Page 54 of Through the Dark Night
But everything worked out for the best. She was sure of it. Just sometimes a person did end up with a few regrets. But it was best to focus on the positive things in a person’s life. Because there was always so much to be thankful for.
They finished walking through the inn, admiring the beautiful fall decorations, the cozy fire in the fireplace despite the dreary day outside. It was November, and a cold rain was falling. It could have been snow if the temperature had been just ten degrees cooler, which Shannon wouldn’t have minded.
Still, the fall decorations, the cozy atmosphere, the camaraderie of so many people made her heart burst with happiness.
“Shannon! Shannon!” Claire hurried up to her.
“What?” Shannon asked, looking around to see what she might have forgotten. She knew she had forgotten something.
“I just got word from Chicago that a big paper, plus an online restaurant site, and another online hotel site are all sending reviewers out to be given a tour of your inn and to write up reviews in their various publications. I wanted to give you a heads-up, although I know you’ve already done everything that you possibly could to make this day a success. I just didn’t want you to be blindsided when they showed up.” She glanced out the front door. “Looks like they’re here.”
“Oh my goodness, Lance, what am I gonna do?”
“You don’t have to do anything. Everything’s already been taken care of. You’re gonna be just fine.”
Shannon wasn’t entirely sure that was true, but she took a deep breath and drew strength from the man beside her. He was such a rock.
“How does my hair look?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t checked it since about four AM that morning.
“Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning,” Lance said.
“I think you wouldn’t tell me the truth,” she said, laughing. His answer made her happy though, just because it made her think that no matter how she looked, she looked good to him.
“Your hair looks fine. I know Shelley Bogart personally, and I’ll greet her, and then I’ll introduce you guys, okay?” Claire said as she made to walk toward the front door.
Shannon nodded. “I appreciate it.”
She looked over at Lance. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m right here. This is my spot all day long, unless you send me somewhere.”
She couldn’t imagine anything that would inspire her to send him from her side. And she definitely appreciated his presence as Claire introduced her to Shelley and the other two reviewers. She took them on a short tour and then invited them to check out the inn themselves. She said that their guests could be arriving anytime after three, and a quick glance at her phone indicated that they only had thirty minutes.
The reviewers tasted some of the food, talked to some of the townspeople, and wandered around the spacious inn, looking at the various decorations and the decor in all of the rooms. Shannon explained that the third story wasn’t quite ready, but they were welcome to go up there if they wanted to.
The reviewers seemed impressed that such a small town had such a beautiful inn, and Shannon took great delight in telling them how the townspeople had come together, helping her after she had made an impulse buy with her divorce settlement.
She didn’t want to bring her ex into it, and she carefully didn’t mention his name, but she figured they could probably dig it up if they wanted to.
She thought about asking them to leave him completely out of it, but it was what it was.
One of the reviewers left, but the other two sat in chairs, and Shannon lost track of them as the first guests arrived.
She was standing behind the front desk to greet them as they checked into their room, and she gave them key cards and explained about the availability of baked goods all day long on the buffet, as well as the time of breakfast in the morning. She also told them that there was a list of things that they could order for room service in their room and pointed out the services the town of Raspberry Ridge offered, including the horse-drawn rides, delicious baked goods, and handcrafted woodcrafts.
She was excited to be able to promote the folks in the town, after the way they had supported her through everything.
The couple was sweet and kind and seemed genuinely interested in what the town offered. The man confided that they were thinking about moving away from the big city to start a family and had been looking at property up in Blackberry Bay, which was just a short drive away.
“It seems to be less congested than Blueberry Beach or even Strawberry Sands. And the fact that there is so much to do right here makes me think that we really wouldn’t be getting away from anything other than the big-city annoyances.”
“Blackberry Bay is very beautiful, and you’re right, there’s plenty to do all around but not so much activity that it feels that it has lost its small-town feel. It’s very much like Raspberry Ridge.”
The couple wandered off. The next three couples arrived one after the other, and she was busy for the next hour, answering questions and showing people around.
By the time five o’clock had rolled around, sherealized that the town was implementing an impromptu buffet around the large table in the meeting room, with Marina having made her famous Nutella banana bread, along with several pans of lasagna, which were complemented by various dishes the townspeople had brought. It was like a church social, only inside.
Twenty-Four
