Isabel had to agree with her friend. The timing had been strange, but everything about the bay felt as if it were meant to happen.
"I can't argue with you there," Isabel murmured, taking a slow sip. She glanced toward the secondary hallway, trying to look casual. "Where's Linda? The girls told me she was on her way out here."
Penny's eyebrows shot up instantly. "Oh, she went into town to get some renovation supplies for me."
Isabel frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing.Why did Penny seem a little jumpy?A subtle shift in her posture made her look nervous. Isabel shook the thought away, telling herself she was simply being paranoid because of the massive volume of drama happening around the hotel property lately.
"So, how big of a check am I writing?" Penny asked, skillfully shifting the conversation back to the reason Isabel had buzzed the gate.
Isabel felt a heavy wave of guilt and worry course through her chest. She set her bag onto a side table. "First, I was hoping you could help smooth the way for me to talk to Linda. I need her to know that we didn't betray her trust, that we had no idea about the deception until it was too late."
Penny looked at her, a gentle smile softening her features.
"Don't worry, Linda already knows." She stepped closer, her tone quiet and reassuring. "I talked to her about it, and she fully understood the situation. She doesn't blame us at all."
Isabel let out a long, ragged breath, a massive weight lifting from her ribs. "Still, I want to speak to her myself. I need to look her in the eye and say it."
"I know you do," Penny said softly, her gaze full of compassion. "But maybe let Linda have some time to breathe."
Isabel felt her heart sink again. "I knew it. She's upset with me."
"No, honey, Linda's not," Penny assured her, shaking her head. "She's just processing everything that went down in the lobby,and I think we need to leave the subject alone until she's ready to come to us."
"So I must avoid her?" Isabel frowned, her jaw tightening.
"No," Penny said, offering a firm shake of her head. "Just ask if she's doing okay and let her know you're there for her. Say you're sorry if you feel the need, but don't push the issue."
Isabel nodded slowly. She understood the advice. Penny knew her far too well; she knew that Isabel thoroughly hated the thought of causing pain to anyone she cared about.
"I can do that," she murmured.
"Good," Penny said, taking another sip from her mug. "So that was the first item on the checklist. What's the second?"
Isabel's expression turned serious. "Where is my brother? I've been trying to find him since yesterday, and he seems to have gone radio silent. He has disappeared."
Penny's frown deepened, a shadow crossing her face. "What? I spoke to him yesterday afternoon when he came storming over to my place right after the showdown at Hearts Hotel." A quick flicker of amusement at her choice of words sparked in her eyes.
"Is he okay?" Isabel asked, ignoring her friend's sick sense of humor.
Isabel’s heart started feeling incredibly heavy. She knew how much he had been looking forward to that lunch, how he had been planning to reveal his true identity to Linda that lunchtime, only for their cousin and that terrible woman to ruin everything before he got the chance.
"No," Penny answered honestly, her shoulders dropping. "He really has deep feelings for her, so the fallout is eating him alive."
"Oh, no," Isabel breathed, a fresh wave of sympathy aching behind her ribs. "I really need to talk to him."
"No," Penny stopped her, reaching out a hand. "I think the best thing we can do for both of them right now is to let the situation cool down. They'll come to us when the time is right."
Isabel knew what her brother was like, and she guessed Linda was much the same. They didn't externalize their hurt or make a public scene; they silently processed their emotions until they felt steady enough to talk. Sometimes they didn't talk at all, which wasn't a healthy approach in her opinion, but everyone handled heartache in their own way, and she had to respect their boundaries.
“I just want them both to know I'm here for them," Isabel said softly, looking down at the porcelain of her cup.
"They know," Penny told her gently. She took a sip of the coffee, tilting her head.
Isabel took another slow sip of the dark roast, the rich flavor hitting her tongue.
"Wow, this is remarkably good." She looked up, her eyebrows rising in genuine surprise. “Are you sure you made this?” A smug smile spread across her lips at the slight insult.
Penny let out a sharp snort, her features twisting into a mock look of deep offense. "Hey. I am more than capable of operating an espresso machine."
