Page 72 of Seabreeze Library

“One of her new words,” Shelly said, smiling. “After mama, da, and no.”

They settled around the small table, conversation flowing despite the underlying tension. Ivy updated them on the inn, Poppy reported the earnings from the Bookfest, and Shelly reported on the new spring plantings.

When Ivy’s phone rang again, she leapt to answer it. Everyone’s eyes fixed on her.

“It’s Andrew,” Ivy said, answering with speakerphone enabled. “We’re all here. Bennett, Shelly, and Poppy, too.”

“Then I have an audience for the good news.” Andrew’s voice lifted with pride. “It’s official. It’s been determined that Lea is the rightful heir. The account will be turned over to her.”

Ivy was thrilled, yet despite her call with Lea, she was hesitant to make assumptions. “Please tell her congratulations.”

“There’s more,” Andrew said. “She has also signed an agreement donating the funds to a nonprofit entity, The Amelia Erickson Library and Museum, specifically for constructing and maintaining a permanent facility. It will be under your control, Ivy.”

His words hung in the air, seeming almost unreal. Yet, it was, at long last. Ivy gripped the counter, nearly overcome withtearful relief. “Thank you, Andrew,” she managed to say, her voice quavering with emotion. “And my deepest appreciation to Lea.”

The kitchen erupted in celebration. Shelly cried, “Woo-hoo! That’s what I’m talking about!” Little Daisy squealed with delight.

Bennett pulled Ivy into his arms. “Congratulations, my love.”

Then, Shelly asked the big question. “What was the final figure? Will it be enough?”

There was a pause before Andrew answered. “The original deposit, plus close to nine decades of interest and investment returns, amounts to a very tidy sum.”

When he gave the final tally, Ivy sat down abruptly, her legs suddenly unable to support her. The figure was beyond anything she had imagined.

Poppy stared at her, wide-eyed. “That’s enough for the building and an endowment for operating costs.”

“Exactly,” Andrew confirmed. “Lea has specified that after the building costs, the principal shall remain untouched, with the annual returns funding operations in perpetuity. The building itself will be named The Amelia Erickson Library and Art Museum, with a special plaque in remembrance of her father, Hans.”

When the call ended, Ivy sat in stunned silence, the reality of what they had accomplished sinking in.

“Here’s to you, darling.” Bennett raised his water glass to Ivy, and everyone around the table did the same.

“I can hardly believe it’s over.” Ivy was overcome with the magnitude of what had just happened. It was one thing to dream, and quite another to execute. “And now, it’s the beginning of the project, isn’t it?”

“What’s next?” Poppy asked, looking excited.

Ivy pressed her fingertips against her temples in thought. “We’ll have the architectural plans updated so Forrest can work up a favorable estimate for us. We’ll organize the board and start making plans.” She glanced out the window at the inn, which was looking quite elegant again. “Here we go again.”

Shelly wiped Daisy’s face. “You wouldn’t be happy unless you had a challenge. You’ve always been that way.”

“Then I must be ecstatic.” Ivy laughed because her sister was right. “But someday, I’d like to have a little leisure time. Probably not for a long time, though.”

Bennett kissed her cheek. “That’s what vacations are for. “Maybe we should plan a long weekend getaway before the inn reopens.”

“I’d love that.” Ivy threw her arms around him. Bennett knew what she needed, sometimes more than she realized.

She’d kept her emotions tightly contained for a long time, but now, they burst free, whizzing through her like a wild roller-coaster.

“You’re shivering,” he said, rubbing her arms. “Probably from the adrenaline rush of all this.”

Shelly eyed her sister. “Why don’t you two go for a walk on the beach or take a ride? We’ll clean up here. Go digest this, Ives. You really put your heart into this one.”

Ivy turned to hug her sister. “Look at how far we’ve come. Thanks, Shells. You’ve always been a part of this, too.” She sniffed back tears that sprang to her eyes. “And you, too, Poppy.”

“Let’s go, sweetheart.” Bennett brought her favorite hoodie, and the two of them set off for the beach, leaving Shelly and Poppy, who were making lists of next steps.

“A library and art museum for Summer Beach hardly seems real,” Ivy said, strolling beside him on the beach. “All that time searching, hoping, and piecing together fragments of Amelia’s life. Now her dream will exist.”

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