Starting Over by Cheryl Douglas Page B

turn
it into more of a retreat, with a spa, yoga, meditation, a
waterfall, and spectacular flower gardens. She even wanted to
switch to an organic menu.
    “I think Sharon
realized a lot of things toward the end.”
    “Such as?”
    “She worked
hard all of her life. She did what she loved, but she gave so much
to her career and everyone else, and she rarely took time for
herself.”
    “What do you
mean?” Eve knew her aunt was a hard-working woman. In fact, Eve had
often chastised her for not taking better care of herself. Sharon
always assured her she liked to keep busy.
    “She had her
work, this inn, plus her work as the mayor for years. Even after
that, she chaired so many of the events around town.”
    “You mean like
the book drive to raise funds for the library?”
    “That, and the
children’s toy drive at Christmas.” Dan smiled. “Not to mention her
work with the Horticultural Society and the church. Oh, and the
food bank they were trying to raise funds for. Sharon may not have
officially been running this town anymore, but she still loved the
people and wanted to do everything she could to make their lives
better.”
    Sharon had
always felt that way. The dozens of people who’d passed through her
home mourning her were a testament to the fact that her efforts
hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I know,” Eve said. Eve recalled all of the
benefits she’d attended with her aunt. Sharon got so much joy out
of giving, never expecting anything in return. As a teen, Eve
wanted to be just like her. Somehow, she had gotten wrapped up in a
meaningless life of society lunches after she married Alex. Her
work as a freelance editor was set aside, and with that, she lost
her sense of self.
    “It sounds like
you’re going to have a lot on your plate over the next little
while,” Dan said. “Sharon left big shoes to fill.”
    “She sure did,”
Eve said, wondering again whether she was up to the task.
    “Think you’re
up to it?” Eve didn’t respond. “Just know that I’ll be here to help
you. Whatever you need.”
    “Thanks.” She
had to tackle the challenge herself, but knowing she had his
support if she needed it helped.
    “What does this
mean for your marriage, Eve?”
    That was the
last thing she wanted to talk about, but she knew everyone would
wonder when she announced her plan to stay and run the inn. Dan
deserved to be the first to know. “It’s over.”
    “I’m sorry,” he
said, lowering his head.
    “Are you?”
    “No.”
    They looked at
each other a long time before Eve said, “Our friendship means the
world to me, but if you think my divorce means you and I have a
chance at a future together, we don’t.” She didn’t want to be so
blunt, but she thought it was best to be honest with him.
    “You may feel
that way now—”
    “I’m not going
to change my mind, Dan.” She reached for his hand and curled her
fingers around his. “I love you as a friend, but that’s all it will
ever be. If you can’t live with that, maybe you should think about
moving on.” Adding Dan to the list of people she’d lost would
destroy her, but she was determined to do what she had to do to
create the life she wanted for herself.
    “You really
mean that?” He held her hand tighter, obviously trying to hold on
to something he felt was slipping away.
    Eve knew what
that felt like. She’d done the same thing with Alex. “I don’t want
you to go, but if you have to, I’ll understand. I won’t hold it
against you.”
    “I don’t want
to go anywhere. This is my home.”
    “Good, I want
you to stay. But I need you to understand—”
    “I do,” he
said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “But you need to understand
that you’re not an easy woman to fall out of love with, Evie.”
Pushing his chair back, he stood. “Just ask your soon-to-be
ex-husband. That might be the only thing we’ll ever agree
about.”
     
    ***
     
    Several days
later, Eve was sitting at her aunt’s desk when the phone rang.