Page 70 of An Island Summer
The float bobbed as Meghan swung her legs on either side and sat up. “You think I could?”
“Why not?” Tess urged her.
Meghan jumped off her float with a splash, the cool water instantly refreshing against her warm skin. “Okay,” she said. A buzz of excitement swelled within her. “You know how I said that the cart felt right?”
“Yeah?” Tess got off her own float and pushed it to the steps of the pool.
“I feel the same way about Rupert. It’s like Hester wants me to take care of him. No matter what, I’m going to see him,” she decided. “It’s important to me.”
Meghan made her way through the crowds of tourists that littered the sandy sidewalks, past the brightly colored storefronts, along the road that paralleled the ocean, headed for Rosewood Manor. She was happy to see Rupert, but she also thought that if she could just get Rupert to be himself for a few minutes to tell her the location of the will, she’d find it, and maybe she could convince Toby, and then somehow all this would work out.
As she paced quickly down the sidewalk, past the beach trinket shops and the island bookstore, she considered how she’d approach Toby if she did find the will. Would he be angry with her? Would it impact the inn if she was entitled to the money? She’d have to wait and see…
Within a few minutes, Meghan rounded the corner and headed up the walk to the complex. She walked through the doors of Rosewood Manor and smiled at the front desk receptionist. “Hi there,” she said. “I’m here to see Rupert Meyers.”
“Of course. Let me get you a door code.” The receptionist regarded her with a friendly nod, but as she clicked through a few things on her computer, she stopped. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gray,” the woman said. “It seems that you’ve been denied access.”
“What?”
The woman peered at her screen. “Toby Meyers has put a stop to all visitation for his grandfather.”
Stunned, Meghan leaned over the counter. “What?”
“No visitors.”
Her mind raced with reasons why Toby wouldn’t want her to see Rupert, and all she could come up with was that he was scared Rupert might tell her something that Toby didn’t want her to know. Something like the location of a will… Her hands began to shake as she realized that the rumors could very well be true about him and the reality of that was crushing. “I just want to see him for a quick second, that’s all. Could we meet in a common area or something?”
The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry. He can’t haveanyvisitors. No one may go in except for family.”
“Okay,” Meghan said, hanging her head, defeated, still wondering if there could be another reason why Toby would do such a thing, and coming up empty. “Have a good night.” She turned around and left the building. All that she could think about was the fact that she’d put a wrench in that plan that everyone was talking about. But that aside, what if Rupert got upset? Who would be there to calm him down? She stared at the front door, knowing Rupert was on the other side, feeling hopeless. What was she supposed to do? As Meghan stood there, worrying in the parking lot, an idea suddenly came to her. She looked around to be sure no one had noticed her standing there. The lot was empty so she quietly made her way around the side of the building, keeping an eye out to be sure she didn’t have any followers.
One, two, three…She counted the windows to herself, guessing that Rupert’s was the seventh one, remembering the view from when she’d opened his blinds. She looked out for the oak tree that she could see from his window. When she got to the seventh window, she hurried up to it and tried to peer in, but the blind was down. She closed her eyes and sucked in a nervous breath, holding it in her lungs. Then, before she could think too much about the repercussions, she knocked on the glass. When there was no response, she put her ear to the window, suddenly wondering if Rupert would be strong enough to get out of bed after his hospital stay.
But then, with a ray of hope, the blinds began to lift and Rupert was facing her on the other side. Unable to stop herself, she broke into an enormous smile. “Hi,” she said with a little wave.
His face lit up.
“Can you open the window?” she asked him, pointing to the latch.
He unfastened the locks and levered it the three inches that it would open. “What are you doing out there?” he asked.
“I can’t come in,” Meghan said, unsure of what her response would be as to why, if he asked. “I just wanted to see you.”
He stared at her as if he were going through all the memories he had of her. And then a tear fell down his cheek.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I thought I’d lost you again.”
She shook her head. “You’ll never lose me.”
He tipped his head back, letting out a chuckle of relief.
“How are you?”
He pouted, considering the question. “They gave me mashed potatoes,” he said. “They were awful.”
Meghan laughed, the elation she felt seeing him again bigger than any will she could be given. A clatter in the hallway inside, however, snapped her back to the task at hand. “Rupert, I need to ask you something. It’s very important.”
