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"Um, sir. I apologize, but I do need to re-enter your information into the system. Could you tell me your address?"
The man scoffed loudly and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He looked both aggravated and defeated. "You need to reenter everything? Are you kidding me right now?"
She tried to calm him down and apologized for any inconvenience, but David's irritation only increased.
April was taken aback by his behavior. She had never encountered anyone like this before. She'd never done customer service before.
David only snatched his suitcase from his side and walked out of the house, grumbling about needing to find somewhere else to stay.
It was almost a sigh of relief to be rid of him, but April was disappointed in herself for losing one of her first clients. Her father had really thrown a wrench in her plans.
This wasn't what she pictured when she thought of her first day as a business.
Richard walked over to his daughter, who leaned against the reception desk in the entryway of her dream bed and breakfast. "What was that all about?"
April's frustration only grew as she turned to face her father. "I don't know, Dad. He was impossible. He was rude and-"
She looked at her confused father and realized that none of this was going to help either of them. "Dad, could you go into town for a little while? I just need to focus here. It's my first weekend with guests, and I can meet you there later. Sound good?"
He simply nodded and walked out of the house. From the doorway he yelled back, "And the place looks great, honey."
It was nothing like she pictured it. This was supposed to be her grand entrance into the hotel scene on the island. But instead, it was a disaster in more ways than one.
Her head fell into her hands. What was she supposed to do now? One canceled reservation, her father and her boyfriend's, if she could even call Nigel that, ex. The past two days flooded her mind.
She was drowning in the confusion and emotional whiplash she'd given herself. Three deep breaths, a hand through her hair and a sip of water later, she got back to work.
It took her a few minutes to cancel the reservation in her system. Then, she restocked the downstairs fridges and snack areas. Cleaning the lobby only took a few minutes.
April didn't want to check on the Millers yet, so she looked through her website to check for questions and reservations. A few emails came through asking about availability or the beach access, what the town had to offer.
Her responses were almost robotic by now. She knew everything about the area and had a suggestion for just about anything.
After it was all over and she could leave the property feeling okay about her guests, she walked out to her car. A wild horse ran through the field, bucking wildly.
April wished she could be as free as the mare. Maybe someday, she told herself as she started the car.
But right now, she had to go into town.
CHAPTER FOUR
There were several things April had on her list before she could go meet her father. One of them was taking deep breaths and walking around downtown Sandcrest.
Chuck and Barry, the town goofballs, were sitting just outside of the diner. They waved as she passed by. Though they made fun of her aspirations, they began to warm up to the idea of her bed and breakfast.
The quaint town was bustling with people, yet April found it peaceful. For the first time that day, she felt like a weight was off of her chest.
Flowers in ancient-looking pots lined the streets. Clear skies and a gentle breeze that carried a salt from the sea made fall feel alive.
The tiny sidewalk cafes had their typical clientele, the locals, plus the start of the tourists for the season.
Alice carried groceries to her car from the general store. Her arms looked heavy, but there was Lionel right behind her with several more bags. It was a perk of the small town, April realized, to have neighbors that were so willing to help out.
For a moment, she thought about running over and telling her friend all about everything that'd happened in the past twenty-four hours. But Alice quickly shuffled into her car, tossing her purse to the passenger seat.
April waved to her through the driver's side door, praying she would notice. She began to feel silly, noticing the other people walking past her, seemingly waving to no one.
It took a minute, but Alice finally looked up from the steering wheel and smiled at her. She waved back, then held up a finger.
