“That’s a good plan. Let me help.”
Charlotte handed her a roll of plastic. They wrapped the paintings and she helped Charlotte load them in her car. Charlotte turned to go, and Robin reached out and grabbed her arm. “Before you leave…”
Charlotte turned back to her.
“I… I need to talk to you about something. I mean… just wanted to tell you.”
“Spill it.” Charlotte looked at her questioningly.
“It’s about Jay. About me and Jay.”
Charlotte laughed. “I already know. I figured you’d tell me when you were ready. Anyway, I heard you guys out on the porch last night and glanced out the window. That was some kiss.” She grinned.
“I thought you were asleep when I got home.”
“I headed to bed after I spied you two. In case you came inside for some privacy.” Charlotte shook her head. “But you better tell Sara.”
“She knows.” Robin grinned. “She caught us kissing in the supply cabinet at the inn.”
Charlotte’s laughter rang out across the courtyard. “So much for your secret.”
“I didn’t mean to keep it a secret. Not from you two.”
“And now you haven’t. I couldn’t be happier for you and Jay. It was obvious you two were meant to be together. I was hoping you’d work things out.” Charlotte hugged her. “Now I’ve got to run. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“See you later.” Robin watched as Charlotte drove away. Now the whole world could know she and Jay were a couple.
And she couldn’t be more pleased.
Robin went back to the inn and pulled out her to-do list. Almost everything regarding the storm was checked off. She picked up a package that had been delivered for Lillian and went to find her.
Lillian was in the dining room talking to Jay. He gave her a quick smile. “I was just telling Lillian that… um… well, that you and I… worked things out.”
She walked up to him with what was probably a silly grin on her face and took his hand. “Yes, we did.”
“About time.” Lillian shook her head. “Took you two forever to see what I could see plain as day. For years. What everyone could see. Now you two just be sure you make it work.”
“Oh, it will work. I won’t let her get away again.” He squeezed her hand.
Robin smiled up at Jay, then turned back to Lillian. “This package came for you. It’s from Etta at the historical society. She must have dropped it off earlier.”
“She said she’d send over some research she did. She’s helping me with trying to figure out if Anna and Johnny in the journal ever got together.” Lillian gave a little laugh. “I so hope they did.”
Lillian took the package and opened it, glancing inside. “Oh, a note from Etta.”
Robin watched while a look of sadness swept over Lillian’s face. “What’s wrong?”
Lillian cleared her throat. “Etta said that she found an article about casualties of a hurricane that went through here back in the late eighteen hundreds. Anna talked about an approaching storm in her journal. Anna Smith was listed as one of the townsfolk who was missing and presumed dead.”
“Oh, no.”
Lillian blinked and cleared her throat. “I know it’s silly. I don’t even know her personally. It’s just that I feel like I did know her from reading her journal. I had skipped ahead in the journal a while ago, and she’d mentioned a storm was coming. Then I decided to just read everything in order and went back to the beginning. Now I want to hurry and finish up. I guess it will end with the storm…”
“I’m sorry, Lillian.”
Lillian sighed. “I had just hoped that Anna and her Johnny-beau had ended up together.” Lillian slipped the note back in the package. “Well, I should go find Gary. And I’ll go put this in The Nest. Time to concentrate on our own storm.”
“What can I do to help now?” Jay asked.
“Did you send Dana home?”
“I did.”
“Would you mind checking and seeing if Magnolia House is all battened down?”
“Yes, of course.” Jay nodded.
“I’ll go with him unless you need me here?”
“No, that’s about it. And thank you. You two have been working tirelessly getting things prepared. But I think that’s about it for today. You two have a safe place to stay during the storm?”
“She’s going to stay with me,” Jay said and turned to her.
Surprise swept through her. He hadn’t said anything to her or asked her. But she had to admit, she’d feel better staying with him than staying alone in the bungalow.
“Don’t argue. I’ll feel better if you do. Charlotte can come, too.” His eyes implored her.
“She’s staying at Ruby’s with Ben.”
“If it gets bad, you two go to the community center,” Lillian admonished them.
“We will,” Jay assured her.
Lillian hurried off and Robin turned to Jay. “So, I’m staying with you, huh? What will the town think?”
“The town can think what they want. I just want to keep you safe.”
“Maybe I’m saying yes that I’ll stay with you because I want to keep you safe.” A smile tugged at her lips.
“That works, too.” He winked then took her hand and they headed over to check on Magnolia House.
Jay was glad Robin hadn’t argued about staying with him to ride out the storm. There was no way he was comfortable with her staying alone in her bungalow. They’d just hunker down at his house and wait until it passed by them. Didn’t sound like a bad way to spend time…
He walked around the outside of Magnolia House while Robin checked on things inside. All they had left was to pull the hurricane protection over the back door as they left.
Jay went inside. “The wind is picking up a bit.”
“So it begins.” Robin paused and frowned. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what? I just hear the wind.”
“No, it’s like a crying sound.” She walked around the room a
