I finished a few more notes, then grabbed my phone, tapping out a quick text to Randi. The wedding story to top ALL wedding stories? The Macarena. DOWN THE AISLE. We need to catch up. I have a new job. And a new man. Call me soon?

I slipped the phone back into my desk drawer, then headed toward the lobby to find Evie and the rest of her group. I was waylaid by April hurrying down the hallway. “Hey, Lane, how are you with numbers?”

“Are we talking how-many-points-did-they-score numbers? Or what’s-the-square-root-of-seventy-four kind of numbers?”

“How about profit-and-loss-statement kind of numbers? Didn’t you get a minor in business or something? I feel like that was on your résumé.”

“I did, but I promise it doesn’t qualify me for much. I had to retake my accounting class twice, and I still barely passed.”

She motioned for me to follow her. “Still. You’re more qualified than me.”

“Qualified for what?”

We stopped outside of Thornton’s old office. April sighed. “Ida’s going over the inn’s financials. She says she’s fine, but I’m not so sure she has things under control.”

An uneasiness grew in the pit of my stomach. I’d had my suspicions. Ida had seemed less than comfortable when I’d turned over a stack of bills from various vendors the week before. She’d insisted she knew what she was doing as she’d taken them to Thornton’s office, but I’d recognized the uncertainty in her eyes.

“What all should Ida be handling?”

“The better question is what isn’t she supposed to be handling?” April said. “Thornton pretty much did everything money related. I run deposits to the bank, and Gaspard handles the ordering for the restaurant. But everything else was Thornton—vendor payments, record keeping, taxes. All of it.”

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. See if you can help her make sense of things? We had a vendor call this morning wondering why they haven’t been paid yet. Someone has to help her sort things out. We have to pay people, Lane.”

“I’ve got a bride meeting with Gaspard in two minutes. You know I can’t leave anyone unsupervised with that man.”

“True. How about I handle Gaspard? I’ll take the bride, you take the money talk? Please?”

“Fine,” I grumbled. I handed her the notebook. “Bride’s name is Evie. Mom and maid of honor are joining her for the tasting. They should be in the lobby.”

“Got it,” April said. “Anything I need to know going in?” She started to back up down the hallway.

“Just don’t make fun of the ‘Macarena’ and you’re all set.”

She paused midstep. “I’m not even going to ask.”