Page 53 of The Birchwood House
“To The Birchwood House,” they echoed.
Audrey took a sip of the champagne, enjoying the light and refreshing taste of the bubbly liquid as it ran over her tongue. The taste of champagne always felt exciting to her, since she usually only drank it at celebratory occasions. The fact that Evan had brought a bottle to celebrate the legal opening of the hotel felt like the icing on the cake of a day that had already been filled with joy.
They chatted about their hopes and dreams for The Birchwood House while they sipped their champagne. Elaine said that the thing she was most looking forward to was cooking big breakfasts for their guests. Michelle was excited about planning optional evening activities, such as clue hunts aroundthe grounds of the mansion or board game nights in the parlor. Audrey was most looking forward to having people fill up the rooms of the mansion.
“It seems like the best way to honor the old house,” she said. “Instead of quiet and empty rooms, there’s going to be voices and laughter again, just like there was in times past.” She turned to Evan with a smile. “And what are you most looking forward to, Evan?”
“Oh, you know.” His eyes gleamed. “Having people in town running a hotel who I trust completely. It will be nice to not have to worry about you three and feel like I need to check up on you all the time.”
“Hmm, I have a feeling you’re going to be checking up on us a lot,” Michelle said.
Evan looked at Audrey, his ears slightly pink, and everyone laughed, including him.
“It’s possible,” he admitted. “But the reason won’t be a lack of trust.”
“Oh yeah? What will the reason be?” Michelle prompted, but Elaine elbowed her gently.
“Now, now,” she said in a smooth tone. “Michelle, why don’t you come inside with me and help me start making dinner? We’re making steak and potato pies, and you make such excellent pie crusts.”
“Duty calls,” Michelle said, giving a little salute to her mother.
“Audrey,” Evan said softly. “Would you like to go on a walk with me?”
Audrey exchanged a glance with her mother and daughter, who simply smiled their encouragement before heading back inside the house. Audrey turned back to Evan a touch shyly, shoving her hands in her pockets because she suddenly felt as though she didn’t know what to do with them.
To her surprise, Evan reached for her arm and gently tugged her right hand out of her pocket. He slipped his fingers through hers. “Is this all right?”
For a second her heart pounded, and she thought of all the times she’d held hands with Clark. The idea of another man holding her hand felt strange and painful to her—but only for a moment. After a deep breath, she realized how wonderful it felt to have Evan’s fingers laced through hers. His hand was warm and it felt strong, and she liked the way he was squeezing her hand gently.
“Yes,” she said, almost surprised by the fact that she had no desire to pull her hand away.
She and Evan began to stroll along the garden path to the back of the house, where there were more birch and pine trees nestled together in a kind of miniature forest. Before turning around the side of the house, Audrey glanced back and looked at the Birchwood House’s beautiful new sign.
Just look at that,she thought, flashing a small grin.The future begins today. I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing.
She glanced up at Evan, feeling her heart stir with both excitement and a peaceful feeling. She couldn’t wait to see what the future held, both for The Birchwood House, and for her and Evan. She felt incredibly thankful that she’d taken a leap of faith, choosing to push past her fear. The quiet, kind, fascinating man beside her interested her more and more each time she saw him.
She felt Evan squeeze her fingers again. They shared a radiant smile, neither saying out loud what they were thinking. Audrey felt confident, however, that Evan was thinking the same thing she was.
She couldn’t wait to see where their relationship led.
