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As Gigi and Daniel started walking toward the office, Elizabeth said, “I’m happy to help Mom, but before I do, I’d like to know what your meeting with Daniel is about.”
She directed the words to Daniel, whose stoic expression didn’t give up anything.
Usually, she wouldn’t have gotten into Gigi’s business like this, but her grandmother was acting squirrelly, and this was Daniel Quindlin. He was good-looking and charming and the last person on earth she’d trust alone with anyone she cared about, especially Gigi. Something was going on and she intended to get to the bottom of it.
Wiladean laughed. “Bless your heart, Elle. You’ve always been too curious for your own good.”
She raised her brows at her grandmother.
“Gigi,” Elle said, using her best teacher’s voice.
“Oh, honey, Daniel is here to talk about some renovations we want to do to the place.” She shrugged and waved her hand, as if the reason for the meeting should’ve been perfectly obvious. “That’s all.”
“Why are you talking to Daniel about the remodel?”
What kind of a racket was he trying to pull? And on my Gigi?
“I’m a licensed general contractor.” To Daniel’s credit, he didn’t sound defensive. “I specialize in restoring old houses like this one. It’s what I do.”
Elle recalled that he’d said he’d rebuilt his grandmother’s house after the fire, and he had worked construction jobs when they were in high school. Sometimes he’d skipped school to take day labor jobs for extra money. That was why he’d gotten behind in school and she’d had to tutor him.
Well, for one day, anyway.
Then he’d kissed her and she’d freaked out and she’d told the principal she was too busy to help him. And she was. She was dating Roger. Plus, she was a straight A honor student, student body president, head of the art club and chair of the honor society tutoring committee. Backing out on helping the new kid bring up his grades hadn’t looked good, but Daniel had scared her to death. Because when he’d kissed her, she’d kissed him back. That one kiss had made her feel things and want to do things she’d never realized she was capable of feeling or doing. Things a good girl didn’t feel or do. Roger had certainly never made her feel like that. Daniel was dark and dangerous. When she’d looked into his brown eyes, she sensed that he’d already lived a thousand lives and bore scars from each one.
When he’d befriended Roger, she’d always felt like that kiss was blackmail material.
From that point forward she’d never trusted Daniel Quindlin.
“Why does your meeting have to take place at the same time that the Savannah Women’s Society is about to present you with a check? You should be in that meeting, not this one.”
“Oh, go on now and stop being so bossy,” Gigi said. “I’m the queen bee around here, missy, and I’m asking you to go help your mama with the breakfast and leave us to our meeting.”
“Okay, I’ll go help Mom. I’ll tell her you asked me to fill in for you because you’re meeting with Daniel.”
“Now, don’t do that. Don’t you say anything to her.” Urgency was plain as day in Gigi’s forced smile.
“Why not?” Elle recalled her mother saying that the two of them had been at an impasse over the remodeling project. “Gigi, are you meeting with Daniel on the sly?”
Wiladean sighed and fixed Elizabeth with a pointed look. “Elle, dear, don’t be silly. I don’t have time to explain things right now, but I will fill both you and your mother in on the details later.”
Wiladean smiled and waved at someone Elizabeth didn’t recognize. The woman started walking in their direction.
“This is exactly why I need your help,” Gigi said under her breath, keeping her smile intact. “If I don’t get out of here, I’ll get pulled into the Society Ladies’ meeting.”
Elle raised her brows, conveying the message she wasn’t going anywhere until Gigi fessed up.
“Your mom and I are having... Oh, how do I say it? Zelda and I are having creative differences and we are at a standoff with the direction of the renovation. We have different visions for the inn and I wanted to talk to Daniel alone.” Wiladean lowered her voice another decibel as the other woman approached. “Will you help me, please?”
