“You’ll be glad to hear I have good news,” Annie said. “I contacted an old friend-of-a-friend in Boston who might be able to help speed up the process with the archeologist.”

“Seriously?” Kevin asked, setting down the hammer.

“Seriously. And, believe me, if anyone can make something happen, it’s this guy. So fingers crossed, okay?”

He smiled a little, enough for Annie to know he appreciated that she’d taken the heat off him for not having contacted Gina. Then he went back to work, and the women went outside and got into the Jeep.

“You made his day,” Donna said.

“Having him around often makes my day.”

Donna nodded, most likely because she already knew that. Then she said, “As for the Inn, it’s going to be lovely.”

Annie felt like a child who’d been praised by her mother. “Thank you. It’s been a collaborative effort, right down to the color of the paint. From the start, we agreed that everyone’s opinion matters. We all want the same thing—a place that looks natural and cozy and is beautiful, too.”

“It shows. Your guests will feel lucky to be there.”

Annie grinned, started the Jeep, and headed toward the On Time.

“And by the way,” Donna added, and, for a moment, Annie braced herself for a dose of motherly criticism, “you can tell me who your ‘friend-of-a-friend’ is. I won’t tell Kevin, if you don’t want me to.”

Annie hadn’t expected that. “Like I said,” she replied with half a laugh, “he’s just that. Nothing more.” After her meltdown with Claire, Annie had decided that, no, she would not share the story of Larry Hendricks with either Donna or Kevin. Not then. Hopefully, not ever. They both had too much to deal with at the moment; they didn’t need to be dragged into the drama of Annie’s past.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Donna said. “But I think he must be more than that. You’re holding your head the same stiff way I do when I’m trying to hide the truth.”

Annie made no comment.

“If you’re trying to protect me from hearing something ugly, please don’t,” Donna continued. “If nothing else, I could use a juicy story to help take my mind off my own.” Then she turned on the iPad, bent her head, and immersed herself in the eclectic images of the artists’ work.