“How much money would you need?”
Emily blinked. “Uh…I’m still working the numbers.”
Ava looked around. “She’s right, you know. Our behavior was terrible. She’s been one of our best and brightest for years, and we yelled at her, accused her and then put her under house arrest.”
“You’re just saying that because she’s hot for your son,” a heckler yelled.
Ava stood regally, her stare withering. “Scott McPhee, do you really want me upset with you?”
Scott slumped in his chair. “Uh, no, Ava. Sorry.”
Ava nodded. Emily would’ve laughed if she wasn’t so blindsided by the events taking place.
“It seems to me like the least we could do is help her out,” Ava continued. “I’ve got some money put aside. And I’ve been looking for an investment opportunity.”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Emily protested. “I didn’t mean…”
“We owe you,” Ava said, waving away her hesitation. “You’ve done so much for our community. We can all pitch in to help out one of our own, can’t we?”
“Count me in,” Mrs. Rutledge said, smiling. “I’ve felt terrible, dear. And I’ve got gobs of money. It’ll be fun.”
“Uh…” Emily quickly saw their helpfulness spiraling out of control. It was bad enough that they had dictated what she could do when she wasn’t there. What would they do when they were investors?
Ava seemed to read her mind. “Not to worry, dear. We’ll help out if you need us to, but we won’t expect to run the inn. That’s still up to you. And your new partner there,” she said, smiling at Joy. “We’ll just be silent partners. You know, the type that gives money.” She winked. “Although if you want to give us a break and let us host a few things in your ballroom, I wouldn’t say no.”
Emily felt the anger and resentment that had been brewing inside her dissipate like steam in front of a fan. When she looked around the room, she saw the love and support she remembered—the reason she’d always loved Tall Pines.
“I’d love your help,” she said and the crowd cheered.
“I’ll get it all set up,” Ava said briskly in her businesslike way. “We’ll be the Tall Pines Investors’ Club. Ooh! Fun!”
Emily shook her head. The woman was unstoppable.
“Now, once you have the money,” Ava continued, “I imagine you’re going to have some plans.”
Emily felt her cheeks heat with a blush. “I was considering moving,” she said slowly.
“Moving?” Tim repeated. “What, to Paris?”
“Paris?” Scott McPhee piped up. “Why so far?”
“Because of Colin, idiot.” Madge rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know anything? He went there because he had some big building thing to take care of and now she’s going to move in with him.”
Emily blinked. “Are you guys bugging my apartment or something? You’re worse than the FBI.”
“I like to think of it as being well-informed,” Madge said. “Besides, I did Ava’s hair last week, and she said so.”
Ava made a quick ahem noise, and Madge fell silent. Emily grinned. If Emily was the princess of Tall Pines, then Ava was definitely the queen.
Ava turned to address the crowd. “I’ve been more interested in preserving our town’s history and traditions and its homelike feel than pretty much anyone else here,” Ava declared. “But I’ve recently become aware that we can’t have everything picture-perfect no matter how we try to control things. Sometimes we have to take some risks and let things change.”
The crowd let out a muted wave of confusion and dissent.
“I didn’t like it, either,” Ava added with a small, self-mocking grin. “But there we are. So, if we really love Emily—and I love her like she was my own,” she said, smiling at her warmly, “then we have to let her go. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the only thing to do.”
The crowd slowly quieted down, still murmuring.
“And anybody who has a problem with Emily’s decision,” Ava finished firmly, “can discuss it with me.”
The crowd went silent at last. Nobody in his right mind crossed Ava Reese if he could help it.
“Well, then,” Mayor Tim said slowly. “I guess congratulations are in order.” His tone turned gentle and he sent Emily a lopsided grin. “I’m sorry about everything, Em. We might have been heavy-handed and short-sighted, but I hope you know we’ve always cared about you.”
Emily felt tears hovering and smiled back.
“Good luck in Paris,” Tim finished. “We’re going to miss you.”
With that, there was a slow eruption of applause, gradually growing into a thunderous echo in the meeting hall. Emily was shocked—and touched. Joy handed her a tissue, and Emily realized she’d started to cry.
Ava hustled up to her, hugging her. “You take care of that son of mine,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
“I’m not going to Paris for your son,” Emily said under cover of the applause.
“Sure you’re not,” Ava agreed, her voice turning businesslike. “If you’re going to move to Paris, you’ll have a million things to do. What do you need help with? Moving? Packing? A ride to the airport?”
People heard Ava’s comment, and there was an outbreak of helpful offers. It was a whole kind of new business—something they could really help with.
“Dale would be happy to crate up any breakables,” Evelyn said. “I can pack up your china myself.”
“I’m an expert at packing clothes,” Madge said proudly.
“I’ll help out with the paperwork,” Mayor Tim volunteered. “I owe you big-time. Might as well make some use of my bureaucratic position, huh?”
“Well, I don’t like your leaving,” Mrs. Rutledge conceded. “But if you’re going to go, I do hope you write me some letters.” She sniffled. “Why is it the wife swappers stay when the good people leave?”
“You leave the Smiths out of this,” Ava reprimanded, and Emily coughed.
“Man,” Joy marveled, “I am going to love living here.”
“I did,” Emily said, her voice rich with emotion.
But she got the feeling she’d love living in Paris just as much…if she could just solve the Colin problem.
13
COLIN WAS EXHAUSTED. It had taken a few flights and a lot of strings, but here he finally was—at the Stanfield Arms, on Emily’s doorstep. Armed with a laptop and all the accoutrements necessary for telecommuting, he planned on staying for at least two weeks this go-round—which ought to be enough to fix things with Emily and figure out how they were going to negotiate the rest of the year.
Not to mention, hopefully, the rest of their lives.He wasn’t looking forward to doing this much traveling indefinitely, he thought as he tromped up the steps of the hotel and headed for the front desk. But he had high hopes that, by the end of a year or two at the most, they’d come to a more workable solution. The important part, at this point, was seeing Emily.
He couldn’t wait.
He lugged his baggage to the front desk. Joy smiled at him broadly. “Hello, and welcome to the Stanfield Arms. How can I help you?”
He blinked. “You’re working here?”
“Working, nothing,” she said. “I’m part owner.”
“Owner?” Obviously a lot of stuff had happened while he’d been away.
“I’m here to see Emily,” Colin said, wondering what else he might have missed. He’d felt fortunate to not run into any townsfolk when he got in, but now he wished he’d caught up on the gossip. “Could you tell her I’m here?”
Joy smiled, revealing deep dimples. “Actually, I can’t.”
He leaned forward, his voice beseeching. “I imagine you’re being loyal. She probably told you about our fight, and you probably think you’re doing the right thing by blowing me off,” Colin said slowly, trying to remain reasonable despite his exhaustion. “But let me put it this way—I have just been on three connecting flights after being up all night packin
g. I’ve put off I don’t know how many meetings and run up all kinds of air-phone charges, all so I could be here, with the woman I love. If that doesn’t earn me some kind of brownie points, I don’t know what will. In short, I don’t know and don’t care what the hell your problem with me is. Now, please, go get Emily.” Colin’s voice meant business.
“Colin, what are you doing?” Emily’s friend Sue rushed up, and Colin sheepishly turned from the amused-looking Joy.
“He wants me to go get Emily,” Joy said, her voice almost rippling with humor.
“She won’t tell Emily I’m here,” he said.
“No, Colin,” Sue clarified, looking more flustered than amused. “I meant what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to—”
Before Colin could finish, a gaggle of women trooped into the lobby of the inn bearing a large number of cardboard boxes, tape and twine. His mother was heading the group, he noticed.
“Colin!” she said, eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”
“Why is everyone asking me that?” he snapped, lack of sleep and frustration at not seeing Emily making him doubly irritable. “Could somebody please go get Emily?”
“Well, no, actually,” his mother said. “We can’t.”
Colin stared at her. “Why not?”
“Because she’s not here, dear,” his mother answered, chuckling. “You know, this is like that story Gift of the Magi. Do you remember that one?”
“Mom, I love you, but right now I’m at the end of my rope,” Colin pleaded as the other women laughed amongst themselves, chattering away. “Would somebody please tell me what the heck is going on here?”
“Emily’s gone,” Sue said.
“Gone?” He stared at her blankly. “Gone where?”
Now everyone laughed. Colin was beginning to feel furious.
“Paris,” his mother finally answered.
“Paris?” he echoed.
“She wanted to surprise you for Valentine’s Day—which is tomorrow, I might remind you,” his mother said, grinning.
“I know,” he said. “That’s why I came here. To surprise her.”
“That is ironic,” Joy said.
Colin gave her a warning glance. She merely smiled back at him cheekily.
“Well,” he said, sighing, “I’m glad that she’s forgiven me. And hopefully she won’t have to travel so far to visit me from now on. At least not for a few weeks out of the month.”
“What do you mean, dear?”
Colin took a deep breath. “I mean I’m moving back to Tall Pines. Sort of.”
“What?”
“I’m going to be telecommuting,” he said. “I’ll still have to be in Paris a lot, and it means a lot of traveling, but…well, I was stupid for a while, but slowly I figured out that I don’t want to live without Emily, no matter what. So I’m doing what I have to to stay with her.”
“Oh,” his mother said, putting her hand on her chest and smiling wistfully.
“That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Evelyn Albee added. “Almost as moving as Emily’s speech at the town meeting before we all became investors.”
“What?” Colin felt distinctly at a loss with this whole conversation. To make matters worse, he really didn’t have time to straighten it out. He needed to get on a flight and see if he could catch Emily before she got to an empty apartment….
Suddenly the boxes and the women’s grins pierced his thoughts. “Wait a second,” he said, suspicious. “What are all of you doing here?”
“We’re packing Emily up,” Evelyn said, her voice smug. “She’s moving.”
Colin rubbed at his temples. He was really not up to this conversation. “Moving where?”
“Paris,” Evelyn said. “Where have you been? We just told you she wanted to surprise you.”
He stared at them, the whole thing seeming too surreal to be believed. Then he put down his bags and leaned against the counter. “Okay. From the top. Mom, could you explain to me what exactly is going on here?”
His mother smiled. “Emily decided that she’s had enough and that she wants to be with you. So she sold most of the Stanfield Arms and she’s moving to Paris.” She cleared her throat. “Of course, I think she was planning on visiting and then telling us when we should ship things—and where,” she added, staring at him meaningfully, “but in the meantime, the whole town’s volunteered to help her move.”
“Apparently she loves Paris so much she’s going to move there whether you want her to or not,” Sue said, with a gimlet smirk.
Colin felt as though he’d been hit by a train. “Why didn’t she call me?”
His mother crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you call her,” she asked logically, “before you decided on your grand plan to telecommute?”
Colin could’ve sworn he was blushing. “I feel like an idiot,” he admitted.
“Well, it’s touching that you two care enough about each other to make such big sacrifices,” his mother said, stroking his cheek. “I only have one request. I know you love Europe and all, but will you at least come home—I mean here—for the holidays?”
He hugged her. “Fair enough.”
All the women went awwww and Colin shooed them away. “Now I just have to make sure I beat Emily to Paris,” he fretted.
Joy sprang into action. “I’ve got her complete itinerary in the office.” She rushed to get it.
“We’ll get you to the airport,” Evelyn said.
“I’ll see if there’s some way to contact her,” Ava volunteered.
Colin smiled, touched. For the first time in a long time he felt as if he was a part of the whole Tall Pines dynamic. In a way, he’d miss it. He wouldn’t even mind coming back for the holidays.
But the most important thing right now was that he wanted to give Emily a Valentine’s Day she never forgot.
EMILY LANDED AT Charles de Gaulle airport feeling excited, nervous and jet-lagged. She staggered through the throngs of people, tugging her roller bag behind her.
I should have called. It was a bit late now for that sentiment.She never should have listened to Ava Reese. “Whatever problems you two have had, it’s not going to get solved if you don’t get face-to-face and talk about it,” she’d said authoritatively.
“I don’t know,” Emily had protested nervously. “We had a really, really bad fight.”
“Honey, there were times when I wanted to brain Colin’s dad with my Mixmaster,” Ava said with a broad grin. “But we always talked it out.”
Privately Emily suspected Ava had simply talked the poor man into submission. She, too, had found herself getting carried along by Ava’s voice and sheer enthusiasm. Before she knew it, Ava had raised a very substantial sum, Tim had started the paperwork for the investors’ fund and they’d gotten her a ticket for Paris on Valentine’s Day. Business class. She was in the air before she was even fully cognizant of what she was doing.
Surprising Colin for Valentine’s Day had seemed like such a great idea back at Tall Pines. They did need to talk, after all, and she loved him. The thought of seeing him had been even more compelling than all of Ava’s arguments put together.
But leaving had been her idea—and they hadn’t really communicated clearly since.
How did I imagine this was going to work out? she thought, wrung out with fatigue, suddenly hoping that he wasn’t upset or angry. Or worse, hoping that he hadn’t moved on to some model-skinny Parisian woman named Monique.
She was so intent on her nervous thoughts that she walked right past the limo driver holding up a sign: Emily Stanfield.
Wait. Was that my name?
She backed up, staring. Well, it wasn’t as if Emily Stanfield was all that uncommon a name. Still…
“Mademoiselle?” the limo driver said, tipping his hat. “Are you Emily Stanfield?”
She nodded. “Well, that’s my name,” she admitted. “But I didn’t…”
“You’re coming from…” He rattled off her fl
ight number.
The odds of two women named Emily Stanfield on the same plane were pretty slim. “Yes, that’s me,” Emily said, feeling mystified. “But…”
“Come with me, please.” The driver started to grab her bag.
“Whoa! Wait a minute,” she said, tugging the bag from him. “I didn’t get a limo. Who sent you?”
He smiled. “This is your Valentine’s Day surprise,” the limo driver explained. “From a Monsieur Colin Reese.”
Colin. Feeling floaty and disoriented, she allowed the limo driver to take her bags and she followed him to the waiting car.
Somehow it wasn’t a surprise. Colin knew she was coming—even knew what flight she was on. How had he managed that? Obviously he’d called the hotel and someone had told him. Probably Sue, Emily thought with a smile. It would be like her.
It took almost an hour, but the driver took her from the airport to the city, cruising through the picturesque streets. She felt a growing bubble of excitement.
This is going to be my home, she thought. With Colin.
After a long time, they finally wound their way up a hill. “Voilà. Here we are, mademoiselle,” the limo driver said with a flourish.
“Where is here?” she asked, getting out of the car and stretching slightly.
“Montmartre,” the limo driver answered. “Home of artists, poets…lovers. Enjoy!”
She wandered to a set of stairs where people were sitting enjoying the sprawling view of all of Paris below. It was breathtaking. Emily hugged herself.
Suddenly another pair of arms covered her own, hugging her to him. “Hey, you,” Colin’s voice whispered in her ear.
She turned—and saw a completely bedraggled, disheveled Colin. He had about two days’ growth of beard, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“What happened to you?” she asked, concerned.
He laughed. “You would not believe what my last forty-eight hours have been like,” he said. “By the way—we need to talk.”
She stiffened. “About what?”
“No, I mean we need to talk more than we do,” he said, kissing her with a chuckle. “Do you know how many people are swarming all over the Stanfield Arms as we speak? It’s like a packing convention over there.”
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