Captiva Ever After (Captiva Island Series #7)

“Millie, Ciara told me about your mother working here back in the late 50s and early 60s. I was surprised when she told me because you never said a word about it when I interviewed you. I’m just curious as to why that is.”

Millie looked uncomfortable but not afraid. “I didn’t see the point. Would it have made a difference in your hiring me?”

“No, I hired you based on your experience and abilities, but I thought I was clear that the people who work here are like family. While it’s not necessary for you to feel the same way about that as I do, and you certainly don’t have to divulge anything you don’t want to, I’m just wondering if there was a reason you didn’t want me to know.”

Maggie placed several pictures on the small table next to Millie. “When Ciara told me about your mother, I went looking into the inn’s old records to see if there might be more pictures of Kathleen O’Hara, and, as luck would have it, I found these.”

Maggie watched as Millie held the photos in her hands and searched for her mother’s image in each. She could see tears in Millie’s eyes, but the woman blinked them away.

“There isn’t anything in the records about your mother except to say that she was an excellent employee and never caused any trouble.”

“You checked on my mother?” Millie appeared annoyed with Maggie.

“I’m trying to understand what is going on here. Maybe I’m crazy but there seems to be something behind all these secrets. You are now an employee of the Key Lime Garden Inn and as such, I hope you will soon feel like family. You have a history with the inn that no one else has, not even me.”

“You mean, I belong here more than you do?”

Stung by Millie’s words, Maggie braced herself for more.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that Robert Lane, the previous owner of the Key Lime Garden Inn was and is my father. While he was married, he and my mother had a child. When she went to tell him about me, he shunned her…gave her money and sent her away. He never acknowledged me and now that he’s dead, he never will. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m the only living child of Robert Lane. I assume you understand the implication of that fact.”

Maggie’s head was spinning and she needed time to absorb everything that Millie was saying. She didn’t want to appear shocked by this news given the information she’d received from Rose Johnson Lane about her husband. Nonetheless, Maggie needed to maintain her composure.

“I hope you can understand and appreciate my position in this matter. I don’t think we can assume anything. I’m not even sure how you prove such a thing since Robert Lane has been dead for many years but prove it you must before we continue this conversation.”

Millie nodded. “You’ll hear from my lawyer.”

She has a lawyer already?

Before she walked out the door, Millie stopped and looked at Maggie. “This isn’t personal. None of this is your fault and I’m sorry to hurt you. Consider this my resignation.”

Millie walked out of the room, leaving Maggie stunned and off balance. She didn’t know what to do with this information except hand it over to a lawyer, but not today or tomorrow. She was going to enjoy every minute of her son and daughter’s weddings no matter what. No one, not even the probable daughter of Robert Lane, could take that away from her.

CHAPTER 26

The Wedding

The decision to get dressed at the Key Lime Garden Inn was Lauren’s. As maid of honor for Beth, it seemed a natural location, but for Becca and her bridesmaids, they were thrilled that it wasn’t over at the small, male-dominated Powell house.

Maggie’s carriage house was the perfect spot to not only get dressed but look out onto the grounds to see the guests arriving and making their way down the path to the beach.

With so many women running back and forth from room to room, Lauren thought it the best time to tell everyone that she was pregnant.

“Jeff is telling the guys as we speak. I wanted all you beautiful women to hear it from me on this special day.”

Beth and Sarah squeezed Lauren. “This is the best wedding present you could ever have given me,” Beth said.

“Congratulations, Lauren,” Becca said.

“I called it,” Grandma Sarah said. “I knew she was pregnant before she did.”

Maggie smiled. “You did not.”

“She did, Mom. I was at her house visiting and Grandma saw it on my face. She’s the one who told me to go buy a pregnancy test.”

“Wow, Mrs. Garrison. You’re a clairvoyant,” Morgan said. “Have you ever thought about doing a reading?”