Forever, With You

by Sophie Love

  “To who?” Emily stammered.

  Amy frowned. “Fraser. My boyfriend. Oops. I mean fiancé.” She smirked again.

  “But you’ve only been going out for five minutes,” Emily said.

  This time Amy’s features fell completely. “It’s been four months. And you know we’re serious.”

  “I know but… aren’t you moving a bit fast?”

  Amy rolled her eyes. “I’m not sitting around waiting for seven years like you did.”

  The comment stung Emily. It felt rather below the belt. But then she checked herself. Her best friend was calling with the happiest news of her life and all Emily was doing was feeling sorry for herself.

  “I’m sorry, Amy,” she said. “I’ve had a bad day. I’m super happy for you. Of course I am.”

  Clearly it was going to take a lot to bring Amy down from her cloud nine. She immediately began grinning again.

  “Wanna see the ring?” she asked, flashing her eyes and wiggling her eyebrows.

  “Of course,” Emily said, though nothing could be further from the truth.

  Amy moved the phone over her hand. It was the most ridiculously over the top thing Emily had ever seen. There were about fifty diamonds of varying sizes all crammed on top of each other, as if the designer had been going for the world record of most diamonds on a ring.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Emily said dutifully.

  “I know, right?” Amy squealed, turning the camera back onto her face. “And I’ve got more news.”

  Emily braced herself. Amy couldn’t be pregnant as well, could she? At least that would go some way in explaining the rush wedding. No, it was more likely that super wealthy Fraser had bought them a house. Or four…

  “Well?” Emily prompted. Then with veiled sarcasm she added, “The suspense is killing me.”

  Amy was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “We’re going to have the engagement party on Columbus Day weekend and we’ve decided to hold it at your inn. Surprise!”

  Emily froze, her tongue well and truly tied. On the one hand she could very much do with the business since things had been a little on the slow side. But on the other hand the prospect of putting on a brave face for Amy when she was secretly crushed was daunting.

  “That’s amazing,” Emily said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as forced as she knew it to be.

  “So that’s a yes?”

  What Emily really wanted to say was, “Do I have a choice?” But the words that came from her lips were instead, “Of course it’s a yes.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Amy said. “’Cause I’ve already told everyone. So there’ll be thirty of us coming up. You have capacity for thirty, don’t you?”

  “Yup,” Emily replied. She was still too stunned to formulate full sentences.

  “Great. And who knows, maybe you and one of Fraser’s banker friends will hit it off.”

  “I have Daniel,” Emily said automatically.

  But no sooner had the words left her mouth than she wondered just how true that really was.

  CHAPTER NINE

  SIX WEEKS LATER

  Emily sat on the large bench on her porch sipping a homemade spiced pumpkin latte, the steam coiling into the cold fall air. She watched contentedly as Chantelle played in the crisp, orange leaves, wrapped up in a beautiful duffle coat, woolen hat, and gloves, looking every inch like the carefree child she had become. A little distance away, Daniel tended the pumpkin patch, his nose growing red from the chill in the air.

  Emily herself was wrapped up in gloves and a scarf and the warmth of the latte seeped into her hands, warming her. She was having one of those happy moments where everything felt right in the world, as if the stars had aligned to make everything perfect. At least, that’s how she felt until she caught sight of her bare ring finger…

  Daniel had not proposed. In fact, that awful day at the jewelry store had never been spoken of again. Emily hadn’t wanted to go there, to scratch that particular wound. Life was wonderful—with Daniel moved in, Chantelle happy at school and with her new friends—why disrupt that? Emily felt it best just to drop the whole thing. She hadn’t even been thinking about marriage with Daniel, she had just gotten swept up in the moment, had let her imagination run wild. Though secretly she wished there had been a different outcome to that day.

  Emily had forced herself to focus instead on Amy and her engagement party, which would be taking place this very weekend. Emily couldn’t help but feel nervous about the whole thing. She had never even met Fraser; all she knew about him was that he was a banker and came from money, and she couldn’t help her prejudices paint a certain picture. She kept telling herself to keep an open mind, to be cordial and friendly no matter what, because this was what Amy wanted and, as her best friend, Emily needed to support her. People can’t help who they fall in love with, Emily reminded herself. She glanced up at Daniel, shovel in hand, and felt a niggling sensation in her abdomen.

  The sky was clear today with no sign of rain. It was Emily’s favorite weather, cold but with bright sunshine. She checked her watch. There were still a few hours before the guests were due to arrive.

  “I think we should go for a hike,” Emily suggested.

  Chantelle seemed thrilled by the prospect.

  “Are you sure?” Daniel asked. “You’re going to be rushed off your feet this weekend with the engagement party. Why not relax first?”

  Emily wasn’t sure why but Daniel’s comment bothered her. It seemed a little condescending.

  “I’m not a feeble woman,” Emily snapped. “I can handle a hike before work.”

  Daniel frowned then sighed, clearly not in the mood to argue or defend himself. Emily felt a pang of guilt. She knew she was taking her frustrations and anguish about the engagement party out on Daniel. She just couldn’t help it. She was jealous of Amy. Her friend seemed to have acquired the perfect life in a matter of months, while Emily was still struggling to make ends meet. And though she adored Chantelle, the fact that she existed made her worry that Daniel wouldn’t be interested in starting a family with Emily. She was almost thirty-six; soon it would be too late. But Daniel didn’t have to worry about that at all. He had years left to worry about creating another human, and he certainly wasn’t going to be in a hurry now that he had Chantelle.

  Emily shook her head, trying to dislodge her swirling worries.

  “Sorry,” she said to Daniel. “I’m just nervous about seeing Amy and Fraser. I think a hike would help clear my head.”

  Daniel seemed to soften then. “Of course. I think it’s a great idea.” He looked down at Chantelle. “What do you think, kiddo?”

  Chantelle nodded. “Can we take Mogsy and Rain?”

  “Yes of course,” Daniel replied.

  Everyone tumbled into the pickup truck and Daniel drove them up to the national park. Most of the trees here were evergreens, but a few had shed their leaves, and an amazing view of Sunset Harbor down below opened up. Looking down at the quaint town reminded Emily why she loved it here.

  “What a view,” Daniel said, coming up behind her and snuggling into her.

  Emily let herself relax into his arms, his body warmth seeping into her. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” she agreed.

  On the path behind them, Chantelle played with the dogs. Her endless enthusiasm for animals was a wonderful thing to behold. She took such great care of them, in a way Emily had never seen in a child. It was the serious side she’d been forced to developed, but here she was able to channel it into something rewarding. It was amazing how much responsibility she was willing to take for the dogs—feeding, walking, playing, grooming. Sunset Harbor and the life it provided seemed to be as rejuvenating for Chantelle as it was for Emily.

  *

  Back at the inn, Serena had already arrived to make final preparations for the rooms. Vanessa had already agreed to work that weekend—she was always grateful for an opportunity to get out of the house and earn some extra money. Parker was busy with his wholesaler busines
s, which had thankfully picked up recently, so Emily had a new cook on standby, a large woman named Claudia. Tomorrow would be her first shift. It was another thing that Emily was feeling anxious about. She would have preferred to have her whole dream team with her on what was likely to be a difficult weekend.

  “Have all the bedrooms got clean linen?” Emily asked Serena.

  The young woman nodded. “I’ve done absolutely everything that needs to be done, Emily. Honestly, I’ve been working here for like three months now. I know the drill.”

  Emily nodded but chewed her lip. “I’m just anxious.”

  “I can tell,” Serena said gently, a small smile playing across her lips. “Maybe you should lay off the coffee a bit.”

  Emily gave her a mock offended look. “That coffee is the only thing standing between me and being comatose. I had no idea how exhausted being a mother would make me.”

  She paused then and reflected on her words. She hadn’t given herself the moniker of mom yet. It had slipped out then, quite naturally. She did feel like Chantelle’s mom. She’d taken equal amounts of responsibility over the girl as Daniel had. And yet she wasn’t her mom and never would be. She wasn’t even her stepmom—Daniel hadn’t deemed her worthy of that title yet. She was just Emily. Plain, accepting Emily. For the first time, she had the sudden fear that she was being taken for a ride, being walked all over. Was she slipping back into old habits, living the life she had with Ben? Absorbing Daniel’s needs and desires and perceiving them as her own?

  She had no time to dwell on it further. The first car pulled off the street and onto the driveway. Her guests had arrived. Emily took a deep breath and braced herself.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Emily and Serena stood on the porch steps side by side in their professional hostess way. It felt odd for Emily to behave that way with her friends, but most of the people in the engagement party Emily didn’t know, so they would be expecting professionalism.

  The first to arrive was an older woman with gray hair coiffed into the perfect soccer-mom style. She was wearing a suit dress and black high heels. She couldn’t have looked more out of place in the quaint Maine setting. Emily could tell from the shrew-like look on her face that she was already displeased with what she saw.

  Emily introduced herself and Serena. The woman was unable to even crack a smile.

  “I’m here for my son’s engagement,” she said. “I shan’t be staying long, just the night.” Then she looked up at the house. “Or maybe just for the afternoon.”

  As Serena led her inside to get checked in, she shot a funny face at Emily. Emily took a deep breath and steadied herself. She hoped the rest of Fraser’s family wasn’t quite so unpleasant.

  Just then another car arrived, this one containing Amy, Jayne, and a dashing man that Emily could only assume was Fraser. She trotted down the porch steps to help them with their bags.

  Amy threw her arms around Emily. “I’m so happy to see you!” she squealed.

  Emily embraced her back, squinting as the sun reflected off the humongous cluster of diamonds on her finger.

  “Em!” Jayne cried when it was her turn to hug her friend. “I can’t believe we’re back for another weekend of shenanigans in Sunset Harbor.” She was mocking Emily but in a friendly way; it was the sort of banter that had always existed between them. “I’m looking forward to meeting these rich bankers,” she added out of the corner of her mouth. “Maybe I’ll find my Mr. Perfect.”

  Emily grimaced but immediately had to wipe the expression from her face when Fraser appeared before her, hand extended.

  “I must say it’s a real pleasure to finally meet you,” he said. Emily noted how perfectly aligned all his teeth were, and how dazzlingly white. He practically exuded health. And wealth, Emily thought wryly.

  “And you,” she said pleasantly, shaking his hand.

  Amy clung to his side like a limpet. Emily had never seen her friend like this. She’d always been so focused on her career, so quick to end relationships that she didn’t think were working. Clearly, this one had swept her off her feet. Emily could empathize.

  “Do you guys want to head inside? Serena can check you in.”

  Jayne giggled. “It’s so formal. You’re such a pro now, Em.”

  Emily grinned. “Why, thank you. Please, this way.”

  She gestured in an overly theatrical manner for the three of them to enter. But when she looked up, she noticed that another car of guests had arrived, one full of men who looked just like Fraser but with different hairstyles, and they were all staring at her with amusement. Emily felt her stomach sink. This was just as she’d feared.

  She watched anxiously as the four men got out of their car. They were all wearing suits, as if this were another day on the trading floor, as though they needed to advertise the fact they were bankers everywhere they went. If Emily had thought Fraser’s mother looked out of place in the quaint Maine setting, these four were even worse. They were laughing loudly between them, looking around in disgust at the setting, lighting cigarettes. Emily dreaded approaching them but knew that sending Serena to do it would be akin to throwing her to the lions. She swallowed her anguish and strode across the driveway toward them.

  “Good afternoon,” she said. “I’m Emily. Do you need any help with your bags?”

  Blond Fraser Clone raised an eyebrow. “With these biceps? I don’t think so.”

  Emily faked a smile.

  Ginger Fraser Clone elbowed him out of the way. “Don’t worry about Simon. He’s always a jerk. I’m Andy.” He was cordial enough to shake Emily’s hand.

  “If you’d all like to follow me, I’ll get you check in.”

  She turned and headed toward the inn. Immediately she regretted it as one of the group wolf whistled. She turned sharply, scowling. Andy held up his hands in a truce position, as though apologizing for the rest of his friends. Emily wasn’t sure if she was buying his nice guy routine. They probably had it all figured out between them, which persona to slip into in order to get what they wanted. She took an instant dislike to them all, Simon, Andy, and the other two clones she had no intention of learning the names of. She could already tell this was going to be a hard weekend to get through.

  The guests began congregating in the living room. Emily heard the sound of discordant piano playing and cringed at the thought of one of Fraser’s male friends abusing her father’s antique piano. She greeted some more guests, noting the looks of confusion and disdain on each of their faces as they took in the sight of the inn, of the quaint surroundings. Jayne hadn’t held back about how boring she thought Sunset Harbor was, but compared to these guys she was an absolute saint. Emily mentally reminded herself to place the most arrogant of the guests in the smallest rooms on the third floor (and the furthest from her!).

  With the guests all finally arrived, Emily went into the living room. The last time she’d maxed out the B&B with Gus and his reunion friends the room had been buzzing with love and friendship. This time it was filled with bravado. Every single person in there seemed to be trying to outdo the others, bragging about the brand of shoes they were wearing, the type of handbag they were carrying, the exclusivity of the perfume they had on. It made Emily cringe.

  Serena sidled up to her. “Well, these guys suck,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

  Emily gave her the side eye. “Professionalism, please,” she said. Serena wasn’t always that good about not crossing the line between being Emily’s friend and being Emily’s employee. But then a second later, Emily added, “They’re the worst.”

  Serena laughed.

  Just then, Chantelle came into the living room.

  “Hey, poppet,” Serena said. “We have guests in here. Why don’t you go and play with you dad in the backyard?”

  Daniel had purposefully kept out of the way. He didn’t much like Amy or Jayne, and he was going to downright hate the rest of them.

  “Where is Daddy?” Emily asked Chantelle. He’d promised to
take her out on the boat this afternoon, so they would both be out of the way.

  “He had to get gas,” Chantelle said. “We’re going to the harbor as soon as he’s back. Can I wait in here?”

  Emily chewed her lip. She didn’t really like the idea of exposing Chantelle to this. When the B&B was full it could be noisy and unpredictable at the best of times, but with these guys, anything could happen.

  “Don’t Mogsy and Rain want some cuddles?” Emily suggested.

  Chantelle frowned. Emily hadn’t seen the angry side of her in a long while. She hoped she hadn’t just triggered the beginnings of a tantrum.

  “You’re trying to get rid of me,” Chantelle said.

  Emily shook her head. “Absolutely not. I just thought you’d prefer to play with the dogs than sit around with boring grown-ups.”

  Chantelle shrugged. “I like grown-ups. There were always lots of grown-ups in Mommy’s house.”

  The comment made Emily cold. She couldn’t begin to imagine what unsavory characters Sheila had subjected the poor child to. But she wasn’t about to argue with Chantelle, and so she relented.

  “Okay. Let me introduce you to my friends.”

  She hoped that if she could have Amy and Jayne fuss over her then Daniel would be back before she had a chance to be exposed to any of the others.

  Emily led Chantelle by the hand to where Amy, Jayne, and Fraser were all sitting together on one of the couches. When Amy saw her, her eyes widened.

  “This is Chantelle?” she said with a high-pitched squeal.

  “She wanted to say hi,” Emily explained.

  “Well, you’re just as cute as a button,” Jayne said. “Are you enjoying living in Sunset Harbor?”

  Chantelle nodded. “It’s much nicer than my old house.”

  “Bit small though, I bet. Being in the carriage house.”

  Chantelle frowned. “I don’t live in the carriage house. I live here.”

  Now it was Jayne’s turn to frown. She looked up at Emily. “She lives with you?”