“I don’t know. I suppose if he doesn’t think I’m ready for the job, he might give it to someone else. But I’m hopeful.”
“Sounds like we’ll be seeing even less of you, though.”
Taya smiled. “That’s true, but we’ll still be able to have our girls’ lunches.”
“We can fit them around your schedule.”
“That would be lovely.” Taya sighed. “I’ve got the interview in a few days’ time. I’m actually pretty nervous. I haven’t done many interviews, and I’m sure there’ll be some really impressive people applying.”
“You’ll kill it,” Penny reassured her.
“Then there’s Andrew.”
“What about him?”
“We’ve only recently begun seeing each other, and it’s going well. He’s fantastic. But if I take this job, I’ll be travelling all the time, and we won’t see as much of each other. I could end up torpedoing the relationship before it’s had a chance to develop.” She ran fingers over her elegant bob, smoothing flyaway strands into place.
Penny cocked her head to one side. “Well, that might be true. But if Andrew is the right man for you, he’ll understand what you’re doing and why, and he’ll support you.”
“You’re right, of course. I don’t know why I’m so worried about it. He’s not the kind of man to become insecure about us because I’m not here every day.”
“No, it doesn’t seem as though he is, although I’ve only met him once. I think it’s important that you do what you want to do with your life. You’ve spent the past twenty years raising a child on your own, running a very demanding inn. It’s your time now.” Penny reached out to pat her arm. “Don’t worry about what everyone else needs. Think about what you’d like to do. Life doesn’t last forever. What’s important to you?”
“I really want to do this. I think it’ll help me better understand the business. And if I take over, like Dad wants me to, I need to be in touch with all of the resorts. I should also be networking with managers and listening to their needs. This would be a great way to do that.”
“I agree,” Penny said. “It’s the right time and the right job.”
“So, I shouldn’t overthink it.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” Penny would miss spending so much time with Taya, but her lifelong friend was transforming into the strong, confident woman Penny had always known she had the potential to become. “You should go for it.”
After everything had been packed into vehicles, the beachfront was as pristine as if they’d never been there. Penny and Rowan climbed into her car and drove back to the beach house together. Rob was already at home, watching a football game on the television in the living room, so she and Rowan sat out on the porch with a cold drink to watch the colours from the setting sun dancing across the ocean’s darkening surface.
“You still want to marry me? Even if family gatherings end up looking like a boxing match?” Rowan asked, his eyes twinkling.
She leaned over to press her lips to his, then collapsed back into her chair. “More than ever.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Every single muscle in my body aches. Remind me never to run a party like that on my own again. If we throw another one that size, we’re hiring someone to cater it.”
He laughed. “Good idea. If only someone had suggested that…”
“I know you said we should get it catered, but I thought the personal touch would make all the difference.”
“And you were right,” he admitted. “It was a lot of work, but the atmosphere was very warm, loving and fun. We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”
“I’m going to head to bed,” she said, standing to her feet.
“It’s only seven,” Rowan objected. “Don’t you want to stay out here a little longer? Maybe get some dinner?”
“I can’t keep my eyes open.”
“You’ve been tired a lot lately. Are you sure you’re okay? There’s nothing going on with your health, is there?”
She rubbed her eyes with her fingertips. “No, I’m fine. I’ve been staying up late at night doing paperwork, that’s all. There’s so much to do and not enough hours in the day to get it done.”
She'd always struggled with the administrative side of running the refuge. But lately things had gotten even worse — her part-time administrative assistant resigned a couple of months earlier. On top of that, since she’d received the government grant, their workload had only increased.
