unshed tears. “They made peace with each other. That’s an amazing story.” From her look I could tell that what had happened between Josh and his stepfather had touched her heart.
“Healing comes in different forms,” I explained, feeling inadequate. From the first moment Emily had arrived I sensed that she, too, had come with a burdened heart. She’d chosen not to disclose it to me and I respected her privacy. In sharing the story of Josh and Richard I hoped that she’d find whatever she needed to find a path to healing.
“That’s just one incident, though,” Emily said, as if uncertainty had already started to filter in.
“I can’t say I blame you for having questions,” I said, countering her skepticism. “It seemed pretty convenient that my very first guest would have this amazing story of forgiveness. You can talk to him about it if you want. He’s married now, to a girl who once lived next door, and they live right here in Cedar Cove. The thing is that very same weekend I had another guest. Abby came into town for the first time in ten years for her brother’s wedding. I discovered that the first winter after high school Abby was in a terrible car accident with her best friend, who was killed. Angela’s parents blamed her for their daughter’s death and worse, Abby blamed herself, although no one was at fault.”
“What happened?”
“Abby went to visit the parents. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been. Fortunately, they were ready to look beyond their pain and give her the forgiveness she needed.”
“Thank goodness, that poor girl.”
“It was like Abby was a different person following the visit to her friend’s parents. She’d been set free.”
Emily went still and quiet. “She’d been healed.”
“Exactly. After my first two guests both experienced life-changing weekends, my skepticism vanished, and since that time I’ve trusted that there’s a special healing quality that comes from this inn. I can’t explain it; I don’t even try.”
“You’ve had dozens of guests since you took over the inn.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Does every single one of them receive some form of healing?”
“I don’t know. Most of the pain my guests carry they keep to themselves. I’m a stranger and they would be uncomfortable unburdening their troubles onto someone they barely know. The stories I’m aware of are ones I’ve learned by accident, but I will tell you this. They are powerful. I no longer question that dream.” I paused, letting Emily reach her own conclusion. It was difficult to hold back from telling her of other healings, some that I felt were almost miraculous. Perhaps it was wrong of me to take a certain pride in this inn and what happens here, especially since I had very little to do with events that had helped change lives.
My cell rang. I’d set it down in the office next to my business line and I hopped up. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute.”
“Of course.”
I left Emily sipping her tea and rushed in to catch my phone, suspecting it was Greg, and I was right.
“Hey,” I said, pleased to hear from him. He had a deep voice that soothed and fascinated me.
“Hey,” he returned. “Just checking to make sure we’re still on for tomorrow night.”
“I’m planning on it.”
“I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I called because I wanted to hear the sound of your voice.”
I don’t think my smile could have gotten any bigger. “I like the sound of your voice, too.” He’d reached out to me every night since our outing on Saturday to Mount Rainier. One evening we talked for two hours. Two hours, which I found unbelievable. I’ve never had so much to say to anyone that demanded a two-hour conversation—well, other than Paul.
“You having a good day?”
“Yes, but Emily isn’t. She tripped on her run this morning and wrenched her ankle. Some interesting developments on that plane,” I said, lowering my voice, not wanting it to carry into the other room. “I detect a bit of a romance blooming between her and the owner of that house she’s interested in buying.”
Settling down in my office chair, I leaned back and relaxed. As if he understood this might be a lengthy conversation, Rover wandered in and sat down at my feet.
I’ll be the first one to admit I’m not a good patient. By the end of the following day I was both frustrated and impatient. Before dinnertime I was more than ready to toss those