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“I will handle the guests while you go enjoy yourself.”
Enjoy? She rolled her eyes. This was going to be worse than going to the dentist to have a cavity filled. “But you don’t know the check-in process.”
“I’m sure you can show me the highlights before you leave.”
She sighed. “You aren’t going to let me find an excuse to get out of dinner.”
“No.” His voice was firm. “Because deep down inside you want to go. You know you do. And it’s okay that you’re nervous, but don’t let that keep you from learning the truth. You’ve got this.”
“I wish I felt as confident as you sound.”
He reached out and pulled her close. As he held her in his arms, he said, “You can do this. You’re strong. You traveled across the country all by yourself to learn about your grandmother, and when you got here, you learned how to run an inn. You are capable of anything. Don’t forget that.”
She smiled. She’d never had anyone believe in her as wholly as Shaun did. Now she just had to hope that he was right about this dinner.
At last, the truth.
At least that’s what Leah hoped she’d get this evening. When she was a teenager, she longed for this moment. When she’d become an adult, she started to lose hope that she’d ever learn about her father.
When she went to check the time, she realized she didn’t have her phone. She’d entrusted Shaun with it. Her phone had an app to accept credit card payments for the guests that would be checking in. And though she felt naked without her phone, Shaun couldn’t work the inn without it.
She gave her appearance one last check in the mirror. She’d settled on her dark-wash jeans paired with a red sweater with a snowflake pattern. She wore her hair down and straightened it. And she made an extra effort when she applied her makeup not to put on too much.
She didn’t want to be late for her very first time meeting her family. So, she rushed out of the cottage and over to the inn. Shaun was seated in an armchair in the living room with Mochi lying by his feet.
She rushed up to him. “Do you have any questions for me before I go?”
“Just one. Aren’t you going to be late if you don’t leave now?” He sent her a teasing smile.
“Yes. But I couldn’t leave until I was certain you had things under control.”
Shaun stood up. “Everything is good. In fact, everyone is checked in.”
“Really?” She rushed over to the registration desk.
The register book was old-fashioned, much like the rest of this place. She gazed down and noticed that Shaun had everyone sign in, and they were marked as paid.
“Thank you.” She turned to him. “Can I have my phone back now?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He looked at it and frowned. “Sorry. Wrong phone.” He reached into his other pocket and withdrew her phone. He held it out to her. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“When I was looking at the registrations, I saw you have a reservation the day after tomorrow.”
“Uh…yeah. Mary Shepherd. Although I’m not sure it’s a real reservation. She disconnected before putting down a deposit. But I left it on the registration, since the inn isn’t fully booked.”
He nodded. “You should be going.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “You’ve got this. Try to relax and enjoy your evening.”
“I’ll try.” She wasn’t sure it was possible.
And then she was off. She was glad she had her phone back. It was easier to have the GPS direct her than her having to try to follow her handwritten directions.
The drive only took her five minutes. She didn’t know what she expected Paul’s house to look like. She slowed down in order to take it in.
It was a white two-story home with red shutters. The front yard had inflatable Christmas decorations that included Santa’s sleigh and the reindeer. It was cute.
The house had been trimmed in red, white, and green twinkle lights. It reminded her of something you might find in a cozy Christmas movie. She would have loved to grow up there instead of the steady stream of apartments they’d live in. Her mother was forever moving from job to job, apartment to apartment, and town to town—up and down the west coast.
