The Innkeepers

Gretchen is the food and hospitality expert. Loretta is the gardens and groundskeeper. They're twin sisters who have owned and operated the Sunny Side Inn for nearly 50 years. And although they're pushing late into their 70's, you'd never guess it with the energy and care they put into their home and inn. They live in the basement of the cute cottage-style inn. The main floor consists of the sitting area, kitchen, dining room, and a lovely back porch. There are three guest rooms all together on the third floor, each with its own private bathroom. Gretchen wins the yearly bake-off every spring, and Loretta always takes first in the home and gardens show every summer. They live a quiet life tending to their guests and inn.

"Gretchen!" Loretta calls, “Do you need any help getting the guest rooms in order?"

Gretchen walks into the sitting room, "No need to shout, I'm right here. And it's just the one room actually. I hear they're on their honeymoon." She comes to sit next to her sister. "I've laid out the linens and stocked the bathroom. I've turned down the covers and made sure the clocks are set. But I feel like I'm forgetting something." She fidgets with her floral dress.

"Did you dust the dresser? Or maybe you forgot to fluff the pillows?" Loretta supplies

"No, I've done those." Gretchen fusses and continues to fidget. Loretta looks at her sister concerned, knowing how she worries over every detail.

Loretta tries to change the subject by asking, "What's the name on the reservation again?"

"Gentry." Gretchen replies shortly and then adds, "They're on their honeymoon."

"You've already mentioned that dear." Loretta chuckles.

"Oh darn it all! You know how I get repetitive when I'm anxious." Just as Loretta is about to reassure her sister, Gretchen jumps from the couch. "I haven't started tonight's dessert!" And she rushes to the kitchen.

Loretta smiles and shakes her head at her flustered sister as she disappears into the kitchen. "I'll be in the garden pruning and fertilizing the dahlias if you need anything." She calls out before walking out to the back porch and into the garden.

It was early evening when the small white car pulled into the gravel driveway of the Sunny Side Inn. Gretchen and Loretta were on the porch waiting to welcome their new guests. And when she saw the Gentry's pull up, Gretchen was a ball of nerves and excitement. Loretta simply wanted to greet their new guests.

The Gentry's stepped out of their car and walked up to the small front porch, where the sisters stood. The woman was tall and she was wearing a tiny vale and a small leopard print dress that reached just past her bottom, and not an inch more, Gretchen noted. The man was also tall, wearing a business suit and tie. Loretta thought he looked a bit too uptight for a man about to enjoy his honeymoon. They smiled and shook the couple's hands when they got up the steps.

"Welcome to Sunny Side Inn. I'm Gretchen, I'm the one you spoke on the phone with, Mr. Gentry. And this is my sister Loretta." Loretta smiled and shook his hand warmly.

He smiled at the two ladies and said,

"Well, I'm Eric and this is my wife, Kate." He placed his hand on the small of the woman's back as he introduced her.

Gretchen took her hand and smiled at her.

"Aren't you cold in that dear? Let's get you inside where it’s warmer." Gretchen eyed the woman's dress one last time before escorting her inside. Eric and Loretta followed. Gretchen gave the couple a tour of the small Inn and showed them to their room so they could get settled. While Loretta excused herself to the kitchen.

Just before the couple could shut themselves in their room, Gretchen informed them that dinner would be served in about an hour.

"You don't want to miss my award-winning chocolate cake!" She sang as she shut the door and left them to unpack.

Behind closed doors, Kate jumped into Eric's lap and gave him a quick kiss.

"Do you think they bought the newlywed act?" She asked him.

"Of course, you have the vale. Besides, no innkeeper is going to look too close. They just want you to get in and get out without leaving too big of a mess for them to clean up." He kissed her back while slipping a hand up her skirt.

"But what about your wife? Are you sure she won't find out?" She pushed him away to look at him.

"She thinks I'm on a business trip. And I made the reservation under a different name. No one knows we're here. Now, can you just relax?" He kissed her again more roughly and this time, she didn't push him away.

Gretchen walked down the stairs hearing Kate's giggling from the other side of the door. She walked into the kitchen just as Loretta was walking out.

"What are you doing in my kitchen?" Gretchen huffs as she almost runs headfirst into her sister.

"I was grabbing a glass of water." Loretta looks annoyed. "Besides sister dearest," Her words dripping with sarcasm. "It's our kitchen. Not only yours." She drags out the word our and pokes at her sister playfully.

"Well, you better not have touched my cake mix. I'm about to throw it in the oven and I promised them my award-winning chocolate cake." Gretchen eyes her sister suspiciously and then walks past into the kitchen.

"I would never! I know how much you care about your cakes." Loretta puts her hand over her heart in reproach. "Now, if you're done scolding me like a school girl, I'll be out in the garden if you need anything. I need to dig up the south flower beds so I can store the bulbs for winter." She calls the last part over her shoulder as she walks toward the back porch, waving as she goes.

"Dinner's in an hour. Don't make me drag you inside! I want to get to know our new guests!" Gretchen peeks past the wall out of the kitchen, calling to her sister. Loretta stops and turns back with her hand on her hip.

"I doubt you'll learn any more about them at dinner than what you learn from eavesdropping outside their door." She smiles wryly at her sister. Gretchen gasps.

"I do not!" Loretta waves her hand as if to say whatever, and Gretchen stalks into the kitchen to start the cake.

By the time Loretta comes in from the garden, Gretchen has set the table for dinner. The conversation was a bit dull. It was a lot of Eric talking about his work, and the Gentry's dodging questions about their relationship. Finally, Gretchen called out it was time for dessert. No matter how full Loretta was, she always had room for one of her sister's award winners. Gretchen walked out of the kitchen balancing four plates, each with its own miniature chocolate cake.

"This won the state fair last year." She boasts as she sets the plates down in front of each seat.

"What my sister is too modest to say, is that it won the state fair in four different states." Loretta adds, patting her sister's arm lovingly as she walks past.

"Well, that's enough to convince me!" Kate smiles down at her cake and digs in, moaning her approval on the first bite.

"I'm not normally a cake fan," Eric states before cutting into it. "But I can't say I've ever had one that's won awards in four states." And with that, he puts the fork in his mouth. His eyes light up and he starts cutting into it again for a second bite. "This is amazing! How did you make it so moist?"

"Oh, a magician never reveals her secrets." Gretchen glows like a Sunday morning. "It's my own recipe. I call it death by chocolate."

"It got that name after the neighborhood stray stole some off the windowsill while it was cooling. The dog didn't make it ten feet before the absurd amount of chocolate he’d just ingested, killed him." Loretta teases, eyeing Gretchen.

"Oh now, we don't know that!" Gretchen defends. "He was the town stray. Who knows what he might have got into before that. Maybe some of your weed killer." She points her fork at Loretta.

"Not a chance. I keep my gardening shed locked up tight." Loretta calmly replies before taking another bite of cake. Gretchen sticks her tongue out at Loretta when she's not looking. The Gentry's chuckled at banter and practically licked their plates clean. After dessert, everyone said goodnight, and Gretchen reminded the couple what time breakfast is served.

Loretta woke up early, as usual, almost beating the sun at its own game. She liked to get an early start on the day so she could rest in the afternoon when it's hot. She dressed and walked out to the backyard. She went to her gardening shed hidden behind the foliage and pulled out her keys to unlock it. She opened the door and stopped, staring inside for a moment. Then she calmly shut it and locked it back up. She walked back to the Inn and down to her sister’s room. She burst into her sister's room without knocking, expecting to wake her. Instead, she was surprised to see Gretchen awake and in the process of getting back in bed. The sisters stared at each other for a long awkward moment, Gretchen frozen halfway into bed with one foot still on the floor. Loretta let out a sigh and broke the silence first.

"Care to explain?" She said tiredly.

"Explain?" Gretchen feigned ignorance, finally sliding her other leg into the bed with her and settling in.

"Yes, explain. Explain why the Gentry's bodies are in my garden shed?" She exhaled rubbing her forehead slightly. "I thought we agreed to not do this anymore. We're getting too old!"

"You're right, we did. But he was cheating on his wife with that woman. He just made up the newlywed story so we didn't get suspicious." Gretchen threw her hands in the air. A gesture that was meant to convey, what did you expect me to do?

"Well, it was clear they weren't actually married. But what about Kate? Why couldn't we have just made it look like another late-night date and ditch like we did with the Beuffer couple two summers ago? He could have left a note that he was going back to his wife and she would have been none the wiser." Loretta argued, feeling a headache coming on.

"Because that slut was in on it!" Gretchen spat the word with venom. "She was a home wrecker and knew he had a wife, but she went along with it willingly! I will not have hussies staying in our Inn ruining our wonderful home for future guests." She threw the words out with a viciousness Loretta rarely saw in her sweet and caring sister. Loretta sat back in silence, stunned by the outburst. She sat soaking it in for a moment while they stared at one another in awkward silence once again. Loretta finally spoke.

"What did you use this time?" She asked leaning against the door frame.

"Nightshade berries in the cake." Gretchen looked away. Loretta considered this.

"Fine. I can live with that. As long as it's not Arsenic. It almost destroyed my Marigolds last time and I lost that year's summer garden competition." She turned to leave.

"You'll never let me live that down will you?" Gretchen called after her.

"Never." Loretta peeked back in the room and winked at her sister before shutting the door behind her.

"You always talk about what great fertilizer they make!" Gretchen shouts after her sister.