Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Do we have any plans for tonight?” Audrey stepped inside the kitchen, where her mother was seated at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and working on a crossword puzzle.
“Michelle told me that I shouldn’t go out to the grocery store, and that I should start getting ready instead.
When I asked her what she meant, she just got this mysterious glint in her eyes and waltzed away. ”
Elaine set down her coffee cup and smiled.
“I have a surprise for you both tonight,” she said, looking as pleased as could be.
“I just told Michelle. I’ve called a celebratory get-together at Bluewater Bistro tonight.
I invited most of our closest friends and neighbors.
We’re all going to celebrate the future Birchwood House in style. ”
“Oh, Mom.” Audrey placed her hand on her heart, feeling touched. “That’s so sweet of you.”
Elaine shook her head, her lips tugging up at one corner. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“Whose was it? Michelle’s?”
“No.” Elaine’s smile widened as she watched her daughter’s reaction. “It was Evan’s.”
“Oh my gosh.” Audrey sat down at the table beside her mother, happiness and surprise mixing together in her chest. “That’s… wow. I didn’t expect him to do something like that.”
“It’s very thoughtful,” Elaine said, nodding in agreement. She had an almost mischievous look in her eyes, and when she saw it, Audrey knew that was her cue to leave if she didn’t want to be asked about a potential romance between herself and Evan.
“I guess I’d better get ready then,” Audrey said, standing up. “Do we have a dress code for this event?”
“I’d go with a cocktail dress,” Elaine said. “I thought it would be fun for us all to dress up, so I put down cocktail attire for the dress code on the invitations.”
“Really?” Audrey’s eyes widened, but she felt excited about being able to put on her best wedding-guest dress.
It was hanging upstairs in her closet and she hadn’t worn it yet, since she’d bought it after she came to Coral Sands.
Now that she thought about it, her mother had been the one to urge her to buy it, and Audrey wondered with a smile just how long her mother had known about having the party to celebrate the opening of the mansion.
“I can’t wait to wear that dress we picked out together—the dark green one with the square neckline. ”
“This is a perfect occasion for that,” Elaine said with a smile. “I’m going to wear a black and white dress I have, and Michelle wants to wear that light green one she bought the other day. I think our dresses will go very well together, don’t you?”
“Perfectly.” Audrey nodded. “Like a theme—three generations of our family, growing from tiny bright green sprouts to a full grown black and white birch tree. Gosh, we’re artists. Do you think anyone will notice?”
Elaine laughed. “Probably not, but we should take a picture for our Instagram and you can caption it something like that. You’re very creative, Audrey.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Audrey blew her a kiss and waltzed out of the kitchen.
As she scampered up the stairs, she thought with a flutter of excitement that she would get to wear the dress in front of Evan.
She looked great in it, and most of the time when he’d seen her, she’d been wearing sloppy work clothes.
She loved the idea of getting to wear something elegant that showed off her figure well.
She went into her bedroom and then into her private bathroom. She tackled her hair first, using every product she possessed to make her curls look smooth and bouncy at the same time. She rarely put a great deal of effort into her appearance but tonight was going to be a special occasion.
Once her hair looked sleek and becoming, she tied half of it up in a loose bun and fastened it with a silver clip. Then she put on diamond earrings and carefully did her makeup, applying a red lipstick that she hadn’t worn since Christmas.
Finally, she went to her closet and got out the dress. She laid it down on her bed, admiring it for a moment. Although it wasn’t all that fancy, the idea of getting to put it on made her feel like a princess.
She put it on and slipped on a pair of black heels that had a darling little strap over the ankles. She stepped back and turned back and forth in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection.
I feel beautiful, she thought. And I know part of that is because I know Evan is going to think so when he sees me tonight.
Whatever happens with us, I’m grateful that he wants to date me.
It’s helping me feel special again in a way that I’ve missed feeling, ever since Clark became so disinterested in me.
“Mom? Are you ready?” The sound of Michelle calling up the stairs met her ears.
“Almost!” Audrey grabbed her special-occasion clutch purse and took one more look at herself in the mirror before smiling and hurrying out the door of her bedroom.
“Look at you!” Michelle practically squealed as her mother descended the staircase. “Mom, you look gorgeous.”
“So do you,” Audrey said, meaning it sincerely.
She got a little teary-eyed when she saw her daughter in her darling light green dress.
It was strapless, with a puffy knee-length skirt, and it looked fun and adorable.
Michelle looked beautiful in it, and Audrey loved the way her daughter had pulled back her dark brown hair into an elegant up-do that was an artful contrast to the free-spirit vibes of the dress.
“Thanks, Mom.” Michelle gave her a big hug as soon as she reached the bottom of the staircase. “This is fun, isn’t it? Getting to dress up like this?”
“It is. So much fun.”
Elaine appeared in the doorway of the parlor, already wearing her black and white cocktail dress along with pointed flats and a gorgeous string of pearls.
Her curly white hair was loose around her shoulders, and Audrey thought that she had never seen her mother look so beautiful.
There was a kind of elegance to her that almost took Audrey’s breath away.
“Mom, you look amazing,” Audrey said, hurrying forward to hug Elaine.
“You look beautiful,” Elaine said, hugging her back tightly.
This makes me feel special too, Audrey thought. Even more than the prospect of Evan thinking I’m beautiful. I feel like these two really see me and love me, and that makes me feel more special than anything else could.
They piled into Michelle’s car and drove out to the Bluewater Bistro.
The charming restaurant, which was located alongside the beach and offered a breathtaking view of the ocean, was strung with golden lights and surrounded by a fragrant garden.
The sounds of laughter and jazz music spilled out of the restaurant as soon as Audrey opened the front door.
“You’re here for the Birchwood House celebration?” the hostess asked them with a smile at the front door. “That will be on the deck in the back of the restaurant. I’ll show you the way there.”
Audrey felt herself buzzing with excitement as she stepped out onto the deck. Strings of lights twinkled overhead, and the sound of the surf splashing against the beach mingled with the sounds of music and the tinkling of dishes.
Along the side of the deck was a long buffet table, covered in silver chafing dishes that were releasing a variety of mouthwatering smells.
Audrey noticed breaded fish, meatballs, noodles smothered in some kind of creamy garlic sauce, clam chowder, roasted vegetables, and mashed potatoes.
Her stomach growled slightly and she realized just how hungry she felt.
Before eating, however, she knew she should greet all of their guests and thank them for attending. Although she didn’t quite admit it to herself, she was especially looking forward to locating Evan and saying hello to him.
She began to mill around the deck, shaking people’s hands and thanking them for attending. All of them wished her well with a warmth that touched her heart.
She kept looking around for Evan, and she finally spotted him standing in a corner, chatting with Theo and Shep.
He was wearing a dark suit, and she thought with a jolt that he looked especially attractive that night.
He glanced in her direction and made eye contact across the deck with an intensity that caused her to blush.
Her heart fluttered as she saw him smile slightly and excuse himself from his conversation. He strolled across the deck toward her, his eyes locked onto her. She thought to herself that he looked incredibly dashing, and she got slightly weak at the knees.
“Good evening, Audrey,” he said when he reached her side, his voice soft. “You look absolutely lovely.”
“Thank you—you look very nice yourself.” After she’d said it, she wished she’d said something a little more concrete—”handsome,” or “becoming.” Still, Evan’s face lit up with a smile when he heard her compliment and she found herself smiling back at him helplessly.
“Congratulations on Birchwood House,” he told her. “It’s so exciting—and I know the whole town feels that way. I hope the three of you enjoy running it. A historical site and a hotel in one sounds like a rewarding endeavor.”
Audrey chuckled. “It seems like a good idea to us. I only hope that we’ll manage to stay open a month,” she joked. “After all, none of us have ever done anything like this before. Maybe it’ll turn out that we don’t know what we’re doing.”
Evan shook his head. “You’re all going to do a marvelous job, I have no doubt about that.
It’s a brilliant idea.” He leaned a little closer to her and spoke his next words in a lower voice.
“You’re a brilliant woman, Audrey. And a resilient one.
I just—well, I hate the idea of you having any self-doubt for any reason.
You absolutely shouldn’t. Anyone who made you feel that way is wrong. ”