“He doesn’t know yet. And there’s more. She says she came here to recuperate.”

“And . . . ?”

“I have no idea how long it’s going to take. Her suitcase is enormous. In fact, she has two.”

“Maybe she brought you something special. Wasn’t she into antiques? Maybe the suitcases are full of cash. Bills. Money she laundered through her business and wants to give you for the Inn.”

Annie knew he was trying to lift her spirits. “Or maybe they contain all her worldly possessions,” she said. “Like maybe she’s planning to move here permanently.”

His face turned serious. “How would you feel about that?”

“How would I know? I barely know her, remember?”

“Right. Well, I guess if she moved here that would change.”

Annie sighed. “She’s going to tell Kevin about the cancer at the Newes tonight. It should be a fun dinner, right?”

“I think I’ll pass.”

“All I know is that if Kevin wants her to stay, I can’t very well say no. He’s my brother, and I feel like we’ve gotten pretty close. Not to mention that if he left, your father wouldn’t speak to me again. He says Kevin’s the ‘best goddamned assistant’ he’s ever had.” She tried to sound like Earl, but the words came out sounding gruff, not at all like the man who might have wanted to sound crotchety but always wound up sounding kind of sweet.

“You might want to leave my nutso father out of this.” John sat beside her on the edge of the bed, their legs touching each other’s. Annie felt a surge of love for this man who seemed to really care about her feelings. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s get serious. You need to think about what you’re prepared to do. I won’t sugarcoat this, Annie. But Kevin is a guy. You’re a girl. And you and I both know that, despite all the changes in the world, when it comes right down to it, females are usually the ones who wind up being the caregivers.”

“But she’s not sick anymore.”

“Look. It sounds like she’s been through a lot. Recuperating will probably take time. And patience.”

“And I’ll end up being her nurse.”

“In a sense, sure. And, Annie . . .”

She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say next.

“What if the cancer comes back? Not that it will, and I hope it doesn’t. But it’s good to be prepared.”