The Lakeside Inn, Leeanna Morgan [rosie project TXT] 📗

Penny’s eyebrows rose. “He was definitely obnoxious.”

“Even if he was, you’ve got the thickest skin of any of us when it comes to dealing with rude people.”

“I do not.”

Katie placed a small container of cookies in the middle of her bag. “Yes, you do. Even when we were little you knew how to talk to angry people. Why do you think we asked you to get the ball from our neighbor’s property whenever it landed on the other side of the fence? Everyone else was too scared to talk to Mr. Wiseman.”

Penny frowned. “He was lonely, that’s all. He’d forgotten how to talk to people.”

“And that’s why you were Grandma’s favorite. You always see the best in everyone.”

Penny studied her sisters’ faces. “I wasn’t her favorite. She loved all of us.”

“She did, but she definitely had a soft spot for you.” Diana handed Katie a sweatshirt that was sitting on the kitchen counter. “We still haven’t decided what we’re doing about the house.”

Barbara stuck her head around the door frame. “Don’t say anything until I get there. I just have to finish my call to Mom.”

Penny looked around the open-plan kitchen and living room. If they stayed here, there was so much they could do to modernize the house. Instead of the rosebud wallpaper and pink counter, they could add pale gray cabinets, a marble counter, and new appliances. With a fresh coat of paint on the walls, the house would look stunning.

Barbara hurried into the kitchen. “Oh, no. Penny’s planning something. She has the same look on her face that she had when I told her I was selling my apartment.”

Katie laughed. “And we know how that turned out.”

“You made eighty thousand dollars,” Penny said proudly. “And it sold for ten percent more than any other apartment in the building.”

“I also couldn’t sleep for a month.”

“I told you not to worry about the cost of the remodeling. I know what I’m doing.”

Barbara sighed. “So, what would you do with Grandma’s house?”

Diana sent her younger sister a worried frown.

“I’m only asking,” Barbara muttered.

Penny bit into her cookie. “I wouldn’t change too much. Even though the house is fifteen years old, it has great indoor-outdoor flow. The bedrooms are all good sizes, and there’s plenty of storage.”

“And the view is amazing,” Diana added.

“It is. But the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry need to be updated.”

“If we were living here, it wouldn’t matter.”

Penny picked up her cup of coffee. “That’s true, but it wouldn’t hurt to do some remodeling. It would increase the value of the property and give us a project to work on together.”

Katie zipped up her carry-on. “Does that mean you want to live here and not contest Grandma’s will?”

Barbara frowned. “I called a friend who’s a lawyer. She said the same thing as Mr. Rogers. It can be expensive and time-consuming to contest someone’s will. I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

“Maybe not for you, but I like living in Los Angeles.”

“What about you, Penny?” Diana asked. “How do you feel about living here for a year?”

“I can do it, but only if I can split my time between Seattle and Montana.”

“What if you can’t?” Barbara asked.

“Then I’ll have a big decision to make.”

Katie poured herself a glass of water. “The only person telling us we can’t live in two places is Mr. Rogers. If we’re not going to contest the will, then all we have to do is convince him that Grandma wouldn’t have wanted us to lose our jobs.”

“I don’t think he’ll change his mind,” Diana said. “Grandma wanted us to spend more time together. Commuting between two cities is the exact opposite of what she wanted.”

“Grandma knew how important our jobs are to us,” Penny argued. “She wouldn’t expect us to give up everything we’ve worked toward to live here.”

Diana leaned against the counter. “What’s so wrong about living in Sapphire Bay?”

“Nothing, but it isn’t Seattle.”

“Or San Diego,” Barbara added. She picked up a cookie and studied the large pieces of chunky chocolate. “About the only thing we’ve agreed on since we’ve been here is who’s turn it is to bake more cookies.”

At the sound of his favorite word, Charlie ambled across to Diana and sat in front of her.

“No, you can’t have any,” she said firmly. “Chocolate is really bad for you.”

Charlie’s big doggy mouth opened in a wide yawn and he flopped onto the floor.

Diana rubbed his ears. “Mom and Dad will be disappointed if we don’t stay. They were looking forward to spending more time with us.”

Barbara sighed. “I’ll think about moving, but Katie and Penny don’t want to live here.”

Penny looked through the large French doors. The towering mountains on the far side of the lake were casting deep, mysterious shadows across the water. “I’ll cancel my flight and talk to Mr. Rogers. There has to be a way we can work from two places.”

Diana looked at Katie.

A bright red blush streaked across their sister’s face. “I’m still catching my flight to Los Angeles.”

“Come on, Katie. At least say you’ll think about it. We all need to stay here.”

“I’m not living in Sapphire Bay,” she said stubbornly.

Penny cleared her throat. “We still have time to decide.”

Katie checked the time. “I won’t change my mind. I’m heading into town to buy some fudge before I drive to the airport. Does anyone need anything while I’m there?”

“No, thanks,” Diana said.

After Barbara and Penny shook their heads, Katie headed toward the hallway. Halfway across the room, she stopped and turned to Penny. “Have you looked in the chest Grandma told you about?”

The knot of grief in Penny’s chest tightened. “Not yet.”

“Why not?”

She didn’t want to answer Katie’s question. Even thinking about it made her heart pound.

Diana placed her hand on Penny’s arm. “It’s okay. We understand.”

Katie frowned. “It’s only a chest.”

Barbara glared at their youngest sister. “Don’t you have any empathy for how Penny feels? She spent more time than any of us with Grandma.”

“I couldn’t afford to fly home as often