Chapter 12 Isabella
ISABELLA
Isabella balanced the tray carefully as she walked through the inn’s hallway toward the library.
Two sandwiches, two cups of coffee, and a side of fruit she’d arranged with more care than the simple lunch deserved.
Her mind was already racing ahead to the meeting in two hours, running through possible scenarios and trying to prepare herself to face Todd after all these years.
The library door stood slightly ajar, and Isabella pushed it wider with her shoulder, the tray occupying both hands. “I brought lunch and thought we could—”
The words died in her throat.
Logan and Charlie sprang apart like teenagers caught in a bedroom with the door closed.
Charlie’s cheeks were flushed a deep pink, and Logan’s hand still hovered near Charlie’s waist where it had clearly been moments before.
Both of them looked guilty and flustered in a way that would have been comical if Isabella wasn’t so mortified at having interrupted them.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I uh... I brought your lunch,” Isabella stammered, walking quickly into the room and trying very hard not to look directly at either of them.
She set the tray down on the desk near Charlie’s makeshift office setup with more force than necessary, the cups rattling slightly.
All she wanted was for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
Before she could make her escape, Jane’s voice came from the doorway behind her. “Well, this is a little awkward.”
Isabella’s eyes closed briefly. Perfect. Jane stood there with a knowing smile playing at her lips, clearly having seen everything too. There was no way this situation could get more awkward.
“Did you two uh...” Logan started, running a hand through his hair in obvious discomfort.
“See you and Charlie having an intimate moment?” Jane finished for him, her grin widening. There was no judgment in her tone, just warmth and a hint of amusement.
“Jane,” Isabella warned, feeling embarrassment flood her cheeks with fresh heat. This wasn’t her business to discuss, and she certainly didn’t want to make Logan and Charlie more uncomfortable than they already were.
“You know, Uncle Logan,” Jane said, fighting a smile. “We just want you to be happy. You and Charlie don’t have to sneak around like teenagers. You’re not Romeo and Juliet. No one here is planning to duel at dawn because you two are holding hands or stealing kisses in the library.”
“That’s a bit dramatic,” Isabella said softly to Jane as she walked further into the room.
“We... uh...” Charlie muttered, glancing at Logan and then back at the two women standing in front of them. “We’re just figuring things out, so we don’t want to announce our relationship yet.”
“Everyone knows,” Isabella blurted out before she could stop herself. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth, horrified at her own lack of filter. “Sorry. But it’s true. Everyone can see how you two look at each other.”
“We do,” Jane confirmed, nodding. “There is even a pot going to see which one of us catches you out first.”
“Jane!” Isabella hissed, her cheeks flaming as she was part of that pot. She’d bet five dollars that Trinity and Maddy would be the first to catch them.
“What?” Charlie and Logan hissed in unison.
“Trinity and Maddy started it,” Isabella blurted.
Good grief, what is wrong with me? I sound like the school yard snitch!
If this was how she reacted to catching adults together, how was she going to react when she caught Maddy with her first boyfriend?
Isabella gave herself a mental shake. She didn’t even want to think about that yet, although it wouldn’t be long… She cut the thought off.
“But don’t worry. I won’t say anything until you’re ready,” Jane told them and glanced at Isabella, teasing, “Maybe we should put this in the book.” The chances of you and I catching them together and then change our bets.”
Isabella couldn’t help but laugh, appreciating how Jane was lightening the mood, and turned back to Charlie and Logan. “I won’t say a word either,” Isabella promised quickly, desperate to smooth over the awkwardness. “Your secret is safe with us.”
“Thank you,” Charlie and Logan said in perfect unison, relief evident on both their faces. “We’ll come clean when we’re ready.”
Jane shifted topics with the smooth ease of someone used to navigating uncomfortable situations. “Uncle Logan, where is the arch you were restoring for the ballroom? Dad mentioned it was ready.”
“Yes,” Logan said, standing up. “Come, let me show you where it is.”
This time, he did not attempt to hide his feelings for Charlie. He leaned over deliberately and kissed Charlie, a proper kiss that spoke of affection and claiming and not caring who saw. “I’ll be back soon.”
Isabella looked away, giving them that moment of privacy even though they were clearly past hiding.
Logan and Jane turned and left together, their voices fading as they walked down the hallway. That left Isabella alone in the library with Charlie, the awkwardness settling around them like morning fog.
“I’m truly sorry I interrupted,” Isabella said, meaning it sincerely. “I was delivering your lunch in hopes we could talk before... uh... before this afternoon?”
“Yes, of course.” Charlie’s professional demeanor slid back into place with practiced ease. She indicated the chair in front of the desk. “Take a seat. I’ve been going over your case.”
Isabella sat, noticing how Charlie had transformed the corner of the library into a functional office space.
The desk was covered with folders and legal pads filled with Charlie’s neat handwriting.
She pulled Isabella’s folder from the desk drawer, the one that held all the documentation of Isabella’s failed marriage and messy divorce.
“I’ve been going over your divorce papers,” Charlie said, flipping through the documents with the careful attention of someone who knew exactly what she was looking for.
“And I have to say, it was good thinking getting him to sign away all rights to Maddy. He relinquished all parental rights in exchange for being released from child support obligations. That gives you complete legal control over decisions regarding her welfare, education, and medical care.”
Isabella felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders.
“Yes, I didn’t want him to have any control over our lives.
” She remembered fighting for that clause, remembered how her lawyer had warned her that she was giving up potential financial support.
But Isabella had been adamant. “He made it clear he didn’t want to be a father.
I just wanted to make it legal so he couldn’t change his mind later and try to use Maddy against me. ”
“Smart,” Charlie said, nodding with approval. “The problem is, by signing away his rights, he also signed away any legal claim to you or Maddy. Which means whatever he wants now, it’s not about regaining parental access.” She paused, her expression turning serious. “It’s about money.”
Isabella’s stomach tightened. She’d suspected as much, but hearing Charlie confirm it made it feel more real somehow.
“I’ve been looking into his financials,” Charlie continued, pulling out another folder.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I have contacts who can access this kind of information.
Todd’s not doing well financially. He’s opened numerous restaurants around the world over the past twelve years.
Every single one of them has flopped. He’s deeply in debt to multiple investors. ”
“That’s because I was the brains and talent behind the menu in our restaurant,” Isabella said, and bitterness crept into her voice, surprising her after all these years.
She’d thought she was past feeling anything about Todd’s failures.
“Todd could charm investors and create the right atmosphere. He knew how to make a place look good and feel exciting. But he couldn’t create food that people actually wanted to eat. That was always me.”
Charlie studied her for a moment. “Tell me about your grandmother’s house. The one you live in now.”
Isabella swallowed hard, understanding where this was going.
“Gran left it to me when she died five years ago. Along with a small inheritance that I’ve already put toward Maddy’s education fund.
” She paused, feeling protective of the only real security she had.
“The house is paid off completely. It’s on beachfront property on Anastasia Island.
It’s worth a lot more now than when my grandparents bought it sixty years ago. ”
“How much more?” Charlie asked gently.
“The real estate agent who contacted me last year said it would probably sell for close to a million dollars, given the location and the current market,” Isabella admitted quietly. “Maybe more.”
Charlie nodded slowly, as if Isabella had just confirmed her theory.
“That’s what he’s after. It has to be. If he could somehow establish a claim to the house, or convince you to sell it and give him a portion of the proceeds.
..” She trailed off, letting Isabella fill in the rest. “If you own the house outright, it means it could be clean collateral for a mortgage against it.”
“I would never do that,” Isabella finished, and the realization settled in her stomach like a stone. “I’d be too afraid of not being able to pay it back and then losing the only roof over mine and Maddy’s heads that we have.”
“I understand that. But we have to go through everything as if Todd has approached you. It means he’s probably very desperate,” Charlie agreed. “Which makes him potentially dangerous. Desperate people do foolish things.”