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For Now and Forever
Chapter Fourteen
Arms laden with groceries, Emily struggled to the car and dumped them in the trunk. It was the night of the party. She’d had twenty RSVPs and found that she was more excited to be a hostess than she’d expected she would be. She’d woken up early that morning to get the beef stew cooking in the slow cooker. The desserts were already done; she’d made them late last night and they were sitting in the fridge to set overnight. Which meant once she got home all she had to do was decorate and whip up the vegetarian option of risotto an hour before the guests arrived.
She smiled to herself as she drove back home, relishing the opportunity to organize and plan, something she’d been denied the chance to do during her seven-year relationship with Ben.
When she pulled up into the drive, she noticed that Daniel wasn’t on the grounds anywhere. She grabbed her groceries from the trunk and went inside, then dumped them on the kitchen table. She listened but couldn’t hear the sounds of hammering or drilling coming from anywhere in the house. It was unusual for Daniel not to be around but Emily shrugged it off and got to work decorating the house. She put candles everywhere, then fresh flowers in vases on both the coffee table and the dining table, the two rooms she was planning on hosting the party in, though she made sure the kitchen looked up to scratch as well, knowing how people tended to migrate around it at soirees, particularly when in search for more alcohol. She hung homemade bunting around the living room, put a large glass bowl of potpourri in the bathroom, and set the table with the finest silver – pieces of value she’d salvaged from amongst the hoards of junk. She poured red wine into the six beautiful crystal decanters she’d salvaged from a cupboard in the kitchen.
Emily relocated the puppies to the back utility room so she could use the living room for the party. Her plan was for socializing and aperitifs in the living room, then a dinner in the dining room.
The clock reached 5 p.m. so she got to work making the risotto. As she entered the kitchen, the smells of the stew that had been slow cooking all day wafted up her nostrils and made her salivate. She’d gotten out of the habit of spending time cooking meals when she’d been with Ben – he preferred to go out for dinner – and was thoroughly enjoying it now. Twenty people was a lot to cook for, though, so it was a little stressful to get the quantities and timing right. But with the vast kitchen and all its gadgets at her disposal, it wasn’t as bad as she’d worried it could be. She just wondered about Daniel. He was supposed to be here helping her fix the dinner; he was the self-proclaimed foodie, after all. But every time she peered out the window, there was no sign of him. Not on the grounds, nor in the carriage house that sat in darkness.
When she was done, she went up to her room and changed. It felt strange dolling herself up after so many months without having even worn a lick of eyeliner, but she enjoyed the old rituals. She went for a striking look with bold, crimson lips and dark lashes that brought out the color in her eyes. The dress she’d chosen was electric blue and figure hugging. She had matching heels, then rounded the whole ensemble off with a silver cuff necklace. Outfit complete, she stepped back and admired herself in the mirror. She’d completely transformed herself and laughed with delight.
It was 6.45 p.m. so she lit all the scented candles to give the smell time to permeate through the house, then checked on the stew and the risotto.
Once everything was ready, Emily looked around again for Daniel. She went and checked the carriage house but he wasn’t there. That’s when she noticed his motorcycle wasn’t in the garage. He must have gone out for another ride.
Great timing, she thought, staring at the clock. He was supposed to be here. She didn’t want to be clingy but she still couldn’t help but worry, especially when Daniel still wasn’t back when the first guests arrived.
Emily had to put him out of her mind and put on her game face instead.
She opened the door to find Charles Bradshaw from the fish restaurant and his wife, Barbara, on the steps. He handed her a bottle of red wine; she handed her flowers.
“This is very kind of you,” Emily said.
“I really can’t believe my eyes,” Charles said, glancing all around him. “You’ve restored the place so beautifully. And so quickly.”
“It’s not finished yet,” Emily said. “But thank you.”
She took their coats and led them into the living room, where there were more appreciative gasps. Before she had a chance to offer them anything to drink, the doorbell rang again. People in Sunset Harbor were pretty prompt, it seemed.
She opened the door and saw Birk standing there, alone. He apologized for his wife, who was feeling under the weather. Then he said, “It’s really true. It wasn’t your ghost that came to visit me in my gas station. You really did last up here by yourself!” He started laughing and grabbed her hand to shake.
“I can hardly believe it myself,” Emily said with a laugh. She was going to add that she hadn’t been by herself, that she’d had Daniel’s help all along, but since he wasn’t here, the words somehow didn’t leave her mouth. She realized then that she felt let down by him for not being here.
Emily led Birk into the living room. She didn’t need to introduce him; he already knew Charles and Barbara.
The doorbell rang again and Emily opened the door to find Cynthia standing there. Cynthia owned a small bookstore in town. She had bright red curly hair and always wore clothes that clashed terribly with it. Tonight she was in a strange lime green and purple ensemble that did nothing to flatter her slightly overweight frame, with bright red lipstick and bright green nail polish. Emily knew that Cynthia had a reputation for being outspoken and slightly outrageous but had invited her anyway out of goodwill. Maybe she’d provide a source of entertainment to the other guests if she really did live up to the rumors!
“Emily!” Cynthia exclaimed, her voice so shrill it was painful.
“Hello, Cynthia,” Emily replied. “Thanks so much for coming.”
“Well, you know what the locals say in Sunset Harbor. ‘It’s not a party without Cynthia.’”
Emil suspected that such a statement had never been uttered by a single person in Sunset Harbor. She gestured for Cynthia to join the others in the living room, then heard a squeal of excitement as Cynthia greeted the other guests with equal enthusiasm and volume.
The doorbell rang again and when Emily answered she saw Doctor Sunita Patel and her husband, Raj, at the doorstep. A little way behind them, Serena was helping Rico along the garden path.
“I saw the tree on your lawn,” Doctor Patel said, kissing Emily’s cheek and handing her a bottle of wine. “The storm hit us pretty badly as well.”
“Oh, I know,” Emily replied. “It was pretty frightening.”
Raj shook Emily’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m a landscaper, by the way, so if you want me to take care of that fallen tree for you I’m more than happy. Just pop in anytime. I own the nursery in town.”
Emily had walked past the beautiful garden store with its gorgeous flower displays and hanging baskets many times during her trips into town. She’d wanted to go inside on more than one occasion to check out all the bird baths, sundials, and pre-grown topiaries but hadn’t yet gotten the chance.
“You’d do that?” Emily asked, taken aback by the generosity. “That would be amazing.”
“It’s the least I can do considering you’re opening up your home for us.”
Raj and Sunita went into the living room and Emily turned her attention to Serena and Rico, who had almost reached the doorstep. Serena looked beautiful in a black dress with a scooped back and gold choker, her black hair hanging in loose waves, her lips a beautiful red.
“We made it!” she grinned, reaching an arm out around Emily’s neck and hugging her.
“I’m so glad,” Emily said. “You’re pretty much the only person here who I actually know.”
“Oh really?” Serena said, laughing. “What about Mr. Beefcake?”
Emily shook her head. “Oh God, don’t even mention him right now.”
Serena pulled a face. Emily laughed and turned her attention to Rico.
“Thanks for coming, Rico,” she said. “I’m really happy to see you.”
“It’s just nice to get out of the house at my age, Ellie.”
“Emily,” Serena corrected.
“That’s what I said,” Rico replied.
Serena rolled her eyes, and the two of them stepped into the hallway. Emily didn’t get a chance to close the door behind her because she saw Karen parking up along the street. Of all the people whose RSVPs she’d been skeptical over, Karen’s had been the main one. But maybe the fact that Emily had done all the grocery shopping for the party at Karen’s store had swayed the woman and won her over. It had been a pretty huge sum of money to spend at a small, local store.
Then right behind Karen, Emily saw the town mayor. She hadn’t had an RSVP from him! She was shocked that he’d want to come to her humble party, but worried at the same time that she wouldn’t have enough food to feed everyone.
Karen was the first to reach the door and Emily greeted her.
“I’ve brought one of my oregano and sun-dried tomato loaves,” Karen said, handing her a basket that smelled delicious.
“Oh, Karen, you shouldn’t have,” Emily said, taking the basket.
“It’s actually a business tactic,” Karen said in a hushed tone out the corner of her mouth. “If this group likes them, they’ll be coming to the general store to stock up!” She winked.
Emily smiled and stepped aside to let her in. She hadn’t been sure about Karen, but it seemed like the woman’s usual friendliness had returned.
Emily then turned to face the mayor. She nodded courteously and held out her hand to shake.
“Thank you for coming,” she said.
The mayor took one look at her hand, then reached past it and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m just glad you’re finally opening your heart to our little town.”
At first Emily felt uncomfortable being hugged by the mayor like that, but his words touched her and she relaxed.
Finally, all the guests were in the house, mostly congregated in the living room, and Emily had a chance to socialize with them.
“I was just telling Rico here,” Birk said to her, “that you should think about turning this place back into a B&B.”
“I didn’t know it used to be one,” Emily replied.
“Oh yes, before your dad bought the place it was,” Rico said. “I think it was a B&B from 1950 to sometime in the eighties.”
Serena laughed and patted Rico’s hand. “He can’t remember my name but he remembers that,” she said out the corner of her mouth.
Emily laughed.
“I bet it paid for itself,” Birk added. “And just the sort of place this town needs.”
The more she spoke to people, the more Emily realized how gracious they were. The idea of her turning the house into a B&B seemed to spread like wildfire, and the more she thought about it, the better an idea it seemed to her as well. It had, in fact, been a dream of hers when she was younger to work in a B&B, but after becoming a surly teenager she’d lost confidence in her ability to connect with people. Her dad’s abandonment had hit her hard, had knocked her for a loop, and she’d been guarded and hostile ever since. But the town had softened her. Maybe she did still have it in her to be a gracious hostess?
It was time for dinner so Emily shepherded everyone into the dining room. There were lots of gasps and cries of admiration as everyone wandered in and took in the sight of the renovated room.
“I won’t be able to show you the ballroom, I’m afraid,” Emily said. “The window was damaged in the storm so it’s all boarded up again.”
No one seemed to mind. They were too enthralled by the dining room. Everything was complimented, from Emily’s floral centerpiece to the color of the rug to the choice of wallpaper.
“You have quite the hand for flower arranging,” Raj said, sounding impressed.
“And aren’t these chairs delightful?” Serena joked, running her fingers across the dining chairs she’d helped Emily source from Rico’s flea market.
It took a long time to get everyone seated. Once they were, Emily went out into the kitchen to serve up. The sound of the hubbub radiating from the dining room made her feel warm and loved.
She made it into the kitchen and quickly checked on Mogsy and the pups in the utility room. They were all sleeping contently as though without a care in the world. Then she went back into the kitchen and began to serve the food.
“Want a hand carrying it all in?” Serena’s voice came from the door.
“Please,” Emily said. “This is bringing back terrible memories of my waitressing days.”
Serena laughed and helped stack up Emily’s arms until she was balancing five plates. Serena did the same, and together they went into the dining room to the sounds of delighted “oohs” and “ahs.”
Emily couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated. Daniel was supposed to be here to help her out. She’d thought of the dinner party as a sort of coming out party for the two of them. She wanted to see how people reacted to her being with a local, with one of them. She thought at the very least it would buy her a little bit of kudos. But Daniel had disappeared, leaving her to do everything alone.
Once everyone had a plate in front of them – and thankfully there had been just enough to feed them all – the meal began.
“Emily, your father went to a Catholic school, didn’t he?” the mayor asked.
The fork that had been on its way to Emily’s mouth suddenly paused. “Oh,” she said awkwardly. “I don’t actually know.”
“I’m sure we shared a few stories of mean nuns,” the mayor said quickly, sensing Emily’s discomfort about talking about her father.
Cynthia, on the other hand, seemed oblivious. “Oh, your dad, Emily. He was such a great guy,” she exclaimed. She had her glass high in the air. Red wine sloshed precariously close to the rim every time she gesticulated, which was often. “I remember this time, it must have been at least twelve years back now, because it was before Jeremy and Luke were born, while I still had my figure.” She paused and cackled.
Emily didn’t correct her that it had to have been at least twenty years, but she could tell from the awkward shuffles around the dinner table and the averted eyes that enough people were thinking it and feeling bad on her behalf.
“It was the first time he came into my store,” Cynthia continued, “and he was asking for this very specific book, an old one that was out of print. I don’t remember the title but it was something to do with flower fairies. Now I knew he’d moved into the house on West Street and I’d seen him a few times. Every time I’d seen him he was alone. So I’m looking at this grown man, getting a bit nervous, wondering what he wants a collector’s edition book on fairies for. I keep thinking I must have misheard him and I’m leading him around the bookstore showing him all these different books with similar titles, and he’s saying, ‘no, no, that’s not it. It’s about fairies.’ I didn’t have it so had to order it in for him, which bumped up the price even more. He didn’t seem to mind at all, so I’m thinking he’s really committed to getting this collector’s edition of a book on fairies. So a few weeks later the book is delivered and I call him up to say it’s there for him to pick up. I’m a bit nervous, but when he comes in he’s pushing this lovely little girl in a stroller. That must have been you, Emily. The relief I felt, you would not believe!”
There was a moment of silence around the table as people looked to Emily, trying to work out what would be the appropriate way to react. When they saw that she was starting to giggle, they too let their own stifled laughter out. There was almost a perceptible moment where the tension they’d been holding was released.
Cynthia finished off her anecdote. “I told him I thought you were a little too young to read the book but he said that it was for when you got older, that his mom had owned a copy and he wanted you to have one too. Isn’t that just the most darling thing you ever heard?”
“Yes,” Emily said, grinning. “I’d never heard that story before.”
Emily felt grateful to Cynthia for giving her another beautiful memory she could cherish. It also saddened her, making her miss her dad even more.
After Cynthia’s story, conversation quickly turned to the idea of turning the house into a B&B.
“I think you should do it,” Sunita said. “Turn this place into a B&B. You’d be more likely to get your permit for that because it would benefit everyone in town to have one.”
“True,” the mayor said. “It would protect you from Trevor as well.”
Emily smirked. She was getting the distinct impression that Trevor Mann was thoroughly disliked in the community, and that he in no way represented any of the people sitting around her dining table.
“Well,” Emily said, sipping at her wine, “it’s a lovely idea. But I only have three months’ worth of money left before I go broke.”
“Enough to get some of the bedrooms fixed?” Birk asked.
“That’s a good point,” Barbara joined in. “The dining room, living room, and kitchen are all already done. If you had a bedroom you’d have everything you needed to start you off. Voila. Bed and breakfast.”
She was right. They all were. That really was all Emily needed to get her dream off the ground. Enough of the house and grounds were already to a standard that guests would enjoy. If she set the bar low – just to get one customer through the door, for example – that would be achievable just as soon as she’d renovated a bedroom. Then with a small amount of income dripping in, she’d be able to reinvest in the business, do up another room, and grow the business slowly that way.
“Well, Barbara,” Karen said, “she’d need the breakfast part as well.”
Everyone laughed.
“Funnily enough,” Raj said, “I’ve actually got some chickens I need to rehome. You could take them and then you would have fresh eggs for the breakfasts!”
“And you already make the best coffee in town,” the mayor added. “No offense, Joe.”
Everyone looked at the diner owner.
“None taken!” he chuckled. “I know coffee isn’t my strong suit. I’d be more than happy to endorse Emily’s business.”
“So would I,” Birk said.
“And if you need any advice,” Cynthia added, “I’d be more than happy to impart my wisdom. I managed a B&B when I was in my twenties. No idea how they thought I was responsible enough to do that, but the place didn’t burn down on my watch, so I guess they were right!”
Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. All these people were willing to help her out. It was an amazing feeling, and she was overwhelmed by their generosity and kind words. To think she’d been so dismissive of them when she’d first arrived here. How different things had become in just a few short months.
But her joy was diminished by one snag. Daniel. He lived on the grounds too. His life would be disrupted immeasurably if she opened a B&B. They’d lose their privacy. She couldn’t do it without speaking to him first. In some way it had the potential to work out brilliantly for them. Daniel could move into the main house with her and they could rent out the carriage house as a self-contained unit, or a bridal suite, even. And the ballroom would be the perfect venue to host weddings.
Emily’s mind began to run away with her. Maybe she’d had one glass of wine too many, but she was filled with a sense of optimism she hadn’t felt for years. Suddenly, the future looked bright, exciting, and secure.
She just wondered why Daniel wasn’t here to share the moment with her.
Chapter Fifteen
It was late, the party long over, when Emily finally heard the sound of Daniel’s motorcycle coming up the street and turning onto the drive up to the house. She got out of bed and peered through the window at his figure as he removed his helmet and walked up toward the carriage house.
Emily wrapped herself up in her nightgown then slid on her slippers. She went downstairs and out the front door. The grass was soft as she walked across the lawn toward the carriage house. Light was coming from inside, spilling across the grass.
She knocked on the door then stood back, wrapping her arms around herself to keep out the chilly night air.
Daniel answered the door. Something about the look on his face told her that he already knew it would be her standing there.
“Where have you been?” she demanded. “You missed the party.”
Daniel took a deep breath. “Look, why don’t you come in? We can talk over tea rather than standing out here in the cold.” He held the door open for her. Emily went inside.
Daniel made them both tea and Emily stayed quiet throughout, waiting for him to be the first to speak, to offer an explanation for his behavior. But he remained tight-lipped and she was left with no other options.
“Daniel,” she said forcefully, “why did you miss the party? Where were you? I was worried.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just don’t like those people, okay?” he said. “They’re the ones who wrote me off when I was a kid.”
Emily frowned. “That was twenty years ago.”
“It doesn’t matter if it was twenty years or twenty minutes to these people.”
“You were singing their praises at the harbor,” Emily said. “Now suddenly you hate them?”
“I like some of them,” Daniel contested. “But they’re mostly small-minded townsfolk. Believe me, it would have been worse if I’d been there.”
Emily raised an eyebrow. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that those people had turned out to be kind, fun folk. That she was beginning to consider them friends. But the last thing she wanted was to have an argument with Daniel when their honeymoon phase had barely begun.
“Why didn’t you just tell me you didn’t want to come to the party?” she said finally, forcing her voice to be calm. “I felt like an idiot waiting around for you.”
“I’m sorry.” Daniel sighed with regret, then set a cup of tea down in front of her. “I know I shouldn’t have disappeared like that. It’s just I’m so used to being alone, to not having anyone to answer to. It’s part of who I am. Having all those people around suddenly, it’s a lot to cope with all at once.”
Emily felt bad for him, for the way he felt more comfortable alone. To her, that didn’t seem like a particularly happy trait to possess. But it still didn’t excuse his behavior.
“I mean, just Cynthia on her own would have been bad enough,” Daniel added with a sheepish grin.
In spite of herself, Emily laughed. “You should have just told me,” she said.
“I know,” Daniel replied. “If I promise not to take off like that again, will you forgive me?”
Emily couldn’t stay mad at him. “I guess,” she said.
Daniel reached over and took her hand. “Why don’t you tell me how it was? What did you all talk about?”
Emily gave him a look. “You want me to recount the conversations of people you just told me you hated?”
“I won’t hate it coming from you,” Daniel said with a smile.
Emily rolled her eyes. She wanted to stay mad at Daniel for a little bit longer to teach him a lesson, but she just couldn’t help herself. Plus, she had some big news to tell him regarding the B&B and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She tried to dampen her enthusiasm but found herself unable to contain it.
“Well, the main topic of conversation,” she said, “was turning the house into a B&B.”
Daniel almost spat out the sip he’d taken. He looked up over the rim of his teacup. “A what?”
Emily tensed up, suddenly nervous about telling Daniel about her new dream. What if he didn’t support her? He’d just told her that being alone was part of who he was, and now she was about to tell him that having all manner of strangers traipsing in through the property might become a common occurrence.
“A B&B,” she said, her voice smaller and more timid.
“You want to do that?” Daniel asked, setting his cup down. “Run a B&B?”
Emily wrapped her hands around her own cup as though for reassurance and shifted in her seat. “Well… maybe. I don’t know. I mean I’d need to crunch the numbers first. I probably won’t even be able to afford to get it off the ground.” She was stammering now, trying to downplay the idea, unsure what Daniel would make of it.
“But if you could afford to, that’s what you’d want?” he asked.
Emily looked up and met his eye. “It was what I wanted to do when I was younger. It was my dream, actually. I just didn’t think I’d be any good at it so I gave up thinking about it.”
Daniel reached out and put his hand over hers. “Emily, you’d be amazing at it.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“So you don’t think it’s a terrible idea?”
Daniel shook his head and beamed. “It’s a great idea!”
She brightened suddenly. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely,” he added. “You’d be an amazing host. And if you need money to put into it I’d be happy to help. I don’t have much but would give you whatever I have.”
Though touched by his offer, Emily shook her head. “I couldn’t take your money, Daniel. All I’d really need to get things started is one decent bedroom and a pot of coffee. Once I get the first guest in, I can put the profit straight back into the business.”
“Even so,” Daniel said. “If you need any renovation work done, work on the grounds and stuff, you know I’m happy to chip in.”
“Really?” Emily asked again, still unable to believe it. “You’d do that for me?” She thought again of Daniel’s generosity, and how he came through for her in her time of need. “You really think it’s a good idea?”
“Yes,” Daniel assured her. “I love the idea. Which bedroom would you do up first?”
During their last three months of doing up the property they hadn’t made much headway with the upstairs. It was only Emily’s parents’ old room (now hers) and the bathroom that had been completed. She’d need to select another one of the rooms to focus on.
“I don’t know yet,” Emily said. “Probably one of the big ones at the back.”
“One with an ocean view?” Daniel suggested.
Emily gave a little shrug. “I’d have to put a bit more thought into it first. But it wouldn’t take long to fix up, would it? I could have it ready for the tourist season. If I got a permit, that is.”
Daniel seemed to be in agreement. Over their cup of tea they went over all the details, the amount of time and money they’d need to get a room ready and a menu together in time for the summer influx of tourists.
“It would be risky,” Daniel said, sitting back and looking at the paper in front of him scrawled with figures and sums.
“It would,” Emily agreed. “But then again quitting my job and walking out on my boyfriend of seven years was risky and look how well that played out.” She reached forward and squeezed Daniel’s arm. As she did so, she sensed a hesitation in him. “Is everything okay?” she asked, frowning.
“Yeah,” Daniel said, standing and picking up their empty mugs. “I’m just tired. I think I’ll call it a night.”
Emily stood too as it suddenly dawned on her that he was asking her to leave. The passion of the previous evenings seemed to have been entirely extinguished. The romance of their morning in the rose garden dispersed. The thrill of the motorcycle ride across the cliff tops gone.
Pulling her nightgown tightly around her, Emily went over and kissed Daniel on the cheek. “See you later?” she asked.
“Uh-huh,” he replied, not looking her in the eye.
Bewildered and hurt, Emily left the carriage house and made the cold, lonely walk back to her own house to spend the night alone.
*
“Morning, Rico!” Emily called as she strolled into the dark, over-crammed indoor flea market the next day.
Instead of Rico, it was Serena’s head that popped up from behind a table that she was in the middle of artfully distressing. “Emily! How’s it going with Mr. Hot Stuff? I never got a chance to properly talk to you about it at the party.”
Daniel was about the last thing Emily wanted to talk about at that point in time. “If you’d asked me that two days ago I would have said it was going amazingly. But now I’m not so sure.”
“Oh?” Serena said. “He’s one of those, is he?”
“One of what?”
“Falls in too deep and scares themselves cold. I’ve seen it a million times.”
Emily wasn’t sure how a twenty-year-old could have seen anything a million times but didn’t say it. She didn’t really want to get into a conversation about Daniel right now.
“So, I’m looking for a couple of specific pieces,” Emily said, rummaging in her bag for the list she and Daniel had made last night before he’d effectively kicked her out his house. She handed it to Serena. “I’m not ready to buy anything yet, I just want to get some ballpark figures.”
“Sure,” the younger woman said, beaming. “I’ll just have a look around.” She was about to head off into the shop when she paused. “Hey, this is all bedroom stuff. Is it…”
“For a B&B?” Emily smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. “Yup.”
“That’s so cool!” Serena exclaimed. “You’re really going to do it?”
“Well,” Emily said, “I’ll need to get the permit first, which means going to a town meeting.”
“Oh pfft, that’ll be easy,” Serena said, waving a dismissive hand. “Does this mean you won’t be going back to New York?”
“I need to get the permit first,” Emily repeated with a slightly sterner tone.
“Got it,” Serena said, clicking her fingers. “Permit first.” She grinned and walked away.
Emily smiled to herself, happy to know there was at least one person who seemed to genuinely want her to stick around in Sunset Harbor, not just because of the profit she’d bring to the area but because they liked her.
She went over to the drawer of door handles and started looking through it. Rico had a collection to rival her father’s, though Rico’s were in much better condition. She was considering powder blue for the color scheme of the room, and wanted delicate glass handles to go in the chest of drawers.
As she was rummaging through the drawer of handles and knobs, she heard two voices entering the shop behind her.
“Stella said she saw him up on the cliffs again yesterday, riding his motorbike for hours and hours,” one of the voices said.
Emily paused and strained to hear them better. Could they be talking about Daniel? He had a penchant for driving his bike on the cliffs, and he had been gone for a really long time yesterday.
