Page 2 of Coastal Reflections

Audrey laughed, and Michelle shuddered dramatically.

“Saints preserve us from ever getting a guest like that,” she said. “Can you imagine what the reviews would look like?”

The three of them exchanged a commiserating glance. Now that the hotel had opened and was still taking baby steps as a new, generally unknown business, reviews were something that the three of them thought about a great deal.

“I think the chances of anyone that fussy coming within a hundred miles of here are very low,” Elaine said with a laugh. “Come on inside, you two. I just got a box of pumpkin muffins from Townsend’s Bakery. They smell absolutely delectable, and I thought we could have some apple cider while we eat them.”

“Oh, yes please.” Michelle tossed the rake down onto the ground unceremoniously.

“Sounds great to me too.” Audrey smiled. “I need to stop staring at this wreath, clearly.”

They trooped inside to the kitchen, which smelled fragrant with the apple cider that Elaine was heating up on the stove. Audrey looked around the cozy room with a smile. Already she’d been making wonderful new memories there of cooking breakfast for the guests with her mother and daughter. Sometimes things got a little hectic and overwhelming, but they were learning how to communicate better and to stay on top of cooking a lot of food for many people at once. Elaine was the captain of their ship during those times, calmly steering them onward with gentle reminders and instructions.

Michelle scampered over to the white paper box on the kitchen island and opened it eagerly. Her mouth popped open in surprise when she saw how many muffins were inside the box.

“Gosh, there must be twice as many as usual in here,” Michelle said.

“Oh wow.” Audrey peered over Michelle’s shoulder. “Why did you order so many, Mom? We don’t have more guests coming, do we?”

Elaine shook her head, shrugging. “No, they were just in there. Shep didn’t charge me extra or anything. I guess they just had a lot of extra muffins and wanted to give them away.”

“Oh, sure.” Audrey grinned, exchanging a playful glance with Michelle. She knew they both suspected that Shep had put so many muffins in the order because he was falling for Elaine.

Shep Townsend owned the most popular bakery in town, and his pastries were all incredible—delicious and skillfully made. He was famous for his skills in baking, but he was even more famous for being somewhat cantankerous and extremely reclusive. He rarely attended social events, and when he did, he always seemed to disappear long before they were over. When Elaine had announced that she wanted to partner with Townsend’s, both Michelle and Audrey had been very skeptical that Shep would say yes. Elaine seemed to have the magic touch when it came to the grumpy old man, however, and he’d agreed—after she’d barged into his kitchen and demanded to talk with him a few times.

I’m sure he didn’t just have extras, Audrey thought with a chuckle. Besides, it’s not like these are day old muffins or anything like that. He absolutely could have sold these at his shop. He’s giving her extra because he likes her.

Shep had been behaving differently ever since he’d started spending more time with Elaine. He’d been talking to people more, and at the grand opening of The Birchwood House, he’d stayed the whole time, which had surprised everyone. Shep and Elaine seemed to linger over their conversations, and even though Elaine had volunteered to be the one to always pick up the baked goods from Townsend’s so that Shep didn’t have to send someone out to The Birchwood House, he had been delivering the baked goods more and more often himself, claiming that he wanted fresh air and a chance to get out of his kitchen. Considering that in the past, he’d stuck to his kitchen the way hibernating bears stuck to their caves, his sudden desire for fresh air and sunshine was suspicious indeed.

The three Sutton women sat at the kitchen table together, sipping their hot apple cider and munching on the moist pumpkin muffins.

“Wow,” Michelle said, shaking her head. “What does he put in these? This spice blend is out of this world.”

“I’m sure it’s a secret,” Elaine said. “Shep is very protective of all his recipes, as well he should be.”

“I bet you could wheedle it out of him, Mom,” Audrey teased. “I’m pretty sure there’s nothing that man wouldn’t do for you.”

“Oh, hush,” Elaine said, blushing slightly, and Michelle and Audrey exchanged another look.

Audrey was almost finished eating her muffin when the doorbell rang. She looked up curiously, since none of their current guests would have any reason to ring the doorbell—they would simply walk inside.

“I’ll go see who it is,” she said, standing up and pushing in her chair. “Maybe it’s another guest.”

Sure enough, when she opened the front door, she saw a middle-aged woman standing there, holding a suitcase.

“Hi,” said the woman. Her graying brown hair was wisping around her face and she looked worn out and frazzled. “Do you have any rooms available?”

Audrey glanced over her shoulder at the grandfather clock that was resting in a corner of the front entryway. It was a magnificent antique and the only large item that she’d transported to Coral Sands from her old home in the city. It was one of the best antiques in the mansion, a conversation piece and a timeless item that all three Sutton women had agreed looked perfect resting near the front door. It had belonged to Audrey’s grandmother, Elaine’s mother, and Audrey had loved her dearly. The clock was one of her most precious possessions, and every time she saw it nestled snugly in her new home, she smiled.

The grandfather clock told her that it was still half an hour before check-in time began, but Audrey decided to give the customer a complimentary early check-in. She looked as though she needed the kind of oasis-from-life that The Birchwood House offered.

“Absolutely we do,” she said with a warm smile. “We have the rose room available and the violet room available. Do you have a preference?”

“Oh, I’ll take the rose room please,” the woman said with a slight laugh. “That sounds lovely.”

“Perfect.” Audrey smiled at her. “I’ll take you into the parlor, and you can fill out the paperwork either using a hardcopy or online. Then I’ll show you up to your room.”

“Wonderful,” said the woman, following Audrey into the parlor with slightly wide eyes. “My goodness, it’s beautiful in here.”