Page 27 of A Room By the Sea

“Oh gosh,” Audrey snorted with laughter at the comment.

“She’s not loyal enough to be a guard dog,” Elaine said, laughing. “She gave in, and then the second time I went into his kitchen, she just seemed amused by the whole thing. She was definitely my ally in all this.”

“You barged into his kitchen twice?” Michelle squealed.

“Wow, Mom.” Audrey chortled. “I never would have thought you had it in you to be that demanding. You’ve always been so polite to everyone.”

“Oh, I never would have done it if I thought it would really upset him.” Elaine chuckled. “Besides, like I said, Shep and I are friends. And it was something I was ultimately doing for his own good. So yes, that did make me pretty audacious.”

“I need to hear how he reacted to you,” Michelle said. “Like, what was his expression when you stepped into the kitchen?”

“Extreme shock,” Elaine said. “He looked like he’d seen a ghost or something. His eyes got all big and he kind of leaned forward, like this, as if he was trying to look at me closer to see if I was real or not.”

Michelle and Audrey laughed so hard they started to wipe away tears of mirth. Elaine laughed too, knowing part of their amusement was due to the surprise they still felt about the whole thing.

It’s always a little funny when things we never thought would happen occur, as long as they’re good things, Elaine thought. I think they think Shep is even more of a curmudgeon than he actually is, so to them, this all seems like some kind of miracle.

Sure enough, once Audrey had caught her breath, she said, “I think getting Shep to agree to sign on as a business partner is an even bigger win than transforming The Birchwood House into a hotel.” She shook her head, her lips still tilted upward in a grin. “You did well, Mom. I never would have thought that Shep would agree to all this, especially after you invaded his kitchen, but you seem to be a grumpy baker whisperer.”

Michelle and Elaine laughed at the comment.

“Speaking of baking,” Elaine said, “help me decide what should go on the menu for the grand opening. We should have cookies, right? And maybe cupcakes and croissants?”

“Those all sound great to me,” Michelle said. “And I think we should order a cake too. You know, a fancy one with something written across it to commemorate the occasion.”

“Great idea,” Audrey said. “And we should have options for people with dietary restrictions. We don’t know who’s going to drop in during the grand opening, and we should be prepared.”

“Shep suggested that already, actually,” Elaine said. “He suggested gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options.”

“He suggested vegan?” Michelle gawked.

Elaine laughed. “I was surprised too. But see, he’s a thoughtful man. And as he put it, he can make anything. So I think we should order those options too.”

They chatted about the pastry menu for the grand opening for a few more minutes, and Elaine filled out the form that she’d gotten from Shep. She found herself carefully writing in her best cursive, something she didn’t normally bother to do. She was a little surprised to realize that she wanted to impress Shep with her beautiful handwriting.

You wouldn’t think I cared at all what that man thinks of me based on the way I behaved, she thought, amused. But he is an impressive, talented, ultimately generous person. I guess it’s only natural that I’d want his good opinion.

Once Elaine had finished filling out the form, she returned it to her purse so that she could deliver it to Townsend’s.

“We really do have an impressive business going here,” Audrey said, sighing in satisfaction as she looked around the beautiful parlor. “I’m sure teaming up with Townsend’s Bakery like this will really help us stand out to the judges of the Up-and-Coming Business Sponsorship Contest.”

“I’m so glad Evan had the foresight to suggest that we enter that contest,” Michelle said warmly. “He’s really had our backs in all this.”

“He really has,” Audrey said, staring into space and looking a little dreamy-eyed. “He’s been so supportive at every step of our journey. He really is a great guy.”

“He sure is,” Michelle said, clearly noticing the smitten expression on her mother’s face and getting gleeful. “So Mom.” She elbowed her mother playfully. “When are you and Evan going to officially become a couple?”

“Oh, hush,” Audrey said, twitching a little as she brushed off the question hurriedly. “I think partnerships with other businesses will be extremely helpful to us. Why not partner with another business too? We should see if there’s another business in town that wants to collaborate with us.”

Michelle wrinkled her nose, seeming to be fully aware of the fact that her mother had abruptly changed the subject on purpose. Elaine chuckled.

“That’s a good idea, Audrey,” she said. “Do you think it should be a business directly related to what we do? Or just any business that we can offer mutual support to?”

“I think it could be any business, really,” Audrey said. “Our guests will have all kinds of needs while they stay with us, and—oh! What about the mechanic shop? I bet Theo would be very interested in teaming up with us.”

“Sure!” Elaine said eagerly. “That’s a great idea. People who are traveling often need vehicle repairs or tuneups. And it’s always hard to know what mechanic to go to when you’re away from your hometown. Recommending Theo’s shop to our guests is a great idea.”

“Amazing.” Audrey turned to Michelle with a gleeful glint in her eyes. “You could probably approach him about that, Michelle.”