Page 9 of Wynns of Change (Wynn Harbor Inn #3)

All Harlow could think of was that Robert and his attorney had an issue with the petition, although he already knew what was in it. They had briefly discussed it, or maybe she had been the one discussing it and her husband had completely ignored what she’d said.

Harlow could second-guess the reason for his text until her head exploded. The only way to find out what his requested call was about would be to bite the bullet. “Please let this go smoothly,” she whispered under her breath as she dialed his number.

Robert promptly picked up. “Good morning, Harlow.”

“Good morning, Robert.”

“Thank you for calling me back.”

“You’re welcome. What’s up?”

“My attorney and I have gone over the petition.”

“Good. Although I don’t understand all the legal mumbo jumbo, I know you’re required to respond to the petition. I have my financial papers ready to go. I’m sure you do, as well.”

“I do.”

“So, we can keep the ball rolling and move forward with going our separate ways.”

“Except for the manager agreement, which is valid until next year,” he reminded her.

“I haven’t forgotten.” Harlow didn’t elaborate, having made the calculated decision to get through the divorce before negotiating with him to end the agreement.

With input from her publicist, she had already narrowed down the list of potential managers to two, both highly-respected women in their field.

All she had to do was meet with them in person, to get a feel for their personalities and figure out if they would work well together.

Because the professional management circle was fairly small, Harlow had already met both in passing.

Her biggest fear was she only had one shot at choosing a replacement, and she needed to get it right the first time.

Robert’s voice grew muffled, and Harlow could tell he was on the move. Pacing. Always pacing.

“Where are you?”

“At my father’s house.”

“For how long?”

“I’m not sure. Why?”

“You’ll need to remove your belongings from the properties,” Robert said.

“I have until the closing and the new owners get the keys to take what I want. As far as the furnishings are concerned, I won’t be needing them. Feel free to move them to your new place or leave them as an added incentive to potential buyers.”

“You don’t want the works of art, the pieces we picked up from our travels?”

“Only a few. I figured a fresh start would be best.” No sense in dragging old memories into my start-over life, she silently added.

“The real estate agent who listed the New York apartment already has a serious buyer. It looks like we might have an offer soon.”

“Wonderful. One down, two to go,” Harlow quipped.

“I’m flying to New York first thing tomorrow morning. I was thinking…”

“Thinking what?” Harlow prompted.

“About stopping by to see you.”

She tightened her grip on the phone, her mind whirling. Why did Robert want to see her? “Is there an issue with the petition? We can discuss it now to keep things moving.”

“Not necessarily.” He hurried on. “I was hoping to talk to you face to face.”

“You’ve been avoiding me ever since my accident,” she said bluntly.

“I don’t blame you for being angry. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

She briefly closed her eyes. His tone was apologetic, contrite. Maybe it would help ensure he didn’t give her a hard time about the petition. Signed, sealed, delivered. That was the end goal. “I’m here.”

“Great. I’ll finish booking my flight and let you know what time I’ll be there.”

“See you then.” Harlow ended the call and walked out of the bedroom. Robert wasn’t “dropping by.” Something was up.

“Morning Harlow.” Her father sat at the kitchen bar, a bowl of cereal in front of him. He did a double take, noting the troubled look on her face. “Is everything all right?”

“I talked to Robert. He’s coming here.”

David set his glass of juice on the counter, giving her his full attention. “Why?”

“He claims he wants to meet in person.”

“About what?”

“He didn’t say.” Harlow twined her fingers. “He has the petition. I want this to go smoothly, so I agreed.”

Tink.

Her cell phone chimed. She glanced at the screen and clicked on the link Robert had sent her. “He’ll be here around eleven tomorrow morning. My plan is to meet him in town.”

“If you’re concerned about seeing him, you can have him come here,” David offered.

“Thanks, but I think it’s best if we meet in neutral territory.

After we’re done, he returns to the airport with any potentially loose ends wrapped up.

” Harlow sent a brief reply, telling him she would meet him at the Pebble Beach Bar & Grill in downtown Mackinac Island.

“We’re meeting at Pebble Beach at eleven thirty. ”

“Would you like me to go with you?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think Robert will try kidnapping me again.” Harlow patted his arm. “If I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”

She grabbed a container of yogurt from the fridge, along with a handful of strawberries, and stood at the counter eating while they chatted. “What’s on the agenda today?”

David finished his cereal and carried the empty bowl to the sink. “Brett Easton and I are meeting the building code officials to go over our request to have the fines either dismissed or reduced.”

“Finally.” Harlow waved her spoon in the air.

“I guess I forgot to mention it with everything that’s been going on.”

“I hope it goes your way.”

“Me too. Brett will be stopping by for a few minutes to go over our game plan.” David glanced at his watch. “He should be here any minute.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Harlow polished off her yogurt, ate a handful of granola for good measure, and called Mort to accompany her on her morning walk, something she sorely missed while she was on location.

The changing season meant cooler weather, so she grabbed a light jacket and headed out in search of Lottie, a family friend who was also Wynn Harbor Inn’s part-time gardener.

“…blooms in the fall,”

“Stop slouching and stand tall.”

Mort’s tail shot straight up in the air. Recognizing Lottie’s voice, he dashed past the meticulously manicured shrubs and tromped into the flower garden.

“Mort Wynn,” Lottie scolded. “I swear, you are naughtier than a rowdy raccoon.”

Harlow picked up the pace and caught up with the pup. He stood smack dab in the center of the flower garden, his nose stuck in a goldenrod.

“I’m sorry, Lottie.” She grabbed hold of his collar and gently led him off to the side. “Your goldenrods are in bloom.”

“And ready to feed the pollinators.” She playfully wagged her finger at the pup. “One of these days, Mr. Bee is going to teach you a painful lesson.”

Lottie slowly stood, brushing the dirt from her knees. “I was going to stop by yesterday after you got here but figured you would be tired.”

“It was a long day.” Harlow gave her a quick hug. “It’s good to be home.”

Lottie glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “Your father missed you terribly.”

“I missed him too.” Harlow almost mentioned his recent health issues, but kept quiet. Not only was it none of her business, but she knew her father wouldn’t appreciate her spilling the beans. “Other than a quick trip to visit the properties and pack up, I should be around for a while.”

“How is the d-i-v-o-r-c-e going?”

“The petition has been filed. Robert’s attorney needs to respond. We’ve agreed verbally and on paper, to all the terms,” Harlow said. “He’s coming here tomorrow.”

Lottie’s eyes grew round as saucers. “Your husband is coming here?”

She nodded.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. We might have a buyer for the New York apartment. He’s flying there to clear out his belongings and asked if he could stop on the way.”

“Mackinac Island isn’t necessarily on the way.”

“I agree, but I didn’t bother stating the obvious.” Harlow told her about the binding contract and him managing her career for another year.

“Ugh.” Lottie made a sour face.

“Right? My plan is to get the divorce finalized and then work on negotiating an early termination.”

“At the risk of stating the obvious, you’re a hot commodity, Harlow. Something tells me he’ll want to hang onto you for as long as possible.”

“I imagine he will. I guess I’ll just have to take it one day at a time.”

“Good luck meeting with him. It’s a shame he waited this long to decide he wanted to see you.”

“Robert is all about Robert. I haven’t figured out his angle, but you can bet your bottom dollar this meeting will somehow benefit him. I’m just not sure how.” Harlow pointed to the bulge in Lottie’s pocket. “You have a stick poking out of your pocket.”

She removed a rusty metal rod and held it up. “I found it in the garden.”

Harlow grinned. “You’re collecting junk from the garden?”

“It might not be junk.” Lottie explained that while gardening, she’d found several interesting historically significant objects. “One was a yellow button from a soldier’s uniform. It dated back to when Fort Mackinac was originally built in 1780.”

“That’s cool,” Harlow said. “Was it worth anything?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I donated it to the fort. It’s on display in one of their cases.”

“If you keep digging and collecting, you might end up pulling a Morgan Easton.”

“What’s a Morgan Easton?”

Harlow told her about the woman finding the Shifting Sands Medallion. “The Israeli government paid her a tidy chunk of change for returning it to them.”

“I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled. I can use a tidy chunk of change.” Lottie scratched her forehead. “Is Marty picking you up for the Mackies’ get-together?”

“He is, and I can’t wait.”

“We’ve never met at Peyton’s fudge shop before.

I love destination dinners. Do you remember a few years back when progressive dinner parties were all the rage.

One host served appetizers, while the next soup and salad, a third dining spot offered the main entrée, and the last in the group served dessert. ”

“No. You would think with all the glitz and glam Hollywood parties I’ve been to that I would’ve attended one. They sound like fun,” Harlow said.

“Let’s put it on the Mackies’ to do-list.”

“I like it. Count me in.”

The women chatted for a few more minutes until Mort grew antsy, having been properly scolded, and sat patiently waiting for Harlow to keep moving.

“I’ll see you later.” She waved goodbye and followed the pup back to the main path. They passed by the lodge and fire-damaged cottages. She thought about Brett Easton’s visit and hoped her father knew what he was doing.

Mort led her across the street to the harbor. On their way back, they stopped to say ‘hi’ to Aunt Birdie. She found her aunt sitting on the floor with a stack of clear plastic bins at her side.

“Are you moving out?” Harlow joked.

“I’m getting ready to winterize. As much as I adore Happy Camper and am snug as a bug in a rug, it will be too chilly for me to hunker down here for much longer,” her aunt said.

“Now that you’re on the mend, I was thinking about heading to Phoenix to visit a friend and be back in time for the holidays. ”

“Phoenix, Arizona? I bet it’s still warm there this time of year.”

“Nice and toasty.” Birdie pinched her thumb and index finger together. “I have a teensy bit of cabin fever and figured a trip would take care of my antsy pantsy.” She told her she would be leaving within a few days. “Your father has offered to let me bunk in the other cottage when I come back.”

“The shrine to Harlow cottage?”

“Yeah. I figured home for the holidays and then I would reassess after the New Year, maybe travel somewhere warm with a tropical vibe,” her aunt said.

“Thank you for being here for me. I still feel guilty about you cutting your cruise short.”

Birdie waved dismissively. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Your accident helped bring our little family back together.”

Woof. Mort let out a warning bark. He took off in hot pursuit of a squirrel.

Harlow called him back. “I better head home. Brett Easton and Dad are meeting with the zoning officials today.”

“About getting the fines reduced?”

“Or eliminated.” Harlow gave her aunt a peck on the cheek. “Hopefully, he’s as persuasive as Dad seems to think he is.”

Birdie crossed her fingers. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”

“Me too.” Harlow caught up with Mort near the road and turned toward home. Maybe Brett Easton was as awesome as her father thought he was, or maybe he realized the true value of the Wynn Harbor Inn property and planned to swoop in and take control.

One thing was certain…she was looking forward to meeting him because she had every intention of finding out.