Charlotte clapped her hands together. “Oh it’s so much fun. I’ll teach you.”
The smile that tugged at Callie’s lips was slow in the making. It was really just a hint of a smile, but all of the adults seemed to be very pleased by it. Charlotte couldn’t deny the slight pang in her heart as she watched the looks of adoration as everyone gazed at Callie. Charlotte had the sinking feeling that Callie would be the new princess of the Duvall family. What would that make her? Not that she’d ever been the princess, but it would have been nice to feel like one just for a little bit.
It doesn’t matter, she told herself. If she couldn’t be the princess she would just be something else. Something good.
Callie squeezed her hand and held on tight. Charlotte liked the way Callie’s hand felt in hers. It was like she suddenly wasn’t so alone in the world anymore. Maybe her new cousin would be a best friend? She could never replace Rachel, not in a million years, Charlotte thought. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be wonderful.
Sometimes wonderful things happened just when you least expected it. That’s what her daddy always said.
As she headed outside to show Callie how to play croquet, Charlotte knew one thing for certain. She would always try to lead with goodness. And a pure heart. She might never be beautiful, but being good might just be the next best thing.
“Isn’t life funny? When you least expect it, that’s when trouble rears its ugly head.”
Miss Hattie Alexander
Chapter One
Every time Charlotte passed by the large Christmas tree in the foyer of Savannah House, she wished it could stay up forever. It was one of the most glorious trees she’d ever seen. But it was January now and time to take all the decorations down and stash them away in the attic until next year. Christmas was her favorite time of the year. It had nothing to do with presents or parties. It had everything
to do with the spirit of the season. The hope that hung in the air. The joy shimmering and pulsing everywhere she went. It seemed to Charlotte that anything was possible at Christmas.
Kids made their lists and checked them twice, which made Charlotte remember all of her childhood Christmases. Her brother Case’s face flashed before her eyes. They’d shared so many wonderful Christmases with their family. This year had been no exception. It had been lovely to celebrate the blessed day here at Savannah House with a house filled with guests.
And even though Case was getting married to Fancy on Valentine’s Day, she knew that they would always remain close. It was a blessing that one of her best friends in the world would soon be her sister-in-law. And when Fancy and Case had children, she would be the perfect Auntie Charlotte.
She felt a little pang in the region of her heart. It felt as if she’d almost given up on finding love in her own life. For the most part she was living vicariously through her friends and her brother. So many love connections—her cousin, Callie, had married their childhood friend, Jax Holden, Olivia Renault had fallen madly in love with Hunter Rawlings and married him in a gorgeous ceremony, Fancy Tolliver was engaged and set to marry her brother, Case in a few weeks on the most romantic day of the year. And just recently, her cousin, Luke Duvall had proposed to her friend, Morgan Lucas and they had quietly eloped. Although Morgan was promising to hold a small and intimate post wedding reception in the near future, Charlotte had a feeling her mother, Pearl, might have something to say about that. Charlotte knew Pearl was planning something elaborate, but she wasn’t about to breathe a word of it to Morgan. No way was she getting on Pearl’s bad side. She adored Morgan’s mother, but she was feisty. And she was already bent out of shape about her daughter’s elopement.
At this point, it was down to her and Hope as the single ladies. Ever since Hope Matthews had come back to Savannah with a baby in tow, there were so many unanswered questions her dear friend didn’t seem inclined to answer. Such as—who was the father of her baby girl? And why was it such a secret? She didn’t want to be a hypocrite since she had her own secrets, but Charlotte prayed Hope would open up and let her closest friends know what had happened during her time away from Savannah.
Charlotte heard chatter from down the hall. It served as a reminder that she needed to stop daydreaming about weddings and love connections and head toward the parlor. It was a bit unusual that she, along with the other five owners of Savannah House, had been called together so urgently. It made her a little anxious about their inn. Things had been going so smoothly ever since they’d opened the doors to customers. Was their smooth sailing about to be affected by stormy seas?
Once she stepped in to the room, Charlotte sat down at the long, antique table, her eyes sweeping around the room to get a glimpse of the five other women gathered nearby. All of the owners of Savannah House were assembled at the summons of Mr. Mayhew, the executor of Miss Hattie Alexander’s will.
Her cousin, Callie Holden. Her dearest friends—Olivia Rawlings, Hope Matthews, Fancy Tolliver and Morgan Lucas. All of them were looking a bit mystified.
“Ladies, thank you for granting my request for this emergency meeting.” Mr. Mayhew looked perturbed. He was a serious man who wasn’t prone to laughter or frivolity. That being said, he looked even more severe than usual.
What was going on to bring him to Savannah House at the crack of dawn?
“The frantic tone of your voice when you called earlier was a red flag.” Callie’s voice bristled. She leaned forward in her seat, her nerves clearly on edge. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Mayhew swung his gaze around the table. “There’s no simple way to say this, but an individual has come forward to challenge Miss Hattie’s will. He’s claiming to be the sole heir to Savannah House.”
“What do you mean someone is challenging our ownership of Savannah House?” Charlotte asked in a raised voice. “The resort belongs to us.”
“Is this some sort of sick joke?” Fancy slapped her hand down on the mahogany table.
“Ladies, please calm yourselves.” Mayhew studied them from beneath the glasses perched on the end of his nose. “I assure you this is no laughing matter.”
“What exactly is the claim?” Olivia asked.
Mr. Mayhew shuffled through his papers. “A man, approximately thirty years old, is claiming that he’s Miss Hattie’s grandson.”
“Ha!” Hope cried out. “Miss Hattie never had any children.”
Mr. Mayhew nodded. “Not that we know of.”
“Miss Hattie was all about family connections and legacy. We would have known if she had heirs,” Olivia said in a voice that was way more calm than Charlotte felt. Savannah House was their inheritance! It would be a disaster if someone tied them up in legalities. It would cost a small fortune to defend such a suit.