Chapter 31

thirty-one

S helby was concerned when she found Blossom preparing breakfast for their guests on Friday morning. She'd been hard on her grandmother last night. While Izzy deserved it after what she'd done to Savannah and Pritchard, Shelby hoped she hadn't given her grandmother a stroke. Can traumatic events cause old people to have strokes?

"Where's Izzy? Is she okay?" she asked Blossom as she poured herself a coffee.

"Oh, she's fine. She's in her cottage, rehearsing her speech. She's meeting with her family this afternoon," Blossom said, removing warmed mini quiches from the oven.

Shelby added cream to her coffee. "So, she left you to serve breakfast to our guests?"

"I volunteered," Blossom said, brushing a stray silver curl off her forehead.

"Here, I'll help. You shouldn't have to do it alone. You're a guest." Shelby took the tray from Blossom and began transferring the quiches to a serving platter. "I'm glad Izzy's going through with the apology."

"Me too. Whatever you said to her last night got through to her. She's already spoken to Pritchard and asked them to come over at five o'clock."

"Good for her for not wasting any time."

Blossom stared down her nose at Shelby. "Are you joking? She's wasted thirty-plus years."

"That's true." Shelby placed the metal tray in the sink and leaned against the counter. "Is that why you're here, Blossom? To help Izzy make things right with Pritchard and Savannah."

"That's one of many reasons. Turning her home into a B&B has rocked her world. I'm here to help her sort it out."

Shelby dropped down to a nearby stool with her coffee. "How could she do something so awful to her own son?"

"She was trying to protect Pritchard. She worried he was too young to have a wife and child. She didn't mean for things to go so far. She made a mistake, and it spiraled out of control. If she'd owned up to it right away, she could've done something about it."

"Instead, Savannah and Pritchard missed out on thirty years of their child's life. I was curious why Savannah and Harper hate Izzy so much. Now I wish I hadn't found out. I can't stop thinking about it."

"Hate is a strong word, baby girl. Savannah and Harper don't strike me as people who hate anyone." Blossom removed a bowl of fresh fruit from the refrigerator. "We should never judge anyone until we've walked in their shoes. The important thing now is for Izzy to make things right so her family can heal. She desperately wants this. I hope she has the strength to make it happen."

Shelby gave her a funny look. "Make what happen? All she has to do is say she's sorry."

"For some people, that's easier said than done, Shelby."

Two guests came through the back door, hungry for breakfast. When Blossom went to greet them, Shelby refilled her mug and sneaked outside to the hammock where she turned her thoughts to the proposed expansion plans. This revelation was a game changer, the reason she'd been looking for to stay at Magnolia Shores. She could hardly wait to talk to Pritchard, but she would wait until things with Izzy were sorted.

Around four thirty, Shelby was seated on the front stoop with her laptop, checking in weekend guests as they arrived, when Matt emerged from the house and dropped down beside her on the steps. "Hey, kiddo."

She jabbed her elbow into his side. "Stop calling me that. I'm not a kid."

He leaned into her. "Sorry, Shelby . Things are looking good in the house. The floor refinishing is complete. Stay off of them through the weekend. The painters should be done on Monday afternoon. After that, we'll turn the house back over to you."

"Great! That'll give us plenty of time to put everything back together before next weekend."

"I haven't seen you around these past few days. How did things go with Luke? Is he still here?"

"Nope. He left first thing yesterday. Turns out he wanted less than I was willing to give him. Our relationship is over for good."

Matt looked at her quizzically but didn't press for more information. "I'm glad for you. That guy was a jerk. You can do better."

"I can't believe I wasted so much time on him."

"Time is never wasted if you learn something from your experiences, Shelby."

"Oh, I definitely learned a lot. Everything is much clearer to me now. I didn't realize how toxic my life in Texas had become. I found out something exciting last night about Magnolia Shores. I probably shouldn't say too much about it yet. But for the first time since Luke and I broke up, I feel like I have a real future."

Matt gave her a half hug. "That's awesome, Shelby. I'm glad for you."

The feel of his body stirred something inside of her. There was no denying their chemistry. Maybe the age difference wasn't such a big deal after all. "What're you doing later? You owe me a visit to Comet Dogs. I'll be finished here soon if you want to swing by in your boat."

"I'm sorry, kiddo. But I have a date." Kissing her cheek, he got to his feet and drove off in his truck.

Shelby's eyes stung, but she laughed out loud instead of crying. She needed to take a break from men and focus on herself for a change. If she impressed Pritchard with her brilliant ideas for the new resort, he might offer her an important role at The Sanctuary. She hugged herself. She just loved the way that sounded.

* * *

Pritchard glanced at Harper in the back seat. She was staring out the window, her mind seemingly a million miles away. "What're you thinking about back there?"

Harper met his gaze in the mirror. "Izzy. Why do you think she's summoned us?"

"There's no telling. But we'll soon find out," Pritchard said, returning his eyes to the road.

Harper let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know how to shake this anger I feel toward her. It's eating me up inside. Because of Izzy, we missed out on thirty years of being together. I'm grateful I landed in a good home, but I can't help but wonder what my life would've been like if you two had raised me."

"The what-ifs will consume you if you let them." Savannah shifted in her seat to look at Harper. "But I know what you mean about the anger. I regret not coming home while my mother was still alive. I missed out on the opportunity to give her a piece of my mind." She patted Pritchard's arm. "I know it's difficult to hear us talking about your mother like this. If only she weren't so openly hostile toward us. She clearly resents us being a part of your life. Her animosity makes it difficult to be around her."

Pritchard slowed his speed when he reached the entrance to Magnolia Shores. "I agree. It makes it awkward for everyone. How do you feel about the three of us seeking counseling? If we're going to be working together to expand the resort, we need to manage our feelings and figure out how to handle Izzy."

"That's not a bad idea," Savannah said as Pritchard parked in front of the house.

"What will you do if she refuses to go along with the expansion?" Harper asked.

Pritchard turned off the engine. "Good question. The bed and breakfast will never be profitable on its own. If we're not careful, it could burn up every last cent in Dad's estate."

The threesome piled out of the car and stopped to speak to Shelby on the way inside.

"Matt says they'll be finished with the house on Monday afternoon," Shelby reported.

"Great news," Harper said. "I'll block off some time on Tuesday to bring the new accessories over from my storage unit."

Shelby's teal eyes brightened. "Cool! Let me know if you want some help."

Harper smiled at her cousin. "That'd be great. I'll text you about a time."

Shelby shifted her attention to Pritchard. "By the way, Izzy told me about the expansion plans. When you get a chance, I'd love to share some ideas I have."

Pritchard nodded. "Sure thing! I look forward to hearing them. How did Izzy seem when she told you about the project? When I spoke to her about it yesterday, she was adamantly opposed to the idea."

"She's coming around," Shelby said. "Honestly, I think she's feeling old and unappreciated. She's not sure how she fits in the picture."

Pritchard stroked his chin. "I haven't considered that, but you may very well be onto something. We'll talk more later," he said, giving Shelby's shoulder a squeeze.

* * *

When her family entered the study, Isabelle came from behind her husband's desk to greet them. "Thanks for coming on such short notice," she said, motioning them to the sitting area.

Savannah, Harper, and Pritchard sat together on the sofa opposite Isabelle in a wing chair. She clasped her hands in her lap and held her shoulders high. "This conversation is long overdue. I made a grave error in judgment years ago that cost each of you dearly. I won't make excuses for my actions except to say I truly believed I was doing what was best for you." She set her tearful eyes on Pritchard. "You were so young. I underestimated your love for Savannah. I thought your obsession with her was a passing fancy. Obviously, I was wrong."

Savannah moved to the edge of her seat. "You weren't alone in your conspiracy. Did you know my mother tricked me into signing the papers and secretly arranged for the adoption?"

"Not at the time. I never would have approved of such a criminal act. But I knew something wasn't right when you ran away, and I did nothing to try to find you or make it right. You were gone, and that's all I cared about." Isabelle paused to gather her wits before continuing. "What's worse is how I've treated you and Harper since your return. I've had my son to myself for thirty years, and I resented your intrusion into our lives." Her gaze shifted to Prichard. "I'm a selfish old woman. I hated having to share you. Seeing how happy Savannah and Harper make you leaves me positively green with envy. But you're a wonderful man, Pritchard. I could not have asked more of a son. And you deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, Mother."

Isabelle can't remember the last time Pritchard called her Mom . Definitely not since Savannah came back into his life, since he discovered what Isabelle had done to break them up all those years ago. "Your father threw me for a loop with his crazy plans for this bed and breakfast. At my age, change isn't easy. I realize I've been difficult and unpleasant to be around. If you're willing to give me a second chance, I promise to do better in the future."

Uncertainty clouded her daughter-in-law's face. Savannah was waiting for an apology. Isabelle wasn't sure she could give her one. A shooting pain traveled through her brain, causing her eyes to see flickers of light.

"Does this mean you'll go along with the expansion?" Pritchard asked.

"You don't need my blessing, son. However, thanks to Shelby, the idea is growing on me. I'm stepping aside. From now on, running this business is your responsibility."

"The idea is for us to run the business together. You will have a role here if you want one."

"We can talk about all that later. I've lived with this deep remorse long enough. There's no way to compensate for the time you three lost together because of me. I invited you here today to say . . . I'm . . ."

"Mother? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The light dimmed, and Isabelle's vision blurred as the world around her slipped away.