Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Elaine hummed to herself as she washed arugula leaves clean in the sink. She was preparing tuna melts, an arugula salad, and iced tea for lunch, and the tuna melts were sizzling in the pan, letting off a delicious aroma.
It’s so wonderful to have people to cook for again, she thought cheerfully as she transferred the ready-to-eat leaves into a clean wooden bowl.
She tossed a handful of pine nuts into the bowl with a flourish.
I can’t wait until we have guests regularly, and then I’ll get to cook for all kinds of people.
The kitchen window above the sink was open, letting in a fragrant summer breeze and plenty of cheerful sunshine. The kitchen smelled like lemons and lavender, since she’d given it a good scrubbing that morning.
She added dried cranberries and feta cheese to the salad, along with a slightly spicy citrus dressing of her own invention. She took the tuna melts off the stove and placed them on plates, and then she opened the refrigerator to get out the pitcher of iced tea that she’d already prepared.
She was just about to call for Michelle and Audrey when Michelle stepped into the kitchen, her eyes on the floorboards as if she was lost in thought. Her shoulders were drooping, and a frown was plastered to her forehead.
That poor girl is down in the dumps, Elaine thought, pressing her lips together. I wonder if it has anything to do with Theo?
“Did you go to the animal shelter?” Elaine asked with a smile, added a mound of salad to each of the plates. “You’ve got some dog hair on your jeans.”
Michelle nodded lackadaisically and sat down at the kitchen table.
She stared through the window that looked out across the porch and the garden of The Birchwood House.
Although the scene in front of her was gorgeously sunny and colorful, Michelle looked as though she was gazing at something troubling and confusing.
“You always seem as light as a cloud after going there,” Elaine said gently. “And right now you look positively depressed.”
Michelle sighed. “You’re right, Grandma. I did feel good while I was there—most of the time, anyway. I met these adorable St. Bernards named Cookie and Cream, and Harper and I had a great conversation.”
“Cookie and Cream?” Elaine laughed. “That’s adorable.” She watched her granddaughter’s face for a moment. “What did you and Harper talk about?”
“Well, I told her about the situation with Theo,” Michelle said, turning a bright pink. “I expressed frustration that he’s acting jealous when he never even—I mean, it’s not like—he never communicated—”
“That he likes you?” Elaine held back a grin, feeling amused.
“Well, I don’t know for sure that he does,” Michelle said hurriedly.
I do, Elaine thought. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. But she decided to keep those thoughts to herself.
“I feel frustrated that he’s acting so oddly without coming out and telling me why,” Michelle said.
“But I think… I mean, if he does like me like that, and he’s upset that I was hanging out with Marcus like that…
” Her voice trailed off, and she sighed dramatically in a way that made Elaine purse her lips to hide a smile.
“Do you like Marcus like that?” Elaine asked.
Michelle shook her head. “He’s really nice and everything, but I don’t really know him. I guess he was kind of flirting with me a little though. I was getting that impression.”
“Well, that explains a lot.” Elaine’s grin broke out a bit, despite her effort to contain it. “No wonder Theo was upset to see that. What did Harper say about the whole thing?”
“Oh, she just kind of said that it was typical of a man to not be communicating well. She really does seem to be extra cynical about men.” Michelle shook her head, looking sympathetic.
“Hmm, she must really have gotten her heart broken.” Elaine’s own heart went out to the young woman, who was so kind and full of life.
Harper certainly didn’t deserve to have gone through a heartbreak so severe that she was still suffering through the aftermath of it.
“But I’m sure despite the fact that you two are in such different places, she offered you some good advice. ”
“What do you mean, such different places?”
“Well, she’s caught in heartbreak while you have two men who appear to be interested in you—so much so that a measure of drama has been created.”
Michelle scoffed. “Oh, come on, Grandma, I don’t have two men after me at the same time. I haven’t talked to Marcus since that day in the library.”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s not interested in you. And I think it’s pretty clear that Theo is interested in you.”
“That’s wild.” Michelle shook her head. “I don’t need that much drama in my life. None of us do.”
Elaine chuckled. “Actually, speaking of drama, there’s even more of it, I’m afraid. Did you hear about that newspaper article that made it seem like Evan plans on favoring The Birchwood House in the business contest because of Audrey?”
“I did.” Michelle groaned. “What a load of nonsense. It’s so disappointing that people around here could think that of him—or us.
” She shook her head. “Just because they’re dating doesn’t mean he’s going to vote unfairly.
I really hope those silly rumors don’t damage his and Mom’s budding relationship.
That’s the kind of strain nobody should have to deal with when they’re first starting out as a couple. ”
“I completely agree,” Elaine said. “I wish they weren’t having to go through that.”
Michelle sighed. “Love seems so insanely complicated. And risky. But I can’t stop thinking about those letters that Grandpa wrote you.
” She grinned, and Elaine felt her heart skip a beat at the memory of the early stages of her romance with Thomas.
“All those things he said to you when you were first dating makes it seem like finding love makes the struggle worthwhile. But is that true? Am I just being idealistic?”
Elaine shook her head, smiling quietly. “That’s not idealistic, sweetheart.
Love is an incredible thing, and it’s always worthwhile.
Even in the presence of discomfort and trials, love is possible, and it’s one of the sweetest things on earth.
I think the hardest thing about it is learning to open your heart to someone else.
That can feel almost impossible, especially if you’ve been hurt.
Sometimes people are in relationships with each other for years before they learn to really open their hearts to each other.
More often than not, though, they start a romance with their hearts open and after a while they start to close them.
Love is hard, because it takes so much courage, and you’re right, we’re definitely risking pain.
” She paused, thinking of how much grief she’d felt when she’d lost Thomas.
It was a sadness that she still struggled with, although the pain had lessened as the years wore on.
“But it’s worth it. The reward is amazing.
Not only do you usually receive a strong love in return, but allowing ourselves to fully love another human being makes us feel fully alive.
That’s always a noble endeavor, and a beautiful one. ”
Michelle blinked rapidly and Elaine wondered if her granddaughter was crying. Her own eyes were a little misty, as she remembered how sweet it had been to love Thomas and share life with him every day.
“I’m glad you’re in my life, Grandma,” Michelle said earnestly. “I need someone as wise as you to give me good advice like that. As much as it does scare me, I think I can find it in my heart to hope for a love like that one day.”
“One day?” Elaine teased. “Not soon?”
Michelle shrugged, wrinkling her nose comically as if to say, “I know, don’t tease me.”
“How do you feel about Theo?” Elaine asked her.
“Theo scares me,” Michelle said. “And he makes me more nervous than ever lately. Is that love?”
“I think it can be,” Elaine said. “But don’t let me pressure you into anything. Just because you want love doesn’t mean you want love with Theo. Listen to your heart and have the courage to take the steps you think you should.”
Michelle nodded. “Right now, I feel like I don’t know what I really want, and I don’t want to make any big decisions until I feel like I do know.”
Elaine smiled at her granddaughter. “I think that’s fair. I think you’ll know how you feel soon, if you’re being honest with yourself and taking the time to listen to your heart.”
“Thanks, Grandma. Whatever ends up happening, it’s not like I need romance in my life in order to be happy. Right now, I’m simply appreciating the fact that I’m surrounded by strong women who have vision.”
Elaine chuckled, appreciating the compliment.
She squeezed Michelle’s hand. “Good for you.” She noticed the time on her watch and double-checked it.
“Speaking of having vision for the future, as soon as lunch is over, I need to go to Townsend’s and talk with Shep about the menu for the grand opening of The Birchwood House. ”
“Sounds good. Good luck.” Michelle laughed. “Should I call for Mom?”
“No need, I’m right here.” Audrey appeared in the kitchen doorway a moment later, smiling. She was wearing an oversized blue blouse and torn jeans, and judging by the streaks of dirt on her knees, she appeared to have been gardening. “I followed the glorious scents of tuna and cheese.”
Laughing, the three women settled down to their meal together.
The food was delicious, and the sandwiches were still hot and packed with flavor.
The salad was light and refreshing, and the iced tea had just the right amount of tang.
Although their conversation topics stayed cheerful, Elaine could tell that both Michelle and Audrey were feeling a little troubled.
She knew that Michelle was still figuring out her emotions and her plan regarding Theo, and she guessed that Audrey felt weighed down by the news that people in town suspected that Evan would play favorites when judging the business contest.
It really is a shame that the article was printed, she thought, pressing her lips together. I wish Audrey didn’t have to deal with that kind of speculation, especially not now when she’s just taken the brave step to officially start dating Evan.
She knew that she didn’t want to back off on improving The Birchwood House in the slightest. There may have been rumors about The Birchwood House, but she wasn’t going to let them bother her.
She would continue to make the hotel the absolute best that it could be, and she felt confident that people would soon realize that it absolutely deserved to win the contest, regardless of how Evan or anyone else voted!
I’m not going to let this situation stunt the fulfillment of our dream, she thought, taking another sip of her glass of cool iced tea. We’re going to make this grand opening a spectacular event, and we’re going to make the hotel into a haven for everyone who comes here to rest.
Smiling, she thought of the visit she was about to pay to Shep. She wondered how her curmudgeonly friend would greet her, and she found that she expected to be delighted to see him regardless.