The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(72)

‘Oh … yikes,’ was all Annie could think to say. Mac chuckled from behind her.

‘Estelle’s lucky I let her stay the night,’ Sylvia went on. Her pace was a slow shuffle, and they hadn’t made it past the incredibly floral sitting room yet. ‘You know her father and mine had a horrible falling out. Years ago, that was.’

‘Probably sometime in the eighteen-hundreds,’ Mac muttered, and Annie tried to jab him again, but he was ready for it and dodged her.

‘But I couldn’t very well put her out in the snow. Plus, she brought her lovely friend, Dot, so here we are.’

‘That was very … charitable of you,’ Annie said, and Sylvia beamed at her.

They found the missing women in a bright, sunroom in the back of the house. ‘There they are,’ Sylvia announced. ‘You better not have taken anything while I was gone,’ she said, shooting Estelle a glare.

‘There’s nothing here to steal,’ Estelle said, glaring right back.

Dot at least had the courtesy to greet Annie and Mac.

‘We are so sorry you had to come all this way to get us. It’s my fault. I left the headlights on when we got here.’

She got up from her seat on the white wicker furniture where an ancient-looking dog was snoozing next to her. She gave Annie a big hug.

‘It’s no problem at all,’ Annie chirped even though the whole thing had been a rather large problem. ‘We were just worried about you.’

‘I told Henry where we were going,’ Estelle said. ‘That man never listens.’

‘Can I get you something to drink?’ Sylvia asked, directing her question to Mac. She looked extra tiny standing beside him, her head barely coming up to his bicep.

‘No, I’m all right. Thanks. We really need to get back on the road.’

‘You sure? Such a tall drink of water like you must be thirsty or hungry. I could get you some cookies.’

Estelle scoffed from her perch on a rocking chair in the corner. ‘Cookies? Is that what you're calling those dry bricks you tried serving us?’

‘See, this is the sort of behavior her branch of the family is known for.’ Sylvia wrapped a hand around Mac’s arm. ‘You remind me of my dead husband,’ she added, gazing up at him.

He looked to Annie for help, but she was still too busy trying to figure out what the hell was going on and why they were all here.

‘Well, if you’ve finished your business, Estelle, we really do need to get back so we’re not late for the wedding.’

She wanted to scream, You know, the wedding for your one and only grandson who you raised and who loves you more than anything?! That wedding?

But she kept the smile pinned to her face and avoided Mac’s panicked stare as Sylvia tucked herself closer into his side. Although she fully intended to tease him about his new girlfriend later.

‘We’ll be done with our business as soon as Sylvia forks over my rightful property.’

‘Your property? How dare you!’ Sylvia said, trembling with anger. She kept her grip on Mac’s arm as she spoke. ‘That heirloom has been in our family for generations and it’s as much mine as it is yours.’

Estelle huffed, rising from her chair. ‘Be that as it may, I have a grandson who needs it, and you don't.’

‘Just because my grandkids didn’t want it, doesn’t mean I should pass it on to you after you come storming in here like you own the place.’

‘They’ve been having this argument since we got here,’ Dot whispered to Annie. ‘I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I agreed to drive her here. I thought it was a simple errand to pick up something for the wedding.’

‘She duped you,’ Annie whispered back.

‘Totally.’

‘I've been calling you for months,’ Estelle went on. ‘You could have given it to me weeks ago and we wouldn’t be in this situation.’

Sylvia shrugged. ‘I didn’t get your messages.’

‘Ha!’ Estelle said, coming closer. ‘Like my father always said, your family is full of liars.’

Sylvia gasped and Annie felt like she was a side character on a daytime soap opera. Mac shifted so he was in between the two cousins. If he had to break up a fight between these senior ladies, Annie would lose it. That definitely wasn't on her wedding bingo card.

‘Ladies,’ Mac said, flashing his most charming smile. ‘I’m sure we can figure this out. We’re all mature adults here, right?’ He winked at Sylvia.

She giggled.

Okay, so maybe he was a really good groomsman. Annie had to give him that.

Sylvia blushed, patting a hand to her white curls. ‘Well, maybe we could figure something out,’ she said. ‘You come with me.’ She took Mac by the hand and led him out of the room. He glanced back once, his eyes wide, and Annie shrugged and wiggled her fingers in a wave goodbye. If he wanted to play the charmer, this was what he got.

‘I really am sorry about all this,’ Dot said again.

But Estelle was still fuming. ‘It’s not our fault the old wretch won’t give me what’s mine.’

Annie patted her shoulder. ‘I’m sure we’ll get it and we’ll be back in plenty of time for the wedding, okay? Everything’s going to be fine.’