For You, Forever

by Sophie Love

  Emily nodded, understanding. She’d been right in thinking it was the stress of the promotion compounding Daniel’s response.

  “I’m sure it will settle,” she told him, reassuringly. “Once you’ve adjusted to the new responsibilities and found your feet.”

  For the first time, Emily saw a smile return to Daniel’s eyes.

  “Thanks, babe,” he told her. “I’m sure you’re right. It’s just so hard, not being there for Chantelle. Especially after missing the first six years, you know?” He sounded wistful.

  “I know,” Emily replied meaningfully. “But you would have lost your temper if you’d been there. The school was useless! They wouldn’t even consider switching Laverne into a different class. The principal may as well have just shrugged and said she didn’t care. She actually said they had to figure it out amongst themselves. Seven-year-olds! Like they can sit down and have guidance counseling? I was furious. I unleashed the Mama Bear.”

  Daniel laughed. “I would love to have seen that.”

  Emily shook her head, recalling the fury she’d felt. “It completely ruined my coffee date with Amy.”

  “Oh yeah,” Daniel said, remembering. “How was that? Did you find out what’s going on with her and Harry?”

  Emily nodded. “It’s the obvious really. Commitment. She’s not sure about throwing herself headfirst into the relationship. Especially after Fraser. I can’t convince her. You know what she’s like, stubborn. I’m just dropping gentle hints that Harry is the One and that she needs to take the plunge.”

  “It would be wonderful to have her here full time,” Daniel said. “For you. And Chantelle, of course. I think it’s important she has grown-ups to rely on and look up to.”

  Emily nodded, but became a little quiet as she thought of Roy. His was the kind of adult relationship that Chantelle needed so badly, but it was going to come to an untimely and unjust end very soon. She and Daniel had agreed not to tell Chantelle her beloved Papa Roy was dying and she was glad of it now. The child clearly wouldn’t cope with it. But she’d need to be told at some point.

  “I almost forgot,” Emily said, trying to force the dark thoughts from her mind. “Amy wants her and I to spend the weekend in New York City. She misses it and needs a bit of space from Harry to get her thoughts in order. Plus the baby shower was a bit of a disaster and she thinks a layette shower in New York City should happen, with Jayne.”

  “This coming weekend?” Daniel asked, sounding a little surprised. “That’s a bit sudden.”

  “I know,” Emily said. “Do you think Chantelle will be okay if I go? I won’t if it’s going to upset her more.”

  “You have to,” Daniel said, surprising her. “Our baby should have a proper party. And I think Amy’s right, it would be good to do it in New York City.”

  “Really?” Emily asked, surprised.

  He nodded. “I want you to be happy and have as many fun experiences as possible, especially with your friends and Jayne. Things will be different once Charlotte’s here. You need as many happy moments as possible for when you’re exhausted after sleepless nights.”

  Emily laughed. “Well, okay. If you think it’s a good idea. I don’t mind postponing until Chantelle’s feeling less fragile.”

  Daniel kissed the top of her head. “By the time this week’s over, I’m sure this whole Laverne thing will be over and done with. And anyway, I can cope with Chantelle. You go. Have fun.”

  They kissed, deeply and tenderly.

  “Thank you, sweetheart,” Emily said, gazing at her loving husband with adoration.

  Just then, the sound of distant piano music interrupted Emily’s thought process. She frowned, quirking her head to the side in confusion.

  “Am I imagining that, or can you hear a piano too?” she asked Daniel.

  “It sounds like one of Owen’s pieces,” Daniel replied, confirming her suspicion.

  They both looked at the piano in the corner. The music definitely wasn’t coming from that! It seemed to be floating toward them from a distance.

  Daniel stood from the couch and went over to the window, drawing back the curtains.

  “Oh!” he exclaimed

  “What is it?” Emily asked, getting up as fast as her bump permitted and going over to join him.

  To her surprise she saw people walking up the path, not toward the inn, but toward Trevor’s house. Light was streaming from the windows. The piano music was emanating from that direction, too.

  “The restaurant!” Emily cried.

  Daniel looked shocked. “It’s opening tonight?” he said. “How did we forget?”

  Emily couldn’t believe something so important could have slipped her mind.

  “Baby brain,” she suggested, referring to that well-known phenomenon that caused forgetfulness in pregnancy.

  “That explains it for you,” Daniel chuckled. “But what about me?”

  “Well, you’ve been focusing on your promotion,” she said. “And I guess we did pass all the responsibility over to Harry. He must be so good at managing things he didn’t even need to check in with us about anything.”

  She watched all the people heading toward the house for the opening night. It looked like it was going to be a popular new haunt for the people of Sunset Harbor and Emily was relieved. Missing the Labor Day business had been a worry for Emily but the restaurant just hadn’t been ready in time to open then. She’d been certain that local folk would be too tired from all the celebrations to want another, but she saw now that she should never have doubted them. The good people of Sunset Harbor were always there to support her!

  “We need to get ready and head over,” Emily said. “Do you think Chantelle will want to come?”

  “Of course,” Daniel said. “I don’t think there’s a bully in the world that can keep our little girl from a party!”

  He seemed excited to get going, and Emily was glad to see him so enthusiastic, especially after all the hard work he’d put into it.

  They left the living room and headed in the direction of the bedroom, excited to get glammed up for the night.

  “Oh shoot,” Emily said suddenly, as she hurried up the steps. “None of my formal dresses are going to fit over my bump!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Once they were dressed for the evening, the family hurried across the lawns, toward the twinkling piano music floating out of Trevor’s. The doors were wide open, letting the light from inside spill out and the unseasonably warm air in. Long white lace curtains that framed the door blew in the light breeze. Emily felt like she was in the Mediterranean!

  Harry was standing in the door, dressed in a suit. Emily had never seen him look so smart. Like George, he was rarely in anything other than jeans and a shirt. He looked even more dashing all dressed up.

  “I wasn’t sure if you guys were coming,” Harry said, accepting a handshake from Daniel and hugs from both Emily and Chantelle.

  “Of course!” Emily exclaimed. “We just got a little sidetracked.” She flashed Daniel a knowing look.

  Peering inside the restaurant, Emily was pleasantly surprised to see that it was incredibly busy. Amongst the patrons she noticed many of her local friends—Karen and her husband, Vanessa and Jason on a date night without baby Katy. Even Mayor Hansen was there, with Marcella and other people on the zoning board.

  The place was decorated beautifully. It was even classier than Emily had imagined it to be. The chandeliers lit the space with dazzling white light, and the floor gleamed. At the far end of the large open-plan space was the traditional wood-burning oven, and several chefs in white coats were busy expertly flinging pizza dough into the air.

  In the corner, Owen was playing the piano, solo without his jazz band. Serena was sitting alone at a table nearby, sipping a cocktail. Emily hadn’t seen Serena in a long time and was glad for the opportunity to catch up.

  Chantelle looked enchanted, and Daniel seemed lost for words.

  “Wow,” Emily gushed. “It looks magical
in there.”

  “Come in,” Harry said. “We have a seat for you on the mezzanine level.” He gestured to the half floor above, where Emily could just see the faces of people peering down.

  They climbed the staircase. On the mezzanine level there was a long banquet-style table. Amy was already sitting there, next to George. Wesley and Suzanna were also in attendance, with Toby and baby Robin, who was fast asleep. Bryony, and Raj and Sunita Patel were also amongst the group. Everyone had made the effort to dress up and looked dazzling.

  “I didn’t know you guys were coming!” Emily gushed as she rushed toward each of them and greeted them with kisses.

  “Of course,” Suzanna said. “We want to support you.”

  “And Harry,” George added. “It’s great to see my little brother realize his dreams!”

  Amy nodded in agreement.

  Everyone took their seats. Chantelle sat next to Toby. She still seemed to be in a bit of a bad mood, but at least she was with one of her closest friends. Emily wondered whether Yvonne, Keiran, and Bailey’s absences were pointed. It wasn’t like them to miss big social events.

  The waitress came to take their orders, and Emily opted for a buffalo mozzarella salad to start and lasagna for the entrée. When the waitress returned with wine and soft drinks, she produced a bottle of alcohol-free champagne for Emily.

  Emily laughed, delighted by the gesture.

  From her seat, she had a view over the whole restaurant. It filled her heart with joy to see so many familiar faces, and to see the hustle and bustle of the staff. Harry was doing an amazing job coordinating everything and Emily could tell from his expression that he was loving every moment. She felt so glad to be able to give back, to help others realize their dreams just like she’d realized hers when she’d first opened the inn.

  Their starters arrived and Emily tucked in. It was delicious and she was very impressed with the quality of the ingredients. She’d sourced everything she could from Parker’s wholesalers, with the rest coming from other local businesses. It was important for Emily to support the local community, to give back to Sunset Harbor when it had given so much to her.

  Amy leaned across the table and caught Emily’s attention.

  “Did you speak to Daniel about our New York City trip?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Emily replied. “And he’s fine with it. I’m not sure about Chantelle, though. She had a terrible day at school so I don’t want to drop that bombshell on her.”

  Amy stuck her bottom lip out in sympathy. “Yeah, she doesn’t look too happy. Oh look,” she added, becoming distracted by what was happening on the floor below. “Isn’t that the guy staying in one of the apartments here?”

  Emily looked where she was pointing. “Oh yes, Paul Knowlson, the real estate man.” She noticed that he was waiting for a table, but all the waiters and waitresses were busy. Harry, too, was attending to a large table of elderly people who seemed to be celebrating a birthday.

  “Excuse me,” she said, laying her napkin on the table. “I’d better get him a table.”

  She hurried down the steps.

  “Ah, Mrs. Morey,” Paul said, shaking her hand. “This is your opening night?”

  Emily nodded. “Are you dining alone?” she asked. It didn’t seem right that amongst all the merriment there would be one guest on his own. “If so, we’d be very happy to have you join us. We’re up on the mezzanine.”

  He looked touched. “That would be very kind. I’d like that a lot.”

  Emily led him upstairs and fetched an extra chair. She introduced Paul to the rest of the group.

  “You know, I must say I’m really impressed with this place,” he said, taking his seat.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying your stay.”

  “I don’t mean from a guest perspective,” he said, chuckling. “I mean from a business angle. You know I run a chain of hotels?”

  Emily shook her head. “I thought you were a property developer.”

  “I dabble in a bit of that too,” he said with a smile. “But really hotels are my bread and butter. I own twenty across Florida.”

  Emily almost spat out her alcohol-free champagne. “Twenty?”

  He nodded. “Yes, it’s my real passion. Every time I think I’ve got enough, I find another perfect spot and can’t help myself. It’s a bit of an addiction.”

  Emily thought of the constant expansion work she’d done at the inn. “I can relate to that. But how do you find the time to manage them all? I have my hands full with just this place!”

  Paul smiled. “I don’t. There’s no way to micromanage everything. You have to let a bit of control go. You become more of an executive rather than a manager.”

  Emily liked the sound of that.

  “Have you ever thought of opening more inns?” he added.

  “Well, we’ve just expanded to the two houses, and now we’ve added an island to our collection. It’s going to be a retreat, with yoga and writing. Daniel’s got some fantastic contractors who will be building a three-room cabin out there. But that’s all under our control. I’ve never thought of opening more. Of franchising it.”

  “You should,” he replied. “If you love the industry and have the passion, which you clearly do, not to mention the creativity, you could have your own chain across the state, maybe even a few out of state if you can adapt to the differing markets. It’s something worth considering.”

  Emily felt a tingle of excitement. She’d never considered thinking so big, but she realized that what Paul was proposing was well within the realms of reality for her. In a way she was already doing that, by expanding the inn with different sites, hiring a manager in Harry to oversee the restaurant so she didn’t have to micromanage everything. She’d just never thought bigger than that, to a whole chain of Sunset Inns.

  “I’ve definitely got a lot going on at the moment,” Emily told him, her hands tapping her belly to iterate her point. “But maybe once the little one has arrived I might spend some time thinking of the future.”

  Being an executive of a chain of hotels rather than all the hands-on management she had to do just for the one did seem appealing, especially if it gave her more time to devote to motherhood. Though Emily wasn’t seriously considering acting on his suggestion, she did realize the idea was percolating in her mind.

  She looked over at Chantelle. The girl was looking glum, poking her pizza with her fork. Emily decided she needed to be cheered up. This had gone on long enough.

  She stood and went over, then crouched beside Chantelle’s chair. “I have an idea,” she said.

  Chantelle turned her big blue eyes to Emily. “What’s that?” she asked without enthusiasm.

  “How would you like to be the first person to set foot inside the spa?” Emily asked her.

  Chantelle hesitated, then her eyes widened. “The spa is ready?” she asked.

  Emily nodded. “It’s all done. We were going to open it up tomorrow. But since so many great people are here, I was wondering if it might not be better to do the grand opening now. Would you like to do it, like you did with the speakeasy?”

  Chantelle nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes!”

  Emily grinned. “Come on then.”

  She took Chantelle by the hand and led her downstairs. By the looks of things most of the diners had finished their meals and had moved on to evening coffees or extra tipples. The large birthday party had left, leaving just friends inside the restaurant.

  Chantelle went up to Owen and whispered something in his ear. Emily watched him nod, then finish up playing his piece. Silence fell.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Chantelle said loudly and clearly. “May I have your attention.”

  There was a hubbub that died down as people turned to look at her.

  “We have an extra special announcement to make. Tonight is not just the opening of the restaurant. We’d also like to reveal to you another very special new extension of the inn. If you would like to follow me.”

&
nbsp; Emily grinned with pride. She loved it when Chantelle took charge like this. The child was naturally gifted at it, and everyone adored her. They readily followed.

  As people streamed out into the warm evening, wine glasses and coffee cups in hand, Emily caught up to Serena.

  “Hey,” she said, tugging on her friend’s elbow. “How are you? It’s been ages.”

  Serena smiled pleasantly. “I know. I’ve missed you. You’re so… pregnant!”

  Emily laughed. “Are all your finals done now?”

  Serena nodded. Emily noticed a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

  “Did they not go as well as you’d hoped?” Emily asked.

  To her surprise, tears sparkled in Serena’s eyes. “Actually, they went amazingly.”

  “So those are happy tears?” Emily asked.

  Serena shook her head. “Well, yes, on one hand. But on the other, no. My work’s been getting a lot of interest. I’ve been offered a position at an artist’s studio. Ang Jin. He’s a famous sculptor.”

  “That’s amazing!” Emily cried. “Oh my gosh, congratulations.” She hugged her friend. “But why aren’t you happy about it?”

  Serena shook her head again, looking crestfallen. “It’s in Singapore.”

  “Oh,” Emily said, realizing why Serena’s news wasn’t a complete blessing. “You’d have to move.”

  Serena nodded. “I don’t know whether Owen will come with me. But I can’t pass this up. I can’t miss this opportunity.”

  “You haven’t told him yet?”

  “Not yet. I don’t want it to … you know… break us up.”

  “It won’t. You’ll make it work,” Emily said. “You two are strong. But you have to tell him. When would you be leaving?”

  “In the New Year,” Serena said. “Just after Christmas.”

  Emily couldn’t help but feel relieved to know Serena would be around for Baby Charlotte’s birth. Even though they weren’t as close as they once had been, she couldn’t bear the thought of Serena not meeting her!