“I’ll have a better idea of that in the next few days. Hopefully we can get right on it.”
Molly had told her all that would need to be done. There was at least a month’s work here if not more.
“Levi . . . please, why don’t you just let me help—”
“Have you told Nolan you’re going home yet?”
She sighed. He didn’t want her money. Or her, for that matter. It took all her skills to maintain eye contact and pretend like this wasn’t killing her.
“He thinks it’s a good idea at this point. I’m sure it’ll be just fine,” she said, repeating his words and hearing the same futile hope in them.
“And your next project?”
She shrugged. “We’ll see. I guess it’ll all work out the way it was meant to.”
The way it was meant to. This wasn’t the way she’d thought it would work out at all. She’d been planning a future with Levi. A future he obviously didn’t want as badly as she did. She supposed one never got used to rejection.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat and checked her phone, a necessary distraction. “My car’s here.”
“Wait,” he said as she started moving toward the door. “There’s something I want you to have.” He walked past her, through the door, and to the check-in desk.
Leaving her bags, she followed him.
He reached under the desk then extended a white tissue–wrapped bundle the size of her fist.
A horn tooted outside.
“Thanks.” She took it and placed it in her purse. “And thank you for your . . .” She struggled for a way to describe all the things he’d done for her. Everything he’d meant to her.
“You’re welcome.” He stepped closer, his eyes warming. “Mia, I’m really sorry that . . .” He was the one at a loss now.
She saw the struggle in his eyes, the hurt. And knew she had to let him off the hook. “It’s okay, Levi.”
He reached out to her, and that was all it took.
She flung herself into his arms, buried her face in the nook between his neck and shoulder, and inhaled him. Memorized the spicy scent of him. The gentle scrape of his jaw against her forehead. The needy feel of his hands at the small of her back. She was grateful, so grateful, for this last contact. In a few minutes she’d only have memories to keep her heart warm.
She swallowed back tears, her throat aching with them, her eyes closing against them. She wished she could stay here forever, in his arms, in his home, in his heart. But maybe she’d never really been in his heart to begin with. He’d already left her, after all. Now it was time for her to leave him.
She should’ve done it first. Then maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much.
The horn honked again.
Mia gathered her fortitude to say a final good-bye and reluctantly pulled away. A smile in place. Not a trace of tears. All her barriers up, all those years of training allowing her to pretend, once again, that she was fine. She was just fine.
forty-three
Levi was not fine. Mia was gone, and she’d taken his heart with her. He’d never in a million years dreamed he was capable of such a Molly-like thought, but there it was.
For the past hour, while the plumber worked to restore water on the main level, he’d sorted through soggy items on the porch. The mundane task gave him plenty of time to review their good-bye. So brief. So heartbreaking. But Mia had seemed just fine as she’d shouldered her purse and walked out his door for the last time. Maybe that’s what was most heartbreaking of all.
He was getting nowhere but down with that line of thinking. He had to put Mia aside and focus on the problems at hand. That was why he’d broken things off with her, after all.
He threw the last soggy towel into the pile of items to be washed and looked through the window. His sisters would be up and moving around by now. It was time for a family meeting.
Levi was seated across from his sisters in the inn’s library. The house had taken on a musty smell that he hoped would soon dissipate. This whole thing seemed like a nightmare. And it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Molly returned his gaze, her eyes not quite as stormy as last night, but not exactly oozing warmth either.
Grace’s arms were folded across her chest, regarding him with a familiar Well . . . ? look.
“Shouldn’t we be doing something upstairs?” Molly asked.
“It’s still drying out,” Levi said. “There’ll be plenty to do later. Right now I think we need to have a heart-to-heart about the business. Among other things.”
“We just had the Huddle of Horror.” Leave it to Grace to be firing on all cylinders, despite so little sleep.
“We’re not going over financials today.”
“Thank God,” Grace said.
“The flood changes things. A lot of things, and . . . I haven’t exactly been honest with you about our financial situation.”
Molly’s eyes sharpened on him. “What do you mean you haven’t been honest?”
“Things aren’t as . . . stable with the inn . . . as I’ve led you to believe.”
“But we see the spreadsheet every month,” Grace said. “Even I can read the bottom line.”
Levi’s face heated. Only now did he realize how wrong his actions had been. It was time to face up to his misdeeds.
“I manipulated the numbers. Things weren’t going well, and I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”
Molly gave him a withering look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“How bad is it? And how long has this been going on?”
May as well lay it all out there. “Pretty much from the beginning. I’ve got two credit cards—in my name—at their limit. It just kind of spiraled out of control. At first I just used one to keep us in the black on paper. I thought I’d be able to pay the balance off after our first season. But we needed that money to get us through the winter. Then I realized we were going to have to step up the marketing. But that costs money, so I opened another credit card, and now it’s maxed too.”
“Levi!” Molly said.
“The good news is that the plan’s working. Our reservations are up, and the rate increase is already paying off. We’re in a much better position than we were at this point last year. But then the flood . . .”
Molly leaned forward. “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding all this from us, Levi. We’re supposed to be partners, and you’re making unilateral decisions. This inn doesn’t belong to just you.”
“I know that—”
“Apparently you don’t.”
“This is a universal issue with you,” Grace chimed in. “You think you run everything around here, including our lives. You’ve gone way past big brother and straight to control freak.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what’s it like, Levi?” Molly said. “Because that’s exactly what it seems like from this side of the desk. You’re trying to dictate Grace’s future. You interfered with what should’ve been one of the happiest moment of my life. And now you’re telling us that the inn—the inn that belongs equally to the three of us—has been in financial danger all along, and you’ve hidden that from us for over a year!”
Levi palmed the back of his neck. Tried to slow his breathing. It was time for complete honesty, and this part wasn’t going to make them happy either. There was something else he’d kept from them.
Before he could lose his nerve, he spit it out. “There’s one more thing I wasn’t honest about.”
Grace tilted her head at him.
Molly speared him with a look.
“It’s about Dad . . . his last words to me.” He paused for a moment to let them adjust to the change in subject. “He did say he loved us. He wanted you to know that. But that wasn’t all he said. He told me—” Levi swallowed against the emotion bulging his throat.
His heart was thudding in his chest the way it always did when he remembered those last seconds with his dad.
“He made me prom
ise to take care of you.”
A lengthy silence settled over them like a heavy wool cape.
“Maybe you weren’t aware of it,” Levi said, “but he always used to say that to me. Mom too, but Dad especially. ‘Take care of your sisters.’ First day of school, when I’d babysit, when you’d go anywhere with me. ‘Take care of your sisters.’ From the time you were born it’s been my job as your big brother.”
“But Levi,” Molly said, “we’re adults now. We can take care of ourselves. That’s not your job anymore.”
Levi’s eyes stung. “I promised him, Molly. It was his last request, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve been trying to hold all this together. The inn, you, Grace. And I’ve failed in every single area.”
“I don’t think Dad meant for you to run our lives, Levi,” Molly said. “And you haven’t failed. This inn is a joint effort. Relationships are a joint effort. Your only failure was failing to see that. We need to work together in all of this. You have to stop being a Lone Ranger and realize this is a group effort.”
“No wonder you’re stressed out all the time,” Grace said. “It was one of the best things about having Mia here. She got you out of your funk. Reminded you how to have fun.”
A wave of pain washed over him. He felt the loss afresh.
“And while we’re on that subject,” Molly said, “why’d you go and break up with her? She was good for you.”
Levi gaped at her. “Look around you, Molly. This place, our family, is falling apart around our ears. Losing this inn . . .” His throat closed up. His palms grew damp. “It feels like I’m losing Mom and Dad all over again.”
Molly squeezed his hand. “We haven’t lost the inn, Levi. We’re going to get through this.”
“The bottom line is, I can’t handle the load I’ve got. And Mia isn’t going to be another casualty of my life.”
“You can’t handle the load,” Molly said, “because you’re trying to run three lives plus a business! Let us run our own lives, and we’ll work together on the inn. The damage can be repaired—that’s what insurance is for.”
“It doesn’t cover the weeks or months we’ll be without guests.”
“How much is on your credit cards?” Grace asked.
He winced, and the back of his neck broke out into a sweat. “Twenty-five grand.”
Molly gasped.
Saying it out loud was like a punch to the solar plexus. He felt the shame of it. He had a business degree, for crying out loud. He was blowing it in his own area of expertise. And admitting it to his sisters was almost worse than admitting it to himself.
The girls sat silent for a long moment, staring somberly at him.
“I’m sorry I did this. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you with the truth.”
Levi had realized one more thing while sitting under his sisters’ blazing eyes. He’d made yet another unilateral decision very recently. He’d given away something that actually belonged to all three of them. Might as well get it all out in the open.
“There’s something else I need to tell you . . .”
Grace threw her hands up.
“Last night—or rather, early this morning—I found Dorothy’s necklace. The blue diamond.”
Molly gasped. “Where’d you find it?”
He told them the whole story, then waited while they absorbed the information. Molly was mostly excited about the historical discovery. Grace soon became excited about the financial windfall.
“Hold up,” Levi said, bracing for more anger. “Before you get too excited I have to tell you . . . I gave the necklace to Mia before she left. I realize now I should’ve talked it over with you—unfortunately that thought came a little late.”
His sisters were shooting daggers at him.
“I know I acted in haste. But it was a family heirloom for her, and she’s had precious little from her family. The necklace rightfully belongs to her—I still believe that—and I didn’t feel right about keeping it.”
Grace crossed her arms.
Molly scowled.
“I’m sorry,” Levi said. “If I were you I’d probably be angry too. I know we could really use the money right now, and maybe I should’ve thought with my head and not my heart, but—”
“We’re not mad that you gave her the necklace,” Molly said.
“We’re mad that you bypassed our input—again,” Grace said.
Levi gaped at the two of them. Okay, he definitely hadn’t given his sisters enough credit. He hadn’t even thought about getting their input on the necklace before he handed it over to Mia.
“I might have a problem,” he said.
“Might?” Molly asked.
“Fine. All right. I have a problem. I’m sorry I left you out of the process—again. I’ll do better. I promise.”
Molly and Grace looked at each other for a long moment, some of the wind leaving their sails.
“I forgive you,” Molly said. “You were right to give the necklace to Mia. It was her grandmother’s, after all. If it were my heirloom, it would mean an awful lot to me.”
Grace shrugged. “Yeah, I get it. Not that the money wouldn’t have been nice.”
He shook his head in wonder. “Thanks, guys. That’s generous of you.”
Levi sank back in his chair, the load of guilt making him feel lighter even while the task in front of them weighed heavily on his mind.
“Now that all that’s cleared up,” he said, “we’ve got a real mess upstairs.”
“And now that we know what we’re up against,” Molly said, “we need a plan. I suggest we call in the forces and get it done quickly.”
“The whole town came together to help us get this place off the ground,” Grace said.
“She’s right,” Molly said. “We’ve got a caring community who’ll want to help us. We have to let them.”
Grace nailed Levi with a look. “And you have to let us lead our own lives.”
“She’s right,” Molly said. “Advice is welcome, mandates are not. Even Dad didn’t order us around, Levi, and he wouldn’t expect you to either. You have to trust us to make good decisions and let us fail when we don’t—just like good parents do. Anything else is overreaching.”
Levi weighed her words. It was hard to let go of this. Maybe he really was a control freak. But he knew Molly was right. He couldn’t imagine their father demanding Grace go to college. Or withholding his blessing from Adam. Both their parents had guided him and given advice, less and less often as he’d gotten older.
“He’s not agreeing.” Grace arched a brow at Molly.
“I’m thinking. I know what you’re saying makes sense. And I’m sorry.” He looked at Grace. “I’m sorry for trying to railroad you into college. It’s just that starting your own business is harder than you might imagine. Most start-ups fail within—”
He stopped at Grace’s dark look. He was doing it again. “I’ll try and be supportive of whatever you choose,” he grated out.
Grace gave him a placating smile. “That’s all I’m asking.”
“And you.” Levi gave Molly a sheepish look. “I really blew it with Adam. I shouldn’t have interfered, and I’m sorry. I’ll try and keep my nose out of your business.”
Molly gave him a strained smile. “Fair enough.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t mess up again,” he warned.
“Oh, we know,” Grace said.
“Don’t worry,” Molly said with a saucy tilt of her chin. “We’ll be sure and set you straight.”
forty-four
Mia turned off airplane mode as soon as her flight landed at LAX. Her phone buzzed with multiple notifications. Texts and calls from Brooke, Nolan, and Lettie.
Great. What now?
She couldn’t take more bad news. She ignored the notifications, making her way toward baggage claim instead. A college-age girl lingering around one of the gates homed in on her face. Mia looked away, tugging her cap lower.
She’d been in survival mo
de since she’d left the inn. Left Levi. Busying herself with activity: notifying Lettie of her impending arrival, reading the script Nolan had sent, catching up on email between flights. Somehow she’d managed a nap on the second flight.
She didn’t brave another look at her phone until she reached baggage claim. And even then she took a moment to prepare herself for the worst. But how much worse could it be? She’d already lost her reputation and the biggest role of her life.
Oh, and Levi.
She listened to Nolan’s voicemail first. “Hey, kiddo. I know you’re probably in the air right now, but I wanted to let you know the latest. It’s good news this time, Mia. It was just released that Emma was behind those photos of you and Jax. She hired a PI some time ago to catch him in compromising situations. It seems she’s the one having an affair and wants a divorce. She wanted the fans in her corner before she filed for separation. The source of the comments is reputable—one of Emma’s friends—so I think this one’s gonna stick. Good news for us.”
It was over. Mia’s shoulders sank in relief even as guilt pinched hard. A marriage, a family, was wrecked. What a terrible thing for Emma to do to her husband and unborn child. Not to mention Mia. Emma’s “America’s sweetheart” reputation was going to be in shreds after this.
Head still spinning, Mia clicked over to Brooke’s voicemail. It said much the same thing as Nolan’s, with the addition that there was now speculation over whether or not the baby Emma was carrying was even Jax’s.
Oh boy. What a publicity nightmare for Emma. But she’d brought it on herself.
As the news sank in, Mia took a moment to breathe a prayer of gratitude. The truth had come out, just as she’d prayed. Thank You, God. Thank You. She could hardly think beyond that, such was her relief. Just like that, her reputation had been restored.
Her phone rang. Nolan.
She slipped away from the crowd. “Hey, I just got your voicemail. I can hardly believe it.”
“You can believe it. The friend who gave up Emma even gave her name. She said she couldn’t stand by anymore and let Emma do this to innocent people.”
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