“Not really.” He loaded his roller. “More surprised than anything, I guess. Did you tell Jenna and Seth what happened?”

“Not yet. I didn’t want Jenna to worry on her honeymoon, and there’s nothing Seth can do.”

“Did you get her message? A notification came in earlier while you were sleeping.”

Sophie set down her brush and checked her phone. She had a text from Granny May also. And one from Joshua, confirming a location for their date next Friday. She sent a quick response to both of them before she opened and read Jenna’s text.

Her sister had remembered a juror notification she’d received, and with all the wedding stuff, she’d forgotten to respond. Could Sophie handle it, pretty please?

That niggle of reservation rolled over her again—the one that said her sister was now a married woman and should be fending for herself. But Jenna had been consumed by wedding preparations, and she was away on her honeymoon.

Pushing the reservations aside, Sophie told Jenna not to worry about a thing. She’d find the number and call in on her behalf.

“Everything okay?” Aiden asked.

After the way he’d responded earlier to Seth’s request for help, she was reluctant to go into detail. “Everything’s just fine.”

chapter nineteen

The last person Sophie wanted to chat with was her grandmother, but here she was doing just that. She moved the phone to her other ear, Granny’s voice a constant drone through the line, and shifted on the flower box perch to elevate her foot.

It had been a busy day so far. She and Aiden had finished priming last night and worked all morning to coat the walls in Coastal Blue. It looked as wonderful as she’d hoped. Good thing, because there was no time to do it over.

Aiden came outside, passing her on his way to get a fresh pail of water from the sea. They still had no electricity in the shop—or at the house.

Her grandmother yammered on. During their lunch break Sophie had made the mistake of texting her grandma about her injury. She should’ve expected the phone call.

“I promise I’m fine, Granny,” Sophie said when her grandmother paused for breath. “I’m taking it easy.”

Aiden turned around, his pointed look accusing her of stretching the truth.

“My foot is propped even as we speak.” She matched his expression with the jut of her chin.

“And yet, you’re somehow on schedule to open in time? Did you decide to hire out the work then?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then you are overexerting yourself. You need to rest that ankle, stubborn girl, or you’ll have a mess on your hands.”

“I am resting my ankle.” Sophie let out a hard sigh. Might as well get this over with. “Aiden’s still here, Granny. He’s pretty much doing the work for me.”