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I sucked in a breath. “He broke up with you?”
She shook her head. “I did the honors. I was upset that he didn’t stand up for me, ask why he’d gotten the job over someone who’d been there longer and had more experience. He was happy to take the promotion, no questions asked. Maybe that was unfair.”
I chuckled without any humor. “I don’t think so. It doesn’t sound like he deserved the job. He should’ve stepped back. A better man would have.”
“You always see things so black-and-white, right or wrong.”
“It was easy to see those lines when you grew up the way I did.” Dodging insults, hunting for food in my grandmother’s house to feed my little sister. I’d crossed many lines back then by necessity. I tried to be better about that now.
“We didn’t have a good relationship. We were together because we worked together and it was convenient. I wasn’t even upset after I broke up with him. I wasn’t invested in him.”
A guilty expression crossed her face. I wondered what that was about.
I cleaned the counters, and when she was done eating, I said, “Let’s check out the theater. Then I need to take a shower.”
I’d completed my run, then detoured to Heath’s to ask him about a tree for Fiona. I hadn’t had time to take a shower, and I didn’t want to put this off for later. I was worried Fiona would come up with some reason why it wasn’t a good idea.
Fiona placed her dish in the dishwasher.
I moved closer to her. “You don’t need to clean. You’re a guest.”
“You’re not treating me like a regular guest. Unless you provide freshly cut Christmas trees for everyone else? Then stick around and decorate it?”
I chuckled. “You’re right. I’m not.”
“Then I can clean up after myself while I’m here.”
Time seemed to stand still. I wanted to reach out and brush the strand of hair on her forehead away. I wanted to see if kissing her would be any different than when we’d kissed as teens. But now wasn’t the time.
Fiona took a step back, breaking the spell. “Should we check out the theater now?”
I cleared my throat, trying to erase the desire for her out of my head. “Let’s go.”
I led her down the hallway to the door for the basement. “When Marley renovated, she focused on the guest rooms and the common area. But we didn’t touch anything down here.”
At the bottom of the stairs, I turned on the lights. The hallway was wide and the ceilings tall, so it didn’t feel like a basement. Although it was musty from disuse. When we were kids, this area was open for hotel guests.
“What else is down here? I can’t remember anything but the movie theater and maybe a room with pool tables.”
As we passed each doorway, I opened the door and let her get a glimpse before we moved onto the next. “A bowling alley, a game room, a bar, and the theater.”
“This could be amazing,” Fiona said, her voice filled with awe.
“You think we should open it up again?”
Fiona reached for my hand. “I got tingles when I came down here. I can see the guests getting a drink at the bar, bowling, or playing pool. It sets your inn apart from regular hotels. This place has so much history, so many possibilities.” She turned so we were facing each other.
Her energy was contagious.
I flicked on the lights for the theater. The seats were covered in white cloths. “We’d need to do a lot of work. The carpet needs to be replaced, the curtains, maybe even the seats.”
Fiona walked down the aisle and came to a stop before the stage, then turned to face me. “I’d want to preserve everything we could. You said you work with Heath in his contracting business?”
I nodded as I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “When I have time.”
“Would you be willing to put in a little sweat equity here?” Fiona gestured around the room.
Her entire body radiated excitement in a way I hadn’t seen since she’d been back. I wanted to see more of her passion for this project. “I don’t think we have money for something like this. But we could look into fixing the carpet in the hall and the theater. Then we can add on as we go.”
