Sometimes Moments

by Len Webster

  Peyton winced and noticed the sad gleam in her friend’s eyes. She decided it was time they changed the subject. “How is Graham?”

  Madilynne sighed. “He’s okay. He’s worried about you. He’s always worried about you. I respect the way he loves you.”

  Peyton heard the sadness in her voice, and that’s when she remembered what Callum said to Graham on the phone.

  “Make your time with Mads count.”

  “Madilynne, what did Callum mean by making Graham’s time with you count on Friday?” Peyton asked.

  Madilynne looked away for a second before she met Peyton’s eyes. Her eyes pleaded for Peyton to silence the topic of Graham.

  The sad look had Peyton feeling guilty and realising that for a long time she had been pushing Graham to the wrong person. For years, she believed their high school friend, Krista, was the one Graham had been in love with. “It was never about Krista, was it?”

  Madilynne shook her head. “The moment Graham saw you on that bench, it was game over for us. He wanted to protect you. We let you believe it was Krista. And when I found out about the promise ring, I hated you. But I knew it could be the chance for you to smile again. I told him to stay here in Daylesford. You needed him.”

  I’m a misfortune to people’s lives.

  Peyton hung her head and let out a sigh. She had been selfish all these years. She truly did deserve to be lonely.

  “I’m so sorry that I took him from you, Madilynne. I didn’t know. I was pushing him to pursue Krista. Had I known it was you… I’m sorry. You had every right to hate me and still hate me.”

  Madilynne let out a laugh. “You’re my best friend. I was envious. We decided not to start anything because you needed us. We couldn’t upset you. We lost you for a long time. Graham somehow brought you back. That’s why I made him stay.”

  Peyton gave her a tight smile. Madilynne and Graham had sacrificed a relationship together for her. This time, there would be no more sacrificing.

  She looked Madilynne in the eye and breathed out, “Please tell me you both made your time together on the farm count?”

  Madilynne’s cheeks reddened. She never blushed. “You mean did we have sex?”

  Peyton nodded.

  “We made our time together count. We felt guilty because we couldn’t get to you since we had drunk a little. And well, we kissed and you know how sex works.”

  She should have been sick at the thought of her two best friends hooking up, but Peyton was relieved. She didn’t think she could live with the guilt for the rest of her life. That she was the one to prevent them from being together.

  “Do you love him?” Peyton asked.

  “Yes. But I love you more. That’s why it could only be a one-time thing.”

  Peyton ignored what Madilynne had said. She refused to believe that it was. “Do something for me.”

  “You know I would do anything for you, Peyton.”

  She smiled, knowing that Madilynne had sacrificed more than she should for her. “You get him the hell out of Daylesford and off that farm. Take him to the city with you.”

  Madilynne let out a sigh. “He won’t leave without you. He’ll never leave if you don’t.”

  Peyton gave Madilynne a smile before she said, “We’ll figure it out. I owe you both it.”

  “No you don’t, Peyton. We chose this for us.”

  Before Peyton could argue, a knock on the door had her lifting her eyes. Her breath caught the moment she looked at Jay. He didn’t have a smooth, relaxed expression on his face. Instead, he was a brute version of what she had known of him.

  “Mads, your daddy’s looking for you. He’s down at the pub,” Jay said.

  Madilynne leant forward, and Peyton met her eyes. “Unlike Jay or Graham, I approve of Callum. You never have to explain yourself to any of us,” Madilynne softly said. Then she got up from the chair and walked out the door.

  Peyton’s eyes locked with Jay’s. She expected him to turn and follow Madilynne out of the hotel. But Jay took a step into her office. And then another, continuing until he was standing in front of her.

  “I’m sorry to do this to you, Peyton. But you need a little perspective,” Jay said. Hate laced in his voice.

  Peyton’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you—”

  Jay interrupted her by pulling out a folded bundle of papers and dropping it on her desk. Confused, Peyton picked up the papers and opened it. Her heart sank the moment she looked at what was written.

  Termination of Contract for Breach.

  She inhaled and exhaled, but no air reached her lungs. As her eyes scanned the paper, she felt every painful throb of her heart.

  Then her eyes landed on a sentence she never thought she’d ever read.

  Please take notice of the intended termination of the business relationship between The Spencer-Dayle and Daylesford Pub.

  “You’re terminating our business relationship?” Peyton asked, utterly shocked.

  Failure to carry out contractual obligations.

  She couldn’t look away from the letter. The Spencer-Dayle heavily used their relationship with the pub to generate more visitors. Without the pub, it would financially and reputably cost the hotel. The pub tours of the area included Jay’s and the tour included lunch at The Spencer-Dayle. If her hotel had any chance of surviving she would have to focus on what made money—weddings.

  “Yes. It’s the only way.”

  Peyton stood up and stared at the man she had once called a friend. “Only way?”

  “This isn’t you, Peyton. It’s a small goddamn town. We know what you’ve done with him. We’ve all seen it. You’re better than that. You let him touch you? He broke your fucking heart! It’s the town or Callum. You can’t have both!” Jay roared. So much anger filled his voice.

  “No,” she bit back. “This is more personal for you. This is about you and Callum.”

  “You’re acting like a love-struck teenager. Don’t you see how your actions reflect on all of us? If this hotel fails because of you and your foolish heart, we all go down with it. Terminating the contract means that what happens only affects your hotel. It’s the town or Callum, Peyton. Or better yet, it’s your parents’ hotel or him,” Jay said. His body was strung up tight, and she saw the vein in his neck sticking out.

  Peyton flinched, dropped the letter onto her desk, and blinked. “This is all about you, Jay. No one sees this the way you do. You’re being ridiculous.”

  “I’m being ridiculous?” Jay hissed. “I’m not the one fucking someone who’ll toss me aside. He ain’t ever staying for you.”

  Peyton swallowed hard, hoping it would numb the heated pain in her chest. Jay was her friend. At least she’d thought he was.

  “He’ll never love you. I was here for you when he wasn’t. You should have loved me, Peyton.”

  She picked up the termination letter, held it tight, and looked at Jay. The anger and hate in his eyes were ugly on him. Right now, he wasn’t the person she had once adored.

  “I can’t love a man who will selfishly hurt me, Jay. I could never love you,” she said without hesitation.

  Jay winced. “You’re a hypocrite! You love Callum and he has hurt you.”

  Peyton shook her head. “But Callum would never damage my livelihood. This hotel is my life. He would never do anything to jeopardise its survival. You, Jay... You are a selfish man.”

  “Then you’re gonna wanna hope he sticks by you when this place dies,” Jay said with so much disgust that it made her sick. Then he stormed out of her office and the hotel, the slammed door echoing throughout the entire building.

  Peyton sank down onto the chair and stared at the letter in her hand. Her head spun at the sight of it. The Spencer-Dayle embodied local partnerships and produce. If it lost all these businesses, it lost its image.

  She hoped Jay’s decision wouldn’t rub off on the rest of the town businesses.

  Sitting at her desk, Peyton looked at the termination letter from the pub.
The letter never suggested arbitration, just straight termination. It had been just over half an hour since Jay dropped the notice in front of her, now she held and stared at it. So much hate ran through her veins. If she wanted to play unfair, she could have dragged Daisy into it, but she hadn’t.

  The town or Callum…

  That’s what Jay wanted. In his eyes, she had betrayed him and the town. He was punishing her more than the hotel. The hotel happened to be in the crossfire. Without the pub, she wouldn’t be able to keep the hotel running after the wedding. The Spencer-Dayle pub had been the hotel’s biggest business partnership other than the Scott lavender farm.

  There would be no negotiation, and right now, the hotel would be out of business by the end of the month if other businesses followed Jay’s actions. Nothing she had saved up for could pull The Spencer-Dayle out of that. Finding businesses outside of town would be difficult. Most of the towns that surrounded Daylesford had their own community business relationships.

  Peyton sighed and covered her face with her hands. “What the hell do I do?” she asked herself, hoping to come up with an answer.

  “You stand tall and show him that he needs the hotel, not the other way round.”

  Peyton looked up to see Jenny standing at the door with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “You know how important the pub is,” Peyton said, holding the termination paper up to her.

  “Yes, but you have still have one of the most important businesses that still believes in you. And sometimes, Peyton, that’s all it takes. Just one,” Jenny said.

  “Jenny, this is where, as your friend, I tell you to take the Hyatt position. I can’t keep this place alive for much longer. I have enough to pay everyone severance pay…unless I find a new owner and negotiate them keeping the same staff,” Peyton said, placing the letter on the desk and shaking her head.

  Jenny leaned in close. “We’re going to be okay. You’re overthinking this. None of us will be here without you running this place, Peyton. Our loyalty is to you. If only Jay knew the importance of loyalty... Then he would never have done this to you. Talk of what he’s done is starting to travel around town. The next move is yours. Whatever you do, we support you. As long as you’re here, Peyton, we will be here.”

  Jenny’s support had Peyton’s tears forming. “I let you all down. I’m so sorry.”

  “You didn’t, Peyton. Listen to me,” Jenny said as she took her hands. “We didn’t think we’d have jobs after your parents died. With the state you were in, we were sure that was it of this place. But you fought hard—not because of Jay, but because you had people who love you and support you.”

  Peyton smiled. She would figure out a way through this. She didn’t need the pub. She would just find a new partnership, even if that meant outside of town.

  “And I know Callum would support you. He may not have physically been here, but I know he would have been by your side. The way he looked at you when you were teenagers… A love like that doesn’t go away in time. You’ve never been alone, Peyton. We’ve been here. We will always be here. No matter your choice, we will support you. You come first to us—then the hotel. Realise that order. I may not be your mother, but I see you as my daughter and I will always treat you like one. I’ve never tried to replace your mother. She was a wonderful woman. But I have tried to be the maternal figure you needed all these years.”

  Peyton removed her hands from Jenny’s and quickly wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks. “Thank you, Jenny. I promise I will do everything in my power to make this hotel succeed. Not only for my parents, but for all of us. For everyone who believes in The Spencer-Dayle.”

  Jenny stood up and brushed the tear that had escaped away. “I’ll always be proud of you, Peyton.”

  “Thanks, Jenny. For being here when you could have easily left,” Peyton said and picked up the pub’s letter.

  “I wanted to watch you grow and make this place beautiful. I owed it to your parents to be the one to do it when they couldn’t,” Jenny said before she walked out of the office and the bell rang to signal she’d left the hotel.

  The moment Peyton was alone, she reached for the closest pen and read through the termination contract between The Spencer-Dayle and Daylesford Pub. There was no need to contact the hotel’s lawyer. She didn’t want to go into arbitration or court over it. Jay was not only terminating the relationship between their businesses, but also their friendship.

  Peyton looked through the pages to see that the hotel hadn’t fulfilled its obligations in providing a reputable image for both organisations. She shook her head and placed the tip of the ballpoint on the paper. Then she took a deep breath and signed Peyton Spencer on the dotted line and added the date.

  Peyton stood at the door of the pub. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she was scared it would force itself out of her chest. But she needed to do this. She needed to prove just what she was capable of as a business owner. This wasn’t a game. This was her hotel’s future that Jay had meddled with. If he was upset with her being with Callum, then he needed to take it out on her, not the hotel. But he had known it would hurt and that was why he had done it.

  You can do this, Peyton.

  She placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. The loud pub quietened the moment she took three steps inside. Countless pairs of eyes were on her, but she ignored them. Instead, she locked eyes with Jay.

  He looked surprised to see her. Whispers could be heard around her, but Peyton tuned them out as she walked towards the counter.

  “Mads isn’t here. She just left with her folks,” he said, wiping down the wood counter.

  Before Peyton could say anything, Jay’s father walked from the door to behind the counter, holding a clipboard.

  “Jay, where are the invoices from today’s del— Oh, hello, Peyton.” He smiled.

  Peyton looked at him, wondering why he was being so sweet to her. He sounded genuine, considering that now the hotel and pub were no longer associated with each other.

  To be nice, Peyton gave him a tight smile and said, “Hello, Mr Preston.”

  “What the hell do you want?” Jay growled, annoyed.

  Mr Preston dropped the clipboard on the counter with a bang. “I didn’t raise you to speak to women like that, Jayden. You apologise to Miss Peyton.”

  Jay let out a short laugh. “I ain’t apologising to her. I will never apologise to an ungrateful bitch.”

  And there was the truth. Peyton wouldn’t challenge him. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out the letter. She saw the startled look on Mr Preston’s face as his jaw dropped. Turning her attention towards Jay, she saw him eyeing the paper.

  Ignoring the painful blows from his words, Peyton placed the termination notice on the counter and said, “It’s signed and dated. I’ve emailed a copy to my lawyer.”

  Mr Preston picked up the letter and quickly read it. The moment he reached the last page, he winced. “Peyton, I had no idea he was doing this. Please retract this.”

  “Dad, no! We don’t need her!” Jay roared.

  Peyton saw the anger in Mr Preston’s eyes as he looked at his son.

  “Are you crazy, Jay? We need her and that hotel. Why do you think we’ve lasted this long? That hotel brings in revenue for us. That hotel brings in revenue for the entire town!”

  No matter how much Jay had hurt her, she didn’t want them to fight. “Mr Preston,” she said, and he turned to face her, an apology filling his eyes. “It’s signed. It’s legally binding. I retract it and we have a lot of issues on our hands. It’s easier and more affordable than arbitration and negotiation. Thank you for what this pub has done for the hotel.”

  He shook his head. “I had no idea my son was going to do this, Peyton. The pub wasn’t in the best state when your parents approached me to sign a deal. When they came to town, they wanted to rebuild the hotel and include the town’s businesses. Your parents are what made this town strive.”

 
She ignored the remorseful look on Mr Preston’s face and looked over at his son. “You got what you wanted, Jay. I got perspective from your letter. You showed me what an awful person you can really be. You’re supposed to be my friend and you haven’t. You have too much pride. Like our businesses relationship, our friendship is over.”

  He flinched like she had stabbed him in the chest. “You turned your back on this town. We’ve done nothing but be there for you.”

  Peyton looked down for a moment, saddened by what he said. “I’m choosing me, not you or the town. I will always be here when you or the town need me. I’m not a horrible person. I will never turn anyone away.” She turned to Jay’s father and smiled. “Thank you for trusting my parents.”

  Mr Preston frowned. “I am so sorry, Peyton.”

  She wanted to reassure him, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t sure if things would be okay. But she believed in her hotel. She would make sure The Spencer-Dayle flourished. It would go through some darker times to make it to the light.

  “Jay,” she said, getting his attention.

  “What?”

  She didn’t like the flare in his nostrils. She missed his grin, but she knew they wouldn’t be friends again.

  “You’re welcome at The Spencer-Dayle any time you’d like.”

  His eyes were wide in shock. “Why?”

  Peyton gave him a smile and held the strap of her shoulder bag tight in her hand. “Because I’m not a spiteful person.”

  Refusing to give Jay or his father time to reply, Peyton turned on her heel and walked out of the pub. When she hit the sidewalk, she looked out at the afternoon sky. She took a moment and appreciated that she was living a good life, no matter the pain she had endured.

  By the time she got to her street, it was getting close to sunset. In the end, even though it would cost her financially, she felt free. It was time to finally start new and find people who supported her. It was about her heart’s choice. Callum and the hotel were a combined choice. He was what was rescuing it with his design. It would lure in more weddings.