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Josie waved back and stopped on the sidewalk to wait for her. “Good morning.” And then she knelt down to pet Peaches, who rewarded her with a wet kiss on the cheek.
When Josie straightened, Birdie said, “Good morning, dear. It’s going to be such a lovely day.”
Josie thought of her upcoming meeting with Lane and the fact they had to go through Sandra’s personal items. Lovely wasn’t exactly the word she would use to describe her day.
“It’s a beautiful start to the day.” And now it was time to get to the point. “I wanted to stop by and see if you would be at the inn on Monday when we dig up the time capsule.”
Birdie waved at a passing cyclist. “I don’t know.”
“It would mean a lot if you could be there. Without Sandra, I was hoping there might be someone who could possibly give some context to the contents of the capsule.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” And then she lowered her voice. “Between you and me, I’m the oldest person on the island, but don’t tell anyone.”
She sent Birdie a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’re a day over fifty.”
“Pftt…” Birdie waved off her words, but Josie didn’t miss the smile on the woman’s face. “I suppose I could be there. What time is it?”
“Four o’clock. It shouldn’t take them too long to dig it up. I can honestly tell you that I’m excited to see what’s in it.”
“Me too. It’s what? Two hundred years old?”
Josie nodded. “I hope the container withstood the test of time.”
“Me too.”
They walked toward Beachcomber Park in a comfortable silence. Josie had always liked Birdie. She was like everyone’s grandmother. She was the absolute sweetest…when she wasn’t matchmaking. Josie was fortunate not to be targeted in one of Birdie’s matchmaking schemes like had happened to Hannah and Ethan. But to be fair, Birdie had gotten that love match right. Hannah and Ethan were perfect for each other. It just took them a little bit to figure it all out.
“So I hear you have a visitor at the inn,” Birdie said.
They had a lot of visitors at the inn, but Josie knew she was referring to Lane. In the future, she would have to be careful about meeting Lane in public. There was something about him that got under her skin and had her raising her voice. Perhaps it was her desire to break through his stubbornness so he could listen to reason.
“I guess you also heard Lane’s anxious to sell the inn.” When Birdie nodded, Josie said, “Is it wrong that I don’t want to sell it?”
“Of course it’s not wrong. Sandra entrusted you with what was most important to her. She knew you would do the right thing.”
“And you don’t think it’s strange that she left her share of the inn to me, even though I’m not her family.”
Birdie stopped walking and turned to her. “You were her family in every way that matters. She loved you just like you were her daughter. Don’t let that man cast doubt on the close relationship you had with her. He may share her blood, but he didn’t know her.”
As they continued walking, Josie asked, “Did she ever speak of Lane or his mother?”
Birdie nodded. “Not in a very long time. People knew how painful the subject was for her and left it alone. I actually knew her twin sister, Vera. They were very close growing up. And then one summer a stranger came to the island. Sandra and her sister were eighteen or nineteen. And Vera fell head over heels for the guy. He was one of those that was too charming. There were all sorts of warning signals that he was trouble, but Vera wouldn’t listen to her family. The more they warned her about the young man, the more she fell for him. One night she ran away with the man. Her family was crushed, no one more so than Sandra.”
“The man, he’s Lane’s father?”
“From what I understand, yes. Vera sent postcards from various states. They moved around a lot. But over time the correspondence dropped off. Sandra and her parents tried to find Vera. It took some time but they finally located her in California. By then Lane was born, and Vera had changed. She came back once for a visit, but it ended in a big fight. She never returned to the island after that. When her parents died, she only wanted the money from the inn.”
“That’s so sad. No wonder Sandra never spoke of her sister, and when anyone asked, she said she didn’t have any family.”
“I’m sure it was just too painful for her to discuss, and so, it was easier for her to pretend her family had never existed.”
Josie wasn’t sure what to make of this new information. Maybe it wasn’t all Lane’s fault that he’d never known his aunt. It was hard to tell what his mother had told him about Sandra.
As though Birdie could read her thoughts, she patted Josie’s arm. “Tell Lane about Sandra. Let him know her through your eyes and heart. It might just be what he needs to change his mind about selling the inn.”
“I don’t know. He seems quite determined.”
Birdie sent her a knowing smile. “I’ve known you to change a mind or two.”
