Page 23 of A Mile of Ocean

Savannah smiled; her cheeks flushed with color. “Definitely better than a peck.”

They continued to amble through the garden, hand in hand, their conversation flowing effortlessly. The vibrant blooms around them seemed to mirror their budding connection, each petal a testament to the beauty of a newfound relationship.

As the sun dipped lower, they returned to the path leading to the main house. Savannah paused, placing a hand on Trent’s arm because she heard voices coming from the veranda. “I need to give Dolly my casserole, but I left it in your office.”

“No problem. We’ll go back and get it. Stay for supper. Baked spaghetti is always a fan favorite with this crew.”

Chapter Six

Trent pointed to where Duchess, Dolly, and Tate were sitting on the back porch, sipping a crimson-colored cocktail from oversized wine glasses and chatting about the power of women. Locke and Lotus, the two border collies, stretched out between the women’s feet.

It was unsettling how much Savannah looked forward to being part of this circle. At Trent’s urging, she approached the three women tentatively until Duchess looked up and smiled, patting the seat next to her. “We’re celebrating my small but mighty victory over the local attorney. Come and have a drink with us. Tate, pour Savannah a glass of sangria.”

“My pleasure,” Tate said, taking another glass from the tray. “We’re getting smashed tonight. What’s that you’re carrying?”

“She brought us dinner,” Trent answered, lifting the lid on the casserole dish to show off Savannah’s masterpiece. “Baked spaghetti.”

“I’ll take that,” Dolly said, sniffing the food. “Smells delicious. I hope you’re staying to help us eat this.”

“Trent asked. I said yes.”

“Great,” Duchess replied, handing Savannah the sangria. “Taste it. Dolly’s special punch we bring out for celebrations.”

“So showing Kinsey the detailed plans for a family cemetery must’ve worked?” Trent presumed.

“Like a charm,” Duchess replied. “The fact that we’d started the family burial plot twenty-two years ago didn’t hurt either. She didn’t even try fighting it because there were already two headstones there. It made sense to her. She couldn’t explain why Barrett wanted to change things in the first place.”

“Feel better now?” Trent asked his grandmother.

“About that? Yes, I do. Don’t you? Why would we have our patriarch buried somewhere else on the property and not next to the son he adored? Turtle Ridge will always be our special place. But it shouldn’t be his final resting place.”

Tate traded looks with Trent and shrugged. “I can’t argue with the logic.”

“Barton Pearson called, letting us know the county released Barrett’s body this afternoon to the funeral home. Tate and I are headed there after supper to hand over the outfit we picked out—his best suit and tie.”

“And his favorite dress shirt with the sparkles on it,” Tate added. “We’re stopping by the church on the way back to discuss the order of the funeral service with Seth and Ophelia.”

Savannah smiled, appreciating the family’s closeness and how they seemed to get along. “It’s wonderful the way you’re all on the same page,” she said softly, thinking of how different things were with her family.

But Trent had concerns. “Maybe the trip into town could wait until the security detail arrives. One of them could escort you to the funeral home and the church just in case our shooter tries anything else.”

“When will they get here?” his grandmother asked.

“They were supposed to be here this afternoon. No later than tonight, for sure.”

“I guess we could wait,” Tate said, glancing at her grandmother. “We could always go tomorrow. But we should let Barton and Seth know we’ve put off the meetings until Monday morning.”

“Speaking of postponing something important,” Duchess interjected, “I’ve wanted to do this forever and finally found someone actively interested in genealogy. I’ve asked Cooper Richmond to join us later in the week. He’s been studying at UC Santa Cruz, taking classes from Amalie Lockney, some kind of genealogy whiz.”

“Brogan Cole recommended her,” Tate explained. “And Professor Lockney recommended Cooper because he was local. She thought it might work better if we used someone here in town.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in looking at the family tree,” Trent said.

“That’s because your grandfather never wanted to talk about it. But Cooper will be helping us dive into the Callum branch. It’s important to document our history, especially now, don’t you think?”

Savannah nodded, intrigued. “I’d love to learn more about your family’s past.”

“You’ll get your chance,” Dolly assured her. “But for now, let’s take this inside and heat Savannah’s casserole. Let’s enjoy each other’s company before the security people arrive and remind us that we’re under siege.”

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