登陆注册
10472600000001

第1章

The windows in the nursery wide open, their lace curtains billowing in the breeze, Emily folded baby clothes, placing them neatly into the chest of drawers. She sighed with contentment. The beautiful weather-unseasonably warm for post-Labor Day-was most welcome.

Feeling a little tired, Emily sat in the nursing chair and rested a protective hand on her belly. Baby Charlotte was squirming around inside.

"Do you like the Indian summer?" Emily asked her. "Ninety degrees at this time of year isn't the norm. You'll have to get used to the cold at some point."

Baby Charlotte was due in December, on the cusp of winter, in just three short months. Emily could hardly believe how quickly the pregnancy had gone, and how fast the time had flown by. The weather they were enjoying at the moment made winter seem very far away, and Emily certainly wanted to keep it that way. Because with each new season that dawned, Emily thought of her father, of the fact that it would be the last time he'd ever experience that particular season.

She'd tried very hard to keep his terminal illness from her mind. Every time she spoke to him-which was daily-he didn't mention it, instead telling her of all the fun activities he had planned. And the letters were starting to stack up now. They'd promised to write each other a lifetime's worth of correspondence. Roy wasn't wallowing in his impending demise, so Emily wasn't going to either.

The door flew open then and in waltzed Chantelle. She was carrying a packet of diapers in her arms.

"Where should I put these?" she asked.

"On the changing table, please," Emily said, smiling at her sweet daughter.

She and Daniel were going out of their way to make Chantelle feel included. At the moment, that took the form of her buying a practical item of her choice from the grocery store on each trip. Today it was diapers. Yesterday had been binkies. She'd also purchased bottles, burp cloths, teething rings, and a rattle. Emily loved the way Chantelle found purpose in her task. She took it very seriously.

Chantelle walked over to the changing table and dumped the diapers down. Then she turned and faced Emily.

"Have we had any news yet?" she asked.

Emily knew Chantelle was referring to the island that she and Daniel had put in an offer on. She asked every day.

Emily checked her cell phone for what must have been the millionth time. She saw no missed calls or messages from the real estate agent.

She looked at Chantelle and shook her head. "Not yet."

Chantelle pouted with disappointment. "When will we find out?" she asked. "Will it be before Charlotte arrives?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie." She stroked her soft, blond hair. "You do know we might not definitely get it, right?" She'd been preparing Chantelle for the worst from the get-go but the little girl had a tendency to get carried away at times. She talked about the island as though it were a definite, bringing up in conversation how great it would be once they could go and play on the island, or how pretty it would look once Daniel had finished the construction work there.

"I know," Chantelle said, a little glumly.

Emily smiled brightly then, seeing that the child needed cheering up. "Come on, let's go downstairs and have some lunch."

Chantelle nodded and took her hand. They headed into the kitchen together.

To Emily's delight, Amy sat at the kitchen island. She'd been in Sunset Harbor for weeks now, staying with her new boyfriend, Harry, dipping her toes in the water of domesticity. Emily loved having her nearby, and Amy was certainly making the most by dropping around whenever she had time between conference calls and remotely managing her business. She was drinking coffee and chatting with Daniel, who was busy putting away the last of the groceries. He kissed Emily as she entered.

"Hey, gorgeous," he murmured, fix one of his intense looks of love on her.

Emily smiled and stroked a finger along his firm jaw line. She murmured, "Hey."

Just then, Amy coughed. Emily tore her gaze from Daniel and looked over her shoulder.

"Hi, Ames," she added to her friend, rolling her eyes jovially.

It still felt unusual for Emily to have Amy so readily accessible. Her temporary move to Sunset Harbor had been wonderful for them both, bringing back the easy friendship they'd shared before Emily disappeared from New York City without telling her. And Amy's organizational skills were certainly useful when it came to planning the logistics of Charlotte's birth.

"I didn't know you were coming over today," Emily said to her friend.

"I just came to speak to Dan about the checklist," Amy replied.

Emily took a seat opposite her, frowning with curiosity. "What checklist?"

"Of baby things," Amy said in a tone that suggested it should have been obvious. "You need your night bag ready for the hospital, a plan for how to get there, where to park, who to call. We've written a communication hierarchy, where Dan calls me and I'm responsible for passing it on to Harry, Jayne, your mom, and Lois. Harry does the announcements for Sunset Harbor folk, Lois tells the rest of the staff at the inn, et cetera. Honestly, Emily, I'm shocked you haven't gotten this stuff down yet."

Emily laughed. "In my defense, I'm not due for three months!"

"You have to be prepared," Amy said, knowingly. "If Charlotte felt like coming tomorrow, that's a very real possibility."

Chantelle's eyes widened. "She could come tomorrow?" she asked, looking thrilled at the prospect. "I could have a sister tomorrow?"

Emily touched her stomach protectively, a nagging worry growing in the back of her mind. "I hope not."

Daniel came and sat next to them. "Don't give Emily nightmare scenarios to worry about," he said to Amy. "And don't get Chantelle's hopes up, either. She's desperate to meet her little sister." He turned to Chantelle. "Charlotte will stay in Mom's tummy until December. There's only a very, very small chance she'll come sooner than that."

"So you mean she could come on my birthday?" Chantelle asked, grinning from ear to ear at the prospect.

Daniel laughed and shook his head. "Halloween and two birthdays?" he joked. "I don't think so!"

"It would make it easy to remember," Amy said with a chuckle.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Emily said, wanting a distraction from the thought of Baby Charlotte being born prematurely.

Out in the foyer, the inn was a flurry of activity. The busy summer period was over but there was always plenty to organize, especially now that the dining room served three meals a day and the speakeasy was open every night. Once the restaurant and spa opened they would never get a moment's peace, Emily thought.

She hurried past Lois and Marnie, who were busy at the reception desk, then opened the door. A smartly dressed gentleman stood there. He looked to be around fifty years of age, with salt and pepper hair and a smattering of laugh lines around his eyes.

"Paul Knowlson," he said confidently, holding his hand out for Emily to shake like their meeting was some kind of business transaction.

She took it and shook. "I'm sorry, Paul, I don't think I know you," she said.

"I've booked an apartment," he said, pulling a slip of paper from his inner suit jacket pocket. "In Trevor's House," he said, reading off it.

"Oh!" Emily exclaimed. He was their first guest in the new apartments! "That's in the house across the lawn," she said. "Here, I'll lead the way."

"Fantastic," Paul replied.

Emily led him along the pathway. She felt a thrill of excitement knowing this would be the first time of many she'd be doing this. It was wonderful to see all their hard work on Trevor's House come to fruition, and to know the gift he'd left them was being utilized rather than left to languish.

"Now, I think I heard a hint of a New York City accent," Paul said as they walked. "Is that where you're from?"

"You're right," Emily replied, smiling. "Born and bred. Do you know it well?"

Paul nodded. "Yes, I grew up there. But I'm based in Florida now."

"And you're in business?" she added.

Paul laughed, gesturing to his expensive-looking suit. "What gave it away?"

They reached Trevor's House and Emily led him inside. The main area downstairs was now completely open plan, with just a hip-high glass partition between the brand new, sparkling restaurant and the route to the staircase that led up to the apartments. The restaurant hadn't yet opened its doors but it wouldn't be long now until that happened, Emily thought with excitement.

"You're in apartment four," Emily said, gesturing toward the stairs. "It's got a lovely balcony looking over the ocean."

"Sounds perfect," Paul replied.

Emily led him up the stairs to the mezzanine floor, then gestured to a Parisian-style wrought iron gate with a sign in gold reading Guests Only. She showed him the large key that opened the gate, and then they headed along the corridor and stopped outside apartment four.

Emily remembered the excitement she'd felt the first time she'd looked around the new apartments. They'd been masterfully designed by the Erik & Sons triplets. She hoped that Paul would be as impressed on first sight of the apartment as she had been.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open, then gestured for Paul to enter.

"This is fantastic," Paul said with a nod.

He seemed like a nice man, but Emily could get the sense of a business-savvy sharpness about him. It was the same quality that Amy had, an almost hawk-like ability to sniff out money and quality, to assess one's surroundings and make an instantaneous judgment. It was a huge compliment that someone like that would want to even book into her humble inn!

Emily handed him the key. "Meals are served in the main house at the moment," she explained. "So please join us whenever you wish. The restaurant downstairs isn't open yet so everything will be very quiet."

They said goodbye and Emily headed back out toward the main house. She caught up with Lois in the foyer.

"I forgot we had a guest in Trevor's," she said. "Is everything arranged for him? Clean bedding, bath robe, coffee pods for the machine?"

Lois nodded seriously. "Yes," she said, sounding a touch insulted by the insinuation she might have forgotten something.

Emily blushed. "Sorry, of course you're on it."

It wasn't always easy for Emily to remember that Lois wasn't the flustered, over-emotional scatterbrain she'd once been. She'd really flourished recently, probably due in part to her promotion and pay raise, and Emily knew she could trust her to run the inn perfectly. She'd even taken well to dealing with the suppliers and putting in grocery and goods orders. In fact, Emily realized, she could probably leave the country for a month and entrust the inn to Lois's capable hands; something she'd once have never thought possible!

Emily went back into the kitchen. Daniel, Amy, and Chantelle were still sitting around the kitchen table, chatting animatedly. No doubt Amy was using her business brain to force Daniel into planning every last detail of Charlotte's birth down to a tee, employing the sort of organized precision that babies paid little heed to.

"There she is." Daniel beamed when he saw her enter. "I've got some news."

"You do?" Emily said, taking a seat. "But I was only gone a minute."

"Jack called," Daniel said, referring to his boss at the carpentry workshop where he'd been working for the last year.

"Oh? And what did he say?" Emily asked, curiously.

"It's his back again," Daniel said. Jack had injured himself at work not that long ago and hadn't been back to normal since. "You know how it gives him problems. Well, his wife has finally managed to convince him to reduce his hours at work. She's inherited some money and wants them to take an early retirement, cruise around the Caribbean, that sort of thing."

Emily frowned. "Your exciting news is that Jack and his wife are going on a cruise?"

Daniel laughed. "Yes!"

"I don't get it," she added, looking with bemusement at Chantelle's and Amy's excited expressions. "What's the joke? What am I missing?"

Daniel continued. "Think about it," he encouraged her. "He'll need someone to run the wood store in his absence. Someone to deal with the shop."

Emily gasped. "You mean…you?"

Chantelle couldn't contain it anymore. She burst out her joyful exclamation. "Daddy's getting promoted!"

Emily clapped a hand over her mouth. "That's amazing!" she cried. "You deserve it."

She couldn't believe the good fortune and hopped off her stool, going around behind Daniel and hugging him tightly.

Daniel blushed shyly. He wasn't one to readily take compliments.

"He's going to give me a raise and a new title. It will mean longer hours though," he added, sounding very serious. "I'll need to be the first in to open up and I'll need to be the last there at night to lock everything up properly. There's expensive equipment and products in there and Jack never lets anyone else lock up, so it's kind of a big deal for him to release the reins on that front. My shift pattern will be really odd as a result. Jack never minded driving to and from the woodshop at all hours, but now that I'll be expected to do the same it will be an adjustment."

Emily didn't want to think about any of the possible downsides to the good news yet. Long shifts, extra responsibility over safety and security, and the inevitable stress that would cause him were all things she would deal with at the time. Right now, she wanted to ride the high of the good news.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, pressing a kiss into the crown of his head.

"You should do something to celebrate," Amy said from the other side of the breakfast bar.

"Definitely," Emily agreed.

"I think we should go down to the beach!" Chantelle suggested.

"Well, while the weather's like this, I don't see why not," Emily said. "We shouldn't waste it."

Chantelle punched the air. She loved the beach, the outside in general. Any opportunity to run and sprint in nature she took greedily.

"Amy?" Emily asked. "Are you joining us?"

Amy consulted her watch. "Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting Harry soon so I won't have time."

Emily couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard an undertone in her friend's voice, a kind of exasperation. She wondered if there was an issue between her and Harry.

But there was no time to discuss it now. The Morey family was in full action mode, Chantelle hurrying off in search of the dogs' leashes, Daniel flinging open cupboards and pulling out bags, juice boxes, and snacks.

Emily touched Amy's hand across the counter. "We'll talk later," she said.

Amy nodded, her expression a little downcast. Then Emily was swept up in the chaos of her family, like a tornado spinning around her pulling her in.

"Let's go! To the beach!"

同类推荐
  • Camp Pleasant

    Camp Pleasant

    This short novel that is told with almost fable-like simplicity: Matt Harper is a first-time counselor at a boy's summer camp when he witnesses a casual brutality that leads to murder. The bullying, gluttonous headman Ed Nolan (who has "reduced Camp Pleasant to a microcosm of the Third Reich") is portrayed as one stereotype that the reader is not sorry to see killed off. Instead, all of our sympathy is reserved for the possible suspects: Merv Loomis, the homosexual counselor Nolan humiliates into quitting; the troubled ten-year-old Tony Rocca; Nolan's meek wife, Ellen; and several others. The setting and tone have the distinct feel of the early 1950s, but a casual reference to actress Catherine Deneuve places the action in the mid-60s or later.
  • Pure Grit
  • Only the Worthy (The Way of Steel—Book 1)

    Only the Worthy (The Way of Steel—Book 1)

    From Morgan Rice, #1 Bestselling author of THE SORCERER'S RING, comes a riveting new fantasy series.ONLY THE WORTHY (The Way of Steel—Book 1) tells the epic coming of age story of Royce, 17, a peasant farmer who senses, with his special fighting skills, that he is different from all the other boys in his village. There resides within him a power he does not understand, and a hidden destiny he is afraid to face.
  • Hiroshima Mon Amour

    Hiroshima Mon Amour

    One of the most influential works in the history of cinema, Alain Renais's Hiroshima Mon Amour gathered international acclaim upon its release in 1959 and was awarded the International Critics' Prize at the Cannes Film festival and the New York Film Critics' Award. Ostensibly the story of a love affair between a Japanese architect and a French actress visiting Japan to make a film on peace, Hiroshima Mon Amour is a stunning exploration of the influence of war on both Japanese and French culture and the conflict between love and inhumanity.
  • Getting There

    Getting There

    The path to success is rarely easy or direct, and good mentors are hard to find. In Getting There, thirty leaders in diverse fields share their secrets to navigating the rocky road to the top. In an honest, direct, and engaging way, these role models describe the obstacles they faced, the setbacks they endured, and the vital lessons they learned. They dispense not only essential and practical career advice, but also priceless wisdom applicable to life in general. Getting There is for everyone—from students contemplating their futures to the vast majority of us facing challenges or seeking to reach our potential.
热门推荐
  • 宅厨师

    宅厨师

    白夜穿越到了一个很奇葩的以食为天的异世界成为了一个厨师,本以为依旧是平凡的过完一生,但他慢慢的发现这个世界怎么老是有些奇怪的东西乱入啊。美食细胞是什么鬼?远月学院又是怎么回事?传说中的厨具到底是真是假?就连刀剑神域美食猎人版都出来了你到底想要闹哪样……ps:但走心走胃不走肾,想看人形推土机的可以绕道了。虽然感觉也没几个人看,但是还是建了个书友群,欢迎加入宅厨师,群号码:553438462
  • 业精于勤(中华民族传统美德教育读本)

    业精于勤(中华民族传统美德教育读本)

    本丛书筛选内容主要遵循以下原则要求:(1)坚持批判继承思想,取其精华、去其糟粕。既不全盘肯定,也不全盘否定。坚持抽象继承、演绎发展、立足当代、为我所用。(2)坚持系统整体的原则。注意各历史时期分布;注意各民族的进步人物;注意各层面人物;注意人物各侧面。做到:竖看历史五千年,纵向成条线;横看美德重实践,横向不漏面。(3)坚持古为今用,为我所用原则。在发掘美德资源时,特别挖掘古代人物故事、言论,注重寻找挖掘各阶层、各民族的传统公德、通德、同德;注重人民性、民主性、进步性、发展性、普遍性、抽象性,不求全古代,不求全个体。
  • 重生之铁血山河

    重生之铁血山河

    一个八零后的目光亲身看八年抗战解放战争以及朝鲜战场,误入山匪、被俘、与部队失散、独自与鬼子周旋、创立特种小分队、袭扰敌人后方……
  • 环境杀手:突发环境污染的防范自救

    环境杀手:突发环境污染的防范自救

    本系列主要内容包括“自然灾害”、“火场危害”、“交通事故”、“水上安全”、“中毒与突发疾病”、“突发环境污染”等,书中主要针对日常生活中遇到的各种灾害问题作了详细解答,并全面地介绍了防灾减灾的避险以及自救的知识。居安思危,有备无患。我们衷心希望本书能够帮助青少年迅速掌握各种避险自救技能。
  • 知识分子写真

    知识分子写真

    本书收集了董乐山先生的著名译文、多数是20世纪30~70年代活跃世界文坛的作家之作。如《黄金坛》等。
  • 皇神道权

    皇神道权

    皇权,至高无上。帝皇一怒,血流千里。神权,蔑视众生。神灵以下,皆为蝼蚁。道权,讲道理的权力。你有实力,你就是道理。三种权力构成了所有世界的主旋律。别把这个世界想的太好,也别想的太坏。因为,每个世界都会有舍得为了众生付出生命的傻子,也有几个让神灵都会感到绝望的疯子。至于我们的主角……反正他不是什么好人。这是一个主角和他创造的AI少女,征服无尽文明、无尽种族、无尽世界,当一个幕后大boss的故事。
  • 刁蛮小宠妃:妖孽王爷太腹黑

    刁蛮小宠妃:妖孽王爷太腹黑

    直接看新书——《邪帝放狠招:请妃进宫》:白发少帝水木良缘——宁可负了兲下,唯不负卿;借我一生一世,暖一朵铃兰花开。
  • 故事会(2018年10月上)

    故事会(2018年10月上)

    《故事会》是中国最通俗的民间文学小本杂志,是中国的老牌刊物之一。先后获得两届中国期刊的最高奖——国家期刊奖。1998年,它在世界综合类期刊中发行量排名第5。从1984年开始,《故事会》由双月刊改为月刊,2003年11月份开始试行半月刊,2004年正式改为半月刊。现分为红、绿两版,其中红版为上半月刊,绿版为下半月刊。
  • 仕女风流

    仕女风流

    “姐姐,你的梦想是什么?”“想成为一名女诗人,让我写的诗让全长安都看到,全天下都看到。”“姐姐,你已经成为女诗人了,现在想干什么?”“我要成为最美的女人,我要让整个长安城为我癫狂!让整个天地为我变色!”
  • 淡淡的烟火如此如醉

    淡淡的烟火如此如醉

    在一个夏天的午后,某个非正式地上班族女孩再去往仓库拿东西的时候,却不小心被一个陌生人说是自己的男朋友,从此刻开始,她的爱情也在这场奇遇中展开了。