Forever, Plus One

by Sophie Love

“We won’t be long,” Amy said, standing and grasping Emily’s arm. “What was that?” she hissed as they walked away across the sand. “A jellyfish?”

  “I’m sorry, I have baby brain fog,” Emily said. “But never mind that. We got away so now we can talk privately. I caught the way you looked at my ring. Are you and Harry thinking about marrying?”

  Amy was silent for a moment, and Emily wondered if the question had stirred up painful memories for her friend, of Fraser, of how badly it ended with him, how her fairytale ending had been dashed once before.

  “If everything stayed like this forever,” Amy said, “I’d marry him tomorrow. A million percent.”

  Emily wanted to scream with delight. The thought of Amy moving to Sunset Harbor filled her with happiness. But her friend was holding something back.

  “But what’s the problem?” Emily asked.

  Amy sighed. “The fact that things do change,” she said, a little sadly. “What if the very reason it works so well is the fact I have another life in New York City I can return to at any time? Maybe the fact I’m independent—financially and in terms of assets—is what makes it so wonderful. If I joined all that stuff with Harry, had a house, a kid, a cat, how will I know that it won’t drive me crazy?”

  “I guess you just have to take a leap of faith sometimes, Ames,” Emily said. “You can’t plan everything, especially not the future. So sometimes you just close your eyes, cross your fingers, and jump.”

  Amy looked tenderly at her friend and smiled. “It sounds so easy when you say it like that.”

  Emily shrugged. “Because sometimes it is. Sometimes it just works. I don’t know why, the timing, the motivation, the stage of your life, the compatibility of your partner. Sometimes it just works out fine.” She squeezed Amy’s arm where it was looped with hers. “Remember when you started the business? It was a whim. And it’s brought you nothing but success and happiness. It’s opened a million doors for you, not to mention paid for a thousand pairs of shoes I’m jealous of.” Amy laughed. Emily carried on. “Back then you were young and you didn’t overthink things. You just jumped into it, feet first. Maybe Harry is another thing you need to jump into feet first.”

  “That sounds painful,” Amy quipped. Then she turned a little serious. “Okay, I’m glad you said all that. I thought maybe you’d tell me not to rush again because of what happened with Fraser. It’s good to know you’ve got my back.”

  Emily noticed the twinkle in Amy’s eye. She narrowed her own, suspiciously.

  “Have you already made a decision about this?” she guessed.

  A grin burst across Amy’s face. She nodded vigorously. “Yup. I’m moving to Sunset Harbor. Harry and I are buying a house together.”

  Emily couldn’t believe it. She screamed loudly, then clapped a hand over her mouth as people turned to look at her.

  “Amy!” she squealed, throwing her arms tightly around her friend’s neck. “This is the best news I’ve had in ages!”

  Her best friend was going to move here, was going to be available and accessible to her whenever she needed her. It felt like a dream come true, one Emily could hardly believe. But she couldn’t be happier. Having her best friend closer would be the best thing in the world.

  Everything was finally coming together.

  *

  After all the fun at the beach, they decided to take Chantelle out in the boat so she could see the rugged island they’d discovered on their romantic date earlier in the summer. As they strolled through town on the way to the harbor, Emily noticed how much quieter it was becoming. Once more, the town was emptying as summer came to a close. She had seen the inn through another successful summer and couldn’t be more proud of herself and Daniel for getting through it all.

  They climbed on board Daniel’s boat and he sailed them through the ocean.

  “Is this our last journey of the summer?” Chantelle asked sadly.

  “It might be,” Daniel said. “Unless we get some unseasonably warm weather in the fall. So you’d best savor it.”

  When they came ashore, Chantelle looked just as enamored with the island’s natural, wild beauty as Daniel and Emily had been when they first set eyes on it.

  “What would you do with an island like this if you owned it, Chantelle?” Daniel asked her as they strolled along hand in hand.

  “I’d turn it into a magical land,” Chantelle said. “A place to come for tea parties, like the one me and Princess Esmeralda had on the beach. There could be a boat like the Cinderella pumpkin that took you ashore, then a wooden palace in the treetops. It could have a ballroom for dancing in and a long table for the tea party.”

  Emily and Daniel exchanged a glance, amused by their daughter’s imagination and creativity.

  “That sounds like a lovely idea,” Daniel said. “I wonder whether I’d have the woodworking skills to make a tree house that looked like a palace. And for a ballroom we could put in a dance floor and fill it with solar lamps, under a gazebo.”

  Just like the last time he’d been on the island, Emily saw that he was growing excited by the prospect of doing something there.

  “I don’t want to burst everyone’s bubble,” she said. “But remember we’d only be able to use the island if it were part of the inn. We can’t afford just to own one if there isn’t any money coming in.”

  “We’re only imagining, Mommy,” Chantelle said.

  But Emily could tell Daniel was not. His mind was ticking overtime with thoughts. As Chantelle went to collect shells, she and Daniel sat together and discussed it some more.

  “It could start as a fun boating destination for guests,” Daniel said. “They could row here or take kayaks. Or maybe I could use my motorboat to shuffle some of our high-paying guests here. A perk.”

  “It’s a cute idea,” Emily said. “But what would they do while they were out here?”

  “Well, we could hang some hammocks in the trees,” Daniel suggested. “We could put in a fire pit for nighttime bonfires or for those who come over during colder weather.”

  “I still don’t know who will want to spend any extended amount of time here, if there’s no electricity.”

  “We can string solar lights,” he said. “Bring lanterns and fuel. Not having electricity will be a selling point. Imagine how gorgeous the stars will look out here! People could come and meditate. Maybe Tracey could do one of her classes here. It would be the perfect retreat for a writer or artist or musician. Can you imagine? Someone who wants solitude, a quiet place away from the inn. I could build a cabin so people could stay for more time if they wanted to.”

  Emily loved his enthusiasm, but she still couldn’t quite see it working. “But if there’s no electricity, what happens in an emergency? Say your poor writer on their retreat gets stuck in a storm? Or they come down with appendicitis and need medical aid?”

  “I’ll drive over in the boat to get them. We could install a generator which has enough power at least for their cell phone. That way they can call the inn whenever they want, as well. Maybe I could drive them over supplies and things, or sail them back in order to dine at the inn.”

  “And what happens when they need to pee?”

  Daniel laughed. “I’ll build an outhouse.”

  Emily shook her head. “Kind of ruins the romance of it, don’t you think?”

  “It depends on how adventurous the guest is,” Daniel said. He just wasn’t letting this go, Emily realized. “Some people love to get a little bit back to nature.”

  “Without running water?” Emily added.

  “We can dig a well!” came Daniel’s response. “It is possible, you know, to dig your own pipes and wells and build plumbing. People did it themselves in the past!”

  He seemed to have an answer for everything. Seeing how serious Daniel was, Emily started to actually consider his proposition. She thought about it from a marketing point of view, from the view of monetizing it.

  “The Island Room,” she said. “That sounds qui
te exotic and romantic, don’t you think?”

  Daniel nodded. “We could invite Colin Magnus out to try it and write an article. It would garner us lots of press. Even if we only have guests over the summer months each year it would pay for itself in a few years’ time. And then it would generate enough money to pay for its upkeep, because really the maintenance would be minimal, once everything was up and running.”

  Emily thought even more deeply on the option. If all the work was upfront—building the tree house, the ballroom, the cabin, the outhouse, and a jetty for the boat—then after that it would be a case of maintaining it.

  “Do you think your new contractors would be interested in taking on the work?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” Daniel replied. “It would be amazing in their portfolio!”

  Emily felt herself getting caught up in Daniel’s enthusiasm. She began running the figures through in her mind, considering all the big families they’d had to turn away through lack of space.

  “We could do with more big family units,” she said. “So say we made it a two- or three-bed cabin. Then we’d be able to rent it out at a thousand dollars a night. One season of rentals would pay off the sale price. The next year the cost of renovating and building all the different places would be paid off. After two years, it’s all profit. And we’d own it outright, so it’s an asset we could sell later if the upkeep becomes too demanding.”

  “Exactly,” Daniel said. “Although I’d love to hang onto it for the family. Even if we decide to not use it for the inn any longer in the future, we could still keep it as a family getaway for us and the girls. Whenever we want to, we can come out here and it will ground us, get us back to ground zero as a family, allowing some space from the inn. It would be fantastic for the kids. A childhood escape. Somewhere for them to really enjoy growing up.”

  Emily took Daniel’s hands then. “Are we being crazy, or should we do this?” she asked.

  Daniel shook his head. “It’s not crazy at all. We’ve run through the figures. And if anyone can make it succeed, it’s us.”

  Emily felt a swell of excitement at the prospect. She also felt proud of the achievements she and Daniel had made with the inn. They did make a great team, and together they were building something amazing for their family. Could they really do it?

  Just then Chantelle skipped over. She was holding something in her hands. “Look what I found,” she said, excitedly, holding out her hands.

  Emily picked up the object resting in her palms. It was an old toy telescope, rusted, the glass cracked. A strange sense of familiarity hit Emily. She and Charlotte had a similar toy as a child. No, not similar, the exact same type! The same type they’d found in Charlotte’s time capsule.

  Chantelle gasped with disbelief, “It’s just like Aunty Charlotte’s!” she exclaimed, looking at it with awe.

  With a growing sensation that this was some kind of sign, Emily turned the telescope over and saw there were faded letters etched into the side. She read them and gasped.

  “Sunset Island,” she said aloud.

  The coincidence was too much. It was a sign, it had to be. The same toy she and Charlotte had played with as children washing up on an island she and Daniel were wondering about buying, with the name similar to her inn’s on the side.

  “Daniel,” she gasped, clutching the telescope to her chest. “We should do it.”

  His eyes widened with excitement. “Really?”

  “Yes.” Emily nodded, more certain of this than anything. “Yes!”

  “Do what?” Chantelle asked, confused, looking from her father to her mother with a frown.

  “Buy an island,” Daniel said, sounding like he couldn’t believe his own words.

  Chantelle laughed with disbelief. She clearly thought they were joking. “Only rich people can own islands,” she said, dismissively, as though she were far too intelligent to fall for it.

  “Not tiny islands like this one,” Daniel told her. “There’s no water, Wi-Fi, or electricity so the price is actually quite reasonable.”

  “Let’s call the real estate agent to see if it’s still for sale,” Emily said. “The sign is so old and battered it may have been here for years for all we know. But if it’s for sale, we will put an offer on it.”

  Chantelle was still frowning. She studied both of their faces. “Are you being serious?” she asked, her tone incredulous.

  “Yes!” they both cried.

  Chantelle sat there, frozen for a moment in disbelief. But the news must have finally sunk in because suddenly she was on her feet, hollering and whooping, charging around the rocky beach with her arms out wide.

  “But,” Daniel warned, once she returned, “we shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves. The island might not even still be for sale. Or the price might be different now and out of our range. It’s still very much a tentative decision so don’t get your hopes up too much.”

  Chantelle nodded, but clearly wasn’t going to dampen her enthusiasm at all. The very idea her parents were going to try and buy an island seemed enough to delight her.

  Emily and Daniel smiled at each other, excited for the future and what they hoped might be the beginning of a new adventure together.

  *

  They returned to the harbor to see that the Labor Day celebration at the yacht club was in full swing. A final horn sounded out for summer. But they couldn’t join in the celebrations this year because they had Roman’s album launch party to go to.

  Daniel checked his watch. “We’d better hurry, we don’t want to miss the limo.”

  They headed back to the inn, the sun setting as they did. It was beautiful.

  As they strolled along the driveway to the inn, they saw the limo already parked outside waiting for them. Yvonne and Bailey were waiting on the porch steps and they waved as the family approached.

  “You guys ready for this?” Emily asked, excited.

  They nodded, and everyone got inside the limo.

  As promised, Roman had installed a bubble machine for the girls to play with, and there was an ice bucket filled with alcohol-free champagne for the grown-ups. Pop music thumped as they drove, which the children loved but Emily found a little grating. She couldn’t wait for the much more mature and pleasant sounds of Roman’s jazz music.

  They arrived at the Portland venue, which didn’t even look like a concert was about to take place. Roman had managed to keep his launch party secret, and there were no signs or posters proclaiming his attendance that evening. No paparazzi stood around to take photos. Instead, it was just a group of fans lining up outside. There were more fans inside, Emily soon discovered, as they were shown through as VIPs by the security team.

  The place had been decked out with couches and large floor pillows. Fabric was draped all over the walls and ceiling. It was a very relaxing environment. Everyone settled down and got comfortable. All around them, eager fans chatted with one another, exchanging excited whispers, guessing what the new album would be like.

  “This is so strange,” Chantelle said to Emily. “Roman’s our friend but all these people are talking about him like he’s super important.”

  Yvonne leaned in and added, wryly, “I just heard someone say they wonder what color fedora he’ll be wearing tonight.”

  Just then the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted with applause. A moment later, Roman walked on stage. His fedora was black, matching his suit.

  Chantelle giggled. “He looks funny like that,” she said.

  Roman’s band began to strike out the first notes of the new song, and everyone started clapping along and cheering. Emily also found it strange to watch him up on stage with his swagger. Though she’d obviously known him before, she had grown more accustomed to his non-stage persona. It was quite impressive really, the way he could switch on this confident, slightly arrogant act, when it didn’t really match his personality in the slightest.

  The new song was great, though, and Emily bopped along with the rest of the au
dience. The kids were having a great time, dancing enthusiastically. Bailey’s natural energy always rubbed off a little on Chantelle, making her act more goofy than normal.

  Roman spotted them both in the crowd then, and waved. Chantelle waved back.

  When the song ended, everyone started to cheer loudly.

  “Thank you very much,” Roman said, sounding for a moment like Elvis’s long-lost brother. Then he pointed to Chantelle. When she looked up, he beckoned. “I’d like you to welcome a good friend of mine,” he said to the crowd. “A little lady by the name of Chantelle.”

  Chantelle looked behind her for Emily and Daniel. When they made eye contact, Emily nodded, ushering her to go. Chantelle did, stepping up on stage carefully. The crowd clapped.

  Roman whispered something in Chantelle’s ear, and she nodded. Then he handed her a microphone.

  Emily looked at Daniel wide-eyed. “What are they doing?” she said. “I thought he was just going to have her on stage for the fun of it. He’s not expecting her to sing, is he?”

  Daniel looked as bewildered as Emily felt. Yvonne was surprised as well.

  “Did you know this was going to happen?” she asked.

  Emily shook her head. “I don’t think Chantelle did either, by the look on her face!”

  The band played again, and Roman started a new song. Chantelle looked a little awkward standing next to him, swaying her hips in time to the music. But she was enjoying the beat and she relaxed as the song progressed. It helped that Roman kept singing at her, taking her attention away from the eyes that watched her from the audience.

  When the chorus kicked in he nodded to her as a prompt. To Emily’s delight, Chantelle sang timidly along with the backup singers. It was just a melody without words—except “doo doo doo”—but she did it perfectly. She grinned with triumph once the chorus was over.

  Emily cheered, thrilled to see her up on the stage. Daniel too looked mesmerized and beyond proud. They watched and bopped along as Roman sang the second verse. Then the chorus came in again and this time, Chantelle wasn’t timid at all. This time she’d found her confidence and her groove as she belted out the melody. Roman looked impressed and gave her a thumbs-up. The audience seemed delighted as well and cheered her on.