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“I dealt with a lot of red tape and bureaucracy that doesn’t exist here. We have the freedom to do whatever you want. There’s a lot of exciting potential here. If you renovated this space, it will place Matthews Inn above the rest, and you have a lot of competition in Annapolis with all the historic inns.”
“I think so too. But this time, I don’t want to do this on my own. Hotel management and renovations are not in my wheelhouse. If we decide to go forward with this project, will you partner with me on it?”
Fiona’s mouth opened then closed. Finally, she said, “I’ll have to think about it. I can get you started, and maybe even consult long-distance. But I suspect you want someone on site.”
“If we do the entire project, yes.” Marley waved a hand in her direction. “But we have time to think about it. We don’t know what Heath is going to say or what the estimate will be.”
I was positive Heath would give her a good deal, but he’d need labor which I was happy to provide. I wanted to see Gram’s inn restored to its original glory. Some part of me wanted to prove that I was no longer that kid who lived in a trailer. I was better than that. And if it meant Fiona would be working beside me, I was all for it.
CHAPTER 6
FIONA
I promised myself I would take a break and spend my free time getting to know my family. But I was excited about the movie-theater project. It was the kind of thing I wanted to do in my regular job, but the hotels were too big and modern and lacked the historic details that Matthews Inn possessed.
When I called Daphne to see if she had time to hang out, she said she was spending the afternoon moving her things into their new house and could use the company.
When I arrived at her cottage, I joined her in Izzy’s room. “I thought you were going to take things slow? See if Izzy was okay with moving in with Cole over time.”
Daphne looked up from the box she was packing. “Izzy wants to live with Cole. She adores him. And he built that amazing kitchen for my business. It doesn’t make sense to stay here anymore. Especially during the holiday season. I need the additional space.”
“That makes sense.” It felt like Daphne was moving on with her life in big ways, getting engaged to Cole, moving in together, and expanding her business while I was stuck. I was unhappy with my current job. I felt undervalued. Yet I didn’t know what I should do.
“How are you feeling taking so much time off?” Daphne asked as we resumed packing Izzy’s toys and books.
“It’s an adjustment, but I’ve been busy.”
“What have you been up to?”
I carefully stacked Izzy’s books in a box. “This morning, Aiden brought me a tree and helped me decorate it.”
Daphne stopped folding Izzy’s clothes. “You know, when you didn’t visit over the years, Teddy thought it had something to do with Aiden. That you’d dated in high school, and it ended badly. But you’ve never talked to me about it.”
I shrugged. “There wasn’t anything to talk about. We broke up when he enlisted. Then he was gone.”
“You don’t have any feelings about that?”
I chuckled without any humor. “I have lots of feelings about how we ended. None of them good.”
Daphne resumed folding clothes and placing them in a suitcase. “You must be getting along if he decorated a tree with you.”
“That’s because I was the one who wanted more. We’d agreed that we’d move in together once I graduated. But he didn’t wait. He enlisted. He said something about needing to prove himself, be a man. I don’t know.” I couldn’t see past the pain.
Daphne’s forehead wrinkled. “He was the one who broke things off?”
“It’s worse than that. I was so young and immature. I proposed.”
Daphne gasped, setting down the pants she’d been folding.
“I said I could move with him once he knew where he’d be stationed. But he didn’t want a future with me. It was better to end things now.”
Daphne touched my hand. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”
“Still, that kind of rejection sticks with you.”
I smiled to cover my pain. “It was a good learning experience. I didn’t let myself get close to anyone else. It wasn’t worth it. Not when I was so set to succeed in school and then my career.”
