Page 39 of Waves of Hope

“I’d like to speak to Shane Ensley, please,” said Charlotte.

“I’m sorry, he’s not here. May I connect you to his partner, Jed Jenkins?” she asked.

Charlotte paused. “Yes, thank you.” Shane’s partner, she knew, was as involved in the Family First project as Shane.

“Jed Jenkins. How may I help you?”

“Hello, I’m Charlotte Bradford, a friend of Shane. I’m working on marketing for the Family First project, and I need to ask him, or you, about setting up contact information.”

“Oh, you’re the Charlie that he told me about. Sure, shoot. What do you need?”

Charlotte explained that she’d revise the website and would need to be able to list ways for interested parties to contact them for volunteering and further information.

“It’s important to make it easy for them to reach someone within the organization. We need to build interest for not only volunteers, but also those who want to reach out for help and those willing to donate money. What do you suggest? Is someone going to be available to help? Can you provide confidentiality? That sort of thing,” said Charlotte.

“At the moment, our office assistant, Sarita, takes down any information that comes in and passes it on to the head of volunteers or Shane and me,” said Jed. “But I get that if we’re going to expand, we need to have someone in charge of the entire operation. Interested?”

Charlotte laughed. “I guess Shane didn’t tell you that I’m working with my two cousins at my grandmother’s Inn, about to do a lot of upgrades to it as we manage it this summer.”

“Ah, I know something about Sanderling Cove and the Inn there. Tell you what, how about I discuss how to set this up with a few people, and then I’ll come to your coast to talk it over with you. You can show me what you have in mind for the website. I need a break anyway.”

Relief filled Charlotte. “That’ll work. I believe Shane will be here this weekend. We can all discuss it then. Thanks for the idea. That’ll save me a trip to Miami.”

“No problem,” said Jed. “I’m grateful for any help you can give us. Shane said you’re superb at this.”

“We’ll see. I’m excited about this program and hope it does well. Goodbye. See you soon,” said Charlotte.

“Thanks again,” said Jed and clicked off the call.

Out of curiosity, Charlotte googled Jed Jenkins. He didn’t have the movie star looks of Shane, but he was an attractive man with chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a friendly smile. Better than that, he seemed a kind and humble man.

Next, Charlotte took a look at the website for the Inn. She’d wait until after the rooms were redecorated before photographing them. In the meantime, she thought she could get some better shots of the outdoor areas.

The landscaping for all five houses and the Inn was overseen by Ambrose Pappas and his two sons, who owned Pappas and Sons Landscaping. Amby had been working on the property for over twenty years and took pride in his work, resulting in a beautiful outcome.

Charlotte went outside and walked over to the gazebo. It was the perfect place for a small wedding ceremony. White paint gleamed on the spindles of the balustrade that enclosed it and on the gingerbread corner braces that hung down from its green roof. Inside, benches lined the perimeter of the building, leaving plenty of space for activities. One of her favorite memories was the tea parties she’d shared with Gran and her cousins there.

She was wondering what to focus on when she heard a voice behind her. “Hey, Charlie, what are you doing?”

She turned. Dylan was walking toward her, his shorts and T-shirt covered in splashes of colored paint.

“I’m taking some photographs of the Inn for the website I’m redoing.”

“Want any help? I brought a few of my cameras with me. I often take photographs of scenes I like to use in an abstract way for my paintings.”

Charlotte grinned. “Would you be willing to take photographs both outside and inside the Inn? I’d work with you on exactly what I want.”

“Sure. It would be fun to spend some time with you. Everyone is so busy doing their own thing, and we don’t get to see much of one another until evenings on the beach together.”

Charlotte had always liked Dylan. Quieter than some of the other kids, he had a sense of fun they’d all enjoyed. “Your help would be appreciated.”

“Okay, deal. Let me get one of my cameras for outdoor shots of the gazebo.”

“Thanks. I don’t want any photos of the pool area until we bring in some new furniture.”

“See if you like what I do, and we can go from there. This will give me a break from painting.”

Brooke saw her from the patio and came over.

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