Page 96 of Waves of Hope

“This summer is turning into one of discovery for all of us,” said Charlotte.

“A pivotal time,” Livy said, looking as happy as Charlotte had ever seen her.

“A new beginning,” said Brooke. “I have no intention of going back home.”

The three of them lifted their glasses.

“Here’s to all of us,” said Livy.

“Amen,” said Brooke.

Smiling with satisfaction, Charlotte clicked her glass against theirs.

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The next morning, Charlotte worked on the two logo ideas she and her cousins had liked the best. She’d already talked to Amby about switching out the hanging wooden sign on the signpost next to the road. Instead of a square sign, they wanted a sign curved slightly at the top, giving it a more distinctive look. The lettering would be black against the white background and would have an outline of a sanderling painted in the center. Instead of a side view of the bird, they wanted something a little different. Charlotte had found a drawing of a sanderling bending over to reach for something in the sand and decided to modify it a bit and make an outline of it. Once a design was approved, she’d set to work on the promo materials.

In the meantime, she’d begun to research material for the Family First program. That program already had a logo, though she’d received approval from Jed and Shane to change it slightly.

Charlotte loved working on her own and had been serious when she’d told her cousins that she might open her own business. She thought of Shane and how everyone thought their relationship would lead to marriage. On a whim, she decided to go see Granny Liz. She wanted her perspective on Shane. He’d talked in general about a future with her, but it was too soon for either of them to make a commitment for more. Wasn’t it?

Also, with Shane’s father and family arriving soon, Charlotte wanted a better sense of how his family would react to any news of her relationship with him, and, frankly, how he and his father interacted. It would tell her much more about how Shane would behave having a family of his own one day.

Granny Liz opened the door and beamed at her. “Hi, Charlie, I’m delighted to see you. Please come in.”

Charlotte stepped inside, happy for the air-conditioning that swirled around her.

“How about a glass of iced tea or lemonade?” asked Granny Liz.

“Lemonade would be lovely,” Charlotte said. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?’

Granny Liz clasped her hand and squeezed it. “Heavens no. Nothing that can’t wait. You’re brightening my day, dear.”

Relaxing, Charlotte followed Granny Liz into the kitchen and took a seat at one end of the large oval table. As a kid, she’d had plenty of meals here. Memories like this were what made the relationship between Shane and her special. Granny Liz handed her a glass of lemonade and sat at the table beside her. “What brings you here?”

Charlotte let out a sigh and hesitated before speaking. “Everyone is sure that Shane and I have made a bigger commitment than just dating exclusively. Everything’s happening so fast, I guess I need a little reassurance.”

“Ahh,” Granny Liz said. “You’re a little unsure about things?”

“About Shane? Absolutely, not,” Charlotte said with a firmness she felt from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. “Still, I don’t want to get hurt for being such a romantic.”

Granny Liz studied her with blue eyes like Shane’s. “If you’re asking me if I think Shane is rushing into things or if he’s going to change his mind about how he’s feeling about you, I promise you, he’s not. He told me how you handled Diana and that meant a lot to him. He knows he can trust you with his deepest secrets.” A smile softened her face. “Shane has a lot of love to give. Love and loyalty and generosity. I think you know that already. The fact that he’s chosen to give it to you is special because we all love you, Charlotte. We have since you were a little girl.”

The tears that had stung Charlotte’s eyes rolled down her cheeks. She remembered how she could never measure up to her dead brother, how lonely she’d felt as a child. Memories of happy times here at the cove had soothed her. Shane had always been there for her. The oldest of all the grandchildren, Shane had been the one who’d seen that everyone was included.

Granny Liz gave her a gentle smile. “My advice to you is to let things unroll naturally. Don’t let the idea of something being too good to be true or thinking it happened so suddenly take away from the miracle of finding someone you love unselfishly. I know you both very well. If I didn’t, I’d have different thoughts on this.”

“Thank you,” said Charlotte. “I know his father and family are due to arrive, and I needed to know that what’s happening between Shane and me isn’t crazy thinking. I know he isn’t like Shane’s mother, but …”

“Oh, honey,” said Granny Liz. “Henry is a wonderful man. You’ll like him, and I know he’ll like you. He and your mother used to be friends back in time.”

“Mom said Shane’s father was a nice man, but she hadn’t liked Diana,” Charlotte said.

“Henry was oblivious to Diana’s true nature,” said Granny Liz with a sigh. “He found out any sweetness was fake. She wanted his money.”

“She has even more now,” said Charlotte, “but in reality, she has nothing.”

“True,” said Granny Liz.

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