Page 3 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

Motion out of the corner of Everleigh’s eye drew her attention back to the stranger. He had set her suitcase and his umbrella beside her, then sat on a chair in the corner of the reception area before pulling out his phone and staring at it.

“Ms. Hartnett?” A young woman with flawless dark skin, tight curls, and bright-red lipstick held a clipboard. Her navy-blue pantsuit appeared expensive and appropriate for the office.

Everleigh took in her own soaked attire and felt like a drowned rat, especially since she was certain her drenched red hair was moldedto her head.It’s okay,she told herself.Everyone will understand that I traveled all day from Texas to be here.

Mom turned at the sound of her name. “Yes?”

But the woman focused on Everleigh. “Are you Everleigh Hartnett?”

She nodded.

“You’re just in time. I was afraid I was going to have to reschedule you for next week.” She scanned the room. “I believe we’re all here now.” She turned toward the handsome stranger. “Mr. Witherspoon.”

He stood and pocketed the phone in his jeans, which hugged him in all the right places.

“And Mrs. Caroline Hartnett,” the woman said, referring to Mom. “Mr. Buford is ready for you all.” The young woman backed through the doorway. “Please, follow me.” Then she started down the hallway, her heels clacking on the hardwoods.

“Wait.” Everleigh turned to her mother. “What about Harlowe and Landon?”

Mom shook her head. “Alana apparently didn’t include them in her will.”

“Why only us?” Everleigh turned to the stranger—Mr. Witherspoon?—who watched her with a hesitant expression. Who was he? And why was he here?

“I don’t know why she left your siblings out, but Alana included us and Cade, who worked for her.” She smiled at the man.

He replied with a stoic nod.

This guy worked for Alana? Her godmother had never mentioned him before. More questions swirled in Everleigh’s mind.

“We need to go in now,” Mom said. “Mr. Buford has another appointment at five, so we’re almost out of time.” She picked up the umbrella and then took off after the woman with the clipboard.

But Everleigh didn’t move. Instead, she traced her fingers over the handle of her suitcase and tried to make sense of the chaos.Nothing had made sense since Mom told her nearly two weeks ago that Alana had passed. The news had knocked the wind out of her, but when Mr. Buford had called her last week and told her she was in the will, she’d been shocked. Never had she expected Alana to—

The man cleared his throat.

Everleigh realized the handsome stranger was now staring at her.

“You going?” Those striking blue eyes watched her, his expression grim.

Heat crawled up her neck. “Yeah.” She shook her head. “Sorry.”

The wheels on her suitcase scraped across the floor on her way to the large office at the end of the hallway. She left her bags at the back of the room and sat beside her mother in an armchair across from a large desk, where a tall man with a handlebar mustache and thinning gray hair sat with his hands folded atop a pile of paperwork.

The woman, whom Everleigh assumed was his assistant, sat in a chair adjacent to the desk. Then Mr. Witherspoon—Cade?—took a seat on the other side of Everleigh.

“We’re here for the reading of Ms. Alana Elizabeth McFadden’s will.” The lawyer’s beady eyes flicked over Mom, Everleigh, and Cade. “I see we’re all here, so I’ll proceed with the reading.” He set his glasses on his large nose and began to read aloud. “I, Alana Elizabeth McFadden, a resident of Brunswick County, North Carolina, and a citizen of the United States of America, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. I hereby revoke...”

Everleigh stared down at her wet jeans and lost herself in memories of Alana as the lawyer read the will. The memories played like a movie through her mind. Playing at the beach with Alana. Watching movies together and eating popcorn. Crying in Alana’s arms after her first boyfriend dumped her.

She recalled dancing in the kitchen of Alana’s bed-and-breakfast, the Sunshine Inn, where Everleigh had worked part-time until shegraduated from high school and went to college to study nursing. Alana had helped her with her college expenses, always sending her care packages full of snacks and supplies with an envelope of cash strategically placed at the bottom of each box.

And she’d never forget the night when Alana insisted on staying on the phone with her to make sure she didn’t fall asleep while Everleigh drove from Colorado to Texas for her next nursing position. They had discussed everything from their favorite movies to Everleigh’s nonexistent love life, to the nonprofit they’d dreamed of and the parents and children they hoped to help.

But now Alana was gone, and so were those late-night phone calls and hugs and... everything.

Suddenly, the tears she’d kept at bay during her trip from Texas to North Carolina welled up. She’d been trying all day to hold the tears back and stay strong.

She sucked in a breath, hoping to stop the display.

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