Page 39 of Key West Promises

There was much work going on at Paradise Harbor House to prepare for the fundraiser, and although Chelsea was certain she could handle Gretchen, she silently worried about the drama that was about to unfold.

Will arrived as they were clearing breakfast, his camera conspicuously absent. He took one look at Kaitlyn's face and seemed to understand immediately.

"Want to take a walk?" he asked softly. “We should look around the block to see if there are additional photos I can take for the setup.”

It was a transparent excuse to get her out of the house, but Kaitlyn accepted gratefully. As they left, Chelsea watched the way Will's hand found the small of her niece's back, steadying her without constraining her.

"He's good for her," Tess observed, echoing Chelsea's thoughts.

"Speaking of good for people," Chelsea couldn't resist adding, "when do I get to properly meet this Jamie I keep hearing about?"

Tess blushed but was saved from responding by Elena's entering the room. She looked harried but determined, clipboard in hand.

"The cruise captain needs final numbers," she said, then paused, noting the tension in the room. "What's wrong?"

"Our sister's coming," Leah explained. "Kaitlyn's mother. It's complicated."

Elena's expression softened with understanding. "Family usually is. Is this going to be a problem for Kaitlyn or the fundraiser? Anything I can do?"

"Thanks, but no," Chelsea said firmly. "We're not letting family drama derail something this important. Besides," she added with a slight smile, "sometimes the best way to handle difficult conversations is with witnesses around."

"And an open bar," Tess muttered.

"I heard that," Leah said. "And no—we're keeping our heads clear throughout the entire party. There's too much at stake."

Through the window, they could see Will and Kaitlyn walking slowly toward Paradise Harbor House, their heads bent close in conversation. Even from a distance, the intimacy between them was evident.

Chelsea's phone dinged. Another text from Gretchen:I've booked a room at the Cypress House. Please don't tell them I'm coming. I need to do this my way.

"Too late," Chelsea murmured, but she didn't respond to the text. Some conversations needed to happen in person, face to face with nowhere to hide, and she was tired of the constant lying.

By late afternoon, the humidity had thickened to an almost visible haze. Chelsea sat with Elena in her office, discussing last-minute details for the fundraiser, when Carla appeared in the doorway.

"There's a woman asking for Kaitlyn," she said. "Says she's her mother."

The words seemed to stop time for a moment. Through the window, Chelsea could see Gretchen standing on the porch, looking smaller and more uncertain than Chelsea had ever seen her sister appear.

"Well," Elena said softly, "I guess it's time."

Chelsea stood, smoothing her dress in an automatic gesture. "I'll get Kaitlyn. She's in the garden with Will."

But before she could move, Kaitlyn appeared behind Carla, as if some sixth sense had alerted her to her mother's presence. Will stood just behind her, close enough to support but far enough to give her space.

"Mom," Kaitlyn said, her voice carrying down the hallway. "You're early."

Gretchen stepped into view, her carefully maintained composure cracking slightly at the sight of her daughter. She looked at Chelsea, realizing that her sister didn’t keep her arrival a secret.

"Kaitlyn, honey. We need to talk."

"Yes," Kaitlyn agreed, and something in her tone made Chelsea's heart ache. "We do, but not here."

The two women stared at each other across the entrance hall of Paradise Harbor House, years of secrets and silence stretching between them like a chasm. But before either could speak further, the screen door banged open again.

"I brought the extra—" Tess stopped abruptly, nearly colliding with Jamie who was carrying boxes of supplies. "Gretchen?"

Behind them, Leah appeared with Jack, more fundraiser materials in their arms. The hallway suddenly felt very crowded with all the people who had become part of this story.

Gretchen looked around, taking in the scene—her sisters, the significant others they'd found, the shelter that had somehow become the center of everything. Her gaze landed on Will's protective stance behind Kaitlyn, and something in her expression shifted.

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