Page 16 of Wynns of Change
“The sooner the better. And you’ll be able to keep an eye on your father.”
Harlow abruptly stopped. “Keep an eye on Dad?”
Aunt Birdie had the deer-in-the-headlights look. “David didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I’m sorry, Harlow. I should’ve kept my big mouth shut.”
Chapter 8
“You can’t leave me hanging. What’s wrong with Dad?”
“While you were in Vancouver, we started taking morning strolls together. One day, while we were out, he seemed to be struggling and was unsteady on his feet. We had to stop so he could rest.” After questioning David at length, Birdie convinced him to go to the doctor to get checked out. “The bottom line is your father is stressed out, and it’s affecting his health.”
Harlow’s expression grew grim. “This is all my fault. He’s worried about me.”
“Worried about you, about the fines, although it appears he and Mr. Easton are making good progress. It’s a major undertaking, him tearing down the lodge and rebuilding, both emotionally and financially.”
Harlow thought about him sharing what had happened the night of the fire, not knowing how it started or how Ginger became trapped.
If they could get to the bottom of it, at least her father would have closure about the cause. She filled her aunt in on what he remembered. “I want to help Dad and was thinking about hiring an investigator to come here and take a look around before they bulldoze what’s left.”
“I would start with Caleb Jackson.” Birdie tapped the side of her forehead. “He’s smart as a whip. I bet he could point you in the right direction.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll run into town tomorrow and track him down.” At her aunt’s insistence, Harlow promised not to mention her father’s health issue but assured her she would dowhatever she could behind the scenes to relieve some of his stress.
Before she had left to fly to Vancouver, Harlow had reimbursed him for the scooter and wheelchair rentals and insisted on writing him a check to help pay some of the utility bills.
Even after the dust settled and she and Robert went their separate ways, she would be sitting pretty with a tidy balance in her bank accounts. Money wouldn’t be an issue. Harlow had several upcoming modeling and movie prospects on the horizon.
Attorney Beckworth was confident the judge and Robert’s attorney would agree to split everything. The only concern—and it was a biggie—was how she would handle having Robert as her manager for another year.
Harlow pushed the troubling thought aside. Somehow, some way, she vowed to get a clean break. Robert could go his way while she went hers. How she would accomplish her goal remained to be seen.
The rest of the evening was spent vegging out in front of the television with her father, exactly what Harlow longed for during the tiresome days spent working in Vancouver. Quiet. Peaceful. Tranquil. Serene.
The difference between island life and her Hollywood fishbowl existence was such a stark contrast, like living in two different worlds.
She thrived in the fast-moving, fast-paced megastar world, but her heart and soul also craved solitude and the laid-back island vibe.
“You’re deep in thought.” David clasped his hands, studying his daughter’s face.
“I was thinking about how much I was looking forward to this.” Harlow lifted her hands over her head and took a deep breath, breathing in the magic of Mackinac Island and Wynn Harbor Inn. “How much I love the hustle and bustle of the make-believe world, but how I also need the peace and solitude of home.”
“Have you made any final decisions about what you’ll do once the divorce is settled?”
“Yes.”
“And?” he prompted.
Harlow thought about the piece of property her aunt had purchased, a place that held fragmented memories of her childhood. “After the dust settles, I’m going to figure out how and where I can set down some part-time roots here.”
“Part-time,” David said. “Meaning here and back in your other world.”
“I can’t give it up. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. I would be crazy to walk away from it.”
“I understand. You need to follow your dream, follow your heart, wherever it takes you,” he said. “As long as you don’t forget about home, I’m good.”
