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in,” she called in a less than welcoming voice as she turned on the range fan and began scraping blackened waffle crumbs from the waffle iron and into the sink.
    “Uh-oh,” said Kenneth in a teasing tone, “looks like I picked the wrong day to have breakfast at the inn.”
    “Just a little mishap,” she assured him. “I was distracted.”
    He poured himself a mug of decaf. “Was that your aunt I saw hurrying away from here just now?”
    Jane chuckled. “Yes. And
that
was my distraction.”
    “She was moving pretty fast,” he said as he sat down at the kitchen table, planting his elbows and taking a slow sip. “Anything wrong?”
    Jane explained that her aunt had suffered an allergic reaction and had been forced to call for medical assistance early this morning.
    “God bless small-town doctors who still make house calls.”
    “My sentiments exactly.”
    “Are those blueberry muffins?” he asked, nodding to the basket on the counter.
    “They are. Help yourself.” Jane flipped over the ham slices that she’d been heating on the grill, then began cracking eggs into a heavy ceramic bowl.
    “So, what’s new with you, Jane?”
    “You mean besides the fact that, thanks to the weather, my garden is weeks behind and the inn is having a slump?”
    He chuckled as he buttered his muffin. “Yes, besides that. What’s up with Jane?”
    She avoided his question. Kenneth was a good friend and trustworthy confidant, but even so she just wasn’t sure that she was ready to tell him, or anyone, about Justin’s impending visit. At least not yet. “Hey, I forgot to ask, how’s the church? Will I need to bring my snorkel on Sunday?”
    He laughed. “It’s not too bad. Just some leaks in the basement. It looks like it may have happened before.”
    Jane told him about what Alice had said, and he nodded. “Yes, that sounds about right. I’ll stop by the hardware store and ask Fred if he has a recommendation.”
    Then to distract him from any more personal inquiries, Jane told him about Belle’s little “beauty treatment” last night and how it may have been the source of Ethel’s allergic reaction. “The rest of us seem perfectly fine.” She touched her cheek. “In fact, I think my skin genuinely feels better than usual this morning. I was a skeptic, but I may actually buy some of her products myself.”
    “You say your guest showed up unexpectedly,” said Kenneth. “With no reservation? Do you know where she’s from?”
    “Atlanta. Well, Kenneth, she also mentioned a smalltown in Georgia. I’m not really sure where she lives now, but she is definitely Southern.”
    “So what brings her up north?” Kenneth picked up another muffin. She almost warned him not to spoil his appetite, but then she knew how much he was able to eat sometimes. “Certainly not the weather.”
    “Well, that’s a rather interesting question.” Jane turned the gas down under the eggs, then checked the temperature of the waffle iron. “Maybe I should let our guest tell you for herself.”
    “Now you’ve got me curious.”
    She poured batter into the waffle iron and closed it again. “Well, it’s a curious story.”
    “Is it supposed to be a secret?”
    Jane tossed him a mysterious grin. “Let me just say this: The main thing that brought her to Acorn Hill was a dream. And she believes the dream came from God.”
    “Oh.” He shook his head and his face creased a slight frown.
    “Now, don’t be a skeptic, Kenneth. As a man well versed in Scripture, you are well aware that God can give people prophetic dreams.”
    “I’m thankful the dream I had last night wasn’t prophetic.”
    Jane laughed. “Yes, that is a relief.”
    “Good morning,” Louise cheerfully greeted them bothas she entered the kitchen. “Kenneth, it’s a pleasure to see you this morning. Are you joining us for breakfast?”
    “Yes, I am. Jane kindly invited me.”
    “Belle is in the dining room,” Louise lowered her voice. “She wanted to come in