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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte waited anxiously for Jed to arrive, curious to see what kind of person he was. She’d already seen pictures of him online, and he looked nice, with a pleasant smile.
She reviewed the changes she’d made to what had been an uninteresting website. She’d added color, switched photographs around, cleaned up the way people could react by volunteering, donating, or simply requesting more information. The important thing was to make sure all those contact points were ready.
At the appointed hour of eleven, Jed pulled up in a beige Lexus SUV. Charlotte left her post in the reception area and went to greet him.
He climbed out of the car and waved as he walked toward her carrying a briefcase. “Hello, Charlie. We finally meet.”
Charlotte returned his smile and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming on a weekend day. How was the drive?”
“Pretty boring crossing Alligator Alley, but that’s okay. Gave me time to think about this work. You’re right. We have to set up the proper structure for the group, get more volunteers, more funds.”
“Come on in. What can I get you to drink? Coffee? Tea? Lemonade?”
“Just plain water, thank you,” he said, following her inside.
In the office, he set down his briefcase. “Let’s see what you’ve come up with.” He pulled a chair up next to hers, and they both sat down.
She showed him some different banners they could use and talked about establishing clear lines of communication.
He sat back in his chair. “I like what I see. Your banner showing children of all ages is catchy, and I like the color scheme of blue and gold. The way you’ve organized the material is great, with easy links for more action. But, after seeing this, I’m more convinced than ever that we need to hire and fund a director for the project. We’ve talked about it, of course, but we can’t continue as we have been with Sarita doing much of the work.”
“Can you get government funding for your project?” Charlotte asked.
His face lit. “I hadn’t thought of that. Let me work on that and get the word out that we’re looking for someone to run the program. Until then, Shane and I can fund a temporary person. I’m sure he’ll agree with me on this.”
Charlotte studied him. “How did you and Shane meet? And when did you decide to go into business together?”
“We met at Stetson University, ended up becoming roommates and decided to open an office together. We each chose Family Law for different reasons, but we’ve worked well together.”
“Is your family from Florida?” Charlotte asked, genuinely interested.
A shadow crossed his face. “My mother and I lived in Gulfport, where the school is located. Unfortunately, she died before I graduated.”
“I’m sorry,” said Charlotte. “That must have been difficult.”
“It still is,” he said, gazing out the window. “Drug overdose.”
Saddened by the pain in his voice, Charlotte decided to change things a bit. “I’d like to show you the Inn if you’re interested. My cousins and I are working on upgrades for it.”
“Including its website?” asked Jed.
She laughed. “You checked it out?”
“Yup,” he said. “Wanted to know what we were getting into, hiring you.”
“I’m doing this for free,” countered Charlotte.
“Oh, I know, but it still has to be right. Shane sometimes leads with his heart.”
“And you don’t?” she asked him, giving him a steady look.
“Sometimes I do,” he answered with a shrug.
“I’ve always admired Shane,” said Charlotte. “All of us kids in the cove still do, he being the oldest and a natural leader.”
