Page 26 of Coastal Reflections

She went back downstairs to Evan, and he took her hand and escorted her to his car, which he’d parked on the street just outside the mansion. He drove them to the edge of town and then took a left, driving toward a patch of woods that overlooked the ocean.

“I haven’t been here in ages,” Audrey said eagerly. “I remember this park. I used to come here with my friends when I was a teenager.”

“It’s a great park,” Evan said, nodding with the air of a man who had made sure it stayed that way by hiring a good parks and recreation team. “And I know the perfect spot for a picnic.”

They drove up to a beautiful hilltop that overlooked the ocean. A small parking lot was placed at the edge of the hill, and Evan parked his car there. Audrey surveyed the hill in front of them, blinking in awe.

“Oh Evan, this is just beautiful,” she murmured. “You can see the ocean and all of the surrounding woods. These autumn colors are just breathtaking.”

“Glad you like it.” He grinned at her.

They got out of the car, and a fresh wind blew against their faces. It was scented with the refreshing tang of the ocean and the spicy aromas of the surrounding autumn woods. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to totally relax.

Evan led her to a picturesque spot under an oak tree that had a wooden swing hanging from one of its lowest branches.

“Wow, this really is romantic,” Audrey murmured.

The date became even more romantic as Evan spread out the beautiful quilt and then sat down and opened the picnic basket that he’d prepared. There was a lovely charcuterie board, stocked with flavored crackers and all sorts of unique meats and cheeses along with nuts and dried fruit. Evan had also packed them two little glass bottles of apple cider and a box of pumpkin cookies for dessert.

“Wow, thank you sweetheart,” Audrey said, surveying the little feast. “This was so thoughtful of you. You have amazing taste.”

Evan chuckled. “Thanks. I got that goat’s milk herbal cheese you liked so much, and that lemon-flavored cheese. The woman at Shoreline Market asked me if I’d tried it before, and I assured her that I had. Apparently, she hates it.” He laughed. “But I told her that we sampled it together that one day and we absolutely loved it.”

“To each their own,” Audrey said with a chuckle.

And this guy is mine, she thought, feeling a surge of affection for him. I can hardly believe it. How did I get so lucky?

“And you did such a good job arranging this board—and covering it with aluminum foil so it didn’t spill all over the basket!” Audrey grinned at him. “Bravo.”

“Um, well actually, the booth at the market was offering a charcuterie board arrangement, so all I did was pick out some of the food and they set it all up for me. I also bought these ciders already in the little bottles, and the pumpkin cookies are from Townsend’s. But do I still get boyfriend points?”

She laughed and gave him a pat on the cheek. “You’ll always get boyfriend points with me. This was still incredibly thoughtful, even if you didn’t prep it all by yourself.”

They began to eat the delicious food, enjoying the fragrant air and the gorgeous sights surrounding them. Audrey kept thinking about how lucky she was to have Evan as her boyfriend, especially after everything she’d been through with Clark.

“I’m really grateful for you, Evan,” she said softly after a few moments. “You not only support me emotionally, but you support me practically. You’re always there for me when I need a hand with something, and then you do thoughtful things like this.” She chuckled. “I’d say you get all the boyfriend points.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy to be there for you whenever you need it.”

She laid her head down on his shoulder. “You swooped in to my rescue when that pipe burst in the hotel, and now that’s all been squared away. I’m happy to report that the tiger lily room is fully repaired and repainted and back in working order.”

“That’s wonderful. Frank’s a great guy—and I was happy to orchestrate all that for you. I’m glad it was all resolved so quickly.”

For a few minutes, they were quiet, nibbling food and enjoying the day and each other’s company. Audrey found herself wishing that her situation with Clark could be repaired with one phone call to Evan and a few paychecks.

“What’s wrong, Audrey?” he asked her, noticing her slightly pained expression. “Why do you look sad?”

She shook her head, sighing. “I’m afraid of Clark showing up in random places. Everywhere I go in town, I’m worried he’s just around the corner. When he showed up in Shoreline Market the other day, it rattled me badly because I’d already been dreading it. And now I’m feeling more worried than ever about what he’s going to try to do about this grandfather clock. I’m worried he might try to take legal action.”

Evan made a grunting noise that sounded possessive and wrapped Audrey in his arms. “Everything is going to be all right,” he told her soothingly. “Just like I helped you find the right avenues to fix the leaky pipe in the hotel, I will find ways to help you with any stunt that Clark might try to pull.”

Audrey inhaled, feeling bolstered by Evan’s reassurance. She knew that Clark was less likely to bully her with Evan around. Clark saw her as an easy target—but he wouldn’t if the mayor of the town was at her side.

“Thank you, sweetheart. But enough about Clark. Let’s focus on this beautiful picnic spread instead of on my ex-husband. I’ve already worried about him plenty for today.”

“Okay.” He gave her a kiss on the nose. “But before we keep eating, I have an idea.” He stood up and tugged her to her feet. “Come with me.”

“What?” She raised a brow as he led her by the hand. “You don’t have a hang glider over there or anything like that, right? I’m all up for adventures but flying off hillsides isn’t in the cards for me today.”