Page 49 of Key West Homecoming

The sale was stopped.

She had carried those words around as a hope since Samantha Larson called her office. Now they were a fact, and Emma said them quietly to herself once just to hear how they sounded.

The sale was stopped.

She rested her hands on the steering wheel.

She’d thought relief would come all at once, but instead it seemed to move through her slowly. The cottage was still tied up in a legal mess. Arthur had years of explaining to do, and Emma still didn’t know whether Gloria’s will would ultimately give her the house.

But no one was buying it today.

That was enough for now.

Back at Winslow’s, she changed out of her linen shirt and into a T-shirt and khaki shorts. She ate half a sandwich at a small table near the main house and texted Maeve.

The answer came within a minute.

Connie will take full credit for this. Let her. Good work.

Emma smiled and texted Priya next.

Priya responded with a string of green heart emojis. She only did that when she was too busy at the hospital to type but too pleased to say nothing.

Then Emma texted Marcy.

The response took a little longer.

Bradley asked how you’re doing. I almost fell out of my chair.

Emma read it twice.

Bradley had worked two offices away from her for nearly a year, and Emma couldn’t remember him ever asking Marcy how she was doing when Emma was actually in Chicago.

She typed, Tell him I’m fine, and put the phone facedown beside her plate.

Emma walked into Margarita Max’s wearing a smile from ear to ear.

Tess was at the register. She looked up and stopped what she was doing.

“What?”

“It’s stopped.”

“What’s stopped?”

“The sale. A judge signed the order yesterday afternoon, and it took effect at nine this morning. The cottage isn’t going anywhere.”

Tess put both hands flat on the bar.

“Leah!”

“I’m four feet away from you.”

“The sale’s stopped.”

Leah came around the end of the bar with a dish towel still over one shoulder and wrapped her arms around Emma.

Emma stiffened for half a second before hugging her back.