Chapter 25
Audrey stepped back, taking in the sight of the Birchwood House.
Late afternoon sunlight was steaming across the yard and the front garden, lighting up the mansion with golden hues.
There was a sweet fragrance in the air as the aroma of the flowers mingled with the ocean-scented breeze.
Birds chirped and trilled in the birch trees, and the leaves rustled like a quiet kind of music.
“And three, two, one…” Michelle stood on a ladder, carefully lifting up the sign that she was hanging over the entryway of the mansion.
Audrey clasped her hands together underneath her chin as she looked up at her daughter, feeling a glow of pride in her chest. Michelle hung the sign with a cry of “Ta da!” and Elaine, who was standing beside Audrey, placed her hand over her heart.
The sign was a beautiful hard-carved wooden one that read “The Birchwood House” in an elegant, swirling script. They’d had it commissioned by a local woodworker who’d been friends with Audrey’s father, and all three of them felt that it couldn’t have turned out better.
“It’s just gorgeous,” Michelle said, her tone almost a squeal of delight.
Elaine wrapped her arms around Audrey and squeezed her tightly.
“I’m so proud of all of us. We stepped out in faith toward our dream and now look at us.
We’ve got a gorgeous new porch, clean rooms, and a plan for turning our house into a place where people can gather and have a wonderful time.
If you’d told me a few months ago that things were going to turn out like this, I would have thought I was dreaming. ”
“Me too.” Michelle scampered down the steps to stand next to her mother and grandmother.
She looked up at the sign she’d just hung, a grin on her face.
“I never would have expected to end up here, doing this with the two of you. But it makes me so happy. I loved working for the travel agency because I loved the idea of helping people get away to a place where they could find relaxation and healing. And here I am, having found both myself, starting to run a vacation destination with my two most favorite people in the world.”
“Oh, Michelle.” Elaine blinked back tears and reached for her granddaughter, hugging her tightly. “That makes me so happy to hear that. You two are my most favorite people in the world too.”
“Same here,” Audrey said, wrapping her arms around both of them at once to join in the hug. “I love you both so much.”
“Mm, but is Mom about to get a third favorite person in her life?” Michelle said impishly, her tone gleeful.
“Shh!” Audrey exclaimed, glancing up at the mansion, where Evan was inside somewhere, puttering with things. He’d offered to help them out that day, since they were still arranging some of the rooms and setting up new pieces of furniture inside them, such as bookshelves and vanity tables.
“He can’t hear us from out here,” Elaine said with a chuckle.
“Unless he’s watching Mom from the front door keyhole, which is more than possible,” Michelle said breezily. “The man is completely smitten.”
“Shh!” Audrey hissed again, feeling herself reddening.
Michelle arched an amused brow. “What does it matter if he hears me? I’m only stating the obvious.”
Audrey sighed dramatically but couldn’t help smiling a moment later.
Although she and Evan were still taking things slowly, she couldn’t deny that the spark between them had been growing.
She felt incredibly thankful that she had people in her life who had urged her to step out in hope and not let her fear and hurt hold her back from something good.
I still don’t feel entirely ready, she thought, but that’s okay.
It’s just like our hotel. We’re not perfectly ready, but we’re opening our doors anyway.
This beautiful sign is a symbol that this new business of ours is indeed taking shape.
And me and Evan starting to date is a sign that I’m choosing to heal and accept the possibility of love in my future.
She felt a flutter of hope deep in her chest, and she looked up at the mansion with a radiant smile.
Just like she didn’t have to run the hotel alone, and she was going to have the help of her mother and daughter as she set out on that venture, she didn’t have to face the struggles of learning to open up her heart alone.
She had Michelle and her mother there for that venture as well—they would offer her support, encouragement, and guidance when she was feeling unsure about her relationship with Evan.
“I’m so thankful for you both,” Audrey said, squeezing her mother’s shoulder and lovingly tapping Michelle’s foot with her town. “This is so exciting. We’re stepping into the future together.”
Tears slipped out of Elaine’s eyes, and she laughed as she wiped them away. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said. “It seems too wonderful to be real, doesn’t it?”
“You’d better start believing it,” a voice said behind them.
They turned and saw Evan stepping out of the house, carrying a champagne bottle and a tray of champagne glasses.
He was grinning at them, and Audrey thought to herself that she never would have expected the grumpy, irritated man she’d met on the day she arrived back in Coral Sands to have such a wonderful smile.
“According to your new legal status as a fully equipped, approved, and perfectly registered hotel, you’re open for business,” he said, setting the tray of glasses down on the wide railing of the porch.
He popped the cork off the champagne bottle with a flourish that Audrey found both charming and impressive.
“Let’s celebrate the opening of The Birchwood House. ”
He filled their glasses with the bubbling, golden champagne and handed each of them one. Audrey held her glass up to the light, thinking to herself that the liquid seemed to be made of the same iridescent hue as the afternoon sunlight.
“To The Birchwood House,” Evan said, lifting his glass and leading them all in a toast.
“To The Birchwood House,” they echoed.
Audrey took a sip of the champagne, enjoying the light and refreshing taste of the bubbly liquid as it ran over her tongue.
The taste of champagne always felt exciting to her, since she usually only drank it at celebratory occasions.
The fact that Evan had brought a bottle to celebrate the legal opening of the hotel felt like the icing on the cake of a day that had already been filled with joy.
They chatted about their hopes and dreams for The Birchwood House while they sipped their champagne.
Elaine said that the thing she was most looking forward to was cooking big breakfasts for their guests.
Michelle was excited about planning optional evening activities, such as clue hunts around the grounds of the mansion or board game nights in the parlor.
Audrey was most looking forward to having people fill up the rooms of the mansion.
“It seems like the best way to honor the old house,” she said. “Instead of quiet and empty rooms, there’s going to be voices and laughter again, just like there was in times past.” She turned to Evan with a smile. “And what are you most looking forward to, Evan?”
“Oh, you know.” His eyes gleamed. “Having people in town running a hotel who I trust completely. It will be nice to not have to worry about you three and feel like I need to check up on you all the time.”
“Hmm, I have a feeling you’re going to be checking up on us a lot,” Michelle said.
Evan looked at Audrey, his ears slightly pink, and everyone laughed, including him.
“It’s possible,” he admitted. “But the reason won’t be a lack of trust.”
“Oh yeah? What will the reason be?” Michelle prompted, but Elaine elbowed her gently.
“Now, now,” she said in a smooth tone. “Michelle, why don’t you come inside with me and help me start making dinner? We’re making steak and potato pies, and you make such excellent pie crusts.”
“Duty calls,” Michelle said, giving a little salute to her mother.
“Audrey,” Evan said softly. “Would you like to go on a walk with me?”
Audrey exchanged a glance with her mother and daughter, who simply smiled their encouragement before heading back inside the house. Audrey turned back to Evan a touch shyly, shoving her hands in her pockets because she suddenly felt as though she didn’t know what to do with them.
To her surprise, Evan reached for her arm and gently tugged her right hand out of her pocket. He slipped his fingers through hers. “Is this all right?”
For a second her heart pounded, and she thought of all the times she’d held hands with Clark.
The idea of another man holding her hand felt strange and painful to her—but only for a moment.
After a deep breath, she realized how wonderful it felt to have Evan’s fingers laced through hers.
His hand was warm and it felt strong, and she liked the way he was squeezing her hand gently.
“Yes,” she said, almost surprised by the fact that she had no desire to pull her hand away.
She and Evan began to stroll along the garden path to the back of the house, where there were more birch and pine trees nestled together in a kind of miniature forest. Before turning around the side of the house, Audrey glanced back and looked at the Birchwood House’s beautiful new sign.
Just look at that, she thought, flashing a small grin. The future begins today. I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing.
She glanced up at Evan, feeling her heart stir with both excitement and a peaceful feeling.
She couldn’t wait to see what the future held, both for The Birchwood House, and for her and Evan.
She felt incredibly thankful that she’d taken a leap of faith, choosing to push past her fear.
The quiet, kind, fascinating man beside her interested her more and more each time she saw him.
She felt Evan squeeze her fingers again. They shared a radiant smile, neither saying out loud what they were thinking. Audrey felt confident, however, that Evan was thinking the same thing she was.
She couldn’t wait to see where their relationship led.