Page 51 of Just One Chance

"Why do you think this will be a good idea for us?" Judy leaned forward, genuinely interested in what I had to say.

"You can advertise that you're bringing winter year-round to the property. Even in the summer, you can experience the cold snow. And this room is just sitting there empty. It would have more impact than adding a fitness room or a pool. Boone said you didn't have room for a pool inside and an outside one would be impractical, given the short summers you have here."

"Our thought on a fitness room has always been that you come here for outdoor activities. You can go for a hike or ski. You don't need a treadmill when you have all of this." Judy gestured at the view.

"I can see that." For the first time, I really felt what Boone was talking about. This was a family resort on a beautiful piece of property. We weren't selling it so much as we were enhancing its natural beauty. The question was, did utilizing his furniture make sense?

"I'll talk to Raymond about the snow room. I kind of love the idea. But I love snow, and I'd definitely enjoy a room dedicated to winter inside the inn. Now I kind of want one for my house."

"I'm surprised you like the idea. I was prepared for some pushback."

"That's because you talked to Boone first. He's more reluctant. He's more like our eldest son, Malcolm, in that regard. But sometimes you have to make changes to move your business to the next level."

"I'm glad you see that."

Our food came, and we dug into our sandwiches, talking about Clara's store and how she inherited it from her grandmother. Then we moved onto Christmas Town and its recent improvements.

"The area really seems like it's developing. You have Christmas Town and Telluride nearby. The Wilde Ski Resort for skiing and mountains for hiking. You've really created something here."

"Thank you, dear. It started as a way to save the house and turned into something that has the potential to support our family for generations. At least that's our goal."

"I'm glad you're thinking about the future. Some owners only care about their profits and not how changes will affect the environment or future generations."

"Family always comes first. It may look like our businesses do, but that's not the case." She turned her attention to Malcolm, who was stopping at each table to check in with the guests.

"That's Malcolm, always wanting to make everyone feel welcome and taken care of. But I worry that he's doing too much."

"He's lucky to have you looking after him," I said, admiring the close-knit family.

"Speaking of family, is yours in Florida?"

"Actually, my parents recently moved to Maine. It was a retirement goal of theirs," I said, ignoring the pang in my chest that they wouldn't be so close anymore.

"You must miss them."

"I'm intending to travel to see them, but it's not the same as living in the same town. They've been sending me updates about where they're going each weekend. They've been hiking—the scenery is beautiful—and spending time at various festivals. They kayak too and do a million things they didn't when they were working. I'm really happy for them."

Judy sighed. "That's our goal. To retire and enjoy some downtime. Not that we don't love this place, but I've always wanted to travel."

"I enjoy visiting a lot of places, but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be nice to spend more time in one place. I have my condo in Miami, but I'm rarely there to enjoy it."

"Over the years, I've found that it's the company you keep, not the places you visit, that matters. I'd love to take my family with us when we travel, but they're so involved with the businesses."

"That would be lovely if they could join you."

Judy glanced at her phone. "Well, I've enjoyed my lunch with you, but I have a massage scheduled for this afternoon."

"Enjoy the rest of your day."

No bill was delivered, so lunch must have been on the house. The perks of dining with the owner, I suppose.

When Judy left, I opened my laptop and looked over the images of the snow room. I was excited to get started on it. I just hoped Raymond liked the idea.

Malcolm paused at the end of the table and gestured at the seat his mother vacated. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." I indicated that he should sit across from me.

"Did you enjoy your lunch?"