Page 1 of Coastal Reflections

CHAPTER ONE

Audrey Lowe took a deep breath, enjoying the woodsy aroma of the autumn wreath that she held in her hands. She’d put it together that morning using real autumn leaves, berries, and a few cinnamon sticks. Since it was still early September and many of the trees were just starting to change color, she didn’t have a great many beautiful leaves to choose from. She’d filled in the gaps of her wreath using pieces from the autumn-scented potpourri she had upstairs in her bedroom. She’d used pinecones, dried flowers, and dried cranberries, and the effect was both charming to look at and delicious to smell.

“It’s round, right?” she murmured, holding it up against the clear blue sky, which she could see clearly from her spot on the front steps of The Birchwood House’s porch. “Yeah, it’s round.”

Her daughter Michelle, who was raking the first harvest of fallen leaves, looked up and shook her head at her, laughing. “That wreath is perfect, Mom.” She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length dark brown hair, pulling it off her face.

“Aww, thank you, sweetheart. I guess it does look pretty nice.”

Audrey had always loved crafting, and doing things with her hands that also involved her creativity. Ever since she and Michelle had left the city they’d lived in to move to Coral Sands, Maine, she had found that she felt more creative than ever. When she, her mother Elaine, and Michelle had all decided to turn the family mansion into a hotel and historical site, her imagination had been kept busy for many months. After scouring away many years’ worth of dust in the bedrooms upstairs, the women had set to work decorating the mansion, which they’d christened The Birchwood House. They had displayed family heirlooms and whimsical antiques in the parlor and downstairs hallway, and they’d decorated each bedroom using a charming color theme, adding thoughtful gift baskets to every room. They’d set up a coffee bar and snack table in the kitchen, making sure that their guests would have something to munch on when they needed it. In addition to all that, they’d planned various breakfast menus, since they’d decided to run the hotel using a bed and breakfast model. It had been tiring but extremely rewarding work, and Audrey had loved every second of working with her kindhearted mother and spunky daughter.

She stepped up to the front door, where a wreath hook was already attached. She placed the wreath carefully on the hook and stepped back, placing her fingertips against her lips.

“Is it straight?” she murmured, cocking her head to one side. She stepped forward and adjusted the wreath slightly and then stepped back again. “Michelle?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“Is this wreath straight?”

Michelle shrugged, hardly looking at the wreath. “Looks fine to me.”

Audrey sighed, not feeling content with the way the wreath was hanging. It wasn’t perfectly round on the outer edge, which she liked since that made it look rustic—but it also made it look a little lopsided in her opinion. She picked the wreath up and turned it a few degrees to the left and then hung it back up on the door.

“How about now?”

“Still looks fine, Mom.” Michelle laughed.

Audrey threw her hands in the air. “That’s what you said last time,” she grumbled good-naturedly. She hurried down the porch steps and turned around so that she could inspect the wreath from a clearer distance. She crossed her arms, frowning and swaying slightly back and forth to see the wreath from different angles.

“I still don’t think it’s quite right,” Audrey said, squinting at the wreath. “Doesn’t it look as though it’s a little too far to the right?”

Michelle rolled her eyes playfully. “Stop being so much of a perfectionist, Mom.”

Elaine stepped out of The Birchwood House at that moment, chuckling softly. Her curly silver hair was tied back with an antique pearl clip, and her bright blue eyes were shining cheerfully. “It’s a good thing Audrey is a perfectionist—otherwise we never would have gotten The Birchwood House into such great shape in record time.”

“Well, sure, and it also helps that she’s dating the mayor, who was extra quick to help us out with permits and handyman work,” Michelle teased.

Audrey playfully swatted her daughter’s shoulder. “Hey, is it my fault he happens to be extremely efficient?”

“He’s especially efficient when it comes to you,” Michelle said, grinning impishly.

Audrey laughed. Even though she’d been pretending to be annoyed by Michelle’s words, the truth was that she agreed with them. A huge part of why they’d been able to get The Birchwood House up and running so quickly was because of Evan McBride, Coral Sands’ mayor and her handsome boyfriend.

I’m so appreciative of what my life has become, she thought, looking up at the beautiful mansion in front of her. The birch trees that surrounded the house rustled in the fresh, cool autumn wind. For a while there, I never would have dreamed I’d be this happy.

She thought with a slight shudder of the circumstances that had led her to Coral Sands. Her husband Clark had left her for a younger woman, and although she’d felt him growing distant, the betrayal had come as a complete and life-shattering shock. He’d simply disappeared without a word, and for days she’d been frantic with worry that he’d been seriously hurt or worse—only to discover that he’d left her without bothering to leave so much as a note.

It had been an incredibly painful experience, but she’d held herself together and decided that she was going to start over again somewhere else. Since Michelle had just lost her job at a travel agency for calling them out on shady business practices, she’d decided to move with Audrey. They’d soon decided on Coral Sands, Audrey’s hometown, and as soon as they’d arrived, Elaine had insisted that they move into the mansion with her.

Things had been getting better and better for Audrey ever since, especially after Evan McBride had come into her life. At first, things between them had been strained and awkward, since Audrey thought Evan was overly fussy and particular, and he couldn’t seem to forget about the way she’d accidentally splashed coffee all over some important township documents he’d been carrying.

They’d soon realized there was a spark between them, however, and Evan had been patient enough to wait until Audrey was ready to start dating again. After the pain of Clark’s betrayal, opening her heart up to someone was a terrifying step for her, but she’d taken a leap of faith and she’d never been happier about having made a brave choice.

Evan had helped them with restoring The Birchwood House to its former glory, and so had Audrey’s friends Penelope Hurst and Harper Clements. Together with their community, Elaine, Audrey, and Michelle had turned the mansion into the hotel of their dreams.

I’m amazed by how life has turned out, Audrey thought. I’ve rekindled old friendships and made incredible new ones. My old life got shattered, but the new life that I’ve built is even better. I’m surrounded by people who love and support me, and I get to work with my two favorite women every day.

“I have to agree with Michelle though,” Elaine said, taking a long look at the autumn wreath. “That looks plenty centered to me. Unless someone comes along with a ruler or a tape measure, I think we should be in the clear.”