She nodded as a sense of peace settled over her. “You’re right. Nana always believed in the power of kindness and generosity. Even though she’s gone, her love is still protecting me and the cottage.”
Tally smiled, her eyes misty with emotion. “Your grandmother’s legacy lives on. And now, you get to continue that legacy by keeping her cottage and her memory alive.”
“I’m so happy. I can’t believe it.”
Tally’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “You know who else would be thrilled to hear this news? Randy. You should go tell him right away.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t spoken to him since their argument, and the thought of facing him now made her nervous. “I don’t know, Tally. We didn’t exactly part on the best terms. And… there’s still the chance the funds won’t come through in time.”
“They will.” Tally nodded emphatically.
“Okay, maybe I will talk to him.”
But as she walked back to the cottage, her courage faded. She’d wait to talk to him until after she was sure she was getting the funds. Because if it all fell through, she couldn’t bear to crush him again.
Evie took a long walk that evening, trying to settle her nerves. So much had happened in the last few weeks, the last few days. Now the very real possibility that she could stay here on the island was just within her grasp.
She finally turned around and headed back to the cottage as the sky was just beginning to put on a showy sunset. As she looked down the beach, she saw a lone person walking toward her.
She sucked in a deep breath. No, that couldn’t be Randy, could it? But as they neared each other, she saw that it was.
It wasn’t like she could avoid him standing out here in the open on the beach. She knew the minute he realized it was her, because he stopped in his tracks, looked back behind him, and then just stood there.
She took another deep breath, then closed the distance between them. “Hey,” she said, not really knowing what else to say.
“Hi.” He looked at her quickly, then trained his gaze on the waves.
Maybe this was a sign she should tell him her news. The news Tally had encouraged her to tell him.
Her heart raced as she stood before Randy. The crash of waves echoed in her ears, almost drowning out the sound of her own rapid breathing. She searched his face for any sign ofsoftening, but his expression remained impassive, and he kept his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
“Randy, I…” she began, her voice wavering. “I need to tell you something important.”
He gave a slight nod, his gaze fixed somewhere over her shoulder.
She gathered her courage. “A woman named Susan came to see me yesterday. She’s the daughter of someone my grandmother helped years ago.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly, but he remained silent.
“It turns out,” she continued, her words tumbling out faster now, “that my grandmother deeded a house to Susan’s mother, Linda. They’ve just sold it, and Susan says it was her mother’s wish to give me the proceeds to repay Nana for her kindness.”
She paused, watching Randy’s face for any reaction. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
“The thing is,” she pressed on, “there’s some legal issue with the trust Linda set up. The money’s tied up in court right now. But Susan said any day the funds will come through.”
Still no reaction.
“I might be able to stay after all. To keep the cottage. There’s a really good chance.”
Randy’s stoic expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of something—hope? doubt?—passing across his features.
She stepped closer. “I know you were hurt when I said I was leaving. I was so overwhelmed by the thought of losing the cottage and someone else living in it. And then that job came up. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But now, don’t you see? There’s a really good chance I can stay.”
He stood there staring at her, but said nothing.
“I—I just wanted you to know.”
She waited, the silence stretching between them punctuated only by the rhythmic crash of waves on the shore.
