Forever, With You

by Sophie Love

  “Bit late for waffles, isn’t it?” he said.

  Emily laughed. “Chantelle just did her first school performance,” she said hurriedly.

  “And she was amazing,” Daniel added with just as much enthusiasm.

  “So we’re taking her for ice cream,” Emily finished.

  Joe raised his eyes. “Well, well, well,” he said. “Congratulations, my dear. I think three scoops are in order tonight, if mom and dad agree?”

  Daniel nodded. Emily did too, only after a short pause; she’d been taken aback by being referred to as “mom.”

  Chantelle chose her ice cream flavors—mint, chocolate chip, and peanut butter crunch—then they chose one of the red plastic booths and slid in. Joe came over with the ice cream, which was more of a pile rather than three scoops, and plopped it in front of Chantelle. Her eyes widened with astonishment.

  “You know,” Joe whispered to Chantelle, “this was where these two came on their first date.”

  Chantelle giggled. Emily couldn’t help but blush. Joe straightened up with a laugh.

  “That’s on the house,” he said as he sauntered off with a smirk.

  Emily smiled to herself. The generosity of the people of Sunset Harbor always astounded her.

  Chantelle began shoveling ice cream into her mouth. “Are you going to stay together forever?” she asked Emily and Daniel innocently, her lips rimmed with gooey ice cream.

  The spark of interest had clearly been lit by Joe and now she wanted to know more. But what could Emily tell her? That she wanted to be her adopted mother? That she wanted to launch a legal battle to emancipate her from her wreck of a mom? That the closest she and Daniel had gotten to commitment was an awkward misunderstanding in a jewelry store and a few conversations about going all in?

  Emily desperately wanted to give Chantelle the sugarcoated answer, to give her a response that was as sickly sweet as the ice cream she was wolfing down. But she’d made a promise to never lie to Chantelle and she was going to stick to it.

  “I don’t know how to answer that,” Emily said. “Forever is a long time and a lot can change between now and forever.” She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way.

  “But you do love each other, right?” Chantelle asked.

  This time Daniel answered. He grabbed Emily’s hand in his and rested them on the table top for the whole world to see. “We do,” he said. “Very, very much.”

  “Then you should get married,” Chantelle said in her simple, childlike way.

  If only it were that simple, Emily thought.

  In the awkward silence that followed, Emily loosened her hand in Daniel’s. But to her surprise his grip tightened, not allowing her to slip her hand away from hers. It was like he was communicating silently with her that to let go now would be too symbolic, too poignant. So Emily held on tight, her palm pressing into Daniel’s, her fingers interlocked with his, and silently communicated back that she wasn’t letting go either.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  “Is it me?” Emily said, rolling over in bed to face Daniel. “Or does it feel like it might snow today?”

  Daniel tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled. “You might be right.” He kissed her lightly. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving,” she replied.

  “Shame we can’t have a long lie-in,” Daniel teased. “Since you invited the whole town to dinner.”

  “I wanted Chantelle to be surrounded by love,” Emily laughed in response.

  She got out of bed, feeling the chill in the air, and looked out the long lace curtains covering the French doors that led to the balcony. No snow yet, but the sky had that fluffy gray kind of cloud cover that seemed to hint at it.

  “What’s the time?” Daniel murmured from the bed.

  “Six,” Emily replied. “Sorry for waking you so early. Mr. Magnum is arriving early. Parker’s doing the breakfast shift, then Vanessa’s housekeeping after that. Serena wanted to take the reception desk shift but I wanted her to come to the parade with us. She’s been so great with Chantelle over the last few weeks she feels like family now. So the new girl, Lois, will be doing the reception shift. First one on her own. I’m sure she can handle it.”

  Daniel smirked. “You’re so sexy when you talk business.”

  Emily tipped her head back and laughed with abandon. “Right, if you want breakfast you have until eight a.m. We’ll be leaving for the parade at half past. Got it?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Daniel replied jovially.

  Emily dressed quickly in her hostess attire and went downstairs to make sure Parker had arrived on time. He had, and had already collected the eggs from the chickens. Satisfied that everything was ready for the guest, Emily went out to the porch to welcome Mr. Magnum. She was just in time to see his car pulling into the driveway.

  “Mr. Magnum?” she said, smiling.

  “Yes, Colin,” he replied, getting out of the car.

  There was only word Emily could use to describe Colin and that was dashing. He looked like an old black-and-white movie star, a Frank Sinatra type. His hair was silver, not gray. He had stubble, but it didn’t make him look unkempt and ragged; rather, it made him more distinguished. Even the wrinkles on his face complemented his appearance, becoming more accentuated when he smiled, showing that he had lived a full life filled with laughter.

  They shook hands—Emily pleased with herself for not swooning—then Emily showed the way into the carriage house.

  “It is completely self-contained here,” she explained, opening the door.

  “It’s fantastic,” Colin replied, placing his cases on the floor. He walked over to the kitchen area and ran his fingers across the work surface. “Amazing carpentry.”

  “My partner built it,” Emily explained, feeling a flush of pride.

  “Really?” Colin said, raising his thick eyebrows. “He’s quite the craftsman. What a charming place.” He noticed the vases. “Kandinsky?”

  “Yes,” Emily replied, delighted that they’d been recognized. “I’m an antique nerd.”

  “You and I both,” Colin replied, smiling his dashing smile. “You have impeccable taste.”

  Emily couldn’t help but find Colin Magnum to be a bit of a mystery. What on earth would this dashing George Clooney-esque man be planning on doing in a place like Sunset Harbor for a whole month? Questions burned in her mind but she managed to swallow them down. It wasn’t her place to pry.

  “Even though it’s all self-contained here you’re welcome in the big house whenever you want,” Emily said. “And breakfast is of course included.” She smiled.

  “I’m starving, actually,” Colin replied. “That would be great.”

  Emily led him to the inn. As soon as he was inside, Colin gasped at the grandeur of it.

  “This place is fantastic as well,” he said. “I can’t wait until my family arrives later to see it all.”

  So he did have a family, Emily thought. In a way she couldn’t imagine a man like Colin being married and tied down. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring either. Colin Magnum was becoming more mysterious than ever.

  “I’m hosting a Thanksgiving dinner today,” Emily told him. “You and your family are welcome to join if you don’t already have plans.”

  Colin smiled graciously. “That’s very kind. But I’m actually cooking for the wife. I have a bit of making up to do.”

  Emily wondered what he could be referring to but held herself back from probing any further.

  “I’ll leave you in Parker’s capable hands,” she said.

  Out in the corridor, Emily bumped into Daniel, dressed and ready to fuel himself. As he went into the kitchen, Emily went up to rouse Chantelle. Thankfully she hadn’t had any nightmares recently.

  Emily opened Chantelle’s door slowly. Her room was still not back to normal from her violent outburst. A few pictures were torn and Chantelle’s attempts to patch them back together was evident. Emily had helped her sew her teddy’s
arm back on, but the bright thread was hardly inconspicuous. Daniel had fixed the chair of her desk but it was wobbly now. The scars of Sheila’s visit were everywhere to be seen, if you knew where to look for them.

  “Wakey wakey, sleepyhead,” Emily said, bending over Chantelle and kissing her on the cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Chantelle sat up quickly and grinned. She threw her arms around Emily. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Emily helped her dress for the parade, explaining that they’d be meeting Bailey and Toby there, outside Cynthia’s bookstore. Chantelle was a ball of excitement, whizzing round the room trying on different outfits and hairstyles.

  “Will there be cotton candy again?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Emily replied, smiling.

  “And balloons? And a marching band?”

  Emily nodded her assent. Sunset Harbor always put on the best parades. She’d loved them as a child and loved watching Chantelle love them in turn.

  “Wear a scarf,” Emily prompted. “And mittens. It might snow.”

  She hadn’t seen snow in Sunset Harbor since the weekend she’d first arrived. Had it really been close to a year since she’d arrived here? She’d left New York for a weekend break and nearly a year later she was still here, unraveling the mystery of her father one step at a time, finding herself one step at a time, falling more deeply in love with her life here, with Daniel, with Chantelle.

  Back downstairs, Serena had arrived and was excited to get to the parade. Emily and Chantelle quickly ate breakfast, then bundled up in their warm clothes.

  As soon as Lois arrived to begin her shift, everyone headed out for the parade. The first person they bumped into was Karen. She hugged Emily tightly.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages,” she said. “Here.” She handed Chantelle a cinnamon roll. “New recipe. Let me know what you think.”

  Chantelle grinned and munched it greedily.

  “Are you stopping by later?” Emily asked.

  “Of course!” Karen exclaimed. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  The family traipsed onward, feeling the chill biting at their noses. Up ahead they saw Cynthia with her son Jeremy standing outside her bookstore. Emily went up and spoke to her friend, making sure both she and Jeremy would be stopping in later, while Chantelle spotted Bailey and Yvonne over at one of the stalls and joined in with their game, throwing bean bags at tin can towers. Thanks to her determination, Chantelle won and selected a bag of candies, which she shared generously with Bailey.

  “Can we try and win another toy?” she asked Daniel on her return. “Like last time?”

  “Of course,” Daniel said.

  They went over to the duck shooting range and Daniel expertly shot one down, winning Chantelle a small caramel-colored bear, a new friend for her other toys.

  The parade began and Mayor Hansen waved to them all from a massive float. He had an inflatable turkey hat on.

  “Are you coming to my Thanksgiving meal later?” Emily called up to him.

  “Of course,” he said. “It’s in the diary, isn’t it, Marcella?”

  Beside him, his dour-faced aide, dressed unenthusiastically as a pumpkin, nodded her agreement.

  “You can come too, Marcella!” Emily cried.

  The float passed on before the woman had a chance to answer, though Emily was certain her response would be negative; unless Mayor Hansen forced her to come, that was.

  Other than Marcella, it seemed that everyone Emily bumped into at the parade was going to be stopping by later. Birk and Bertha, Sunita and Raj, Charles and Barbara, Jason, Vanessa, and baby Katy, Richard the attorney. They’d all received their hand-designed invitation from Chantelle and hadn’t been able to resist. And just like Emily, Daniel, and Chantelle, they were beyond excited to being spending Thanksgiving together at the inn.

  *

  Chantelle insisted on streamers, so as the afternoon wore on, she, Serena, and Emily hung them up all around the inn. It was starting to look beautiful, filled with vibrant colors.

  “Is your centerpiece ready?” Emily asked Chantelle.

  “Of course it is,” Chantelle replied with a grin. Her top-secret project was going to be a show-stopper.

  The day of preparations raced away from them, and after several hours in the kitchen cooking up exciting dishes with Parker, it was suddenly time to start welcoming in guests.

  Sunita and Raj were the first to arrive, punctual as ever.

  “Wine,” Sunita said as she held out the gift to Emily and kissed her cheek.

  “Come in, out of the cold,” Emily said, beckoning them in.

  Raj had brought a plate of pumpkin pie, which Emily laid out in the ballroom with the rest of the buffet.

  “Please, don’t feel like you have to wait for the others before you start eating,” she said.

  Owen arrived next, his sheet music tucked beneath his arm. They’d moved the piano into the ballroom so that the party could all happen in one place.

  “You’ll eat with us later, won’t you?” Emily insisted as they walked along the corridor. “I don’t want you working all night. You’re as much a part of this family now as Serena is. Honestly, everything you’ve done for Chantelle, I really am so grateful.”

  Owen blushed shyly. “Actually, I’m the one who should be thanking you.” His voice grew quieter. “I would have been alone today otherwise.”

  “Oh,” Emily said, taken aback. She pressed her hand to her heart. “You don’t have a family to spend Thanksgiving with?”

  Owen shook his head. “My folks moved abroad so I don’t see them much. And I don’t have a wife or kids.” His voice trailed off.

  Emily felt for Owen. It made her sad to think of him alone, when he was such a gentle and kind man. She was glad that at the very least he had them, his family at the inn, and the people there who had grown to care for him. Emily watched as he went off with his sheet music, before bumping into Serena coming out of the ballroom. His blush intensified as they collided. Emily smiled to herself as she recognized the sparks between them. Maybe Owen wouldn’t be alone for so long after all.

  As Emily welcomed more and more guests into the B&B, she realized just how many of them had no real families, no one to spend Thanksgiving with. Either through their family members passing on, as was the case with Rico, or because their families lived very far away like Suzanna and Owen, many people who’d come were cobbling together their own family in Sunset Harbor, just like Emily herself was. As she watched them all congregating, clinking glasses and nibbling on the various dishes, she felt that it was incredibly poignant. She and Daniel weren’t the only ones from fractured families. Everyone here had some kind of past trauma they were living with. As long as they were all together, they would be less alone.

  The bell rang and Emily invited in Cynthia and Jeremy.

  “Please don’t tell me you rode here on that thing!” Emily exclaimed as she saw the tandem bicycle in the driveway.

  “Of course we did!” Cynthia exclaimed as she removed her helmet.

  Emily shook her head with amusement and showed them inside. As she did, she caught sight of the lights gleaming in the carriage house. Colin was in. She wondered whether his family had arrived and if they were planning on attending the soiree.

  Emily decided to quickly check on him. She crossed the lawn and went down the driveway toward the carriage house, noting that there was no extra car in the driveway. The lights inside were very bright, and without meaning to spy, Emily caught sight of Colin sitting at the kitchen stool with his head in his hands. She paused, recognizing the look of dejection in his body language. Something told her that his wife was no longer coming.

  She was about to turn back when Colin looked up and turned his head to face her. Emily felt she had no choice now but to intrude on him, and she walked toward the door. He’d opened it before she’d even got there.

  “Good evening,” Emily said, trying to sound like a friendly host rather than
some kind of creepy stalker, which was how she actually felt. “I wanted to quickly check in to let you know the party has started up at the main house. I was wondering if you’d like to join us.”

  Colin shoved his hands into his pocket. “Is it that obvious?” he said glumly.

  Emily smiled politely, not knowing what to say.

  Colin gave her a sad smile. “She didn’t come. My wife. Well, ex-wife, but I was hoping to change that. That’s what this was for.” He gestured to the carriage house around him. “I was trying to win her back with an extravagant gesture. But she stood me up.”

  Emily faltered. She wasn’t used to this level of candor.

  “Don’t worry about the booking,” Colin added. “I’m staying regardless.”

  “Please, come and eat with us tonight,” Emily said finally. “I’d hate to have you here alone.”

  Colin looked reticent. “I’d be intruding.”

  “Nonsense!” Emily exclaimed. “Everyone from the guy at the gas store to the mayor is coming.”

  Finally, Colin agreed. “I suppose it won’t do any harm,” he said.

  Emily took Colin back to the main house and strategically introduced him to several of her lonely single female friends, which went down a storm. Everyone seemed interested in the silver-haired man, especially since he had that George Clooney look about him. Colin seemed a little taken aback to realize a rejected divorced man could be hot property in Sunset Harbor.

  The party was in full swing when the bell rang again and Emily answered it to Trevor Mann. He was paler than usual, his eyes somewhat glassy. Perhaps the changes would be unnoticeable to anyone out of the loop, but to Emily they signified the deterioration of his health.

  “You came,” she said, smiling.

  “I brought scalloped potatoes,” he said, holding out a large porcelain dish. “It’s a recipe passed down through the generations. Or at least from my mother. Oh, and I’m also returning this.” He held up Andy the Pandy. “I’m assuming he was only a loan.”

  Emily laughed at Trevor’s usual formal way of speaking. He smiled and Emily realized it was the first time she’d ever truly seen Trevor smile.