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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHARLOTTE
Sunday morning, Charlotte smiled at a couple who joined the others in the dining room. “Good morning. I hope you had a nice sleep.”
“Oh, yes,” said Nellie Greene, an older woman with white hair and a ready smile. “Better yet, I found a couple of special shells I’ve been looking for. It pays to get up early.” She held up a pretty tulip shell.
“Let me see,” said a woman already seated at the table.
Carrie … Corrie? Carrie … Sutton?Yes! That was her name.“Isn’t it pretty, Carrie?” said Charlotte smoothly. “With one more day here, you should be able to find some nice shells yourself. And remember, we have several handbooks on shells. You can carry them with you and check for yourself.”
“You do? I’ll do that today. My granddaughter wants to make shell jewelry with me. I’ve bought some shells at one of the stores, but this will be even better.” Carrie beamed at her. “This is one of the reasons Greg and I like to come here. For the little services like this.”
“That’s what we hope to give our guests.” Charlotte knew Gran would be pleased with her.
By the time all eight couples had been served and the dining room cleared, Charlotte was happy to see the end of breakfast. Dealing with them and Billy Bob in the kitchen was enough of a challenge for any day. It made her wonder if managing the Inn was what she wanted to do in the future. Livy and Brooke seemed more suited to it and had already talked of staying on.
Charlotte talked with Beryl about housekeeping for the day and went into the office to check for emails and phone calls. She’d placed a couple of ads in the Miami and Tampa newspapers as well as travel websites reminding readers that a beachside stay was a pleasant way to relax. So far, they’d gotten a few reservations as a result from them.
As soon as things were in order, Charlotte headed back to Gran’s house. She hoped to see her cousins, maybe have time for girl talk.
She found Brooke and Livy in the kitchen. “Hey, you two. What’s going on? How did your dates go last night?”
“Wow. Look at you,” said Livy.
“You really are taking Gran’s place,” Brooke said.
Charlotte looked down at the orange T-shirt she’d borrowed from Gran and laughed. The shirt read:Life’s Good!“I’ve decided to make some changes. While I was with Shane, I told him about trying to be up to my mother’s standards. It brought back a lot of feelings I’ve stuffed inside. So, from now on, being here, helping Gran, I’m going to do what’s right for me, not my mother.”
Brooke laughed. “Your mother hates those shirts.”
“Exactly,” said Charlotte with a satisfied smile. “One tiny step in trying to free myself from the past.”
“Like Brooke and her phone calls to her mother,” said Livy. “I understand.”
“How about you, Livy? What are you doing to change?” said Charlotte, genuinely curious.
“That’s easy. I’m going to do what I want and to put myself first without worrying about my mother’s expectations. I want to be able to enjoy the time we have together,” said Livy.
Charlotte looked at her two cousins. “Gran would be proud of the changes we’re making. What else is going on?” She grabbed a glass of iced water and sat down at the table with them.
Brooke sighed. “I was just telling Livy that Adam, Skye, and I had a wonderful trip to Disney World, but if I never hear the “It’s a Small World” song again, it will be fine with me.” She laughed with them. “Adam’s a great guy, but we both know we’re not going to pursue any real relationship other than through his daughter. I adore Skye, but as I’ve mentioned before, neither of us wants to hurt her by pretending to be something we’re not.”
“And you, Livy? What have you been doing?” Charlotte said, setting down her glass of water and giving her a steady look. Jed had mentioned he liked her.
“Jed and I went out to dinner in Sarasota, walked around the area, and came back here to Gran’s splash pool. It was nice. Really nice. That’s it.”
Brooke grinned at Livy. “I bet there’s more to it, but I’ll let you off the hook.” She turned to Charlotte. “You and Shane must be more than casual friends if you’re discussing things like your mother.”
Charlotte nodded. “My mother … and David.”
“Your brother who died young?” Livy said, her eyebrows arching like a question mark.
“Yes. We both talked about very personal things. Now, I understand a little bit more about why Shane is the way he is,” said Charlotte, remembering the pain in Shane’s eyes when he talked about his parents.
“Wow, that’s deep, Charlotte,” said Livy. “Seems as if a real friendship is forming, like you want.”
Charlotte hesitated to respond. It’s what she’d told everyone she wanted.
