The thought of spending all that money from her savings, of ending up balancing so precariously on the edge of bankruptcy, was not something Emily relished doing. She’d never been that sort of person, the impulsive type. She was usually careful and considered, measuring the pros and cons of every situation before committing – that is, until she’d dramatically left her job, apartment, and boyfriend in New York and run away to Maine. Maybe she was more impulsive than she realized. Or perhaps it was a trait that was creeping up on her as she aged. Was that how Cynthia had become so eccentric – with every year she aged she added another luminous color to her wardrobe, dyed her hair another bizarre shade? As much as she loved her dear friend, Emily shuddered at the thought of becoming her.

Forcing her mind to stop drawing comparisons between herself and the older woman, Emily refocused on the task at hand.

“I suppose I’m buying it,” she said to Daniel, almost willing him silently to tell her no, to give her an excuse not to go through with it.

“Cool,” was all he said.

Just then Rico came over. “Ellie.” He beamed. “So lovely to see you.” The elderly man always had trouble remembering Emily’s name.

“Hi, Rico,” Emily said. “Do you have many more four-poster beds like this one?” She remembered the hidden room that Rico had shown her, the place where he stowed all the larger and often more expensive items he couldn’t easily move. It was filled with treasures galore, more so than even her father’s sprawling mansion contained.

“Of course,” Rico said, patting her arm with a wizened hand. “They’re in the back. Do you know where to go?”

Emily nodded. Rico had shown her and Daniel the secret corridor room several days earlier.

“In that case, take a look,” Rico said. “I trust you.”

Emily smiled to herself, wondering how he trusted her if he couldn’t even remember her name. Then she and Daniel went along the unlit, winding corridor and into the expansive back room. Just like the last time she’d been here, Emily was almost winded by the cold, and overwhelmed by the sheer size of the vast room. It was like stepping into a cavern or cave. She shivered and pulled her arms about herself. Daniel noticed her shivering and drew her closely into him. The warmth coming off him comforted Emily.

They went deeper inside the room, passing cupboards and sideboards, desks and wardrobes.

“Narnia, here I come,” Emily joked, pulling open the door to a particularly ornate wooden wardrobe, before jotting down its price and number on her list of purchases.

Finally, they located the place where all the beds were stored.

“Here,” Emily said, looking at a dark wood, antique four-poster bed frame. Each of the posts was made to look like the tree trunks from which they’d been carved. It was almost otherworldly. “This is exactly what I need. Just one more like this and the high-end rooms will feel pretty darn luxurious, don’t you think?”

Daniel seemed particularly impressed with the bed. “This is amazingly well built. I mean you can tell that by how well it’s stood the test of time, but also the finish, the way they used a varnish that suited the natural wood effect.” He seemed enamored, though no sooner had he said the words than he immediately became distracted by another bed. “Emily, quick, look at this one!”

Emily laughed as he tugged her hand to show her another ornate bed frame. This one had a paler varnish, and it almost looked like it was from an Icelandic log cabin. Patterns had been carved into the headboard and posts. It was gorgeous, a sight to behold.

“I mean, that’s a one in a million piece, Emily!” Daniel said enthusiastically. “Hand-carved. Awesome carpentry. You’d pretty much put the B&B on the map if you bought this!”

Emily felt a warmth spread inside of her. It was true. The beds she’d found in Rico’s store were amazing and unique. She could see now what Cynthia had been trying to tell her, about treating her guests like royalty. She’d certainly feel like a princess sleeping in one of these.

“You know,” Emily said, her fingers idling over the wood of one of the posts. “If we buy these beds, there is one stipulation.”

“Oh?” Daniel said, his eyebrows drawing together.

Emily pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. “We’d have to try each one out. For quality assurance purposes, of course.”

“You mean… Oh!” Daniel caught on to what Emily was suggestively implying. He wiggled his eyebrows. The prospect of buying the beds suddenly seemed even more enticing. “Oh well, of course…” he murmured, reaching his arms around Emily and pulling her into an embrace. “You wouldn’t be able to rest at night if you didn’t know, firsthand, the experience your guests were paying for.”

He kissed her neck seductively and Emily laughed.

“I’m going to give Rico my list,” she said, drawing herself out of the embrace. “And part with all of my money.”

Daniel whistled through his teeth. “He’s going to be happy. You’ve probably made him a whole month’s profit in one sale!”

“I’m not thinking about that,” Emily said, pretending to cover her eyes with her hands to avoid looking at the price labels.

She left Daniel in the large room and found Rico.

“Evie,” he said when she reemerged. “Did you find what you wanted?”

“I did,” Emily said. “I’d like to buy three wardrobes, a dressing table, two desks, six bedside tables, one tall boy, two chests of drawers, three rugs, and three antique beds.”

“Oh,” Rico said, a little surprised as she handed him the list of items and prices. “That’s quite a lot.” He began to add them up slowly on his ancient till.

“I’m furnishing two more rooms in the B&B and redesigning another.”

“Ah yes, you’re the B&B girl,” Rico said, nodding. “Your dad would be so proud of what you’ve achieved, you know.”

Emily couldn’t help but squirm. Even though she appreciated his kind words, it made her uncomfortable to think of her dad.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Now,” Rico said in his wizened voice, “since you’re such a valued customer and you’re doing something that will benefit the whole town, I’ll give you a discount.” He tapped some buttons and a figure appeared on the dusty display screen.

Emily squinted, not sure if she was seeing it right. “Rico, that’s a fifty percent discount.” She couldn’t tell if the elderly gentleman had mistakenly entered the smaller figure; the last thing she wanted was to accidentally rip him off.

“That’s quite right. You get a special Sunset Harbor Memorial Weekend discount.” He winked.

Emily stammered, handing over her card. She could hardly believe his generosity.

“Are you sure?”

Rico waved a hand to silence her. The sale went through and Emily stood there a little dazed.

“Thank you, Rico,” she said, breathlessly, and planted a kiss on the old man’s papery cheek. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

He smiled wide, and that smile said it all.

She felt like a giddy child as she rushed off back through the antique shop to find Daniel.

“Rico gave me a half-price discount!” she exclaimed when she reached him.

He looked stunned.

“That’s amazing,” Daniel replied.

“Come on,” Emily said, impatient all of a sudden. “Let’s get this stuff out of here and start fixing up the B&B.”

Daniel laughed. “I’ve never seen someone so eager to end a date.”

“I’m sorry,” Emily said with a blush. “It’s just there’s so much to do and prepare for when Jayne gets here.”

“Who’s Jayne?” Daniel asked. “You didn’t tell me you’d booked another guest.” He seemed excited for her, if not a little surprised.

Emily laughed. “Oh, it’s not like that. Jayne’s my old best friend from New York.”

Daniel seemed suddenly awkward. He’d felt judged by Amy when she’d visited and was more than a little reticent to meet any of Emily’s other friends.

“Okay,” he said in a half mumble.

“She’s nice,” Emily reassured him. “And she’ll love you.” She kissed him on the cheek.

“You can’t know that for certain,” Daniel said. “You never know – people rub each other the wrong way all the time. And it’s not like I’m the friendliest guy in the world.”

Emily slung her arms around his neck and nuzzled in. “I promise. She’ll love you because I love you. That’s how it works with best friends.”

Emily realized, after she’d spoken, that she had said the “L” word. She’d told Daniel she loved him. It had just slipped out, but she didn’t feel strange or anxious about it at all. In fact, saying it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. She noted, however, that Daniel did not say it back and wondered whether she’d crossed that line too soon.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, quietly embracing in the dark antique store, as Emily mulled over the meaning of Daniel’s silence in her mind.

*

The sky was dimming as they unloaded the heavy new four-poster beds from the back of Daniel’s truck and carried them up to the rooms. They spent the next few hours putting them together and arranging the rooms, neither commenting on the words that had passed between them back at Rico’s store.

As the sky blackened, Emily began to feel like the house was becoming more like a real B&B, like she’d committed more fully to the idea. In many ways, she had reached the point of no return. Not just with the B&B, but with her feelings for Daniel. She loved him. She loved the B&B. And she had no doubt in her mind about either.

“I think we should stay at mine tonight,” Daniel announced when the clock struck midnight.

“Sure,” Emily said, a little taken aback. She had never stayed the night in Daniel’s carriage house and wondered whether it was some kind of attempt on his behalf to show his commitment to her when he’d failed earlier to say those three little words.

They locked up the B&B and crossed the lawn to where Daniel’s small carriage house stood in darkness. He opened the door and showed Emily inside.

Emily always felt so much younger whenever she went to Daniel’s house. Something about his vast collection of records and books intimidated her. She scanned the shelves now, looking at all the academic texts Daniel owned. Psychology. Photography. He had books on many different subjects. And, much to Emily’s amusement, these intimidating-looking academic texts were all sandwiched between pulpy crime novels.

“No way!” she exclaimed. “You read Agatha Christie?”

Daniel just shrugged. “Nothing wrong with an Agatha now and again. She’s a great storyteller.”

“But aren’t her books for middle-aged women?”

“Why don’t you read one and tell me?” he said cheekily.

Emily smacked him with a pillow. “How dare you. Thirty-five is hardly middle-aged!”

They laughed as Daniel wrestled Emily down onto the couch. He tickled her mercilessly, making her squeal and pummel his back with closed fists. Then they both fell, exhausted from the play-fight, into a tangle of limbs. Emily’s giggles died down. She panted, catching her breath, her arms wrapped around Daniel, twining her fingers through his hair. Their silly moods faded away, becoming more serious.

Daniel pulled back so he could see her face. “You’re beautiful, you know,” he said. “I’m not sure whether I tell you that enough.”

Emily could tell the subtext of what he was saying. He was referring to earlier, to his not having told her that he loved her too. He was trying to make up for it now by showering her with compliments. It wasn’t really the same thing, but she was happy to hear it nonetheless.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Daniel smirked, smiling the crooked smile that Emily loved so much.

“I’m so glad I met you,” he went on. “My life now compared to where it was before you, it’s almost incomprehensible. You’ve flipped everything on its head.”

“In a good way, I hope,” Emily said.

“In the best way,” Daniel assured her.

Emily felt her cheeks turning rosy. As much as she enjoyed hearing Daniel speak these words, she was still shy, still a little bit unsure as to where she stood with him, and unsure of how close she should really let herself get considering how up in the air everything was with the B&B.

Daniel seemed to be struggling to say the next words. Emily watched him patiently, her gaze encouraging.

“If you went away, I don’t know what I’d do,” Daniel said. “Actually, I do. I’d drive to New York to be with you again.” He took her hand. “What I’m saying is stay with me. Okay? Wherever that place may be, make it be with me.”

Daniel’s words touched Emily deeply. There was such sincerity to them, such tenderness. It wasn’t love that he was communicating but something else, something similar or at least as significant. It was a desire to be with her no matter what happened with the B&B. He was banishing the ticking clock, saying he didn’t care whether she didn’t make it work by the Fourth of July, that he would be there with her still.

“I will,” Emily said, gazing up at him adoringly. “We can stay together. No matter what.”

Daniel leaned down and kissed Emily deeply. She felt her body grow warm in response to him, and the heat between them intensified. Then Daniel stood and extended a hand to her. She bit her lip and took his hand, following him in eager anticipation as he led her to the bedroom.