Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(71)

“Nonsense.” Julia leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. Then she glanced at the gold and diamond watch at her wrist. “Forgive me, precious, but I have to rush. I’m due at the Junior League in half an hour. I really must change.” She rose to a stand.

Linnea felt shoved out the door like some unwanted peddler. She also rose to stand beside her, piqued. “All right, then,” she said, bending to grab her purse. “Bye, Mama.”

She turned on her heel and headed toward the driveway, but stopped when she heard her mother call her name.

“Linnea!”

She turned.

Her mother’s smile was starched and pressed across her face. “Don’t be a stranger, hear? And don’t worry!”



LINNEA WORRIED ALL the way back to Isle of Palms. The sun was setting as she crossed the Ben Sawyer Bridge. Surreal streaks of magenta, purple, and orange filled the sky and shimmered in the high tide. Usually she felt an emotional separation from the mainland as she drove over the bridge. Tonight, however, her heart lay heavy in her chest, and her mind was weighed down by family issues. She took heaving breaths so she wouldn’t cry.

When she got home, she immediately went to Emmi’s to see John.

A light was burning near his desk window in the apartment above the garage, signaling he was home. Linnea climbed the stairs to the double doors with a heavy tread and knocked softly.

She could hear his footfalls coming to the door and the click of the lock, and the door swung wide. His face immediately eased into a grin when he saw her.

Linnea stepped in and wrapped her arms around him.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice rich with concern.

“Just hold me a minute.”

He tightened his arms around her and placed his lips on her head. “I take it you had a bad day?”

Her laugh was short but filled with relief, as he’d intended. She released her hold and stepped from his arms.

“The worst.”

“Wine?”

“Please.”

“Do you want to talk?”

They sat on the green velvet sofa. Linnea tucked her legs beneath her and told him about her lunch with Cooper, her worries about his health, and her visit with her mother, sparing no details. When she was finished, she felt some relief at hearing herself explain it all without emotion. She could think more clearly.

“My mother won’t confront the problem. She doesn’t want to see that Cooper might be using drugs.”

“She’s in denial. She may never see it. Until it’s too late.”

“Don’t scare me.” Linnea leaned against him on the sofa, needing his comfort. “I’m worried both my parents are so focused on financial ruin that they won’t notice what’s happening with Cooper right under their noses.”

“What did you say your father invested in?”

“Some real estate deal in Charleston. A big one.”

John unwound his arm from her shoulders, rose, and walked over to the big desk. “Let’s take a look. Grab a chair.” He shoved aside a pile of papers to clear room for her and fired up the computer, tapping his fingers on the edge of the desk in impatience as it powered on.

“What was the name of the company?”

“She couldn’t remember the name. She said it had something to do with a mermaid.”

John raised a brow. “A mermaid?”

Linnea shrugged. “I’ve been trying to remember the name of a company my father and I talked about early in the summer. He was invested in it. Mama said it had the name of a mermaid . . . or something like that.”

“Hold on,” John said. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in concentration.

She waited in tense silence as he muttered, “Maybe a siren? I recall something about a siren in Germany. She lured fishermen to their death. What was her name . . . ?”

“It began with an l.”

“Lorelei!” he exclaimed. “That’s it.” He straightened with alacrity and began searching the program he’d created for his real estate project. His fingers flew over the keyboard. “I should’ve thought of that right away. It’s the name of a huge project on Laurel Island off Charleston. Okay, here it is.” He moved over so Linnea could read the information.

She read, stunned by the breadth of the project. Lorelei was the name of a billion-dollar development going into a prime piece of real estate on Charleston’s Upper Peninsula. The plan was to transform the site into an upscale, mixed-used community.

“It’s a mammoth project. I can see why Dad was interested.”

“A landmark opportunity. That’s one of the last premier waterfront parcels on the peninsula. Solid gold. He must’ve gotten in early.” He returned to reading the screen. “Says here the project was announced in 2016, so your father must’ve invested earlier than that. But look here,” he said, moving back so Linnea could read. “The project is stalled. City Council hasn’t signed off on the plans.”

“Oh no.” Linnea leaned back in her chair. “Stalled indefinitely.”

He scanned farther and whistled softly. “Here, read this,” he said. “This will give you some more info on the boatload of problems they’re facing. I’m going to make a phone call to a friend of mine who’s involved. See what I can find out.” He backed out his chair and walked off in search of his phone.