Lies and Solace

by Jana Richards

  Ethan thrust the distasteful memory from his thoughts. Harper was the only woman he wanted to think about right now. He picked up the phone and dialed her number, excited to give her the good news, and anxious to get her reaction.

  “Hello?” Her voice was breathless, as if she’d had to run to catch his call.

  “Harper, it’s Ethan.”

  “Ethan, it’s good to hear from you.”

  I’ve missed you. The unspoken words hung in the air between them.

  He forced himself to remain business-like. “It’s good to hear your voice, too. It’s been a long two and a half weeks for me, but I had to stay focused and unbiased in my analysis. It was the best thing for my company and ultimately, the best thing for you, too. You’d only be hurt if you put your heart and soul into a venture that was doomed to fail.”

  Silence greeted his words. Then he heard her take a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Are you saying there’s no hope for my lodge, that your company’s not going to invest?”

  “No. I’m sorry, I’ve made a mess of things. I’ve called to tell you that after extensive investigation my company has decided to invest in the Solace Lake Lodge, under certain conditions.”

  “You mean it?” Her voice caught on a sob.

  “Yes, absolutely. Congratulations, Harper.”

  “I don’t know what to say, except thank you. Thank you so much.” She was crying in earnest now. He wished he could be with her to hold her and kiss away her tears.

  “Don’t thank me yet. The money comes with some changes to your original plans. There are a few details we need to work out.”

  “Like what?” Wariness replaced elation and tears.

  “Like expanding the project. The experts I talked to like your idea of building a spa and sauna in a separate building near the main lodge. They recommend we do that right away and make it a feature of the resort from the start. They also think that to be truly viable we need to be able to accommodate weddings, conferences, family reunions and other events like that, the kind of business that means we’re busy year-round. That entails adding another building to the plans in order to hold such events. It would be separate from the lodge but perhaps connected to it in some way. And if we’re hosting weddings and conferences, we’ll need more guestrooms. We’d need another wing of hotel rooms added onto the lodge.”

  She was quiet for several minutes before she spoke. “That’s a much bigger project than I’d envisioned. My grandfather’s lodge would be totally changed. If I understand you correctly, it means the lodge will look much different than it does today. The business would be totally different, too. It would be some kind of event center rather than a boutique hotel.”

  “Yes, the business model would change, though I believe the lodge will still retain a boutique hotel feel. I’ve commissioned an architect to draw up plans for an expanded lodge that stays true to the original structure. I told him I want the existing lodge to remain the focal point.”

  “What if my sisters and I decide we want to stick with the original, smaller project? What if we don’t want the lodge to change that much?”

  Ethan blew out a breath. She had to hear the truth, even though it meant drastic changes for the lodge she loved so much. “We’ve been told it doesn’t make sense for Hainstock to invest in a small ten room lodge. Eight by the time the ensuites are installed. It would be too small to generate enough revenue to justify the money needed to upgrade the place. The income potential isn’t there.”

  Again she was silent. Finally, she said, “I see.”

  Ethan heard her disappointment in the terse statement. “Harper, I know this isn’t exactly what you wanted, but it’s the only way to save the lodge and keep it in your family.”

  “Isn’t there some other way, a compromise of some sort? What if Hainstock only lent me enough money to build the cottages? I could keep the business going and, over time, I could make the repairs on the lodge.”

  “You know as well as I do that the repairs on the lodge can’t be put off any longer. If the roof isn’t repaired immediately, the rest of the structure is going to be compromised.” He paused, weighing his words. He hoped she wouldn’t be angry he’d left her little room for negotiation. “Besides, I’ve already brought up this possibility with our experts and board members. They feel that any half measures, like only rebuilding the cottages, would doom the lodge to failure. In order for Hainstock to invest, we have to be all in.”

  “So, it’s Hainstock’s way or nothing.”

  There was no missing the sarcasm in her voice. “Yes. We believe it’s the only way this project can be viable.”

  Tense silence greeted his statement. He feared that in her next breath Harper would react out of disappointment and reject his proposal, so he spoke quickly. “You don’t have to make a decision right now. Take a few days. Talk it over with your sisters and anyone else you trust. Then get back to me when you’re ready. This is a big step. It deserves some thought.”

  She took a breath and then blew it out as if calming herself. “I suppose you’re right. We’ll talk it over and get back to you in a few days. Goodbye, Ethan.”

  The line went dead. Ethan listened to the dial tone for a moment before hitting the end button.

  What the hell had he expected? Of course she was disappointed, and maybe a little intimidated. All she’d ever wanted was enough money to refurbish her grandfather’s lodge. It killed him to destroy her dream.

  Perhaps he’d destroyed any feelings she might have had for him as well.

  Harper waited a couple of hours to calm down before calling her sisters. Bitter disappointment churned in her gut. To have come so close to her dream only to have it crushed hurt more than she could have imagined.

  At three she called Maggie, hoping to catch her between her crazy work shifts. When Maggie answered, Harper repeated the conversation she’d had with Ethan.

  “This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted to keep Grampa’s lodge alive, not change it into something he wouldn’t recognize.”

  Maggie was silent for a moment. “It’s not going to bring him back, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Fixing up the lodge isn’t going to bring Grampa back. He’s gone.”

  Irritation welled up in Harper’s chest. “Of course he’s not coming back. I’m not delusional.”

  “Why did you want to rebuild the lodge, Harper?”

  “So that it could be a viable business again. So that I could stay here instead of having to move away. So that Grampa’s legacy could be saved the way he’d want—”

  She abruptly stopped. All this time she thought she was fighting for the lodge for her own sake, and for her sisters’. But maybe deep down inside, she was trying to get her grandfather’s approval. If she kept the lodge alive, she’d keep him alive.

  Maggie’s voice was gentle. “We can’t look backward anymore. The world changes and maybe the lodge has to change with the times, too. Whatever you decide, make sure you’re doing it because it’s the right decision for you, not because you want to build a monument to Grampa.”

  “I want it to be the right decision for you, too, Maggie. And for Scarlet.”

  “I know. You’ve always looked out for us.”

  She tried to laugh, but her voice came out in a choked whisper. “What are big sisters for?”

  “For what it’s worth, I think you should take Hainstock’s money and run with it. Unless you go for it, you’ll always wonder what might have been.”

  She was right. Harper’s mind drifted to Ethan. If she rejected his proposal for the lodge, would she always wonder if there could have been something between them, too?

  Harper shook her head. She had to make a clear-minded decision, not one influenced by any feelings she may have for Ethan. “When did you get so smart, Maggie?”

  “I’ve always been smart. Maybe you weren’t paying attention.”

  Maggie’s words were spoken with humor, but Harper wondered if they
weren’t true. She’d been so intent on being the big sister, the one always in charge, that perhaps she failed to notice her baby sister was an intelligent, capable young woman.

  “Maybe I wasn’t, but I’m paying attention now. Thank you for listening and for your good counsel.”

  “You’re welcome. Good luck with your decision, Harper.”

  “I love you, honey.”

  They disconnected. Harper held the phone in her hand as she wandered from room to room in the lodge. She paused to stroke one of the massive logs in the dining room. Was she prepared to make a radical change to the lodge?

  Realistically, if she didn’t make the sweeping changes Ethan talked about, she’d lose the lodge forever. It was a big decision. And an important one.

  After a couple of hours of pacing and soul searching, Harper dialed Scarlet’s number, hoping she was home from work.

  Her sister picked up after the first ring. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Plenty.”

  She told Scarlet what Ethan proposed. “Maggie thinks I want the lodge to stay the way it is now because it’s my subconscious way of keeping Grampa alive.”

  “What do you think?” Scarlet didn’t seem surprised by the idea.

  “Maybe there’s some truth in it. I loved Grampa. He was the one I turned to when things got rough. Grandma and I rarely saw eye to eye. You and Maggie were always closer to her.”

  “I know. She wasn’t the easiest person to get close to.”

  That was probably an understatement. “I do want Grampa’s legacy to remain for the future, but there are good, practical reasons why I want the lodge to stay its present size. If it’s small, it’s something I can manage myself with a small staff. I know how to do it. But a resort, or some kind of event center, is way beyond my expertise. I’d have to depend on other people.”

  “And that scares you, doesn’t it?”

  “I suppose I am a bit of a control freak.”

  Scarlet laughed. “That’s probably part of it. But if you have to depend on people, you’re vulnerable to them. They can let you down. Just like when we were kids and our parents let us down by dying on us.”

  Harper was stunned into silence. Finally, she asked, “Where did you come up with that?”

  “From a psychologist I used to see. She helped me through some stuff.”

  Harper’s heart ached to know Scarlet had been suffering and had never once told her about it. What else wasn’t she telling her? Did she and Maggie feel they had to protect her from bad things the way she’d always thought she had to protect them?

  “I suppose your psychologist has a point. Not being in control is scary for me.”

  “We’d still own fifty-one percent of the lodge,” Scarlet said. “We’d still be in control. You would simply need to hire people with expertise in the areas you don’t have.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  “On a strictly business level, an expanded lodge makes total financial sense. As an accountant, a money person, you must see that.”

  She grudgingly had to admit she did. “Yes.”

  “Good. So the way I look at it, it’s a choice between selling the land to Hainstock Investments right now and walking away, or going full steam ahead and making the lodge into something new and different. You have to decide what you really want, Harper.”

  “Like I told Maggie, it’s your decision, too.”

  “You’re the one whose life is going to be changed, one way or the other. But if I get a vote, I say go ahead with the expansion.”

  “That surprises me. I didn’t think the lodge meant that much to you.”

  “Maybe not, but I know how much it means to you. I want you to be happy, and I don’t think you will be if you let the lodge go.”

  She was probably right. Her sisters knew her so well. Perhaps better than she knew them. “Thanks Scarlet. It was good talking to you. You’ve really helped.”

  “It was good talking to you, too. Let me know what you decide.”

  “You and Maggie will be the first to know. As soon as I figure it out for myself.”

  Scarlet chuckled. “Sounds good. Bye, Harper.”

  “Bye.”

  Harper ended the call and resumed pacing through the lodge. Every log, every beam, every floorboard reminded her of her family. The frame around the kitchen door where Grandma had recorded their heights. The tiny bathroom on the main floor that she and her sisters had fought over every morning before school. The fireplace in the dining room where her mother had etched her initials into the wet mortar as a child.

  No matter how much she wanted to keep her decision about the lodge on a strictly business level, it was impossible. The lodge meant family to her. Home.

  She couldn’t abandon her home. But to turn it into something her grandparents wouldn’t recognize was a monumental decision.

  Harper walked the halls once more. She needed to make the right decision, for herself and for her family. And she needed time to make it.

  Ethan waited on tenterhooks for three days to hear back from Harper, knowing there was a distinct possibility she might never call. Perhaps she was making arrangements right now to donate the property to the nature conservancy. Maybe she’d decided that a larger resort wasn’t what she wanted and she’d rather get out.

  Maybe, but he couldn’t quite make himself believe it. The woman he’d gotten to know was dedicated to her family’s legacy. He couldn’t see her giving up so easily.

  But how would she react to his company’s final condition, the one they hadn’t yet spoken about? During their last conversation, they’d gotten so hung up on the expanded scope of the project he hadn’t been able to bring up Lydia and Graham’s recommendation. Worry gnawed at him.

  When his phone rang and he saw her name on the screen, relief swamped him. Then worry. He hoped she wasn’t calling to give him the brush off. “Harper, hi. It’s good to hear from you.”

  “Hi, Ethan. I’ve made my decision.”

  No beating around the bush. He liked that about her. “What did you decide?”

  “I think,” she began slowly, “that I can speak for my sisters in saying we’re excited about the possibility of creating a new Solace Lake Lodge. The changes aren’t what I had originally proposed, but I can understand why expanding the lodge is necessary. So, I say yes.”

  Ethan sat down abruptly, relief making him weak in the knees. “That’s wonderful, Harper. You won’t be sorry.”

  “Don’t start celebrating yet. I have a few conditions of my own.”

  “Such as?” He braced himself for the changes she might propose.

  “However big the lodge gets, the environment still has to be our main concern. That means using eco-friendly construction methods now, and making sustainability a priority in the future.”

  “I agree. What else have you got?”

  “I want to approve any changes you want to make to the original lodge and have input on the new structures.”

  So far, so good. “I think that’s reasonable.”

  “Good.” He heard her take a deep breath. “I think this means we have a deal.”

  Ethan cleared his throat. “That’s great, but there’s one more thing we need to discuss, something we didn’t get to in our last conversation.”

  “What’s that?” She sounded wary.

  “My company needs a sixty percent share. We’re putting a lot of capital at risk.” It was one of the conditions Lydia and Graham had insisted on. They believed it was necessary in order to protect his investment. “I know we talked about a fifty-one/forty-nine split previously, but with this expanded scope, Hainstock will need to put a whole lot more money upfront.”

  “I see.” Her voice was flat. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. We have to retain majority ownership or there can’t be any deal.”

  “Have you spoken to your sisters?”

  “Yes, and they agree with me. If we no longer own controlling interest in the lodge, there’s no point going forward.
I guess your company will get the land after all. Send me the documents and we’ll sign them.”

  “Harper, wait. Let’s talk about this.”

  “I’m sorry, Ethan. There’s nothing more to talk about.” Her voice sounded strained, as if she was holding back a torrent of emotion. “Thank you for everything. Goodbye.”

  She was going to hang up and walk away. He knew her well enough to know this was no gambit, no bluff to get him to change his mind. She meant every word. This was Harper saying no.

  Panic seized him. He couldn’t lose her. “Wait! You can have the fifty-one percent.”

  “Really?” Her voice was cautious, as if she didn’t quite believe him.

  “Yes. Of course we wanted the controlling share, but this project is too good to pass up. We’ll agree to your terms and have the papers drawn up accordingly.”

  “Do you have the authority to make that offer?”

  “I do.” His sister was probably going to give him a hard time, though.

  “Are you going to get into trouble for this?”

  He had to laugh at her response. Even with the future of her lodge on the line, she was worried about him. “No, I won’t get into trouble.” Graham and Lydia might not be happy with what he’d agreed to, but ultimately it was his company and his money. He’d take responsibility for his decisions.

  “That’s good. I’m glad. So, we’re really going to do this?”

  “Yeah. We really are.”

  He had to tell her truth right now. That his last name was Hainstock, that he owned the company. That he had more money than he knew what to do with, and he wanted to share some of it with her. She wouldn’t be happy with him for withholding the truth for this long, but she was a reasonable woman. She’d understand. Eventually.

  Wouldn’t she?

  “Harper—”

  “I’m so lucky to have found you and your company, Ethan. You and Mr. Hainstock are men of honesty and integrity. So many business people out there are only in it for the money. They have no qualms about lying or cheating to get what they want. I hate liars. You and your company are different. You really care, and you tell the truth. Thank you. I owe you a lot.”

  His throat closed in shame. There was no way he could tell her the truth now.