“Well, on that note, let’s see if we can finish this meal without any more jabs at each other, okay?” his mom suggested.
“Who made the cake?” Anna asked. “This is just as delicious as the rest of the meal.”
“That would be Norma,” his mom admitted. “I just can’t top her desserts.”
“The whole meal was just wonderful. Thank you for taking me in even though your season is done.”
“We’re never really completely closed,” his mom said. “We have guests year-round, it’s just that they’re less frequent once summer is over.”
“We’ll have another rush of guests around mid-October for the Fall Festival.”
“A fall festival? That sounds delightful.”
Eli wondered if she planned to stick around that long since it was about a month away. It was possible that the break she needed would be over by that point.
“We’ll be busy getting ready for that in addition to working on the cabins.”
“Well, let me know if you need an extra hand,” Anna said. “I’d be happy to help out if I can.”
Eli glanced over at Anna, wondering if her offer was genuine or just one of those platitudes people tossed out to make themselves feel better but that everyone knew not to take them up on. Her expression hadn’t changed with the offer, so it appeared the offer was real, but it didn’t really matter. There wasn’t much a rich, “lifestyle social media” person could do to help them.
While his mom and Sarah went on to talk about all the things they did in preparation for the festival, Eli got up and began to clear away the dishes. Since he didn’t do much of the cooking, the clean-up was usually something he took care of.
In the kitchen, he began to load the large dishwasher. Eli glanced up as Anna set some dishes onto the counter. Sarah came around and went to the sink to run water to wash the pots and pans. He focused once again on the dishes he was putting into the dishwasher, listening as Sarah talked to Anna about the town.
Eli was only half paying attention to them since he was trying to formulate what he needed to say to the pastor about Coral. He knew that Pastor Evans would understand he was only the messenger, but that didn’t make it any easier. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the man.
“It sounds like your town has a little bit of everything,” Anna said.
“And what we don’t have, you can drive less than an hour to get to.”
“If I need something mailed to me, is there a post office I could have it sent to?”
“You could have anything sent here,” Sarah said. “We’ll make sure it gets to you, or there’s a post office in town.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Anna stayed around to help clear off the table even though his mom had told her she didn’t have to. Once it was done, however, she said goodbye and left the lodge.
“Well, she’s certainly nice,” Sarah said as she wrung out the cloth in the sink. “I wasn’t sure what to think at first. She’s like…perfect.”
“No one is ever perfect, Sarah,” Eli reminded her. “And the more a person seems perfect, the more likely they are to be hiding something.”
“You’re just too suspicious.”
She wasn’t wrong, but someone had to look out for the family. “Just keep it in mind, okay? We’re strangers to her, and she’s a stranger to us. It’s not likely she’s told us everything about her life just like we haven’t told her everything about ours.”
Sarah didn’t argue with him, so he knew he’d at least given her something to keep in mind. Leah and his mom came in, their conversation—not surprisingly—was about the upcoming painting project. He would be making a trip to the hardware store in the morning to pick up the first round of paint and supplies. Thankfully, there would be no changing their minds on the color after that.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Arianna walked along the narrow road, grateful that there were enough streetlamps to light her way. Given it was her first night in the area, she was still a little uncertain of how safe it was to be out by herself. As the thought entered her mind, she glanced around then moved a little more quickly down the road and breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped into the cabin and locked the door behind her.
She stood there for a moment, looking around the room that was going to be her home for the next week or so. Her luggage sat at the foot of the bed, still needing to be unpacked. Her gaze strayed to the desk where she’d left her phone earlier. That was something she should deal with soon, too.
But that could wait for another day.
Right then she was going to unpack her bag, take a bath, then go to bed, hopefully, to sleep better than she had in days. And if she did, then maybe she’d be in the right frame of mind to deal with everything she’d been trying to escape.
As she unpacked, Arianna thought about the dinner she’d just shared with Nadine and her family. It had been a mix of entertaining, informative, and tense. It had reminded her of a time when she’d first experienced what it was like to be part of a larger family. She hadn’t thought about that in ages, so in some ways, it felt like a new experience once again, and she’d found it just as fascinating this time around as she had that first time.
After putting the last of her clothes in the chest of drawers, Arianna slid the drawer shut, marveling at the smoothness of its movement. As she ran her hands over the shiny surface, she wondered if the piece was something Eli had made. If so, he’d done a stellar job.
There was a picture frame sitting on the top of the chest, but instead of a photograph, it held what looked like a blend of watercolors with something written in black calligraphy over the top. Picking up the frame, Arianna studied the words.
Fear not, for I am with you. – God
Arianna rolled the words around in her head. She’d felt very much alone in recent weeks. When she’d gone to her team with her thoughts about how things were going with David, none of them had seemed to think she had any reason to be concerned, but clearly, they’d been very, very wrong. The same people who had encouraged her to get involved in the duplicity to start with had been quick to distance themselves from that decision, saying it had been her choice ultimately.
And they were right. She should have said no, but she’d said yes, and chaos had resulted. Still, acknowledging that didn’t make her feel less alone.
Staring at the framed piece of art, she traced the words with a fingertip. She’d read those words in the Bible, but they hadn’t resonated with her the way they did right then. If she’d felt alone over the past few months, she had no one to blame but herself. From the moment she’d made the decision to agree with the scheme, she’d begun to distance herself from God, and she’d been unable to find any sense of peace. Reading the Bible had become impossible, as had praying.
With a sigh, Arianna set the frame back on the chest of drawers. It was time to begin formulating her next step. But first, she needed to find a way to move beyond the guilt she felt for agreeing to the duplicity that had had her lying to her audience.
She turned away from the dresser and went to her laptop bag. Leaving the laptop in place, she pulled out her worn leather-bound notebook then went to one of the comfy chairs near the couch. She eyed the fireplace but then decided it was probably best to not require rescuing on her very first night there if she did something wrong while trying to light a fire.
Hoping to keep her mind focused, Arianna picked her favorite playlist on her phone then set it aside. The number of unread texts and emails continued to increase, but there was still no call from her parents. The lack of communication didn’t upset her. In fact, it was a good sign. Hopefully, it meant the scandal was confined to the social media world, which her parents weren’t a part of.
Blowing out a long breath, Arianna closed her eyes and rested her head back against the chair. God, please forgive me. I know what I did was wrong, but I want to make things right. Please give me wisdom as I deal with all of this. As I try to make right what I did wrong.
Though she’d hoped for instant peace and clarity, Arianna knew that that wasn’t always how it worked. There were repercussions for what she’d done, and she’d need to deal with them regardless of where her heart might be.
Opening her notebook, she began to jot down the jumble of thoughts that had been collecting while she’d wandered along the highways between LA and New Hope Falls. She owed her audience—the people who supported her by watching her videos and buying her products—an explanation and an apology.
The problem was, she didn’t want her explanation to overshadow her apology. No matter what she did, fans and haters alike would be picking it all apart. So many had just been waiting for Arianna Carrington to stumble, and stumble she had.
Back when she’d started this journey, Arianna had never imagined what was to come. What opportunities would come her way because of the growth of her channel. When she’d reached one million subscribers, she hadn’t known what to do next. However, as the number of followers had continued to grow, her business sense and schooling had finally kicked in, and what had started as a hobby had become a business.
But at the heart of it all was the knowledge that she’d have none of it without her subscribers and followers. No doubt her Social Blade—the website that kept track of how many people subscribed or unsubscribed to social media sites—was a solid red line with people unsubscribing from her channel left, right, and center. But she wasn’t making an apology video in order to stop the red, she wanted to make it because she owed it to her audience.
They deserved to know that she was sorry. She didn’t need to tell them she’d messed up, they all knew that already. What she needed to do was to explain what had happened without making it sound like she was making excuses for a bad decision.
Arianna didn’t want a scripted video because that would come across stiff, but at the same time, she wanted to make sure she covered the important things. Before she could continue forward with anything else, she needed to make the video, and she wanted to do that before reading anyone else’s thoughts on the matter.
The buck stopped with her, so she was going to make the apology the way she wanted to make it. If this was the end of the social media road for her, she wanted to go out on her terms.
The next morning, after sleeping better than she’d thought she would, Arianna ate some of the baked goods Norma had sent home with her then decided to head into town. She needed some groceries, plus she wanted to have another look around. Maybe stop in at Norma’s for lunch.
The video still wasn’t made, but after spending time jotting down ideas and then taking a long hot bath, she had a better idea of what she wanted to say. She planned to make the video that evening, watch through it to make sure it was presented how she wanted then, if all was well, she’d upload the video the next day.
Just having that video done would take a weight off her shoulders. Then she’d reconnect with her assistant and her management team. No doubt they’d have plenty to say to her, but they’d be saying it through emails, video chats, or the phone.
She wasn’t leaving New Hope Falls just yet.
***
Eli stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the cans of paint and paraphernalia waiting for him at the hardware store.
“I think we’ve got everything ready for you,” Doug said. “But you know where to find us if we missed something.”
“Haha,” Eli mumbled. “You’re an absolute riot.”
“I know. My kids swear I’m boring, but I think I’m quite funny. Thank you very much.”
“I’m beginning to think I should have brought the trailer.” Eli turned to look at the hardware store owner. “Did Mom call and add anything to the list I gave you?”
“She may have requested a few more drop cloths and some more trim tape.”
It looked like a lot more than just that, but Eli wasn’t about to argue with the man. Doug was one of a handful of people who had not only believed Eli was innocent in Sheila’s disappearance, but he’d never doubted him for a moment. A lot of people had come around with time, but there were a few who had never believed for a moment that Eli was guilty. He didn’t take those people for granted.
“Can I borrow one of your guys to load the truck?”
“Were you planning to go to Norma’s for lunch?” Doug asked, glancing at his watch.
“I was thinking about it,” Eli said.
“Why don’t you give me your keys, and I’ll have the boys load up your truck while you get something to eat.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Eli said with a nod then dug out his wallet for his credit card. “And you can use this to settle the bill.”
Eli wondered what their rich guest would think about him leaving not only his truck keys but his credit card with a business while he went to get a bite to eat. It wasn’t until he left the hardware store that he noticed that said guest was actually in town. Her swanky car was parked a few spots down from his truck. She must have just come into town since he was sure the car hadn’t been there when he’d gone into the hardware store a few minutes earlier.
He looked both ways then crossed the street toward Aunt Norma’s restaurant. Since it was Thursday, the fall lunch special was going to be her beef barley vegetable soup with a roast beef sandwich. One of his favorite meals at her restaurant. Although, to be honest, he loved pretty much all her food. Except for when she insisted on putting mushrooms on or in things.
“Hey! There’s my favorite nephew,” she said as he walked in.
Eli bent to brush a kiss across her cheek. “And there’s my favorite aunt.”
In reality, he had more than one aunt, and she had more than one nephew, but when it was just the two of them, it was a little game they liked to play. Although, to him, it wasn’t really a game. He was definitely closer to her than his other aunt or uncles, his mom’s siblings. Why that was, he didn’t know for sure, but no doubt a big part of it was how much like his mom she was. Unlike Sarah and Leah, who were also identical twins but vastly different in personality, his mom and Aunt Norma were very much alike in how they interacted with people.
“Come have a seat, hun,” she said, looping her arm through his and drawing him into the restaurant.
She was guiding him toward the counter where he usually sat when his gaze fell on a familiar figure already seated there. His steps faltered for a moment, but his aunt continued to propel him toward the counter.
“Look who else showed up for lunch today,” she announced as she shoved him onto the seat beside Anna.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eli wasn’t sure what he expected Anna’s reaction to be, but as she turned to him, her eyes widened briefly before she smiled. It didn’t seem like just a polite smile. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was happy to see him.
“Hi, Eli,” she said, her tone as friendly as her smile.
“Hey.” Eli gave her a smile in return, though he doubted it looked anywhere near as friendly as hers. It wasn’t that he was against smiling, it just wasn’t something he did very often. Smiling invited conversation which he wasn’t always comfortable with. “You here for lunch?”
“Yep. I came into town to get some groceries and to have a look around then decided to grab some lunch first.”
“Well, you came to the right place,” Eli told her.
“I did, didn’t I,” Anna said with a nod and another smile, her blue eyes sparkling. “I stopped in for lunch yesterday, and it was the best meal I’d had in a while. Of course, then I had your mom’s spaghetti last night. I am going to gain a bunch of weight if I keep eating like this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with carrying a little extra,” Norma said as she walked by. “Just more to love. At least that’s what my Frank says.”
Anna chuckled, the smile lines on either side of her mouth deepening. “If only the whole world shared Frank’s opinion.”
Eli watched as Rosalie, one of his younger cousins, set a salad and a bowl of the so
up he was looking forward to in front of Anna.
“Thank you. This smells delicious,” Anna said as she picked up her spoon.
“You’re welcome.” Rosie’s gaze lingered on Anna before turning to Eli. “Missy is just finishing up your sandwich. I’ll bring it out when she’s done.”
Eli nodded his thanks and watched as his cousin walked away, glancing back over her shoulder before she disappeared into the kitchen. He frowned after her, not sure what she was finding so fascinating about Anna. It wasn’t like they weren’t used to tourists in their town, even rich ones.
When she returned a few minutes later, her gaze once again moved to Anna, but whatever Rosie was thinking, she didn’t share it with either of them. Instead, she just smiled as she set his food on the counter in front of him.
Eli bowed his head and said a quick prayer of thanks for his food then focused on his soup.
“Do you eat here often?”
He glanced over in time to meet Anna’s gaze. “A couple of times a week. Usually, if I have to come into town for something, I time it so I can stop in for lunch.”
“I think I’d be here every day if I lived nearby,” Anna said as she lifted her soup to her mouth.
“It is a temptation,” he agreed. “Do you cook much?”
“I do, actually. It’s something I enjoy, but I haven’t managed to perfect anything like your mom’s spaghetti sauce or this soup of your aunt’s.”
Eli felt the strain of needing to keep the conversation going. It felt like he should be the one to do it since she was a guest in their town, but it wasn’t a role he fell into easily. It wasn’t a position his aunt had ever pushed him into before.
“Would I be able to look at some of your work?”
Anna’s question had him staring down at his soup for a moment before looking over at her. “My work is kind of spread out all across the cabins and the lodge. You’d probably have a harder time avoiding it than finding it.”
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 5
