Page 13 of Coastal Reflections

Shep walked back toward her, carrying a wax paper bag with her scone inside. “Here you—” he started to say, and then he noticed the expression on her face. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, I hope not.” Elaine let out a breathless laugh. She looked down at her phone again, feeling immobilized by fear.

He reached out and touched her on the shoulder, which snapped her back to reality. She smiled at him gratefully.

“Here,” she said, showing him her phone screen. “Audrey just texted me and told me that we got a review—not just a customer review, but a full article in a magazine that features attractions along the East coast. I’m just petrified of what it will mean for us if it’s bad.”

Shep gazed at her for a few moments, and she could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. She could sense that he was trying to protect her, and she felt grateful for it.

“Do you want me to read it first and let you know what it says?” he asked her.

“Would you?” Elaine breathed a sigh of relief. “That would be amazing.”

Shep nodded and she pulled the review up on her phone, then handed the device to Shep as if it was suddenly red-hot.

Shep began to read the article, and she watched his eyes flicker rapidly over the screen. It was clear to her that he was reading at a speedy pace, but his expression remained unchanged. It was completely blank, and he showed no signs that he was reading something positive.

After a few seconds, she couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. “What does it say?” she begged, wringing her hands a little.

Shep looked up with a smile. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Elaine. This review is fantastic.”

Elaine squealed with happiness, fanning herself with relief. “Oh, thank goodness. And thank you for checking for me, Shep. I admit the thought of the hotel getting off to a bad start had me terrified.”

Shep shook his head as he handed her phone back to her. “Even a bad review couldn’t stop The Birchwood House. I have no doubt the hotel will succeed enormously, because of what a big-hearted and determined woman you are.”

Elaine blinked at him, feeling surprised by his sentimental words and experiencing a glow of happiness in her core. It meant a great deal to her that he thought so highly of her, and that he had that much confidence in the hotel. “I would have thought your descriptors of me would be ‘stubborn’ and ‘pig-headed,’” she teased. “I know you haven’t forgotten the way I inserted myself into your kitchen without permission.”

Shep chuckled. “Well, those too.”

She laughed, delighted by the fact that he was joking around with her. A few months ago, she never would have dreamed that Shep Townsend would be standing in the front of his shop with her, joking with her and supporting her through something that gave her anxiety.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the scone. “On the house. Consider it a celebratory gift for the great review.”

“Oh, Shep, thank you. Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Of course. I’ll see you later.”

She smiled at him. “Well, there’s a hot cup of coffee waiting for you at The Birchwood House.”

Shep smiled back at her, and she gave Iris a wave before leaving the shop. As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she felt a spring in her step. Autumn leaves scuttled across the cement in front of her as she strolled down the street, and the sky overhead was a radiant blue, untroubled by any clouds.

She carried her scone over to a park bench that was in the midst of a little rock and flower garden that was placed in between the hardware store and the fire station. It was quiet, and a little fountain there gurgled pleasantly.

Elaine sat down on the bench and opened the wax paper bag that held her scone. She took a delicate bite out of it and then made a noise of delight and took a big chomp out of it.

I swear that man is a magician, she thought, staring into space with a fond expression on her face.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the review again. Even though Shep had assured her it was fantastic, she still felt nervous about reading it. She took a deep breath and began, her eyes quickly scanning the words of the article.

In a few seconds, her eyes were shining and she was grinning from ear to ear. Shep was right—the review truly was fantastic. The author—who must have stayed at The Birchwood House as a kind of secret shopper, not telling them she was a reporter—gushed about not only the beauty of the house and the comfort of the bedrooms, but also described Elaine, Audrey, and Michelle at length, talking about how much fun it was to spend time with them and how they had made everyone’s stay more comfortable.

This is wonderful, Elaine thought, tears springing to her eyes. I’m so glad The Birchwood House is turning out to be everything we dreamed it would be.

She stayed on the bench, finishing her scone and reveling in the beautiful weather and the knowledge of the shining review. When she was finished, she stood up, eager to get home and talk with Audrey and Michelle about what the reporter had said.

She headed back toward The Birchwood House, feeling as if she was on a cloud. Her heart was singing, and every bird that sang in the tree branches seemed to be echoing the cheerful music that was playing inside her.

Why do I feel this way? she wondered as she walked. Is it because of this great review? Or because that pastry was so incredibly yummy?