“You could have told me,” she said finally. “I would have understood.”
“Would you?” Tom asked gently. “Or would you have tried to fix it? Found reasons for us to stay? Convinced yourself we were only leaving because of something you did wrong?”
Kate wanted to protest, but he was right. She would have done exactly that.
“Plus,” Dani said with a knowing look, “you need your privacy too. Ben's been practically living here, and you twodeserve space to figure out whatever it is you're doing without your three siblings watching from the breakfast table.”
“We're not…” Kate started.
“Oh please,” James interrupted. “The man rebuilt half this inn for free. That's not friendship, Kate.”
“He's in love with you,” Tom added. “Everyone knows it but you.”
“Or you know it and you're pretending not to,” Dani said more gently. “But Kate, he won't wait forever. Good men like Ben? They eventually move on if you don't give them hope.”
Kate felt her face flush. “This isn't about Ben.”
“Everything's been about everyone else for you,” Dani said. “The inn, Pop, us. Maybe it's time you think about what you want. Who you want.”
“Ben's a good man,” Tom said. “The kind who stays. The kind who builds things instead of tearing them down.”
“The kind who's been waiting for you to finally give in,” James added.
Kate looked at her siblings, all watching her with concern. “Since when did my love life become a family discussion?”
“Since you stopped having one to take care of everyone else,” Dani said bluntly. “We're moving out partly so you can move on. Have a life that isn't just about keeping this place running and keeping us together.”
“You deserve to be happy too,” Tom said. “And Ben makes you happy, even if you won't admit it.”
Kate felt exposed, vulnerable. They'd seen what she'd been trying not to acknowledge, the way Ben had become essential to her days, the way she looked for him every morning, the way his presence made everything feel more manageable.
“Just think about it,” Dani said. “While you're getting three more rooms to rent to paying guests, you're also getting thechance to figure out what you want. Who you want. Without an audience.”
Kate’s eyes focused on the floor, but when she looked at them again she smiled and nodded.
“Let’s have a toast,” Tom said as he poured more wine into everyone’s glass.
“To the Perkins siblings finally growing up,” Kate said.
“To choosing to stay,” Tom added.
“To bathroom privacy,” Dani laughed.
“To Kate finally admitting she's in love with Ben,” James said with a grin.
“James!” Kate protested, but she was laughing too.
“To family by choice, not circumstance,” Tom finished, giving Kate a meaningful look. “All kinds of family. The kind you're born into and the kind you choose.”
They clinked their glasses together, and Kate felt her face still burning from their observations about Ben. But beneath the embarrassment was something else: possibility. Her siblings were right. She'd been so focused on holding everything together that she'd never considered what she wanted for herself.
Maybe it was time to start.
CHAPTER 32
Mid-August in Kennebunkport was the hottest one on record. The inn was running at full capacity, but for once, everything worked, including the central air conditioning system. There were no burst pipes, no emergency repairs, no crises demanding immediate attention. Just the smooth rhythm of a well-run establishment.
Kate stood in front of the closet in her bedroom, trying to decide what to wear. She was thrilled when Ben asked her to the Seafood Festival, but her usual wardrobe wasn't exactly date-appropriate. She thought back to his invitation and smiled.
