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“In his own Bennett way, yes.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t ask.
“And I figured now was as good a time as any to catch up,” Lyra continued. “Like I said, I would have called first, but…”
“About that,” I said. “Where’s the best place to get a replacement phone?” As soon as I had a phone again, I could officially put the night behind me like it had never happened.
“Hmm…” Madison mused. “I usually order my phones online.”
“There’s a mobile-phone store two blocks from the rental office,” Lyra said, “but it’s only open from twelve to five.”
“Right,” I muttered. “Because it’s the off-season.” Absently, I wondered how this trip might have been if it was July, instead of January, and the residents had been in tourist mode.
“Our favorite time of year!” Madison said brightly.
I sipped my coffee. “Is it really?”
Other than the past few days, I had no experience with CBX this time of year. I’d been so focused on the resort proposal that I hadn’t had time to enjoy the islands. As a tourist, I had to say it was difficult—establishments had limited hours, and some places were outright closed. I could see how locals might appreciate having the town to themselves, though.
But at what cost? Tourism accounted for a large chunk of the local economy.Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if tourism increased in the cold months?It wasn’t as if the change would be drastic—the colder weather would always keep some tourists away from the beach.
“After months of crazy tourists, yes. It gives us a chance to breathe.” Madison took three muffins out of the bag and placed each on a napkin. I tried not to drool. “Chocolate chip, cinnamon swirl, and blueberry. Take first pick.”
“Chocolate chip obviously,” I said. The only thing better than coffee was coffeeandchocolate. Madison edged it across the counter to me, and I tried not to snatch it like Gollum with his ring.
Lyra swiped the cinnamon swirl. “Good choice, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Carmen is a miracle worker with flour and sugar.”
We were silent while we gobbled our muffins. Mine far surpassed the muffin I used to grab from the coffee shop on the first floor of my firm’s building in New York.And to think I used to live on those things.
“Can I ask you something? And please, be honest.” I didn’t know why I added that caveat. None of the Croft-Ramsey siblings had ever had trouble speaking their minds.
Lyra put down her muffin and folded her hands. “Sure.”
“Will a Markham resort be detrimental to the Carolina Banks?” It was the first time I’d even entertained the possibility. Development was supposed to be a good thing. But as much as Bennett irritated me, I also respected him. The fact remained that he was a local business owner, and I was an outsider.
Lyra and Madison exchanged a look, and my stomach sank. I believed what I was working toward was the right thing, but maybe I’d had it wrong. What if my time as a big-city lawyer had blinded me to anything but money?
“Of course, we won’t know until it happens,” Lyra said, “but I’ve seen the property that Markham owns, and most of it isn’t doing anything for the islands right now. It could be put to better use. There are bound to be growing pains, but more cash flowing into the community is always a good thing, right?”
“That’s what I’m asking,” I said. “I think so, but—”
“But Bennett’s gotten into your head,” Madison finished for me. “Our brother is many things, but a visionary is not one of them.”
So much for not being transparent. These women had known me nine years before, when my crush on Bennett had probably been obvious. I hoped my current emotions weren’t as conspicuous. Considering that Bennett and I argued every time we saw one another, I doubted it. Besides that, I wasn’t even sure how I felt about him half the time.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. To be on the safe side, I steered the conversation away from Bennett.
“You can say that again.” I chuckled. “Tell me what you all have been up to since I last saw you! Madison, I think you had just gotten your driver’s license.”
“Oh God,” she said. “Then the last time you saw me, I still had braces.”
I laughed. “Maybe.” The truth was that I didn’t remember Madison very well, but I wouldn’t say so and hurt her feelings. As adults, a three-year age gap wasn’t much, but in the teen years, it had been huge.
We chatted over our muffins and coffee, catching up. I told them all about my career as a New York lawyer, leaving out the part about catching Reg with the receptionist spread-eagled on his desk. Lyra told me about being a single mother. Madison didn’t say much, but I didn’t pry. I got the sense she was still figuring things out. In retrospect, I wished I’d done the same instead of rushing headfirst into my career. I might have made different choices.
Lyra tucked the trash from our food into the white bakery bag and deposited that in the kitchen trash can. “I need to get back to the office. Mom is in this morning, but she’s due to leave soon. Oh!” Her eyes widened. “I almost forgot. She said to invite you to dinner tonight. It’s Paul’s last supper.”
“Excuse me?” That sounded ominous, making me wonder if I’d heard her right, given her chipper tone.
