by Leah Atwood
As his feelings for Sunny deepened, he deliberated if he ever truly did love Madison, or if she’d been a safety net. He’d fancied himself in love with Laurena, but thankfully had realized soon enough that all they’d shared was a shallow attraction. It wasn’t until his blinders had been removed and he saw her for the selfish, petty woman she was, that he’d fancied himself in love with Madison. Since Madison was everything Laurena wasn’t, it was quite possible he’d latched on to her as a replacement to prove he had some level of discernment. Or maybe there were other reasons.
Did it matter? Whether he loved her in the past was a moot point. They were both married to other people. He shouldn’t allow her space in his mind. The only female he should think about was Sunny.
Not a problem. He rather enjoyed filling his thoughts with her. The way she always redid her ponytail without realizing what she was doing. Her slightly crooked smile. How she nudged him on the shoulder right before she cracked a joke. Her keen business sense and sharp eye for marketing. The compassion she showed every guest, old and young. How he could relax and let his guard down around her. The way she sang her heart out during worship, regardless that she was off key—really, really off key—but he loved to listen to her.
Like I have room to talk. He sang worse than her, but it didn’t stop him from participating in worshipping, not only on Sunday, but through the week. Often he’d catch himself humming a tune, or singing a praise song under his breath as he worked.
Once, a few weeks ago, he’d played the what-if game. What if he’d refocused his relationship with God sooner? What if he’d taken a different career path? What if he’d had his priorities straight years ago? That game didn’t last long. God’s timing was perfect, not his. He had to accept that every choice he’d made in life had led him to this point.
At the moment, that point was Sunny, whose name rang true to her personality.
His thoughts remained on her when he pulled into Lyon’s Grocery and Gifts. He’d been driving on autopilot, not able to remember making the turns to get there. The small parking lot was full, as it normally was this time of day. Shoppers stopped on their way home from work for last-minute dinner supplies, or a dessert they’d been craving all day. Mrs. Lyon’s cheesecake could compete against many he’d had from the top bakeries in New York.
That gave him an idea. Please let there be cheesecake left. At this time of day, it was wishful thinking, but he could hope for a miracle.
A car backed out of a spot, and he pulled in. Before he went into the store, he shot Sunny a text, letting her know he’d be home soon. When he’d left that morning, he hadn’t given her a time to expect him because he didn’t know. His original plan had been to work until he finished, but the best-laid plans rarely panned out. In hindsight, that was usually for the best.
He walked to the entrance, caught off guard by a sign on the door
Dear Customers,
Serving the community has been our greatest pleasure over the last thirty years. Each of you have come to mean something special to us. You’ve become our friends, not just our customers.
Sadly, our hearts break to inform you that as of May 1st, we will be closing our doors, due to circumstances beyond our control.
Thank you for your years of continued support. We love and appreciate you.
The Lyons
The shock of their announcement punched him in the gut. This place was linked to his childhood, with nothing but fond memories. In the weeks he’d been back, he’d gotten to know the Lyons during his many stops for a soda on the way to and from Gramps’s cabin.
The business man in him couldn’t help being curious why they were shutting their doors. Would it be rude to ask? Yes. He’d been skilled over the years in the proper manners and etiquette for twenty-plus countries.
But if he could manipulate the conversation in a manner to which they provided information? That he could do.
Not many customers browsed the aisles when he went inside. Most were in line at the checkout with carts full of food, or a basket with a few items inside.
He bypassed the aisles and went straight to the refrigerated section in the back, closest to the gift shop. Two packages remained of individually wrapped cheesecake slices. Perfect. He snatched them from the case before the woman approaching had a chance to see them. Man, Sunny had changed him. Two months ago he wouldn’t have cared if he’d gotten the cheesecake or not. Truth be told, be probably wouldn’t have indulged at all.
Satisfied he’d found the dessert he wanted, he moseyed to the gift shop. The walls were bare, sold merchandise not replaced, which made sense. If they knew they were closing, why order more to sell, other than perishables which would sell before going bad.
Mrs. Lyons sat behind the counter in the gift shop, her wheat-colored hair neatly tucked into a bun. “Good evening, Sean. Who are you shopping for tonight?”
“Sunny. Tomorrow’s our one-month anniversary.” The enthusiasm behind his words surprised him, and he looked forward to seeing Sunny’s face when he presented her with a gift.
“I remember those days of early love.” She eyed the containers in his hand. “Dessert’s always a good beginning.”
“Especially when it’s your cheesecake.” A little charm always helped a situation, no matter what it was. “What do you suggest? I’m new at this anniversary thing.”
“Something heartfelt. Do you have any favorite pictures of you both?”
Biting down on his bottom lip, he tried to think. He wasn’t sure he had any. Their wedding? The photographer hadn’t sent the proofs yet. Wait a minute. Raina had snapped a few pictures with her phone and texted them to Sunny. If he could sneak her phone away tonight, he could send them to himself and print them out. “Yes. Do you think a framed picture is good?”
“It’s perfect. I’ve only met Sunny a few times, but I would bet she’s a sentimental person, who appreciates gifts that celebrate the relationship.”
“Do you have any nice frames?”
“Not many, but what we have are along that wall.” She pointed to the right.
“Thanks, Mrs. Lyons.” He started to turn away, but stopped. Bad manners or not, he had to ask. Maybe there was a way he could help them to stay open. “Can I ask a question? If it’s none of my business, feel free to put me in my place.”
Her corners of her eyes creased with unabashed curiosity. “What is it?”
“Why are you closing down?”
An immediate shroud of sadness covered her face. “We’ve been in the red for the last year. With rising wholesale prices and overall costs, it’s increasingly difficult to turn a profit.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I really am.” He set the cheesecakes down on the counter. “Would you stay open if you were able to?”
“My goodness, yes. Charles and I love what we do.” She cleared her throat. “Our children have told us it’s time to retire, but they’re only trying to make us feel better about having to close. The time doesn’t feel right, but we can’t afford the losses.”
He pulled a business card from his wallet. “Before I came here, I specialized in helping companies streamline profits. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I excelled at my job. If you wouldn’t mind, perhaps I could take a look and find a solution for you.”
Her hand pressed out. “I appreciate the thought, but even if I thought there was hope, our losses have put us in a position that we couldn’t afford to hire you.”
“I wasn’t soliciting a job.” He rubbed his jaw, forming his words carefully. “I remember coming to this store when I was little and always got excited when I saw the lion statues. They’re a fond part of my memory. More than that, small businesses are the backbone of any community. I’d hate to see you close up shop.”
Funny, or sad rather, that a year ago, he hadn’t appreciated the value of small businesses. He’d indirectly done his part to close many of their doors. It was strictly business, but he’d not cared about collateral damage. That was the
past. This was now.
Hope flickered in her eyes. “That’s a generous offer.”
“I’d really like a chance to help you. There are no guarantees, but I have a good vibe.”
“I’d have to talk to Charles first, see what he says.”
“Completely understandable. My number is on the card—call me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He walked toward the small display of frames, a renewed sense of purpose in his soul.
Chapter Eleven
Sunny’s phone vibrated against the counter of the guest desk situated in the large foyer of Crosswinds. A text message from Sean that he’d be home in fifteen minutes. Apparently, he’d had a distraction since his last message saying he was headed home. It must not have been a big deal since he didn’t mention the reason for a delay. Knowing Sean, he’d noticed a minute detail that had escaped his eye and needed to be fixed.
The scent of Lisa’s chicken parmigiana drifted from the kitchen. It had been teasing her for hours, since Lisa first started her own marinara sauce. She couldn’t wait to eat, but held off for various reasons, although her two guests were currently eating. Her hostess duties had her spread thin this evening, as a couple had called from the road, asking if she had any vacancies. Their reservations at another establishment had fallen through due to an electrical problem.
They should arrive any minute, and she wanted to be at the desk, waiting to greet them. She’d been so thrilled to have two rooms booked on a Monday night, she realized too late that she hadn’t caught their names. Either way, the likelihood of another couple showing up tonight was slim, which meant whoever did arrive was the couple who had called.
Fortunately, Lisa always made extras. What didn’t get eaten was put in the freezer for lunches or unexpected guests on Lisa’s days off. Tonight especially, Sunny was grateful for the extra. Selfish it might be, but she didn’t want to give up her piece of chicken parmigiana. She laughed at herself, glad she could find humor in her love of food. Lisa’s salary ate a substantial portion of Crosswind’s Budget, but it was money well spent.
The door opened, and she straightened her back, crossed her arms to sit in a professional posture and put a smile on her face.
She relaxed her posture when she saw Sean walk through the door. “Oh, it’s just you.”
“Don’t I feel special.” His lips contorted to a shape not quite a smile.
“That’s not how I meant it.” He could never be “just Sean”—he’d come to mean too much to her. She left her chair and circled to the front of the desk. “Two guests are supposed to be arriving soon. I thought you were them.”
“Your marketing efforts are working already.”
“As much as I’d like to take credit for it, this was a fluke.” A rustling sound caught her attention, and she noticed the bags in his hand. “Goodies from the cabin?”
He smirked. “No. They’re a surprise for you. Do you have plans for tomorrow night?”
“Both sets of our guests will still be here.”
His face fell. “What about in the afternoon?”
“Between noon and three are open. Why?”
“Keep them free.” His smile reappeared.
“Another surprise?”
“You’ll see.” He tossed a casual wink her way. “What do you need me to do tonight?”
“Help me play host? I admit, I don’t know anything about our arriving guests. For all I know, —they could have called elsewhere and ended up there.”
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “I’ll change into presentable clothes and come right back down. What about our other guests?”
“They’re in the dining hall now.” She nodded in that direction. “Elderly newlyweds, very friendly and talkative. I would have enjoyed sharing the meal with them, but wanted to greet the other couple.”
“I’ll stop in and greet them after I get on clean clothes.”
“You’re the best.” She loved how he was willing to help wherever needed. Playing the role of host was never a stipulation of their marriage, but he stepped into it anyway, and was a hit with the guests. He enthralled them with his stories of foreign countries he’d visited, some of which, Sunny suspected were embellished for the sake of the patrons’ enjoyment.
“I know.”
That grin. It could charm a hundred-dollar bill from a miser.
She swatted his arm, pretending to be unfazed. “Go on. Get out of here.”
“I’ll be down in a bit.” His laughter as he walked away lingered in her heart.
She sat behind the desk again and scrolled through the caller ID on the business phone. Would it be presumptuous to call back the number and verify they were coming? She could always do it under the guise of making sure they hadn’t gotten lost. Flexing her fingers, she debated. Putting on her saleswoman hat always made her uncomfortable. She preferred behind-the-scenes sales action, creating the materials and promotions that helped make the sales, not presenting them.
I’ll give them ten more minutes. If they hadn’t arrived then, she’d call them. She’d heard of the lodge they’d planned to stay at, knew the general vicinity. Barring unusual circumstances, it shouldn’t take them more than forty-five minutes to get from there to Crosswinds. The distance did have her curious as to how they found her bed-and-breakfast when there were others closer to the lodge. When, if, she signed them in, she’d ask how they learned about Crosswinds.
Why hadn’t she brought her laptop with her? It was on her office desk, and she could use this time to work on the website. There was a desktop upfront, but it was a dinosaur. Its processor could barely handle the guest registration system, let alone a web developer program.
Sean said he’d go next week to buy a new one, another reason she was grateful for him. Computer shopping gave her a headache. Beyond the programs she used, she didn’t care about the other details, rather, she found it tedious to keep the differences straight in her head. Conversely, Sean loved that sort of comparison shopping. Last night he’d researched different models and had narrowed it down to four he wanted to see in person. He’d spent thirty minutes telling her the variances before she finally had to tell him that she trusted his judgement.
What did he have planned for tomorrow? When she stopped to think about it, a giddy feeling took over, and a grin—which, if she looked in the mirror—she’d probably be embarrassed by. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the calendar and gasped. Tomorrow marked their one-month anniversary.
Had he planned something special? Dear goodness, what if he had? She hadn’t done anything for him, under the assumption that they didn’t have that type of relationship which warranted such celebration. Eek. What to do? If he’d gotten her a present and she had nothing to give him, it would be a disaster. Maybe not Titanic proportion disaster, but awkward. Sean deserved thoughtfulness in return, especially after all he’d done for her. She’d have a talk with Lisa, find out if she knew anything.
Decisions, decisions.
Anywhere nearby she could buy him a gift would already be closed. Her only option would be to drive to the twenty-four-hour supercenter an hour away once all her guests were asleep, but that would put her getting home near midnight.
Was it worth it? A smile crept to her mouth. Yes, it would be. Even if Sean’s plans tomorrow had nothing to do with the date, she still wanted to get him a special gift. She owed him a great deal, but even repaying that unwritten debt had little to do with her motivation. Deep in her heart, she wanted to make him happy and be the reason for the smile on his face. It sounded cheesy when she put the feelings to words, but it was the truth.
She’d mull ideas this evening, come up with a game plan. Maybe she wouldn’t have to drive an hour to get him a gift. She wanted the present to have meaning and show her appreciation, not just a gift to fulfill an obligation.
Her phone vibrated again, this time, a message from Raina. It didn’t require an immediate reply, but the time
stamp showed her ten minutes were up. Time to call the number.
You can do this, Sunny. Crosswinds belongs to you now, and that means doing your all to make it profitable, even if it’s a task you don’t enjoy.
The pep talk did nothing for her, but she took a deep breath and convinced herself to make the call anyway. She picked up the phone and started to dial the number, only to realize the phone had died.
She growled. What if they had called, but didn’t get an answer because the phone was dead? Calm down. I have other phones in the house that would have rung, and I would have heard them. Even if I somehow missed it, Sean or Lisa would have heard one and answered.
Satisfied she hadn’t missed a call from the mystery guests, she left her perch and walked down the hallway to her office. She grabbed another cordless phone and replaced it on the charger with the dead one. The blinking light on the charger base alerted her to a message. She dialed into her voicemail, relieved the message was a telemarketing call from earlier in the day. Whew, she hadn’t really missed their call.
On her way out of the office, the McCabes, her elderly newlyweds, stopped her in the hall.
“Dinner tonight was outstanding.” Silver-haired Evelyn McCabe had a touch of marinara sauce on her chin.
“You left some on your face, darling.” Henry McCabe removed a tissue from his pocket and wiped his wife’s chin. He turned to address Sunny. “Please give our compliments to your chef. I also asked your husband to pass on the word, but want to make sure she knows how much we enjoyed our meal.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her.”
“Sean told me you and he are newlyweds also. Congratulations.” Evelyn beamed at her husband. “Love is a never-ending walk through an orchard of blossoms.”
Sunny reigned in her temptation to laugh. Evelyn had a poetic manner of speaking, often going overboard, but she was sweet and loveable in an Anne Shirley way. “Congratulations to you as well. Is everything in your room to your liking?”