Page 59 of There I Find Hope

Chapter 24

Lena walked down the sidewalk, smiling as she saw the Percherons riding along the lake. Her hands went to her heart when she saw that it was her daughter Sunday sitting in the carriage along with Noah.

What a romantic ride. The horses were beautiful, with their manes and tails flowing in the breeze, and it looked like Sunday and Noah were deep in conversation as each of them threw back their heads and laughed.

As she watched, Lena realized that perhaps Sunday had asked her about selling the bed-and-breakfast because Noah was interested in buying it. That would make a lot of sense to her, since he was the one building the hotel, and he seemed to think that there were business opportunities in Strawberry Sands.

It would make her heart so happy if Noah and Sunday got together, and they took over running the bed-and-breakfast. That made her whole soul smile.

But the issue that she’d been having was still there.

What would she do?

Her children looked at her and saw an old lady, but she was just fifty-five. She didn’t feel like an old lady. She didn’t feel as old as the lady who looked back at her every morning in the mirror. When had she gotten gray hair? When had she gotten those wrinkles around her eyes and mouth? When had her cheeks started to sag? When had she put on these extra pounds that took away her hourglass figure and gave her a matronly look?

She looked like a grandmother.

She knew she had grandchildren, and she loved them, but she didn’t feel like a grandmother. She felt like a young girl. A teenager. Maybe someone in her twenties. Certainly not someone who was looking at the late middle of their life. Knowing that her life was already half over. When had that happened? And what was she going to do with the rest of it? Especially if she sold the bed-and-breakfast. It was all she knew.

Enjoying the look of the horses as they trotted along the beach, seeing the others in the field, and the great deep blue of Lake Michigan and a hot summer day just beyond, grounded her a little bit.

It wasn’t like she wasn’t doing any good for anyone. She set out at a brisk pace, heading north on the lakeshore toward the lighthouse and her friend.

The bed-and-breakfast had been too busy for her to take any time away in the morning. She’d been having to wait until afternoon, when most of the guests had checked out and she had most of the rooms cleaned.

Today, she had a lot of guests staying over, so she didn’t have quite as much cleaning to do, and she felt like she could splurge and take a walk to the lighthouse.

Sunday would be back soon and see the note that she left on the counter.

And that was the other thing, Sunday really wanted to make candy again, but she probably would never be comfortable in her candy shop or the apartment that she shared with Blake.

It would be good for her to completely change her location. The bed-and-breakfast would be just the place.

Lena knew they weren’t pushing her aside, but it felt a little that way. Like she was old, too old to be good for anything other than spoiling grandchildren and sitting on a rocking chair.

She had lots more life left in her.

She knew if she truly didn’t want to sell, her kids wouldn’t want her to. She also knew, if she wanted to sell, all of her kids would be fine with it. She didn’t think any of them would want to buy, except perhaps Ryan, who had settled back in but still seemed a little restless.

She wouldn’t be surprised if he went back out on the rodeo circuit.

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