“A ghost?”
“I don’t know. I like that it protected you.”
Good. Because she needed every ounce of safety she could get. If a spirit from the great beyond wanted to help, she wouldn’t turn it away. She’d feel safest with her husband on her side. “Well, I find the Maguire legend a bit ridiculous. The mill has hardly been prospering. Are the rest of us supposed to be quaking over what happens if the ancient laws of primogeniture fail?”Because the town won’t have to wait long.She didn’t see much purpose in further explaining the situation. Without her blood claim, she’d be out of luck. She was a hypocrite to argue the other side.
“Why do you pick and choose which myth to believe in?” He leaned his chin in his hand.
She almost sighed in relief that he hadn’t jumped on her argument to turn her words against herself. “I have to accept all or nothing? Like you? No middle ground?”
He frowned.
And she dropped it. Because they’d both hit too close to the heart of the matter for the other’s comfort. “If I support Soupy, will that make you feel better?”
He groaned.
And she chuckled. Her first real belly laugh in years, the tickle in her throat turned into a bending over, holding her stomach guffaw. “I have offered opinions. I think we had a good meeting. Seth is clever. It’s up to him now. If he can hire an illustrator, he might be okay.”
“Illustrator?”
“Children’s book is the best way to market the creature.” She pressed a hand to her heart. “In my humble opinion.”
He chuckled. “Yes, very self-deprecating and modest. I don’t think he’ll take you up on that. He seems convinced he has to educate everyone about Soupy. But I’m glad you’ve come around. Dreamers need each other.”
“Soupy wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to town. Not like the idea to have a Fourth of July regatta.” She grinned.
He groaned. “Oh, don’t remind anyone. They’ll want to do it again.”
The regatta had been Christopher’s first attempt at getting involved in the Inn during their teenage years. He’d pitched it as a fun, community-wide parade. In the end, a handful of boats had been pulling rafts of various buoyance in the frigid water. She could still remember the calls to the EMTs for help warming up the passengers on the rafts when one of the Prims tour boats got too close and soaked everyone with their wake.
Had that been his last creative idea? She wouldn’t accuse him of quitting when he struggled with trying something new and met with disaster. She hated if he’d missed opportunities to think outside the box over the years. Soupy might be his way to make up for his years of hard-nosed management and embraced a little fun. She hoped so.
“Elise and Seth seemed to really hit it off. He’s working with her on the new slogan.” She paused, waiting for a reaction.
Christopher stuffed a bite into his mouth.
Had she misread his feelings about Elise? She hoped so. “Seth has a catchphrase I like.”
“Really? What is it?”
She was toeing the line between them, inching towards the dangerous topics they seemed so much better off avoiding. But whatever happened, wouldn’t they need a reckoning of the past?Maybe not. Maybe we can just pretend we start over.“You don’t choose other people’s memories. Make good ones together.”
“Wow. Seth came up with that?”
She nodded. “He did. It gives me hope for his work with Soupy. That and the connection with his dad.” Understanding what the lake monster meant to Seth helped. What must total parental support, despite the illogical conclusion, feel like? Her dad loved her but didn’t really believe in her, dismissing her ideas as frivolous. Her nose itched, and unshed tears stung her eyes. She sniffed. Better to focus on the present. “I dropped off the final batch of menus in the restaurant. Do they earn your approval?”
“Whole-heartedly, he did a great job. He’s working through the process and learning. Without anyone else to guide him, he’s got to take ownership of every step and the end result. But he’ll get there. Seth’s a good guy.”
Takes one to know one. She tucked the blanket more firmly around herself. “Stop distracting me from my job, please. I’ve got to catch a ghost.”
Christopher chuckled and faced the windows. “Right you are.”
ChapterFourteen
With her legs tucked underneath her on the leather armchair and a blanket thrown over her lap for good measure, Ashley should be falling asleep. She was warm, dry, and full. She’d had a companionable evening, laughing about old stories and avoiding any serious talk. She’d come so close to unburdening her heart, only to have the good sense at the last second to hold her tongue. Following the day’s excitement, she should be exhausted. She shouldn’t be awake and replaying every moment of the day.
But she was too wired to sleep.
At ten on the dot, Christopher had ordered coffee. She had slurped almost the entire carafe on her own. He’d fallen asleep an hour ago.
