with made Skye so excited for her friend.
“Yes, but only in the most literal sense. We didn’t even kiss.”
“But you wanted to?” Skye pushed.
“Of course I wanted to. Everything in my entire body feels connected to him. Ugh!” Karri flopped back against her chair and tossed her hands up in the air. “What am I going to do?”
“Yo! Anyone here?”
Skye cocked her head at the new voice. Who was that?
“Back here, Harper!” Tinsley yelled.
“Does everyone have a code to this house?” Skye asked.
“Just family,” Tinsley assured her.
Harper walked in looking none too happy about being up so early. Her hair might not have been brushed when she’d pulled it back into a sloppy bun, but it was the PJ bottoms that were a dead giveaway. Harper had rolled out of bed and come straight here. “Did something happen?” Skye asked worriedly.
“Yeah, someone woke me up. Coffee. I need coffee.”
“It’s in the kitchen,” Skye told her. Harper shuffled off and returned a minute later with a giant cup of black coffee.
“Better. Dare got called into work. He’s going to be undercover for a week or so. He knew better than to wake me up when he left. Suze Bell, on the other hand, didn’t.”
“What did Suze want?” Tinsley asked after filling Karri and Skye in that Suze had the large bed and breakfast next to Ryker and reminding them that Maggie and Gage were her kids.
“She owns the empty space between my bar and Bless Your Scarf,” Harper dropped that bomb and then paused to chug some more coffee. “She wants to sell it. She got an offer from someone in Charleston but would rather it go to someone here. She asked me if I wanted to buy it.”
Karri’s face paled and Skye remembered that in her friend’s dream, it was Karri who owned that space. “Are you going to buy it?” Karri asked in a studiously neutral tone.
Harper took another healthy sip of coffee. “I can, but I thought you might want first dibs on it. I actually had an idea. I want to serve food at my place, but I’m not set up for anything but bar food. That meal you cooked me yesterday was out of this world. What do you think about a little demolition and building a connector between the two?”
Karri sat up, no longer pale-faced but suddenly very animated. “A joint operation? I’d provide food to my own place and yours while you serve drinks to your place and mine?”
Harper nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. You do food, I do drinks, and everyone’s happy. I was even thinking you could give my place its own bar menu. Gourmet burgers and such and then you can serve the upscale stuff at your place. I can create special drinks for your restaurant to pair with your specials too.” Harper slid a piece of paper across the table. “Here’s Suze’s number. Let me know what you decide. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll buy it. I can also rent it to you if you want.”
“Thanks, Harper. This means everything to me.”
Harper grunted and got up. “I refuse to have morning meetings if we do this, though.”
Karri smiled and Harper finished her coffee and stumbled from the house.
“Are you going to do it?” Skye asked her best friend. Karri had wanted her own place since college and now it was in her reach.
“I know it’s not L.A., but the only other place I ever considered living was Syracuse. We’ve talked about it, though. I just have this feeling. Shadows Landing is where I’m supposed to be. Then there was that dream. I think I’m going to learn more and then decide. Excuse me. I have a call to make.”
Skye and Tinsley watched Karri walk inside and close the door behind her. “You know, I’ve heard that old Mrs. Cramble is thinking of selling her house.”
“Um, okay. Good for her.” Skye had no idea where Tinsley was going with this.
“It’s next door.” Tinsley pointed toward Shadows Landing. Ryker had an old historical estate. You didn’t see your neighbors what with the acres of land and the substantial hedgerows and trees planted all around for privacy.
“The one with the beautiful scrollwork on the gate?” Skye asked, sitting up now that Tinsley had her attention.
Tinsley nodded. “Want to go see it real quick?”
“Can I really?”
“Let me call her.” Skye waited impatiently as Tinsley made the call. When Tinsley smiled and said they’d come by the back in ten