Chapter Four

Lights from the town hall spilled down the steps as Emily ascended them. Even from here she could hear numerous voices coming from inside. It sounded like the whole town might have turned up to hear the zoning board’s decision about Raven’s Inn. It shouldn’t surprise Emily that every local would come. Even with the late announcement and the scheduling so soon after Thanksgiving, the people of Sunset Harbor cared so much about their town to make the time to attend all meetings.

She opened the door and saw that every available seat was taken. Raven Kingsley was all the way at the front, chatting with Mayor Hansen and his aide, Marcella. That didn’t bode well, Emily thought to herself. If Raven had got them on her side it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the town were turned over as well.

She felt a tug on her arm and turned to see Amy and Harry.

“I’m so glad you came,” Amy said. “There’s been some rumblings in the underground that Raven’s going to get the go ahead today. The zoning board aren’t going to challenge her tearing down the old house in favor for something more modern. It looks like it will all come down to the residents.”

“We have to fight this,” Harry said. “A hotel could spell disaster for the inn, and my restaurant. Who’s going to want to come all the way to our side of the harbor when there’s somewhere newer and cheaper in a more central location? With ocean views? Think of all those random business bookings we get at the moment. We’d lose all that custom, I’m sure.”

Harry’s concerns made Emily worry even more than she had previously. She didn’t want to stand in the way of Raven, especially after she’d confided in her about her bitter divorce. But she couldn’t just stand by and have her own livelihood destroyed in such a manner. Raven, from all she’d heard, wasn’t the type to take any prisoners. She had that ruthless New York business mentality – kill or be killed. Emily wasn’t much of a fighter. She really could’ve done with Trevor by her side right now!

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Emily told them. “I don’t want to stop her from doing her job just because I’m scared.”

“Then do it for your family,” Harry said. “For your friends and town. No one wants an ugly building on our oceanfront, and we don’t want our beloved inn to go out of business either. It’s not good for anyone.”

“How are most people voting?” Emily asked.

Amy pointed to the corner, at the Patels. “Against, of course.” Then over to the Bradshaws. “Against.” She pointed next to Birk and Bertha. Birk owned the gas station and was the first person Emily had met in Sunset Harbor. “I think they’re for. More cars coming in to town means more customers, as far as they’re concerned.”

Emily chewed her lip in consternation. The reality of a new rival inn arriving in town was starting to feel very real to her. The way Mayor Hansen was guffawing at something Raven had just said made her feel even worse.

Harry nudged her then. “Look, the meeting’s about to start.”

She turned towards the stage and the small wooden podium. The room fell silent as Mayor Hansen took his position. He banged his gavel, unnecessarily considering everyone was already paying him their undivided attention.

“Welcome everyone,” he said. “We’re here for the postponed discussions about Raven Kingsley’s proposition to clear the dilapidated ocean side lot and build a new hotel there. You may or may not know already that the zoning board met earlier this week and voted unanimously for the plans to go ahead.”

Emily looked at Harry and Amy. They were both grimacing. Emily felt her own face mirroring their expressions.

Mayor Hansen carried on. “Of course, we’re a small town and the views of our residents are as equally important as the zoning boards. More so, in fact, now that we’ve lost our dear friend Trevor Mann.”

He pressed a hand to his heart. There was a light-hearted ripple of laughter through the audience as everyone recalled Trevor’s fierce, sometimes menacing protectiveness over the town.

“I believe many of you had a chance to speak to Raven over the thanksgiving break,” Mayor Hansen finished. “So I’m looking forward to hearing all of your opinions. I suggest we here from Emily Morey first, since a new inn would have the greatest impact on her. Emily, would you like to take the floor?”

All eyes turned to her. Emily felt that familiar sensation of being put on the spot. And she really was in a bind. She didn’t want to trash Raven’s dream just because it might make things a little trickier for her. It wasn’t in her spirit. But at the same time, Harry and Amy’s tense expressions from beside her reminded her that there were people counting on her. All her staff, her family. They’d expanded the inn massively, having the luxury of no competition. At the very least Raven’s new venture would mean some cut backs for Emily’s inn, including staff reductions.

“I…” Emily began, feeling her throat becoming dry.

She looked over at Raven sitting on the stage beside Marcella. For only the second time since she’d met her, Emily saw a genuine smile on her face. Like Emily when she’d first arrived, Raven had encountered hostility and suspicion from the locals. Emily was probably the one person she counted as a friendly acquaintance.

“I’m for,” Emily suddenly blurted. “I think there’s a market that Raven’s inn could capture. She caters for the business and corporate end of the market, with conferences and the like. I cater more towards familie, weddings and festivities. There’s room for the both of us.”

She spoke very quickly, trying to get her explanation out before her voice was entirely swallowed by the uproar. But it was useless. Everyone was speaking loudly over one another, directing frustration towards her, as if she were the one who’d come up with the plan in the first place, rather than the person who was going to be the most affected by it should it come to fruition!

And even worse were the thunderous expressions on Harry and Amy’s faces. They looked like she’d just said the worst thing in the world, like she’d let them down terribly. But it just wouldn’t be right or fair to sway everyone to her side, to tell Raven no. It would be downright mean spirited.

All she could do now was hope that enough other people voted no so she wouldn’t have to deal with the outcome of her generosity.

Emily stepped back, seeking the shadows. But in a small town like Sunset Harbor there was no hiding. She’d made her bed, now she would have to lie in it.

* * *

“What the Hell was that, Emily?” Amy demanded once the town meeting was over. “Anyone would think you wanted to go bankrupt and ruin the town!”

Her friend had let her go less than five paces from the town hall before launching her attack, stopping her on the first step. The weather had grown colder since they’d been inside and Emily shivered from the sudden drop in temperature.

But despite the cold, her cheeks were warm with embarrassment. Emily hated making a public scene, especially since half of the town were filling out of the hall behind them.

“Can we talk about this later?” Emily said under her breath.

“No!” Amy exclaimed. “I want to know what’s gotten into you. Why are you lying down like a lapdog for Raven Kingsley?”

“That’s hardly what’s happening,” Emily refuted, stung by the ferocity of Amy’s words. “Just because I don’t want to trash her dreams doesn’t mean I’m bending over backwards to accommodate her.”

Amy placed her hands on her hips. “Funny, ‘cos it’s certainly coming across that way. I mean just the other day you were telling me all your woes about laying off staff over winter and not having any bookings. What do you really think will happen when you have a competitor like Raven Kinsgley offering cheaper rooms, cheaper food, a better location? You may as well just fire Harry now.”

“Ames, please calm down,” Emily said, softly. She tried to reach for her friend, but Amy pulled away. She wasn’t a crier, never had been, but Emily noticed that her face was red from the strain of holding it together.

“I just don’t understand you,” Amy said, turning her face away. “I don’t understand what you’re doing.”

Emily had no words. It was hard to explain herself, beyond the fact that she wanted to be a decent human being and spread kindness. She’d seen the way Chantelle had resolved her issue with Laverne over Halloween and had been humbled by the child’s capacity for care and forgiveness. The only may she could make sense of it now was that dragging someone wasn’t right, no matter what.

“Even the Raven Kingsley’s of the world deserve a chance,” Emily said. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve betrayed Harry, or even that I’m letting myself and my family down, but I simply cannot stoop to that level, to trash someone’s dream like that.”

Amy stared at her, still incredulous, like her words just weren’t registering. “I think you’re going to regret that. Once Raven drives you out of business.”

“How about when that happens, you can say ‘I told you so,’” Emily said, the comment halfway between a joke and a dismissal.

Amy shook her head, looking beyond disappointed. It was painful for Emily to have her best friend so mad at her, but she wasn’t going to back down under the pressure. She knew what was right in her heart and that was the only thing was going to let that guide her actions.

“I’m going home,” Amy said.

“No, Ames,” Emily said, reaching for. “It’s the tree lighting ceremony. Your first one in Sunset Harbor. Come on, let’s just put this behind us for the rest of the night, okay?”

Amy shook her head again. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I don’t feel like watching a stupid tree ceremony when our livelihoods are in danger. Doesn’t feel like much to celebrate.” She looked around her, searching for Harry.

Emily felt crushed. She and Amy had had their fair share of spats during their years of friendship but this particular one felt very raw and painful. Amy’s rejection hurt.

Harry appeared then, moving away from a very solemn looking conversation with the Bradshaw’s who owned a restaurant in town. He came over, his usual boyish grin completely absent, and placed his arm around Amy.

“Shall we go home?” he asked her, his tone morose.

Emily’s heart sank. “Harry, come on,” she said. “It’s the tree lighting. Come over to the Inn for mulled wine, then we can all go together.”

But Harry shook his head. He was hardly looking at her. “I think we want a quiet night in.”

Amy didn’t raise her eyes again either. Instead, the two of them shuffled off, heads bowed, leaving Emily alone on the steps, watching them go with a downturned mouth.

* * *

After her spat with Amy, Emily couldn’t help but approach the town tree lighting celebration with an air of trepidation. What if everyone decide to give her a piece of them mind as Amy had? The thought of the tense atmosphere that had built during the meeting spilling onto the streets and poisoning the joyful celebration was a real concern.

But when they arrived and climbed out of Daniel’s truck – Chantelle clipping leashes onto the dogs before hopping down from the back seat – Emily quickly realized she needn’t have worried. All she saw were the same old friendly faces, smiles and greetings. Whatever feelings the locals felt about her speech at the meeting, it appeared as if they were going to put them aside for the rest of the evening. Unlike Amy, they seemed willing to leave their animosity towards her within the four walls of the town hall.

In typical Sunset Harbor tradition, the tree lighting wasn’t just a tree lighting, but instead a street party, an excuse to celebrate. Emily looked around at all the stalls that had been set up, selling an assortments of winter-themed items from Christmas decorations to candles, flavored liquors and ugly Christmas sweaters. Chantelle, of course, was immediately drawn to the sparkly, garish sweater stall.