“I’ll miss you, too.” She was surprised how easy it was to say it, and she squeezed her daughter’s hand. “But we’ll be seeing plenty of each other so I’m not too worried about that. As well as seeing you in Boston, I plan on spending more time here.”
It was something she’d decided that morning, as she’d watched the sunrise from the protective circle of Edward’s arms. The bedroom window had been open and she’d breathed in the sea air and wondered how she could have forgotten all that was good about this place. A cloud had hovered over it, but now that cloud had cleared.
Abby was watching her closely. “You’ll spend more time here because of the hotel?”
Alexandra thought about everything that had happened the night before. Her own bed might be smooth and pristine, but if anyone had taken the time to glance into Edward’s bedroom they would have found the sheets decidedly rumpled.
“Partly, but not entirely.”
Abby gave a wide smile. “Are you going to give me detail, or do I have to go and eat fish and chips and ask Meg?”
“There’s nothing to tell.”Yet.
But there could be. And she was sure that there would be. And that was as much a surprise to her as it would no doubt be to her daughter.
“He’s a special man,” Abby said softly, and Alexandra nodded.
He was, but still it hadn’t occurred to her that anything might happen. She’d considered their relationship to be in the past. But Edward had made it clear that the past was behind them, and she would be the first to agree with that. What they had now was the present and the future.
She was looking forward to both.
24
Evie
Evie walked through the reception area and found it buzzing.
“How was your stay?” Donna was charming a couple as they checked out. “If you want to book your stay for next year we have an early bird offer.”
The woman glanced at her partner. “Tempting.”
“Why don’t I hold the room for you until tomorrow? Give you time to think it over.” Donna focused on the computer for a moment and then smiled. “All done. If you’re interested, then call us back by the end of tomorrow. Otherwise the booking will automatically lapse. I hope you have a smooth journey home.”
They walked towards the entrance and Evie exchanged a few words with them and stepped up to the desk.
“Nice work, Donna.”
“I’m getting the hang of it. It’s fun.”
Evie decided to exploit the moment. That was what Abby would do.
“I was thinking,” she said, “we sometimes give welcome baskets when people arrive. Why not offer a Cornish farewell gift? We could bundle up fudge and clotted cream biscuits, a jar of Chef’s strawberry jam, maybe include a voucher with a discount for a future stay if they book within a month of leaving.”
“You suggested that a year ago, didn’t you? I remember the meeting.”
“Yes. Gerald didn’t like the idea.”
“That’s right.” Donna nodded. “But you’re in charge now and I think it’s a great idea. We can partner up with some local companies. And the ones that offer mail order would continue to benefit. We could commission eco-friendly bags—take the taste of Cornwall home with you. That sort of thing. I’ll do some research. It will be fun. I’ll make a list and you can reach out to them.”
“You should do that. You’re great at making connections, and you’ve always been brilliant at choosing the perfect gift.”
Donna seemed to grow in height. “You think so?”
“Yes. It’s your superpower.”
“My superpower.” Donna looked happy. “I’ll start right away.”
“Perfect.”
