Sophie Love - Forever and For Always

Just then, Emily spotted someone amongst the crowds who made her blood run cold. Dressed in checkered golfing pants and a lime green sweater that barely covered his portly belly, stood Trevor Mann.

“Don’t look now,” she grumbled, grabbing Daniel’s hand for security. “But Mr. Sneery Neighbor’s joined the party.”

Daniel, of course, immediately looked over. Like he had some kind of sixth sense, Trevor immediately noticed. He glanced at them both, his dark eyes instantly sparkling with mischief.

Emily grimaced. “I told you not to look!” she chastised Daniel as Trevor walked toward them.

“You know there’s an unwritten law,” Daniel hissed back, “that says if you say ‘don’t look now’ to someone, they’re going to look.”

It was too late to escape. Trevor Mann was upon them, emerging through the crowd like some horrible mustached beast.

“Oh no,” Emily said, groaning.

“Emily,” Trevor said in his pretend friendly voice, “you haven’t forgotten about those back taxes you owe on your house, have you? Because I certainly haven’t.”

“The mayor gave me an extension,” Emily replied. “You were in the meeting, Trevor, I’m surprised you missed it.”

“I don’t care whether Mayor Hansen said there’s no rush in paying them back, it’s not up to him. It’s up to the bank. And I’ve been in touch with them to tell them all about your illegal occupation of the house and the illegal business you’re now running from it.”

“You’re a jerk,” Daniel said, protectively squaring up to Trevor.

“Leave it,” Emily said, resting a hand on his arm. The last thing she needed was for Daniel to lose his temper.

Trevor smirked. “Mayor Hansen’s extension won’t last forever and certainly won’t hold up in any legal sense. And I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure your B&B sinks and never floats again.”

Emily watched as Trevor marched away into the throng of people.

As soon as he was gone, Daniel turned to Emily, a look of deep concern on his face. “Are you okay?”

Emily couldn’t help herself. She sank against his broad chest, pressing her face into his shirt. “What am I going to do?” she gasped. “The taxes will ruin my business before it’s even begun.”

“No way,” Daniel said. “I won’t let that happen. Trevor Mann never showed any interest in your property until you showed up and turned it into something covetable. He’s just jealous of how much better your house is than his.”

Emily tried to laugh at his joke but could only manage a weak chortle. The thought of leaving Daniel and moving back to New York as a failure weighed heavily on her mind.

“He’s right, though,” Emily said. “This B&B will never work.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Daniel said. “Everything will be okay. I believe in you.”

“You do?” Emily said. “Because I hardly believe in myself.”

“Well, maybe now is the time to start.”

Emily looked up into Daniel’s eyes. His earnest expression made her feel like maybe she could really do it.

“Hey,” Daniel said, his eyes suddenly twinkling mischievously. “I have something I want to show you.”

Daniel didn’t seem discouraged by her glumness. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd, leading her in the direction of the marina. Together they went down to the docks.

“Ta-da!” Daniel exclaimed, gesturing to the beautifully restored boat bobbing in the water.

The last time Emily had seen the boat it had been barely seaworthy. Now it was glistening like brand new.

“I can’t believe it,” she stammered. “You fixed the boat?”

Daniel nodded. “Yup. I put a lot of sweat and effort into it.”

“I can tell,” Emily said.

She remembered how Daniel had told her that he’d reached some kind of mental barrier with restoring the boat, that he didn’t know why but he felt unable to work on it. Seeing it now made Emily beyond proud, not just because of how beautifully he’d restored it but because he’d managed to work through whatever issues had been holding him back. She returned his smile, feeling a tingle of happiness inside of her.

But at the same time, she felt tinged with sadness, because here was yet another form of transportation that could take him away from her. From his long motorcycle rides up in the cliffs, to his journeys to neighboring cities in his truck, Daniel was forever on the move. That he wanted to see the world, explore, was so evident to her as to be beyond doubt. She knew that sooner or later, Daniel would need to leave Sunset Harbor. Whether she would leave with him when the time came was something Emily had not yet resolved in her mind.

Daniel gave her a coy nudge. “I should say thank you.”

“Why?” Emily said.

“For the motor.”

It had been Emily who’d bought him the new motor, as a thank-you for all the help he’d given her getting the B&B ready, as well as an attempt to encourage him to restore the boat.

“No problem,” Emily said, wondering now if the gift would backfire on her. If in restoring the boat, Daniel’s itch to up and leave would be ignited.

“So,” Daniel said, gesturing to the boat, “as a thank-you, I think you should accompany me on its maiden voyage.”

“Oh!” Emily said, startled at the proposition. “You want to go on a boat ride? Now?” She didn’t mean to sound so shocked.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Daniel said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “I just thought we could have a date.”

“Yeah, sure,” Emily said.

Daniel hopped down into the boat and held his hand out. Emily took it and allowed him to guide her down. The vessel rocked beneath her, making her wobble.

Daniel got the motor running and powered the boat out of the harbor. They crossed the glittering ocean. Emily took deep breaths of the ocean air, watching as Daniel steered them across the water. He looked so at home steering the boat, just like how his motorbike seemed to become an extension of himself. Daniel was the kind of man who suited perpetual motion, and as she looked at him now, Emily saw how alive and happy he became while in the pursuit of adventure.

The thought made her even more melancholy. Daniel’s desire to explore the world was more than just a dream; it was a necessity. There was no way he would be able to stay in Sunset Harbor for much longer. She hadn’t decided how long she was sticking around either. Perhaps their relationship was doomed. Maybe it was only ever going to be a fleeting thing, a perfect moment captured in time. The thought made Emily’s stomach roil with despair.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel asked. “You’re not seasick, are you?”

“Maybe a little,” Emily lied.

“Well, we’re nearly there,” he added, pointing ahead.

Emily glanced up and saw that they were heading toward a tiny island upon which sat little other than a couple of trees and an abandoned lighthouse. Emily sat up, suddenly surprised.

“OH MY GOD!” she cried.

“What is it?” Daniel asked, panic in his tone.

“My dad had a painting of this island in our house in New York!”

“Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent! I don’t believe it! I never realized it was a painting of a real place.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. He seemed just as surprised by the coincidence as Emily was.

Her worries washed away by the unexpected surprise, Emily quickly removed her sneakers and socks. She barely waited for the boat to run aground before she hopped out. Waves lapped at her shins. The water was cold but she barely felt it. She ran across the water, onto the wet sandy beach, then a little further still. She stopped and held her hands up to create a rectangle of space between her fingers and thumbs and closed one eye. She maneuvered herself a little so that the lighthouse was to the right, the sun beside it, and the vast ocean stretching away on the other side. That was it! The exact angle of the painting that had been in her family home!