Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,60
and saw your lights were on,” came the familiar voice. “I hope you aren’t painting.”
“I forgot about the time.”
“That must be a good sign.”
“Don’t read too much into it,” he muttered. “What are you doing awake, anyway? I thought you’d be enjoying your beauty sleep.” The silence on the end of the phone made him regret his words. “What’s happened?”
“I’ve just come back from Polson. I took a patient to the mental health crisis team.”
“Will they be okay?”
“I hope so.”
Wyatt didn’t envy Ethan’s career choice. His friend had a big heart and even wider shoulders. He was always there for anyone who needed his help. But that willingness to be everyone’s sounding board came at an emotional cost.
“Where are you now?”
“On my way home.”
He leaned against the windowsill. “If you’d like some company, come and have a hot drink with me. It won’t take long to heat the coffeepot.”
“It’s too late. I know how grumpy you are when you don’t have a good night’s sleep. Are you still able to meet me at the tiny home village at nine o’clock?”
“Are you sure you want to? You’ve had a long day.”
“I’m only showing you around and introducing you to some of the residents. We can talk about the art project in the next few days.”
Wyatt was already regretting his decision to organize a community art project. As well as not knowing how many people would volunteer, he didn’t know if it would achieve what Ethan hoped it would.
“There’s another artist who lives in Sapphire Bay who does art classes at The Welcome Center. We could ask her if she has any ideas about how we can make the lessons more enjoyable.”
A smile pulled at Wyatt’s mouth. “Are you telling me my charming personality won’t be enough?”
“I’m not answering that question. Just remember to wear a clean shirt.”
He looked down at his favorite paint-splattered T-shirt. “There’s nothing wrong with my clothes. At least the residents won’t mistake me for anyone other than an artist.”
“You’d be surprised,” Ethan said with a yawn. “I’m pulling into my driveway. I’ll see you later today.”
“Sounds good. Sleep well.”
“I will.”
After Ethan ended the call, Wyatt looked around his studio. In a few hours, he’d find out more about the project. He knew that using art as a form of therapy helped on many different levels. His only concern was that creating a way for people to express themselves could lead to disaster.
All he had to do was look at his own life to see how bad it could get.
Penny leaned forward, trying to catch each word her grandmother said. Picking up the glass of water, she held the straw close to her grandmother’s mouth. “Try this, Grandma. It might make it easier to speak.”
Betty took a sip of water and sighed. “Thank you. Where was I?”
“You were telling me about your house.”
Her grandmother’s wistful smile touched something deep in Penny’s heart.
“I love that house. Your granddad and I moved there with such high hopes for a happy retirement, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
Four years after her grandparents bought the large, two-story property overlooking Flathead Lake, Penny’s granddad had died. “Mom and Dad have been looking after it for you.”
“It’s not the same as living there. When I die, I want you and your sisters to inherit the house.”
Penny’s eyes widened. “Mom and Dad—”
“I’ve already spoken to them. They’re happy living above the general store. When the time is right, there’s more than enough money in my estate for them to buy another house. I think you girls will enjoy living beside the lake. It’s special.”
She didn’t want to upset her grandma, but she’d forgotten that her granddaughters had jobs, friends, and careers hundreds of miles away from Sapphire Bay. From what her sisters had said, moving home was the last thing they wanted to do.
“Your granddad and I used to sit in the lovely oval sunroom and watch the sun set over the water. It’s such a peaceful location.” Betty’s blue gaze connected with Penny’s. “Look after your sisters. Diana is as fragile as a piece of fine china. Barbara needs to relax. She doesn’t realize there’s more to life than getting people to spend money on things they don’t need. The lake will be good for her.”
Penny held back a smile. Barbara was the social media marketing manager for five of the largest companies in America.
“And watch Katie. She’s a dreamer—always flitting from one idea to the next. She needs to work out what she wants and how she’s going to get there. Tell her from me that a little planning goes a long way in life.”
“She’ll be here tomorrow,” Penny said softly.
A sadness swept across her grandma’s face. “I might not be here, honey. Remember to tell your sisters to stick together. Life will throw hurdles and challenges at them. Goodness knows Diana has already had her world tested. But you look out for each other, treat your sisters like they’re the most precious gifts the good Lord has given us.”
Penny wiped her eyes, wishing more than anything they weren’t having this conversation.
Her grandma’s hand tightened on hers. “Before I go, I want you to promise you’ll do something for me.” She waited for Penny to nod before continuing. “I never knew my father. Momma always said he’d drowned when the steamboat he was on hit troubled waters. But no one found his body or talked about him after he was gone. Over the years, I’ve tried to piece together what happened, but nothing makes sense.”
Betty winced and reached for the button on her morphine drip.
“Are you okay?”
“I will be in a few seconds.” Her grandma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There’s a chest in the attic. Look in there and see if you can figure out what happened to my father.”
“Has Mom looked for him?”
Her grandma nodded. “Mabel loves a good story as much as I do, but she was just as confused. Ask your mom about what she found.”
Penny was getting really worried about her grandma. The morphine looked as though it hadn’t helped the pain. “Do you want me to get a doctor?”
“Not yet. There’s one more thing. In the chest, there’s a small enamel box with a key inside. Momma always said as long as I have that, I’ll never need anything else. I wasn’t able to work out what the key unlocked. Keep it safe.”
Her grandma’s eyelids closed, then slowly opened. She sent Penny a tired smile. “Be happy, honey. I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you, Grandma.”
“Love you, too.”
Before Penny could push the emergency button, her grandma took one last shuddering breath. And with the same dignity and grace that she’d lived her life, she began her next journey.
The Lakeside Inn
Return to Sapphire Bay, Book 1
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!!
Enjoy More Books By Leeanna Morgan
Montana Brides:
Book 1: Forever Dreams (Gracie and Trent)
Book 2: Forever in Love (Amy and Nathan)
Book 3: Forever After (Nicky and Sam)
Book 4: Forever Wishes (Erin and Jake)
Book 5: Forever Santa (A Montana Brides Christmas Novella)
Book 6: Forever Cowboy (Emily and Alex)
Book 7: Forever Together (Kate and Dan)
Book 8: Forever and a Day (Sarah and Jordan)
Montana Brides Boxed Set: Books 1-3
Montana Brides Boxed Set: Books 4-6
The Bridesmaids Club:
Book 1: All of Me (Tess and Logan)
Book 2: Loving You (Annie and Dylan)
Book 3: Head Over Heels (Sally and Todd)
Book 4: Sweet on You (Molly and Jacob)
The Bridesmaids Club: Books 1-3
Emerald Lake Billionaires:
Book 1: Sealed with a Kiss (Rachel and John)
Book 2: Playing for Keeps (Sophie and Ryan)
Book 3: Crazy Love (Holly and Daniel)
Book 4: One And Only (Elizabeth and Blake)
Emerald Lake Billionaires: Books 1-3
The Protectors:
Book 1: Safe Haven (Hayley and Tank)
Book 2: Just Breathe (Kelly and Tanner)
Book 3: Always (Mallory and Grant)
Book 4: The Promise (Ashley and Matthew)
Book 5: Coming Home (Mia and Stan)
Book 6: The Gift (Hannah and Brett)
Book 7: The Wish (Claire and Jason)
The Protectors Boxed Set: Books 1-3
The Protectors Boxed Set: Books 4-6
Sapphire Bay:
Book 1: Falling For You (Natalie and Gabe)
Book 2: Once In A Lifetime (Sam and Caleb)
Book 3: A Christmas Wish (Megan and William)
Book 4: Before Today (Brooke and Levi)
Book 5: The Sweetest Thing (Cassie and Noah)
Book 6: Sweet Surrender (Willow and Zac)
Sapphire Bay Boxed Set: Books 1-3
Sapphire Bay Boxed Set: Books 4-6
Santa’s Secret Helpers:
Book 1: Christmas On Main Street (Emma and Jack)
Book 2: Mistletoe Madness (Kylie and Ben)
Book 3: Silver Bells (Bailey and Steven)
Book 4: The Santa Express (Shelley and John)
Book 5: Endless Love (The Jones Family)
Santa’s Secret Helpers Boxed Set: Books 1-3
Return To Sapphire Bay:
The Lakeside Inn (Penny and Wyatt)
Summer At Lakeside (Diana and Ethan)
A Lakeside Thanksgiving (Barbara and Theo)
Christmas At Lakeside (Katie and Peter)