Chapter 8
Morgan strode into Easton Estate’s office and found her grandmother standing at the window, staring out.
Sensing her granddaughter’s presence, Elizabeth turned. “Hello, Morgan.”
“Hello, Grandmother.” She crossed the room and gave her a gentle hug. “The snow is pretty.”
“I do love a blanket of snowy white this time of the year, but come January I’m ready for it to taper off and spring to arrive.”
“Me too. It seems like winter drags on. I’m planning a trip to Florida. Would you and Gerard like to go with me?”
Elizabeth tilted her head. “Florida, the land of sunshine and palm trees. It sounds tempting.”
Morgan had impulsively thrown the offer out, but now that she thought about it, having her grandmother travel with her sounded like fun. “You would seriously consider it?”
“Sure. Why not? Gerard and I are free as birds now that Quinn and the other staff have taken over running the gallery. Brett can stay here and hold down the fort.”
“Speaking of Brett, do you have any idea why he called a last-minute family meeting?”
“Not a clue. I was hoping you knew,” Elizabeth said. “He’s been awfully quiet lately.”
“Last night at the party he seemed…distracted, like he was a million miles away.”
The conversation abruptly ended when Brett appeared. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No need to apologize. Morgan was inviting Gerard and me to accompany her on a trip to Florida this winter.”
“Florida? I’ve visited the Miami area for business but can’t remember the last time I went there for a vacation.”
“Neither can I, and who better to show us around than a former Floridian?” She changed the subject. “We were also wondering why you called us here.”
“It’s about my health.”
The color drained from Elizabeth’s face. “Please tell me you haven’t had a relapse.”
“You didn’t let me finish. My heart issues were a reality check.”
“For all of us.”
“It was a sober reminder that life is short. I’m not getting any younger and have done some serious contemplating about my future.”
Morgan thought about her earlier conversation with Quinn, and how close she and Brett had become. His showering her with flowers, with small gifts, and impromptu dates. “Does it involve Quinn?”
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. “Yes, as a matter of fact, it does.”
“You seem to have grown close these past few months—date days, flowers, small gifts. Quinn loves you.”
“And I love her.” Brett pulled a ring box from his pocket. “She’s everything I’ve been looking for…loving, thoughtful. She’s spunky and smart. I commissioned this ring a few weeks ago and plan to propose to her.”
Morgan squinted her eyes, studying the exquisite diamond tucked in the folds of the velvet sapphire box. The ring caught the light, glittering brightly. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Very lovely,” Elizabeth added. “I couldn’t have done better if I had designed it myself. When do you intend to pop the question?”
“I’m waiting for the right moment, maybe when her parents are here visiting. I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, I wanted your blessing, Morgan as her closest friend and Grandmother as her future in-law.”
“Quinn is a lovely woman, possessing all of the qualities you already stated,” Elizabeth said. “You don’t think you’re jumping the gun?”
“I want to be with her for the rest of my life,” he simply said. “Why wait?”
“Congratulations.” Morgan impulsively flung her arms around her brother’s neck. “You two are perfect for each other. I’m excited to think my best friend will also be my sister-in-law.”
“Thanks. I was hoping you would approve.”
“More than approve,” Elizabeth said. “Now, I don’t want to rush things, but about those great-grandchildren.”
Morgan and Brett collectively groaned.
“I’ve had my say.” Elizabeth glanced at the clock. “It’s time to view the Wynn Harbor Inn documentary.”
“I can’t wait to see how it turned out.” Morgan backed toward the door, and Brett stopped her. “This conversation is strictly between the three of us.”
“Absolutely.” She made a zipping motion across her lips. “My lips are sealed.”
*****
“I have the popcorn.” Morgan waltzed into the Easton Estate’s library, a cozy yet opulent room filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A roaring fire blazed brightly in the fireplace while outside the window a flurry of snowflakes fell to the ground.
Her arms laden with boxes of fresh popcorn she’d picked up at Easton Harbor’s only movie theater, she came to an abrupt halt when all eyes turned to her. “Did I miss something?”
“No, dear.” Grandmother Elizabeth strolled across the room, relieving her granddaughter of the tubs of buttery goodness. “I thought you were kidding when you told me you were stopping by the Easton Harbor Movie Theater to purchase popcorn.”
“They have the best, and I figured this was a splurge-worthy event.” Morgan set the rest of the tubs on the side table. “It feels like we’re part of a red-carpet movie premiere.”
Brett rubbed his palms together. “When David Wynn told me a major network was featuring a show about Wynn Harbor Inn and our restoration project, I thought his mega-movie star daughter would be the main draw but from what David told me, the Easton family made an equally impressive splash on the big screen.”
Quinn nudged her bestie’s arm. “Your follow-up moment of fame, only a year after finding the Shifting Sands Medallion and having your face plastered on every newspaper from here to California. This should be old hat.”
“I wasn’t planning on being a part of it,” Morgan reminded her. “The show’s producer showed up on my doorstep and caught me off guard. Hopefully, I don’t look like a complete idiot.”
“I’m sure you and Brett both represented the Easton family splendidly,” Gerard said. “I must admit, I’m eager to see how they portrayed the Wynn family.”
He wasn’t the only one. The Eastons and Wynns now shared some history, when Morgan and her brother had partnered with David Wynn to restore his inn on the shores of Mackinac Island’s Lake Huron.
Harlow was practically a household name, having carved out a lucrative career over the past few years, becoming both a top model and A-list actress.
After a horrific accident, Harlow, who had been estranged from her father, returned to Mackinac Island to recover…and brought plenty of newsworthy baggage with her.
The ink on the joint-venture agreement had dried months ago. Unfortunately, the trio—David Wynn, Morgan and Brett—had run into a few snags, the fines the property had accrued while it sat in ruins being at the top of the list.
But the hurdles, at least as far as she knew, were behind them. When spring arrived, they would “hit the ground running.” Brett had the contractor and crews ready to roll as soon as the ground thawed.
Clink…rattle. A clinking and rattling ensued. Mrs. Arnsby, the head cook and close family friend, wheeled a double-decker cart loaded with snacks and drinks into the room. “Did I miss anything?”
“Not at all, Jane.” Elizabeth tapped the remote, lowering the projector screen.
“We were just settling in.” She did a quick headcount.
All the invited guests were there—Quinn, Ben Baker, the estate’s chauffeur, Jax, the handyman, also in charge of security; Ronni Lansbury; Captain Davey; Grace Coates and her father Denver, along with several other invited guests.
Jax took over operating the projector, and at the two-minutes-until-broadcasting mark, everyone grew quiet.
Morgan whispered a small prayer under her breath.
Along with her excitement, she felt a hint of trepidation.
Although the Wynn family had their share of skeletons in the closet, the Easton family had just as many.
Two powerful, influential families could be a major draw for an audience of viewers or a recipe for disaster.
A commercial began, and Elizabeth perched on her chair, nibbling a piece of popcorn. “Are you sure you haven’t already previewed the show, Brett?”
“No. There was a soft launch on the West Coast, but I promised myself I would wait to watch it with all of you.”
“Meaning this program has already been seen on the other side of the country?” Grace asked.
“In California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona.” Brett rattled off a few other locations. “It’s starting now.”
A hushed silence ensued. Morgan absentmindedly grabbed a handful of popcorn. The show’s host appeared, giving viewers a brief introduction. Photos of the Wynn Harbor Inn back in its heyday appeared.
The first segment of the show explained the history, about the iconic resort, the tragic fire followed by Harlow Wynn fleeing Mackinac Island. Other more recent photos appeared.
It was after the second commercial break that Brett and Morgan were finally mentioned. A clip of Easton Holdings Company’s downtown Toronto office appeared. A photo of Brett, looking distinguished and businesslike in a crisp three-piece suit, appeared in the corner of the screen.
Quinn let out a wolf whistle. “There’s my man.”
The narrator gave a breakdown of the Easton family. A photo of Morgan appeared along with a brief story about the medallion, followed by her interview.
At the three-quarter mark, all talk of restoring the inn ended and the rest of the show focused on Harlow Wynn, her automobile accident and painfully public divorce. A blurry shot of her sporting sunglasses and a ball cap with her head down filled the screen.
The program ended. Jax started to shut the television off when a news alert flashed across the bottom.
“Hang on.” Morgan stopped him. “There’s an update on the storm we’ve been hearing about these last couple of days.”
A screenshot of the Michigan map with Wisconsin to the left and Ontario to the right, appeared.
Jax turned the volume up. “A winter weather advisory has been issued for all areas marked in blue.”
The Michigan map disappeared, replaced by a swirling screen of white—as in blowing and drifting snow, sweeping across the plains.
“Just in time for a white Christmas,” Morgan quipped.
A local meteorologist, a man she followed faithfully during the long winter months, appeared. “We’ve been tracking this storm and only moments ago received our latest update. Not only are we in for a white Christmas, folks, but it looks like a blizzard of epic proportions is heading our way.”