up the steps to his lifeguard post. So much for backup.
    “Where is Chelsea?” Miss Crossley demanded.
    “She’ll be right back. Honestly, Miss Crossley. I was watching three kids build a sand castle, at low tide. I’ve never let them out of my sight. Right, guys?”
    The kids were too busy digging to respond.
    I looked back at Miss Crossley and shrugged. “You know kids, they never—”
    “Is that a pierced belly button?” she asked.
    Wasn’t it obvious? I could lie, and say I’d fallen on a staple or something, but what would be the point? “Yes?” I said tentatively.
    “Hm. That’s against dress code policy, Liza.No untraditional piercings.”
    I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Miss Crossley, but I never got all the stuff about dress code policy. I didn’t know.”
    “Now you do. I’ll be happy to give you any handouts you’re missing. But Liza. Doesn’t common sense tell you not to pierce your belly button?”
    “I guess not,” I said. “At least, not… my common sense,” I murmured.
    “You’ll either need to cover it up or remove it,” she said.
    “I’ll take it out,” I promised.
    “Good. And Liza? I’m watching you.” She made this weird hand motion from her eyes to me, and back again, repeating it a few times. Not only was she sort of a taskmaster, she was nerdy, too.
    No, Caroline’s watching me, I thought as I crouched down to help the kids build their castle. And I don’t know why, but I’ll find out.

Chapter Six
    “K ind of slow at the front desk this morning?” I asked Caroline once I made it up to the Inn on my lunch break. Brittany had come down to the beach to relieve first Chelsea, then me.
    Caroline looked up from the women’s magazine she’d been reading at her desk. “What’s that?” She was wearing the Inn uniform all of us had—polo shirt, khaki shorts—but she had a fancy silk scarf tied around her neck, to dress it up, I guess.
    “Oh, I just thought I saw you on the beach a while ago,” I said. “Which was sort of odd, considering that your job is in here.”
    She flipped a page of the magazine with her nicely manicured nails. “I was checking the tide. People kept asking me what the surf waslike, if there were any good waves.”
    “Huh. Really,” I commented.
    “Yes,” she said. “The phone was ringing off the hook with people asking.”
    “Really,” I said again.
    “You know, you should be wearing shorts and a T-shirt,” she said. “Inn policy. No one’s allowed in the lobby looking like that, least of all staff.”
    “It’s a bikini top and a skirt. I’ll get dressed in a sec,” I promised, adjusting the big white beach towel tied around my waist, which at least covered my