"Probably nothing to worry about just yet, sweetheart," Anna said, her lips curving into a soft, reassuring smile that didn't entirely reach her eyes. "But we need to be safe. We need to be entirely certain of our position."
The wordsafeechoed with an eerie, persistent ring in Linda’s mind as they walked out into the heavy afternoon sun.
The interior of the Bay Café was quiet, the midday lunch rush having already cleared out. Martin was already waiting for them, sitting at a wide table in the recessed back corner near the office doors. He rose immediately as the group approached.
Owen handled the introductions smoothly. "Dr. Anna Caldwell, this is Martin Hale," Owen said, gesturing toward the accountant. "He's been managing the hotel's accounts and helping us navigate the corporate disclosure documents."
"It's an absolute honor to meet you, Dr. Caldwell," Martin said, offering a respectful handshake. "Linda and Owen have told me so much about your foundational research on the barrier island networks."
"Thank you, Martin," Anna replied, taking her seat with an effortless poise. The moment the group settled around the table, the nervous tension seemed to evaporate from her frame, replaced instantly by the vivid, burning passion of a dedicated field researcher. She leaned forward, her hands gesturing actively as she looked at Linda. "It’s absolutely thrilling to know that my early claims regarding the mid-island lagoon settlement are true, Linda. The notches on that ceramic shard prove the exact trade timeline I argued for decades ago."
“I know,” Linda said. “It was so exciting for Owen and me, too.”
“Such a find.” Anna paused, her expression shifting into a deeper, more analytical calculation. "But based on the initial soil descriptions Owen sent to my office, I believe the actual Calusa settlement might be significantly larger and more structurally advanced than I first hypothesized."
Linda stared at her, her eyes widening in surprise. Opposite them, Owen pulled his glasses from his pocket and slid them onto his nose, his brow furrowing deeply.
"What exactly do you mean by that, Anna?" Owen asked, leaning closer to the table. "You've only ever told me about the habitation layers bordering the immediate hotel property and the coastal ridge line."
Linda contextually matched the description against the local map running through her head.
"Is it situated around the wetland reserve or the lighthouse point?" Linda asked, thinking of the grand beach house where the Wayne Group's family was currently residing.
"No," Anna told them, shaking her head firmly. She turned her gaze directly toward Michael. "Do you happen to know exactly who holds the current title to the abandoned campground block across the road from the hotel?"
Michael’s dark brows shot up toward his hairline in a look of profound shock.
"The Sweet Blossom Bay campgrounds?" Michael asked, looking at her with a furrowed brow.
Anna nodded once. "Yes. That specific parcel."
"I do," Michael informed her, a sudden stiffness settling into his shoulders. "I purchased the deed to that entire property a few years back during a quiet private sell-off."
All eyes at the table instantly landed on Michael. Linda kept her expression steady; she had already received the stunning news about his plans for the medical clinic during their conversationat the hospital, but it was clear that Martin and Owen were completely caught off guard.
Linda rested her forearms on the table, shifting her focus back to her mentor. "Why exactly are you asking about the campground block, Aunt Anna?"
"Because that interior block is where the primary ceremonial and residential nucleus of the Calusa community actually sat," Anna explained, her voice rising with an undeniable academic authority. "Over hundreds of summers, the shifting coastal topography, tidal variations, and heavy storm deposits gradually pushed the sand barrier further inland. The hotel pool excavation caught the outer edge of the habitation layer, but the deep, undisturbed structural mounds sit directly beneath that old campground."
Michael's forehead was lined with a deep, worried frown, his fingers tapping against his water glass. "But there is still a verified settlement layer at the hotel property, right?" Michael asked, his tone tight with a sudden, protective anxiety. "Our entire strategy depends on that location. We aren't trying to preserve the campgrounds, Aunt Anna. We’re trying to save the hotel from a hostile corporate takeover."
"Yes, the layer extends continuously from his campground boundary right down the ridge line to the pool excavation site," Anna assured him, her tone softening with a comforting touch. "The two properties are historically inseparable. But for the sake of our immediate timeline, we will not mention the campground findings in our public documents just yet. We will keep our formal filings focused exclusively on the hotel pool site in order to stall the Wayne Group's legal team."
A sudden silence fell over the table. Linda turned her head, her gaze shifting accusingly toward the café owner. Michael and Martin mirrored the look, their eyes narrowing.
Owen raised both of his hands defensively, his expression a mix of bewilderment and alarm. "What?" Owen spluttered, looking around the circle. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't tell her a single thing about Michael's campground deed or the hotel's negotiations."
A soft blush touched Anna’s cheeks, a faint smile breaking through her serious demeanor. "Owen is telling the truth," Anna admitted, clearing her throat lightly. "I've been quietly keeping close tabs on George and the financial health of the hotel from South Carolina for several years. I always knew that if that stubborn old fool ever reached the brink of default and tried to sell out to the Wayne Group, I would have to personally jump into the fray to stop it. I am determined to preserve not only the Sweet Blossom Bay legacy of the hotel, but the incredible history that legacy is potentially sitting on."
Linda leaned forward, trying to clarify the depth of her aunt's intelligence network. "So you already knew about the foreclosure notices and the exact financial distress we're facing?" Linda asked.
"I do, my dear," Anna told her, her voice dropping into a tender, sympathetic register. "I was already assembling my archival research logs and preparing the legal baseline on my side because my sources within the state historical bureau warned me weeks ago that the Wayne Group was closing in on the hotel."
“Oh,” Linda said, looking at her aunt in amazement.
Anna’s jaw clamped, and her brows drew together in a deeply perplexed line as she stared down at her folded hands. "Although I am still entirely confused as to why the Wayne Group suddenly resurrected this aggressive coastal acquisition strategy now. I thought..." She trailed off, shaking her head slowly as her mind drifted back over the past.
"What exactly do you mean by that, Aunt Anna?" Linda asked, noticing the distant, wistful look on her face.
