Christmas Forever

by Sophie Love

  She felt hurt, like Raven had taken advantage of her kindness. She’d put a lot on the line by supporting her and now it looked like she’d made the wrong judgement after all.

  “Honestly, I don’t know what I want anymore,” Raven said, blowing her nose again. “Ever since the divorce my mind’s been all over the place. You know, I got into this business with my ex-husband? It’s his thing, really. I never stopped to think whether I wanted it for myself or not. I have a degree in Political Science, for God’s sake! Running a hotel chain was clearly not part of the plan.” She laughed, bitterly.

  “Why are you telling me this, Raven?” Emily asked. She was still hurt about the shocking revelation that Raven would have run her out of business given half the chance.

  “Because I want you to know it wasn’t personal, okay? After he left me I was so focused on proving myself, showing I could do it without him. It made me colder, more ruthless. Then you were there with your kindness and your compassion and I guess…” She sighed, like it pained her to admit it. “I guess I realized that I didn’t want to crush you.”

  Emily raised an eyebrow. Did that count as a compliment in Raven’s world? “Um… thanks, I guess,” she said.

  “I mean that I didn’t want the inn anymore,” Raven said, trying to explain her somewhat tactless comment. “Because I knew what it would mean for you and your family. For your town. I was done fighting and competing and trying to prove myself to some idiot man whose priorities are all wrong anyway so I...” She paused again, swallowing hard. “I voted against myself.”

  Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You rigged the vote to lose?”

  “Pretty much,” Raven replied. “I mean, withdrawing would have been a PR disaster, but losing I can spin to my advantage somehow. Blame it on the small town mentality.”

  Emily just blinked in surprise. She couldn’t believe that Raven had chosen her to confide in. She must be so lonely looking down at them all from her ivory tower if the only person she could spill her guts to was her rival.

  “Well, I suppose I appreciate you not wanting to destroy me,” Emily told her. “But what will you do now?”

  “I’m leaving town,” Raven said. “The kids hate it here. There’s not even enough space at Mallory’s to send Laverne there. It’s not fair she has to go to public school.”

  Emily bit her lip, choosing not to take offence to Raven’s implication that the public school Chantelle attended was somehow providing an inferior education.

  “But what about the building?” Emily asked her.

  “I’ll sell it on,” Raven said blankly.

  “But how?” Emily asked. “You’ll never find a buyer. I mean, the zoning board have been sitting on that place for years. Decades even. Not even Trevor Mann could get the wheels turning on that place! What makes you think you’ll be able to sell it?”

  Raven looked distraught. “I had no idea. You mean to say I’m stuck with it? Here? In this place?”

  Emily managed to keep her composure, in spite of all of Raven’s barbed insults.

  “What am I supposed to do now?” Raven wailed.

  A sudden thought came into Emily’s mind. From her mom’s uncompromising attitude to her dad’s faith in her and encouragement she should aim for the stars, Emily suddenly found herself coming up with a crazy plan.

  “Sell it to me,” Emily said.

  Raven’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “Sell it to me,” Emily repeated. “It’s your only option. The only person who’ll want to buy that place is a local, and the only one with the impetus is me. It makes sense. Otherwise you’ll either have to live there or abandon it and cut your losses.”

  Emily thought of the miracle silverware in Trevor’s cellar she could use as a down payment. And then there was the fact that Trevor had always loved that oceanfront property. Suddenly, it seemed to all be coming together. It made perfect sense. She could honor Trevor by restoring the grand oceanfront property like he’d always wanted, and at the same time give Raven a get out of jail free card. Everyone would win.

  “So?” Emily pressed. “What do you say?”

  “Don’t you need to consult with your husband about that?” Raven asked warily.

  “He’ll agree,” Emily said. “I mean, we just put on offer in to buy him a shop so he can hardly argue against me buying a house! I can go and speak to him right now,” she added. “Call you once I’ve convinced him.” She winked.

  Feeling buoyant for the first time that day, Emily bade farewell to Raven. She’d felt certain fate had something special in store for her and now it was all starting to make sense. From the hospital scare bringing her father to her, to the discovery of Trevor’s silver bringing her the possibility of restoring the property he’d always adored, it seemed as if the stars were starting to align for Emily.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Emily felt exhausted by the time she returned home in Daniel’s truck. It would have been a trying day even if she hadn’t been heavily pregnant and overly emotional from hormones. But it was the whole bizarre situation with Raven that really tipped it over the edge!

  When she got out of the truck, she immediately noticed that the garage door was open and Daniel’s bike was gone. Of course he’d go out on one of his sulking motorcycle rides, Emily thought. She shouldn’t really expect any different from him.

  Irritated, she headed inside the inn and listened out for the sounds of the others. It was completely quiet which meant only one thing; everyone would be out in the greenhouses. She walked through the corridor and exited through the backdoor in the kitchen, crossing over the lawn to the side that had once belonged to Trevor.

  From the outside, the greenhouse was looking amazing now. George had helped them pick a better type of glass and different fixtures for the structure that would be more sturdy should it snow heavily again in the future. If anything, this greenhouse looked bigger and grander than the last one, reminding Emily of an old Victorian orangery. In fact, it would look very fitting with the Queen Anne style manor house she was in the process of purchasing off Raven!

  She stepped inside to the sounds of chatter and hammering.

  “There you are,” she said, passing by a cluster of large bushy green plants in pots that were waiting to be planted, to see Chantelle, Roy and Terry hard at work.

  “Emily-Jane,” Roy said. He raised his eyebrows. “What happened at the town meeting?”

  “You won’t believe it,” Emily said. “Raven’s plans were rejected.”

  “That’s good news, isn’t it?” Chantelle asked.

  “Yes, but she seemed devastated,” Emily said. “We had a coffee and she told me all about how bad a decision it was coming here, what with her divorce. Then she dropped a bombshell on me. She wants to sell up and leave Sunset Harbor.”

  Roy looked surprised. “But she’ll never get a buyer,” he said. “That place was hard to shift twenty years ago. It’ll only get worse. No one in their right mind would want to take on a project like that!”

  Emily bit her lip.

  “You need a house,” Chantelle said to Terry. “Why don’t you buy it?”

  Terry began to laugh. “I need a house, my dear, not a decaying mansion! And beside, where would I grow the Christmas trees?” His chuckles started up again. “Honestly, the only person who’d purchase that place off Raven would be a lunatic.”

  Emily run her hands. But there was no hiding it now. They may as well know the truth.

  “I guess you should call me a lunatic then,” she said. “Not in my right mind. Because I offered to take it off her hands.”

  Everyone froze and stared at her.

  “You’re buying the house?” Roy asked.

  She nodded. “Yup. That decaying mansion might soon be mine. Once I’ve run it past Daniel, that is.” She tried not to think of the incredulous expression he give her when she broke the news.

  Emily realized as she spoke that if she indeed got the go-ahead from Daniel, t
his would be the first house she’d ever bought for herself. The inn had been gifted to her by her father. Trevor’s house came to her via his will as inheritance. But this was the first time she’d ever bought a home on her own accord. Even if it was a ruin, purchasing it would be a significant milestone.

  “I thought I could fund it through the sale of the silver,” she explained, feeling more confident in her decision and less like she’d just made the craziest mistake of her life. “Find a way to restore it, just like Trevor always wanted.”

  Roy’s stunned expression softened then. “That’s a lovely idea.”

  Terry blushed. “I suppose the only person who’d not be a lunatic to buy it would be a local who wanted to preserve the history of the place…” He trailed off.

  Chantelle grinned at Emily. “I love that plan, mommy. But what does Daddy think?”

  “I’m not sure,” Emily confessed. “He’s kind of mad at me right now.”

  “Oh no,” Chantelle said, looking sad. “Are you still arguing?”

  Roy approached Emily then. “Perhaps we ought to go inside and have some cocoa?” he said in a soft voice. “I’m sure Chantelle doesn’t want to hear this.”

  Emily nodded. He was right. Chantelle shouldn’t be given a spectators seat to her parent’s drama.

  Roy took her by the shoulder and called out behind him. “We won’t be a minute! You carry on with that planting, sweetheart.”

  They headed in to the kitchen.

  “So what’s going on with Daniel?” Roy asked.

  Emily sat heavily at the table and dropped her head in her hands. “It’s baby stuff. he wants me to be induced but I don’t want to. Then at the meeting I went off with Raven because she was upset and he looked betrayed. When I got home I saw he’d gone off on his bike which is a big flashing neon sign that he’s mad at me.”

  Roy listened quietly, making the cocoa as she spoke.

  “I doubt he’ll be best pleased when he gets home and finds out you’re planning on buying another house,” he said when she was done, glancing over his shoulder at her slumped form.

  “Ohhhhh…” Emily wailed. “Don’t remind me. That was a dumb decision, huh?”

  Roy came over with the mugs steaming cocoa and placed one in front of her. He sat in the seat opposite.

  “Actually, I think it’s a really smart idea.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. You’re helping someone in need for starters. Secondly, wasn’t half the reason people were mad at you at the meeting because they didn’t want an outsider to come in and ruin the look of the town? Whatever you choose to do with the place it will at least be in keeping with the look of the town. And then the final thing, which is a little more selfish. You’ll be buying the only other property in town that currently has zoning board approval for an inn. You’ll be effectively eliminating future competition. If you wanted to start a new inn beside the ocean you could. The town wouldn’t vote against you. You know that.”

  Emily looked at her father, surprised that what he was telling her was true. It was only because the town didn’t want Raven Kingsley to open a hotel that they’d voted her down in the meeting. The zoning board had already given a green light to the project. If she were to put in a proposal to restore the building rather than tear it down, and open a new inn that fit Sunset Harbor like a glove, they’d probably rally around to support her.

  But then she remembered how badly things were going at the inn this winter. If she couldn't make a success of her one location, what made her think she’d do any better with a second?

  Emily looked up at her father. He was always such a supportive person, someone she felt at ease confiding in.

  “What if I fail?” she said, allowing her deepest fears to the surface. “I mean the inn’s not made any income so far this winter. I’ve even had to cut my staff member’s shifts down. My business might fail as it is. Daniel has his woodshop to focus on so he won’t be around to help, so whatever I do I’ll be doing on my own. With a baby. Wouldn’t a whole new place be a case of biting off more than I can chew?”

  “It sounds like you’re trying to talk yourself out of it,” Roy said, kindly.

  Emily shrugged. “Maybe I am.”

  “But…” Roy prompted.

  Emily smirked. Her father knew her so well he could tell there was more on the tip of her tongue.

  “But, is it bad that I really really want to try? Am I allowed to just be greedy for once and want something and then have it just because?”

  Roy frowned. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

  Emily shook her head. Roy chuckled.

  “In which case,” he said, “No, it’s not bad to have something just because you want it. But something that big should probably be a joint decision with your husband, don’t you think?”

  As if on cue, Emily heard the sound of Daniel’s motorcycle approaching the inn along the drive. A little surge of panic rose in her as she realized she was going to have to admit what she’d done. He was going to be pissed.

  She braced herself, waiting for him to enter the inn. A few moments later, she heard the door slam.

  “We’re in here,” she called over her shoulder.

  There were footsteps, and then Daniel appeared in the doorway, crash helmet in hand. He looked immediately suspicious.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Let me make you a cocoa,” Roy said, standing up.

  “I’m good thanks,” Daniel told him, gesturing for him to remain seated with an outstretched hand. “Emily? What’s going on? You look guilty.”

  “Did you have a nice ride?” she asked, avoiding confronting the real question and dealing with the inevitable fall out.

  “Emily…” Daniel said sternly.

  Emily took a breath. “Okay. Promise me you won’t be mad.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes. “How can I tell that I’m already going to hate this?” He sat down beside her, placing his helmet on the table, and looked at her expectantly. “I’m not promising anything so you may as well just tell me what you’ve done.”

  “I sort of maybe promised someone I’d buy their house,” Emily said, wincing as she spoke.

  He paused. Blinked. “You…”

  “It’s Raven’s. She wants to get out of Sunset Harbor and you know no one sane would pay money for that house and I thought it would benefit everyone it I just bought it off her. That way she can leave and I can find a way to save the house rather than replace it with something cheap and ugly. I know, I know, the house is structurally unsound at the moment but I thought it would be a nice way to honor Trevor as well…”

  She was rambling a mile a minute, and running out of breath fast. As she spoke, Daniel’s eyes were growing wider and wider. But not with anger, she realized, but with delight.

  Suddenly, he took her by the shoulders, his face breaking out into a wide grin.

  “This is amazing!” he cried.

  Now it was Emily’s turn to look suspicious. “Wait. What? Why aren’t you mad?”

  “Mad?” Daniel cried. “Why would I be mad? I’m thrilled!”

  He bundled her into his arms. The shock of his reaction made Emily feel numb all over. She couldn’t process what was happening. Finally he let her go and held both her hands in his across the table.

  “Daniel, did you fall off your bike and get a concussion?” Emily asked in all seriousness.

  Daniel just laughed. He looked over at Roy. “You haven’t told her the story, have you?”

  Roy shook his head. Emily noticed he was smiling, too. She looked back at Daniel.

  “What story?”

  Daniel’s hands tightened on hers. He gazed into her eyes as he spoke.

  “You remember how I told you about hiding here as a kid, in your dad’s shed, and how he encouraged me to get my life back on track?”

  “Of course,” Emily replied.

  “Well, one time we were walking along the harbor after a fishing trip and he asked me
to try to imagine my future, how I wanted it to look if everything went my way. He asked me to describe what I saw. Well, we were standing there in front of that house, and I told him that one day I’d own it and live there with a family who loved me.”

  Emily felt emotion catch in the back of her throat. “You never told me…” she stammered.

  “I never needed to,” he said. “Most of it came true anyway with this place. But to know that…” His eyes misted over then. “That the future Roy made me imagine has come true.” He stopped, wiped his tears, overcome suddenly with emotion.

  “Oh Daniel,” Emily said. She reached for him, wrapping him in her arms. He let out a hiccuping sob onto her shoulder. “So you’re not mad?”

  “I’m not mad,” he replied in her ear.

  “And you think it’s a good idea?”

  “I think it’s the best idea.”

  “And you’ve forgiven me for not wanting to be induced?”

  He drew back then and looked at her with a sideways smirk. With a light-hearted voice, he said, “Don’t push your luck, Mrs Morey.”.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  After her doctor’s appointment the next morning, (all healthy at 42 + 2!) Emily and Daniel met Roy and Chantelle outside of Raven’s ocean front building.

  The building was covered in scaffolding which Raven had had put in place to secure things, but its exterior still looked stunning and unique. Arcitecutarlly it was in the Queen Anne style, clearly Victorian in era, and looked like it may well have been the first building in the whole town. No wonder Trevor wanted to turn it into a museum. The place oozed history.

  “Why does it look so crazy?” Chantelle asked, peering up at the asymmetrical facade, the overhanging eaves and the almost Shakespearean looking balustrades.

  “Because it’s completely unique,” Emily told her. “Look, even its towers are polygonal!”

  Chantelle giggled. “It looks like my dolls house but giant sized.”

  “Everyone put on a hard hat,” Daniel explained. “And be extremely careful inside. No running, Chantelle.”

  “Promise,” she said, placing her bright yellow hard hat on her head.