Our painting session will have to be cancelled. See you in the ballroom later?
It was no surprise that he was already awake and sent a message back.
Looking forward to it.
Jane flopped back against her pillows, her mind going back to the previous day at the hospital. What had that doctor been trying to get her to sign? Why had he looked so nervous, so stressed? And why had Pamela looked so irritated when the nurse had interrupted, claiming Jane had already signed everything?
Jane got out of bed and padded to the window, looking out at the gray morning. The rain was coming down steadily, turning the beach into a blurred watercolor of sand and surf.
She showered and dressed, trying to push the questions out of her mind, but they kept circling back. Something was not right about that hospital visit. Something beyond just Pamela’s obvious manipulation and false concern.
By the time Jane made her way to the dining room for breakfast, she had made a decision. She needed help figuring out what Pamela was up to, and she knew exactly who to ask.
Charlie.
She had connections, resources, and, most importantly, a sharp legal mind that could untangle complex situations. If anyone could help Jane get to the bottom of what had happened at that hospital, it was Charlie.
Jane entered the dining room to find it already occupied. Her father sat at a table by the window with Holly and Logan, thethree of them talking quietly over coffee and plates of Mrs. Hurling’s famous buttermilk pancakes. Charlie was with them, leaning back in her chair with that thoughtful expression.
“Good morning,” Jane said, approaching their table with what she hoped was a casual smile.
“Morning, sweetheart,” her father said warmly, gesturing to an empty chair. “Join us. Mrs. Hurling just brought out a fresh batch of pancakes.”
“Morning, Jane,” Logan added with a friendly nod.
Holly smiled at her, though Jane noticed it did not quite reach her eyes. There was tension in Holly’s shoulders, a tightness around her mouth that suggested she had not slept well either.
“Actually,” Jane said, looking directly at Charlie, “I was hoping I could steal you for a bit. I need your help with something.”
She saw the flicker of concern cross her father’s face, the way Logan’s attention sharpened. She needed to deflect quickly before they started asking questions she was not ready to answer.
“Charlie has been helping me with the shell decorations we’ve been making,” Jane said, the lie coming easily. “For the ballroom. We’ve been painting them and arranging them into garlands, and I could use her artistic eye on a few pieces.”
It was not entirely untrue. They had been making shell decorations. But that was not why Jane needed Charlie’s help right now.
“Sure,” Charlie said smoothly, catching on immediately. “When do you need me?”
Jane glanced at the half-eaten breakfast on Charlie’s plate, feeling a twinge of guilt. “When you’re finished with breakfast?”
“Well, I’m nearly done,” Charlie said easily. She smiled at Jane. “Give me a few minutes.”
“Great,” Jane said, trying to project enthusiasm she did not feel. “I’m just going to order breakfast from Mrs. Hurling.”
She retreated to a corner table, ordered coffee and toast to go from Mrs. Hurling, and tried not to notice the way her father kept glancing over at her with that worried dad expression. The one that said he knew something was bothering her but was trying to respect her privacy while simultaneously wanting to fix whatever was wrong.
Jane loved her father desperately, but this was not something he could fix. And if her suspicions about Pamela were correct, telling him would only add to the stress he was already carrying with the threat to the inn.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only ten minutes, Mrs. Hurling brought her breakfast and Charlie came over to join Jane with an easy smile that did not fool Jane for a second. Charlie knew something was up.
“Ready?” Charlie asked.
“Yes,” Jane said, standing quickly. “Let’s go.”
They walked out of the dining room together, Jane very aware of the eyes following them. As soon as they were in the hallway, Charlie spoke quietly.
“The ballroom?”
“Yes,” Jane confirmed. “It’s my privacy spot when no one else is around.”
