Their Family Blessing. Lorraine Beatty

was long and time-consuming, and they hadn’t even made a survey of the main lodge and what might need doing there. “I don’t know how we can open in a week.”

      “Then we’ll open in two.”

      “No. I want this place on the market as soon as possible.”

      “Why are you in such a hurry to unload the lodge? This is your heritage.”

      “I don’t live here. I live in Atlanta, and I have no desire to run the campgrounds. So there’s no reason to hang around and waste time. The sooner we sell the better.”

      “So it’s all about the money with you?”

      “Not in the way you mean.”

      “What other way is there?”

      “I need to get back.” She was not about to discuss the sad state of her financial affairs with him.

      The muscle in his jaw flexed as he accelerated. They were halfway to the lodge before he spoke again.

      “How did your husband die? Wade never told me.”

      Reliving that moment never got any easier. “Heart attack. We were having a cookout with friends and he went inside to get more burgers and never came out. A friend went in to check on him and found him.”

      Mack reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Carly. I shouldn’t have asked. It must have been hard for you and Ella.”

      “She was only three at the time, so she only has faint memories of him. I keep a picture in her room so she won’t forget what he looked like.” He’d been a wonderful father and husband. The perfect mate.

      Thankfully they had arrived at the lodge. Carly got out and strode toward the lodge. Mack called her name, but she waved him off. “I’m going to check with Thelma. She has a list of things needing to be done in the lodge. We’ll get together later and prioritize.”

      She could feel his gaze burning into her back. But she refused to get caught up in pointless sentiment and old memories. The goal was to get the lodge ready for the market. She was already thinking of how to photograph the areas to best advantage and upgrade the website to be more user-friendly.

      The sooner she could attract a buyer, the sooner they could all go back to the way things were.