“For what?”
“To be their sister. To lead without controlling. To trust them.”
The drive back was quiet. Kate watched the familiar scenery pass, thinking about Lillian's money and her desire to stay as close as she could to her family, and for a moment she felt sorry for her grandmother.
At the inn, she found organized chaos. Dani was giving a tour to potential wedding clients, professional and polished. James had two laptops running, responding to reviews and updating their website. Tom was on the phone with vendors, negotiating payment terms with his lawyer voice.
“How's Pop?” Dani asked during a break in her tour.
“Bruised but okay.”
“And you?”
Kate considered lying, then decided against it. “Struggling.”
Dani hugged her, quick but fierce. “That's okay. We've got this part. You focus on Pop.”
Kate looked around at her siblings, competently handling the crisis. Maybe Lillian was right. Maybe she didn't have to do everything. Maybe trusting others wasn't weakness but wisdom.
The phone rang. Dani answered with professional warmth. “Whaler’s Landing, Dani speaking. How may I help you?”
A new booking. Then another call, another booking. The tide was turning.
Kate stood in the lobby, watching her family work, and felt something she hadn't experienced in years: the possibility of not being essential for every single task.
It should have been freeing.
Instead, it terrified her.
CHAPTER 23
It was past eleven o’clock when Kate found her brothers in the kitchen, a bottle of bourbon between them that she recognized from Pop's hidden stash in the pantry. Tom was on his third glass, James nursing his second. They looked up guiltily when she entered.
“We were going to replace it,” James said.
“Don’t be silly. Pop’s days of drinking bourbon are over,” Kate said, getting herself a glass. “Where's Dani?”
“Went to bed an hour ago.” Tom poured for Kate. “Exhausted from actually working for once.”
“That's not fair,” Kate said, but without heat.
They sat in silence for a moment, the kitchen lit only by the light over the stove. The inn creaked around them, settling into night sounds.
“I'm getting divorced,” Tom said suddenly.
Kate and James both turned to stare at him.
“When?” James asked.
“Six months ago. Well, separated six months ago. Divorce papers were filed last week.”
“Why didn't you tell us?” Kate asked.
Tom laughed bitterly. “Because I'm the successful one. The lawyer with the perfect life in Boston. The one who made it out.”
“Tom...”
“She's keeping the condo. I've been living in a corporate apartment that smells like takeout food.” He took another drink. “The firm strongly suggested I take a sabbatical. My billable hours have been nonexistent, and I lost the Heady case because I missed a filing deadline.”
