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“If it’s for Josie, the whole town will pitch in. Everyone loves her as you’ve found out.”
Lane loved her a whole lot. She was very special. And with some help, he would show her just how much he loved her. And maybe if he was very lucky, she would forgive him.
How was she going to tell everyone the inn was being sold?
The question was at the forefront of Josie’s mind ever since the contest results were announced yesterday. She’d hardly slept that night. She’d tossed and turned, searching for the right words to tell everyone that the inn was being sold. She didn’t think those words existed.
When she arrived at the inn that morning, she noticed a lot of activity. A large number of townspeople were headed for the inn.What in the world…
She followed the crowd. The bicentennial was over, so there was no reason to gather in the morning. Had there been an accident? She hoped not.
She rounded the corner of the building and found a couple of dozen people standing around talking, but it was the fact Lane was there that caught her off guard. She’d have thought he would be in California by now.
Surely he wasn’t about to announce the sale of the inn to the entire island. She hadn’t even told the staff yet. Both Harvey and Sara were standing right there. Josie knew Lane was anxious to finalize the sale, but she didn’t think he’d rush it and ignore people’s feelings.
“Could I have your attention,” Lane said to the crowd.
He was really going to do it—he was going to announce the sale of the inn. Anger pulsed through her veins. She had to stop him. This wasn’t the way it should be done.
“Wait!” Heads turned in Josie’s direction as she rushed up to Lane. “You can’t do this.”
His brows arched. “I can’t?”
“No.” And then she whispered, “I haven’t told the employees about the sale yet.”
He whispered back. “There isn’t going to be a sale.”
“There isn’t?” Her voice came out louder than she’d planned.
Lane smiled and shook his head.Wait. He’s smiling? Why?
“Then what is everyone doing here?” She was very confused.
“We’re putting together a time capsule just like you wanted. In one hundred or two hundred years, it’ll be dug up, and people will get to know a little about us.”
She opened her mouth, but no words would come out. Was he for real? Or was her imagination playing tricks on her?
Lane stepped to the side to let her see the waterproof box they had to hold the precious mementos. She gazed inside to see a current map of Bluestar, some currency, a photo of the inn, and so much more.
Her gaze moved from the box to Harvey, hoping he would make sense of this. “You planned this?”
“It was all Lane’s idea,” Harvey said with a smile. “And a mighty fine idea. It’s good to know the Brass Anchor Inn will be here for another century.”
She blinked back tears of joy. She could hardly believe this was happening. She turned back to Lane. What changed your mind?”
“You.”
“But why?”
Lane’s gaze met hers. “I love you. I love the inn. And I love this little island. I didn’t want to, but you opened my eyes. Now I see how special Bluestar is.”
Her heart swelled with love. She wanted to reach out to him, but she hesitated. Her heart couldn’t stand to be rejected again. She had to make sure this was real. “Are you sure?”
Lane nodded. “By finding my past—the one where my family really did want me—I found my future with you.” He waved his hand around. “And all of these people.”
“How do you know about your family wanting you?”
“Because in the attic were letters and photos. It was all there. The missed opportunities and the family I’d always longed for. My mother kept me from all of that. I’m sure she had her reasons, but I’ll never know what they were.”
