by Sophie Love
Once it was in place, Emily opened it up in order to dust the inside. But as she drew back the lid, something caught her eye. The box was empty, but there was something vivid pink poking out from between the slats.
Emily pulled at it with her fingertips and a thin paper notebook slid out with a pink vinyl Barbie cover. She quickly thumbed through the pages. The booklet was filled with the large, scrawled handwriting of a child, and Emily realized with surprise that it was a diary. On the first page it said: Property of Charlotte Marie Mitchell. HANDS OFF. Emily gasped as she realized she was holding her sister’s words in her hands. Private words that Charlotte had assumed no one would ever read. For a moment, Emily wondered whether she should read it at all, but her intrigue was too overwhelming to quell. She sat down with her back against the trunk, her heart fluttering, and began to read.
The first entry was short. Went to the store to get ice cream, it was sunny on the beach, saw a dog poop on the sand, Charlotte. Emily chuckled to herself and turned the page to read the entry for the following day. Mommy and daddy had a fight. Mommy went back home. I don’t think mommy and daddy love each other anymore. I guess it will just be me, Emily and daddy for Thanksgiving.
Emily felt an awful lump form in her throat. Charlotte had died so young that in Emily’s mind she’d reduced her, but Chantelle was testament to just how astute a six-year-old could be. How awful for Charlotte to have been so aware of their parents’ dissolving marriage.
Before Emily had a chance to read any more, she heard the doorbell ring. She snapped the diary shut and shoved it into the back pocket of her jeans, then rushed downstairs to answer the door. When she pulled it open, she was surprised to see Mayor Hansen standing on her porch, his aide, Marcella, standing a few steps down, clipboard in hand.
“I have some bad news, Emily,” he said.
“Oh? What’s happened?” Emily gritted her teeth, instinct telling her that whatever it was it was almost certainly to do with Trevor Mann.
Mayor Hansen looked flustered. “It’s those back taxes,” he said. “There’s been a new motion set in town. We can’t keep stalling it. You’re going to have to pay them back.”
Emily folded her arms. “A new motion set by whom exactly?”
Mayor Hansen tugged at his collar. “Well…”
Emily looked over his shoulder at the ever-efficient Marcella, knowing the woman would oblige her request for information.
“Trevor Mann,” Marcella said, confirming Emily’s suspicions. She trotted up the steps and handed a slip of paper to Emily.
Emily scoured it. “I don’t understand,” she said, reading and rereading the figure on the paper. “What is this?”
“The tax payment you need to make,” Marcella said.
Emily’s mouth dropped open. “But this is significantly more than I was expecting.”
“Trevor’s motion asked for the inflated value of the property to be taken into account. Then there’s general inflation, plus the standing charge for the administration of the estate’s paperwork which is also subject to inflation, and”—she looked down at her clipboard for confirmation then back up at Emily—“twenty years of fines.”
Emily’s heart started hammering. She could feel her palms grow sweaty. “I don’t know what to say,” she stammered. “This is so much more than I can afford.”
Just then, Daniel came up the driveway from the carriage house. He must have noticed the mayoral car in the driveway.
“What’s wrong?” he said, glancing over Emily’s pale, waxy face.
In answer she thrust the letter toward him. She was trembling so hard she had to grab the doorframe to steady herself. She watched Daniel’s eyes as he skimmed the letter. Then the color drained from his face.
“This has to be some kind of a joke,” he said.
“No, no, no joke,” the mayor said evasively.
Marcella pursed her lips. “I don’t make jokes, Mr. Morey.”
Mayor Hansen turned to Marcella then. “We’d best be off, hadn’t we? Meetings to make. Appointments to keep. That sort of thing.”
He hurried Marcella down the path before she got a chance to say anything to the contrary.
Daniel reached out for Emily. “It’ll be okay,” he said tenderly.
“No it won’t,” Emily replied, sinking her head against his chest. “There’s no way I can afford it.”
Daniel held her tightly. “Not being able to afford it never stopped you before,” he said with mocking affection.
Emily pulled away, too glum for even Daniel to cheer her up. “I’m not in the mood.”
She turned to head down the hall. Daniel reached out and grasped her.
“Not so fast,” he said. “I don’t want you upset. Let me cheer you up.”
“How do you propose to do that?” Emily asked, her bottom lip protruding in a pout.
“Why don’t we go to that jewelry store I was telling you about?” Daniel said, as though hitting on a sudden moment of inspiration. “The one with the beautiful rings.”
Emily stopped in her tracks. “Now?”
“Why not?” Daniel said. “Now is as good a time as any.”
Emily’s heart began to hammer with a mixture of fear and excitement. The self-deprecating part of Emily wondered whether he was just doing this to cheer her up, but buying a ring wasn’t the sort of thing a guy did just because their girlfriend was in a bad mood, particularly if that guy was Daniel.
“What about Chantelle and Bailey?” Emily said.
“We’ll drop them off at Yvonne’s on the way. I’m sure they won’t mind looking after Chantelle for an hour or two while we browse.”
An hour or two? Emily thought, her heart soaring. He was really serious. Daniel really meant it.
“Okay,” Emily stammered. “Sure. Let’s go.”
Daniel grinned then rushed off down the porch steps to fetch the girls. Emily stood there a moment longer, feeling the thumping of her heart in her chest, the pumping of the blood in her veins, and the buzz of anticipation in every pore of her body.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The jewelry store was located down a small, winding road a little way along from the harbor. Emily was a ball of nerves as she and Daniel walked hand in hand along the sidewalk. The familiar roads seemed suddenly new to Emily, like everything was changing before her very eyes.
Emily and Daniel paused at the large glass windows of the store so that Emily could browse the rings on display. Warm light came from inside the store, which was small but bright and welcoming, with wooden floorboards and a worn red rug. It almost looked more like someone’s living room than a store, which made Emily feel a little more relaxed.
The bell above the door tinkled as they opened it. Daniel strolled in, seemingly far more at ease than Emily herself was. She entered with a little more trepidation, her mouth becoming dry from nerves. But the shop was warm and had a comforting musty smell. Emily rubbed the cold out of her hands.
The store clerk, an elderly woman, looked up and greeted them. “Would you like any help this afternoon, or are you just browsing?”
“Just browsing,” Emily said, unable to hide her shy smile.
Daniel frowned. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be buying something today,” he said to the clerk. Then he turned back to Emily. “Won’t we?”
Emily’s heart drummed even harder, if such a thing was possible. Daniel seemed to be in a hurry all of a sudden! She herself hadn’t been entirely certain, but Daniel’s demeanor was making her more confident. He really meant this. It was really happening. She felt butterflies take flight in her chest.
“There are some really beautiful pieces here,” Emily said, feeling yet more heat rise into her cheeks. “But I don’t want to rush and pick wrong.”
“Do you know the budget?” the clerk asked.
“Shoot!” Daniel said suddenly. “Speaking of budget, I just realized I left my wallet in the car. I’d better run back and get it.” He gave Emily a quick kiss. “Feel free
to go ahead and browse,” he added before disappearing out the door.
The clerk came out from behind the counter. “Typical man,” she said, laughing. “Doesn’t seem to understand that choosing one’s engagement ring takes time and consideration.”
Emily smiled. The thought that she may just be about to choose her engagement ring filled her with excitement, and relief too that she hadn’t been foolish enough to accept Ben’s proposal. Waiting for Daniel had been the right call after all, even if Amy and Jayne and Vanessa didn’t seem to agree.
She tiptoed slowly along the glass columns, each displaying beautiful gold, silver, and platinum rings, with all manner of diamonds.
“Do you know what you want?” the clerk asked.
Emily shook her head. “No. But I don’t want anything too fancy or expensive.” Her mind recalled the image of Ben on one knee in the kitchen, holding an extraordinarily expensive diamond ring between his fingers. It had been beautiful, but it hadn’t been personal. She didn’t want it to be like that with Daniel. She wanted the ring that symbolized their love to mean something. “I’d prefer something unique, to be honest. Maybe an antique.”
It seemed fitting to Emily that the ring they chose should be an antique since they’d bonded over a love of antiques. Plus, her father had been such a connoisseur, Emily felt like it would be a way of making him close to her.
“In that case,” the store clerk said, walking back toward the counter. She brought out a tray of vintage rings and antiques. “These might be of interest to you.”
Emily went over to the glass counter to get a better look.
“Even with the older rings,” the clerk continued, “we’ll be able to mold the wedding band in order to make them fit together.”
Emily bent down and peered at the tray of stunning rings. There were rubies, emeralds, and opals, silver bands and gold bands. Then Emily saw something that really caught her eye. It was the most unique ring she’d ever seen, with a row of pearls set within a pale blue and silver twisted band. It reminded her of the sea, which felt very fitting.
The clerk took it out for her to try on for size. Emily fully expected it not to fit, knowing full well that most rings had to be adjusted, but when she slid it over her ring finger she was shocked to find it fit perfectly.
“That’s a sign if ever I saw one,” the clerk said with a smile.
Emily gazed adoringly at the ring. It was perfect. More than perfect. It was like discovering something she’d never even realized she wanted.
“I have to ask,” Emily said, squinting a little in anticipation. “How much is it?”
The clerk smiled a wry smile. “Why don’t we let your fiancé-to-be worry about the finances,” she said, nodding toward the door.
Emily looked over her shoulder just in time to hear the bell to tinkle and see Daniel enter. Emily swirled fully, a large grin on her face, her stomach swirling with joy, and held up her hand. The ring gleamed on her ring finger, catching the light and glittering.
“I found it,” she squealed with excitement. “I found the perfect ring!”
For a microsecond nothing happened. Then Emily noticed the change in Daniel’s expression, a sudden realization, as though something had suddenly dawned on him. She saw concern flash across his eyes. Then the moment of realization hit her too, like a ton of bricks, a lead weight. She’d misunderstood this whole thing. Daniel hadn’t been taking her here to buy an engagement ring at all, just a thank you gift.
She turned quickly from his view as tears immediately sprang into her eyes. Stomach sinking with shock and embarrassment, Emily yanked the ring forcibly from her finger. Daniel strode forward and took her by the shoulders, guiding her gently backward so they were out of earshot from the clerk.
“Emily,” he whispered, the regret audible in his voice. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”
“No, no,” Emily said, shaking her head, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “It wasn’t your fault. I misread the situation. I just assumed. I was being an idiot.”
“You weren’t being an idiot,” Daniel said. “I should have been clearer. I just wanted to get you a present to say thank you for helping out with Chantelle, for being so amazing about everything.” Now it was his turn to burn with embarrassment. “Looks like I went and messed that up.”
“Can we just go home?” Emily mumbled, desperately wanting not to cry in public.
“But I still want to get you something,” Daniel said with a pained sigh. “Please. I want you to know how much you mean to me, how grateful I am.”
But Emily felt too awful. She just shook her head.
“Please, Daniel,” she whispered. “I’m already humiliated. The last thing I want is to cry as well.”
“The last thing I want is for you to feel humiliated,” Daniel said. He sounded deeply concerned.
But at the same time, Emily could tell he didn’t fully understand her reaction. He didn’t know why she was so close to the brink of tears, or why she wanted to flee from the scrutiny of his gaze. To him it was a small misunderstanding, but to her it was the past repeating. She’d been through this with Ben, through the humiliation of thinking he was going to propose. She felt like a fool for having let herself think it would be different.
“Well, I am,” she huffed.
She went over to the counter and handed the ring back to the clerk, too embarrassed to make eye contact with her, even while she mumbled an apology for wasting her time. When she turned to head for the door, Daniel was blocking her path.
“Emily…” he began
“You’re making this worse,” Emily said in a stern hushed voice.
Since Daniel didn’t look like he was about to drop the subject, Emily felt no choice but to barge past him and out onto the street. The shop was starting to make her feel claustrophobic. But once out on the street, her suffocating emotions didn’t abate. She marched down the road, heading toward the truck.
“Emily!” Daniel called, running up the road after her. “Stop, won’t you? Can we please just talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Emily replied, her tears finally spilling down her cheeks. “I was dumb enough to think you might want to marry me. But of course you don’t.”
“Not now I don’t,” Daniel exclaimed, growing exasperated. “We haven’t even been dating for a year yet. I mean, come on, I only moved in a week ago!”
He flashed a sympathetic smile but Emily wasn’t in the mood for it. She didn’t want to be the butt of any kind of joke, or mocking. It was all too close to the bone. She couldn’t help but wonder whether she’d let herself get carried away by a fairytale. Maybe Daniel moving into the B&B hadn’t been such a smart move after all.
*
Emily found herself unable to utter a word to Daniel as they drove along the streets of Sunset Harbor. She didn’t want to make him feel bad—something he clearly did feel judging by his anguished glances in her direction—but she just couldn’t find the words.
“I’d better call Yvonne and let her know we’re picking Chantelle up early,” Daniel said.
“Sure,” Emily replied. “Actually,” she added, “why don’t you go over there? Spend some time looking at Kieran’s plane like you wanted to. No need to bring their playdate to an end.”
“But what about you?” Daniel asked.
“I think I’ll walk home. I feel like getting some air.”
Daniel looked at her with his pained expression. “Emily…” he said, his tone making it evident that he felt like she was just trying to get away from him, which, of course, she was.
“No, Daniel, please,” Emily said.
She’d had enough of trying to justify her emotions. The misunderstanding had left her feeling awful. She needed a bit of time away from Daniel to gather her thoughts.
Just then, Daniel pulled up to a red light. Emily took it as her opportunity to escape. She pulled the door open.
“I’ll see you back at the inn
for dinner,” she called, hopping out and slamming the door before he even had a chance to respond.
She only very briefly looked behind her to see his exasperated expression, then power walked in the opposite direction. It was only once the light had turned green and the pickup truck had accelerated away that Emily began her journey home.
Her stomach roiled with misery as she walked along the sidewalk. She couldn’t tell what she felt most sick about—the fact that Daniel thought she wanted to get married to him or the realization that she actually did. But before she had a chance to dwell on her thoughts much longer, she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket.
Emily stopped and pulled it out. It was Amy attempting to video call her. She immediately accepted the call.
The moment Amy’s face appeared Emily felt a wave of relief. She really needed to see a friendly face.
“I’m so glad you called,” Emily said in a great exhalation.
Amy’s face turned sour. “Oh, let me guess, Jayne already told you?”
Emily frowned. “Huh? Told me what?”
“My news.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Emily said.
Amy smiled again. “Oh. Okay. I just thought when you said you were glad I’d called it was because Jayne had told you my news.”
Emily took a breath to calm her nerves. Clearly this conversation was going to be all about Amy.
“Well, she hasn’t so I guess that means you can tell me yourself,” Emily said, feeling a little put out that Amy hadn’t picked up from her expression that she really needed a shoulder to cry on.
“Okay,” Amy said, the corners of her lips turning up. “You’ll never guess.”
“You’re right,” Emily said. She wasn’t in the mood for games. “So you’d better spit it out.”
“I’m ENGAGED!” Amy cried.
Emily froze. Her mouth dropped open. Engaged? Amy? And today of all days! What kind of cruel trick of fate was this?