Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Audrey set down her hairbrush on her vanity table and sighed.
For a few moments, she stared down at the hand-carved jewelry box on the table without seeing it.
Her father had made it for her and given it to her on her sixteenth birthday, and it was an object that always reminded her of how much he loved her.
At the moment, however, her thoughts weren’t on her father, but on her ex-husband.
Clark’s presence in Coral Sands was still rattling her badly.
She’d had several nightmares about him coming into the hotel without being let in—one time she’d even dreamt that he was standing over her bed while she slept, watching her, and she’d woken up with her heart pounding.
She knew that he was bullying her, and that in the long run, he had no power over her and that she shouldn’t let his presence in town bother her so much.
But a wounded heart never takes direct orders from the brain, and she still felt jittery whenever she thought about the fact that he might appear again the next time she went out around town.
She shook herself, sighing again. She placed her fingers on the jewelry box her father had carved for her, tracing the familiar woodwork.
She smiled, feeling comforted by the thought of her kindly, wise father.
She wished she could talk to him about everything that had been going on in her life, but she knew what he would have told her if he was there.
He would have reminded her that she needed to keep her chin up and not let cruel people hurt her.
He would tell her that Clark was in her past and she didn’t have to let him into her present.
And he definitely wouldn’t have been okay with Clark taking Grandma’s clock, that’s for sure, Audrey thought, shaking her head. He probably would have clocked Clark if he’d tried to take it.
She chuckled at her own silly joke and went back to doing her hair and makeup.
She was getting ready for a date with Evan, and she felt a yearning to simply be able to enjoy that process again, instead of being filled with anxiety about Clark.
She told herself firmly that soon her life would go back to normal, and that in the meantime, she was going to do her absolute best to stay calm and not fret too much about someone who didn’t deserve that much of her energy.
She finished doing her hair—she’d pinned part of it back but let most of her curls fall freely, since she knew Evan loved them—and then started to apply a becoming dark pink shade of lipstick. She had just finished coating her lower lip when she was struck with a sudden pang of worry.
Clark had threatened to take the grandfather clock, and he’d told her that she’d be sorry if he didn’t get his way. What was he planning on doing? Could he really take legal action against her?
She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few moments, biting her lip and feeling a surge of anxiety.
Come on, Audrey, she told herself. You own that clock. He’s just bluffing and being a bully. You’re not going to let it rattle you, and you’re going to enjoy your date with Evan today.
Evan had invited her on a picnic, and she couldn’t wait to get out into the beautiful autumn day and spend time with her boyfriend. Evan was always thoughtful, but to her, a picnic lunch was a whole new level of considerate, since it required planning and preparation.
Once her makeup was finished, she stood up and went over to her closet. She was already wearing her favorite pair of stretchy gray jeans along with a plain black V-neck t-shirt, and her eyes scanned over her clothes, looking for something that would complete her outfit.
I want something warm but cute, she thought with a smile. Something that looks like it belongs out on a picnic.
A moment later, her eyes settled on one of her favorite sweaters—a cozy dark red one that was a little oversized and offered a lot of warmth.
With it she paired a white infinity scarf that Michelle had knit her and a pair of brown leather boots.
She added a white knit hat that matched the scarf, since the day was chilly and she wanted to make sure she stayed warm.
Once her outfit was complete, she stepped back from the window to admire it. She grinned, deciding that it was the perfect outfit to take out on an autumn picnic—cute and also warm and cozy.
She glanced at her watch and noted that it was five minutes before Evan had told her that he would arrive at The Birchwood House to pick her up.
He was usually early, and she decided to go downstairs right away to see if he was already there.
If he wasn’t, she could sit in the parlor and enjoy looking out across the yard of The Birchwood House.
The leaves of the birch trees had been falling more and more, and she loved watching the golden leaves flutter to the ground.
She made her way down the grand staircase, enjoying the sounds of the guests talking and laughing or playing music in their rooms. As soon as she reached the parlor, her face lit up in an expression of joy.
Evan was sitting on the couch, typing out something on his phone—probably an email.
His duties as mayor never seemed to leave him alone, and although he was no longer a workaholic, he was still a master of efficiency and usually stole quick moments to deal with the business of Coral Sands however he could.
“Hey,” she said, hurrying forward to hug him.
He smiled brightly at her and stood up, welcoming her into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and she felt herself relax, feeling suddenly completely safe.
Evan smelled like musk and faintly of woodsmoke, and she took a few deep breaths, thinking to herself that if Clark showed up at that moment, she wouldn’t mind at all.
She wouldn’t feel threatened by Clark if Evan was there.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked, placing his fingers under her chin and gently lifting her head up.
“I am now,” she said, smiling at him. “Thanks for coming to get me, and for inviting me on this date. I’m really excited.”
“Of course.” He gave her a big kiss. “I’m really excited too. Just wait until you see the spot I picked out.”
“Can’t wait. Are you all ready to go?”
“Almost. I confess I don’t actually own anything resembling a picnic blanket.”
She laughed. “Well, don’t you worry, we’ve got you covered. Let me run upstairs and grab one of the blankets from the upstairs wardrobe.”
Audrey hurried back up the stairs and met Elaine in the upstairs hallway.
“Hi, hon! Aren’t you going on your date?” Elaine asked. She was restocking the hallway bookshelf with all the books that had ended up in various places around the hotel.
“Yup, just grabbing a blanket. Evan doesn’t have one.”
“Oh, take that patchwork quilt,” Elaine said, her eyes lighting up. “I made it when I was a teenager, and your father and I used to take it out on picnics together.”
Audrey gave her mother a hug. “Sounds perfect, thanks Mom.”
She went to the wardrobe and located the colorful quilt, which was tucked away in the back on the top shelf. She gathered it into her arms a little reverently, thinking to herself that her parents’ love showed up for her in so many little ways.
She went back downstairs to Evan, and he took her hand and escorted her to his car, which he’d parked on the street just outside the mansion. He drove them to the edge of town and then took a left, driving toward a patch of woods that overlooked the ocean.
“I haven’t been here in ages,” Audrey said eagerly. “I remember this park. I used to come here with my friends when I was a teenager.”
“It’s a great park,” Evan said, nodding with the air of a man who had made sure it stayed that way by hiring a good parks and recreation team. “And I know the perfect spot for a picnic.”
They drove up to a beautiful hilltop that overlooked the ocean. A small parking lot was placed at the edge of the hill, and Evan parked his car there. Audrey surveyed the hill in front of them, blinking in awe.
“Oh Evan, this is just beautiful,” she murmured. “You can see the ocean and all of the surrounding woods. These autumn colors are just breathtaking.”
“Glad you like it.” He grinned at her.
They got out of the car, and a fresh wind blew against their faces. It was scented with the refreshing tang of the ocean and the spicy aromas of the surrounding autumn woods. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to totally relax.
Evan led her to a picturesque spot under an oak tree that had a wooden swing hanging from one of its lowest branches.
“Wow, this really is romantic,” Audrey murmured.
The date became even more romantic as Evan spread out the beautiful quilt and then sat down and opened the picnic basket that he’d prepared.
There was a lovely charcuterie board, stocked with flavored crackers and all sorts of unique meats and cheeses along with nuts and dried fruit.
Evan had also packed them two little glass bottles of apple cider and a box of pumpkin cookies for dessert.
“Wow, thank you sweetheart,” Audrey said, surveying the little feast. “This was so thoughtful of you. You have amazing taste.”
Evan chuckled. “Thanks. I got that goat’s milk herbal cheese you liked so much, and that lemon-flavored cheese.
The woman at Shoreline Market asked me if I’d tried it before, and I assured her that I had.
Apparently, she hates it.” He laughed. “But I told her that we sampled it together that one day and we absolutely loved it.”
“To each their own,” Audrey said with a chuckle.
And this guy is mine, she thought, feeling a surge of affection for him. I can hardly believe it. How did I get so lucky?
“And you did such a good job arranging this board—and covering it with aluminum foil so it didn’t spill all over the basket!” Audrey grinned at him. “Bravo.”
“Um, well actually, the booth at the market was offering a charcuterie board arrangement, so all I did was pick out some of the food and they set it all up for me. I also bought these ciders already in the little bottles, and the pumpkin cookies are from Townsend’s. But do I still get boyfriend points?”
She laughed and gave him a pat on the cheek. “You’ll always get boyfriend points with me. This was still incredibly thoughtful, even if you didn’t prep it all by yourself.”
They began to eat the delicious food, enjoying the fragrant air and the gorgeous sights surrounding them. Audrey kept thinking about how lucky she was to have Evan as her boyfriend, especially after everything she’d been through with Clark.
“I’m really grateful for you, Evan,” she said softly after a few moments.
“You not only support me emotionally, but you support me practically. You’re always there for me when I need a hand with something, and then you do thoughtful things like this.
” She chuckled. “I’d say you get all the boyfriend points. ”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy to be there for you whenever you need it.”
She laid her head down on his shoulder. “You swooped in to my rescue when that pipe burst in the hotel, and now that’s all been squared away. I’m happy to report that the tiger lily room is fully repaired and repainted and back in working order.”
“That’s wonderful. Frank’s a great guy—and I was happy to orchestrate all that for you. I’m glad it was all resolved so quickly.”
For a few minutes, they were quiet, nibbling food and enjoying the day and each other’s company. Audrey found herself wishing that her situation with Clark could be repaired with one phone call to Evan and a few paychecks.
“What’s wrong, Audrey?” he asked her, noticing her slightly pained expression. “Why do you look sad?”
She shook her head, sighing. “I’m afraid of Clark showing up in random places.
Everywhere I go in town, I’m worried he’s just around the corner.
When he showed up in Shoreline Market the other day, it rattled me badly because I’d already been dreading it.
And now I’m feeling more worried than ever about what he’s going to try to do about this grandfather clock.
I’m worried he might try to take legal action. ”
Evan made a grunting noise that sounded possessive and wrapped Audrey in his arms. “Everything is going to be all right,” he told her soothingly.
“Just like I helped you find the right avenues to fix the leaky pipe in the hotel, I will find ways to help you with any stunt that Clark might try to pull.”
Audrey inhaled, feeling bolstered by Evan’s reassurance. She knew that Clark was less likely to bully her with Evan around. Clark saw her as an easy target—but he wouldn’t if the mayor of the town was at her side.
“Thank you, sweetheart. But enough about Clark. Let’s focus on this beautiful picnic spread instead of on my ex-husband. I’ve already worried about him plenty for today.”
“Okay.” He gave her a kiss on the nose. “But before we keep eating, I have an idea.” He stood up and tugged her to her feet. “Come with me.”
“What?” She raised a brow as he led her by the hand. “You don’t have a hang glider over there or anything like that, right? I’m all up for adventures but flying off hillsides isn’t in the cards for me today.”
“Well, I think you might like the kind of flying that I have in mind.” He chuckled.
He led her to the swing and sat her down in it. Audrey laughed out loud, feeling like a teenager again.
“Are you really going to push me—”
Evan answered her question a moment later by pushing the swing, sending her swooping forward.
As he continued to push, she gained more and more momentum, and she felt a leap in her stomach, as if she really was flying.
There was something a little scary but thrilling about being suspended in the air so high up on a hill.
The gorgeous autumn landscape stretched out below her, and the sight of it was so captivating that she forgot all about her troubles.
She felt the force of Evan’s strong arms as he pushed her, and she thought with a smile that this was what their relationship was like.
He was always there, always having her back, and helping her to fly.