Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
E vie woke up early the next morning, determined to at least sort through more of Nana’s things. They would need sorting out no matter if she stayed here or left the island. She’d barely slept, tossing and turning, as worrying about the cottage’s future haunted her dreams. She quickly got dressed and went to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. With cup in hand, she headed to the storage closet.
She stood back, taking in all the shelves spread out before her. She set the cup on a shelf and pulled out a small, sturdy stepladder. Placing it near the furthest shelving unit, she slowly climbed up the steps and reached up to the top shelf to grab a large box. Carefully balancing it on her hip, she climbed down the ladder.
The box was labeled: Important Papers. But it wasn’t her grandmother’s writing. Maybe her grandfather’s? She tucked the box under one arm, carried her coffee with the other hand, and headed to the kitchen so she’d have better light. She set the box on the table and pulled off the lid. Inside was a small metal box with a lock on it.
Now how would she figure out how to open it? She scowled at it, thinking. She tried the street address. No luck. Her grandmother’s birthday. No luck. Then she paused and slowly tried her birthday. The box opened wide for her.
The documents inside were old and crinkled. She sifted through the papers, opening each one and glancing at it. Near the bottom of the stack was a yellowed, typewritten document. As she unfolded it, her heart sank. It was an exact copy of the document Mr. Barlowe had shown her, signed by her grandfather. A handwritten note tumbled out that simply said “loan from Bart Barlowe.”
She knew in her heart that this proved that the Barlowes’ claim was valid. She dropped onto the chair. Why hadn’t Nana told her? Did she even know?
This changed everything. If it was a debt to be paid, it needed to be paid. Her brief hope of staying here in the cottage on the island crumbled into tiny grains of sand.
Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Mr. Howe, the lawyer. Her heart raced as she answered.
“Hello, Mr. Howe,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Hello, Evie. I’m calling about the situation with your grandmother’s cottage.” His voice carried a note of hesitation. “I’ve been looking into the matter, but I’m having a hard time disproving the validity of the document Mr. Barlowe showed you.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s valid,” she said quietly. “I found my grandfather’s copy of it in an old lockbox. There’s no doubt about it now.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I see,” Mr. Howe said finally. “That does change things.”
“I’ll need to pay back the debt. It’s what Nana would want me to do.”
“Are you sure about this, Evie?” Mr. Howe asked. “There might still be other options we could explore.”
“No, I’m sure. It’s the right thing to do. Nana always taught me to honor our commitments.”
“But if you don’t have the funds to pay him back, he’ll get Genevieve’s cottage,” he warned.
“I know. But I don’t see another way out. I don’t have that kind of money.” Maybe if she sold the cottage, she’d have the money, but either way, she’d lose the cottage.
“I’m sorry. I know Genevieve would have loved for you to stay and live in her cottage,” he said, his voice filled with kindness and empathy.
“Do you think Nana knew about this loan?”
“I have to think not, because she was very precise about her wishes with her will. I don’t think she would have ignored this.”
“You’re probably right. Anyway, thank you, Mr. Howe. I appreciate all your help.”
After hanging up, she sat at the kitchen table, staring at the documents spread out before her. The reality was sinking in. She was losing the cottage.
She picked up her coffee mug, now cold, and walked to the window. The view of the island, with its gentle waves lapping at the shore, had always brought her comfort. Now, it felt more like she was seeing it for the last time, and the view was slowly slipping away.
Her phone pinged with incoming emails. At first she ignored them, but then she sighed and opened her phone to check them. A reminder that her rent was due back home. Two spam emails. And one from… Totten Technologies. Wasn’t that the company where she’d met the woman—Kristine, was it?—at a networking event she’d gone to right before she came here? The woman was smart, talented, and seemed interested in her, but had no openings at Totten for Evie’s skill set. Kristine had requested her resume and said she’d keep it on file. But isn’t that what people always say?
She clicked on the email and read it, her eyes widening. Kristine had an opening she thought would be perfect for Evie. She’d checked out her references and was impressed by the jobs she’d held. Kristine was on board with hiring her. She just had to formally get the okay from human resources. She wanted to arrange an interview as soon as possible.
She leaned against the counter, stunned. It couldn’t possibly be that easy to get a new job, could it? And Totten was one of the top technology companies in Baltimore.
It was like everything was giving her a sign that she should leave. The loan against the cottage, the almost job offer back home.
Her heart was breaking at the thought of leaving and losing the cottage, but maybe all these things were a sign she wasn’t meant to be here.
She stared out the window, not really seeing anything. Soon, someone else would be standing here in the very spot.
Not her. Not Nana.
She set her cup in the sink and headed back to the storage room. Now she had to get moving in earnest. There were things to pack up, to give away, to pitch. And the fact that she didn’t want to do any of that didn’t make any difference. She had to do it.
Evie heard a knock at the door, and her heart sank. She was sure it would be Randy, eager to open another item from the Christmas box. She wasn’t ready to face him, to share the news that would change everything. She walked to the front room, took a deep breath, steeled herself, and opened the door.
Randy stood there, as expected, his face lit up with a warm smile. “Hey there! Ready for today’s Christmas box adventure?” He held up a thermos. “I brought some hot cocoa to go with it.”
Evie tried to manage a smile but knew it wouldn’t fool him. “Come in.” She stepped aside to let him enter.
Randy’s smile faded as he looked at her. “Everything okay? Did you hear more from the lawyer?”
“Yes… I… Come in and sit.”
She led him to the living room, where boxes were stacked haphazardly. The Christmas box sat on the coffee table, untouched. She perched on the edge of the couch, her hands clasped tightly.
“I… I need to tell you something.” She took a shaky breath. “I’ve decided to leave Belle Island.”
His face fell, the sparkle in his eyes gone. “Leave? But I thought… What about staying here? Living in your grandmother’s cottage?”
She tried to explain. “I can’t keep the cottage. I found a copy of the loan papers in my grandfather’s things with a handwritten note. The loan is real. I have to repay the debt. It’s what Nana would want me to do.” She looked down at her hands.
“But there must be some way—” he started, but she shook her head.
“I don’t have that kind of money. And then… well, I got a job offer back home. It’s with a great company. One I’ve always wanted to work for.” She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice, but it fell flat.
His forehead creased into a deep frown. “So that’s it? You’re just going to leave?”
Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I don’t want to. But what choice do I have? This cottage was a beautiful dream, but it looks like it wasn’t meant to be mine. Nana always said you end up where you’re supposed to be in life.”
“And you think that’s not here?” His voice was low and tinged with hurt.
She looked around the room, at the boxes of memories, at the Christmas decorations they’d put up together. “I don’t know anymore. Everything seems to be pushing me back home. The loan, the job offer… it feels like the universe is trying to tell me something.”
He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You can’t just give up. You’ve made friends here like Tally and Julie. You said you love it here on the island. There has to be a way to keep the cottage, to stay here. We can figure something out together.”
Her heart ached at the sincerity in his voice, at the way he said “we.” But she shook her head.
“But what about us?” He looked deep into her eyes, and she was helpless to turn away.
“I guess we just weren’t meant to be, either. Our timing was off.” She tore her gaze from his. “I’m sorry. I have to go home and take this job if I get it, or another one. Earn a living. It was a beautiful dream, but realistically, it just can’t happen.”
He rose from his chair, his eyes a mix of anger and hurt. “So you’re not even willing to try? To give us a chance? You’re just leaving?”
“I—I have nothing here, Randy. No place to live, no job. And to live here on Belle Island with someone else in Nana’s house?” She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back her tears. “I don’t think I could take that. It would crush my very soul.”
“Fine. It’s clear you’ve made your decision.” His words were laced with icy anger. “I should go.”
“Randy, wait.” She jumped out and reached out a hand.
He dodged her hand and headed to the door. “Goodbye, Evie. Have a good life.”
She sank onto the couch as tears began to flow. How many tears had she shed in the last month or so? More than in her whole lifetime prior to these last few rough months. She looked over at the Christmas box, ready for her to take out today’s item.
But she couldn’t. Not alone.
Randy sat out on his porch, the thermos of hot cocoa beside him. He poured himself a single cup and took a sip. Somehow, it didn’t taste like it would have if he’d shared it with Evie.
He sat there and nursed his cup of hot cocoa until it went cold. Anger and hurt swirled inside him. He couldn’t believe she was just going to leave Belle Island, leave him, after everything they’d shared.
Memories flashed through his mind. Opening Miss G’s Christmas box and discovering the stories behind each item. The way Evie’s eyes had sparkled with curiosity and joy, the way her laughter had filled the room. He’d felt a connection with her, a sense of belonging that he hadn’t experienced in years.
But now she was leaving. Just like his ex-wife had left him all those years ago. The pain of that abandonment still stung, a wound that had never fully healed. And now, Evie’s decision to go felt like another knife twisting in his heart.
Maybe it was his destiny to be alone. To watch the women he cared about walk away from him, from Belle Island. First his wife, and now Evie.
Evie had talked about the job offer, about the need to repay her grandfather’s debt. But couldn’t she see that there was more to life than that? That there were things worth fighting for, worth staying for? Evidently, he wasn’t one of them.
He set the mug on the table beside him, the liquid sloshing over the rim. He stood up, pacing back and forth as the frustration and disappointment coursed through him. He’d thought Evie was different, that she understood the magic of Belle Island, the way it could heal a person’s soul.
But maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe she was just like everyone else, always looking for something better, something more. Never content with what was right in front of her.
He had to admit, though, the anger and hurt he felt over Evie’s decision to leave Belle Island warred with his desire to understand her perspective.
He knew how much the cottage meant to her, how it was tied to the memories of her grandmother. Miss G had been a constant in both their lives, someone who had welcomed them both into her heart. He could only imagine how difficult it must be for Evie to face the prospect of losing that connection.
But still, he couldn’t help but feel like she was giving up too easily. Miss G had always been a fighter, a woman who faced challenges head-on. He was certain that she would have wanted Evie to do the same, to explore every possible angle before admitting defeat.
All the moments they’d shared together ran through his mind again. Decorating the cottage, baking Miss G’s cookies, and the Christmas Festival. Not to mention opening all those items from the Christmas box and trying to figure out why they were special to Miss G. In those moments, he’d truly come to believe that Evie belonged on Belle Island, that this was where she was meant to be.
He looked out at the water, unable to shake the feeling that he needed to go to Evie, to try and convince her to stay and fight for the cottage. Nana would have wanted that, and deep down, he knew he wanted it too.
But what if she rejected his plea? What if his attempts to change her mind only drove her further away? He’d seen the determination in her eyes. She’d made up her mind. No, he couldn’t do it. Couldn’t risk rejection all over again.
He leaned against the railing, staring out at the ocean. The waves rolled to the shore, a constant rhythm that usually soothed him. But today, it only seemed to mock him, reminding him of the emptiness that awaited him.
He closed his eyes, trying to push away the memories of Evie, of the laughter and warmth they’d shared. But they clung to him, refusing to let go. Just like the hope he’d foolishly allowed himself to feel, the belief that maybe, just maybe, he’d found someone who would stay.