Homecoming Reunion

by Carolyne Aarsen

  The inn really needed to get this mini-conference. Pete not only worked as a real estate agent, he was also a major player in the Chamber of Commerce’s newest venture promoting various businesses of Hartley Creek. Garret needed him pushing the inn.

  “It is all that,” Pete was saying, “But I’m not sure the people would want to stay here.”

  “Why not?” Garret asked.

  “I don’t think the decor has been changed since the ’60s,” he said.

  “So it’s retro. All the rage,” Garret said with a forced laugh, avoiding Larissa’s gaze, remembering the conversation they had in this very place about this very thing.

  “Shabby retro, more like,” Pete said.

  “We’ve got a fantastic menu,” Larissa put in. “And Emily is cooking for us again. She’s expanded it and you can’t argue with the prices.”

  Fire sale prices, Garret thought, but for now the lower prices were a way of bringing in new customers. And hopefully generating that elusive word of mouth that could attract more customers.

  “I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about the food here,” Pete said. “It was one of the reasons I was willing to have this meeting.”

  Score one for his decision, Garret thought, sitting up. He had seen the evidence himself. The past week people had been coming to the inn to eat in droves, taking advantage of the inn’s “Buy one meal, Get one free” campaign and raving about the new menu and the food. In fact, last night people had to line up and wait their turn to eat. Larissa had fussed about making people wait, but Garret was secretly pleased. A line outside a restaurant was never bad publicity.

  “People won’t remember the food when they have to sleep in a dingy room,” Pete continued.

  “So what didn’t you like about the rooms?” Larissa asked, leaning just a bit forward, her smile engaging, welcoming.

  Garret frowned. She wasn’t flirting with Pete was she?

  And why should he care if she was?

  “The rooms seemed dark,” Pete was saying. “Dull. Some of the bedspreads are still those old, shiny ones my grandmother has on her bed and the pictures on the wall...” Pete stopped, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry, Larissa, but you really should look at doing some reno’s on the place. Sprucing it up a bit. Making it look more modern.”

  “If we did, would that make a difference for your staying here?” Larissa asked.

  “Well, it would probably help. Though I’m not sure how you could do that before the conference.”

  Larissa nodded, then turned back to Garret as if to tell him that the ball was in his court now.

  He had to smile at her deft shifting of the responsibility and he appreciated the lack of a knowing smirk.

  The thought of spending more money and possibly closing the inn while they made the changes Pete wanted gave him a clench in his stomach. And how much should they do?

  After outfitting and fixing up the kitchen, the inn’s books were down to the last few dollars of the operating loan. He hadn’t pulled a wage since he started here and if they were to do more work, he’d have to dig into the money he was using to live on to finance the extra outlay. And how much would it take? The inn was still bleeding red ink and turning a profit was so far down the road, it looked like a mirage.

  He’d been working every extra hour he could mowing lawns and trying to bring some order back to overgrown flowerbeds. According to Larissa they had to cut back on maintenance two years ago and the place showed it.

  Regrets twisted his stomach. He stood to lose what had taken him so long to get together. Maybe he should just sell his share of the inn.

  Don’t be a wimp. This is just another challenge. You’ve dealt with blown out wells in Dubai and last-minute number crunching to save a project. The dining room is already pulling in extra money, things will change.

  He knew he only had to hang on to this place long enough to maybe not show a profit, but the potential of a profit for any new buyer to be interested in his share.

  “Okay, how about this,” he said to Pete, fighting down his own misgivings and concerns. “You know we have the space and the ability to handle your conference,” he said projecting a confidence he didn’t feel. “I also know you’ll have a hard time finding a place in town on such short notice that can offer what we can and I know you want to hold the event in Hartley Creek. Give us two weeks to do some work on the place, then come back again. If you don’t like what you see, you’ve not lost anything.”

  Pete grimaced. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you have another venue lined up?”

  Pete’s grimace deepened. “No.”

  “So you have no idea where you’re holding a conference people have already booked for?”

  “You don’t need to rub it in,” Pete said with a nervous laugh. “I’ve been talking to people in Cranbrook and I have a possible there...”

  “You sure you want to take your conference so far from town? I know you’ve scheduled some events here in Hartley Creek. I also know you want to bring the people out to Coal Creek Estates, your little crown jewel of real estate up by the ski hill.”

  “Yeah. I do.” Pete ran his hand over his head, shooting Larissa a glance as if hoping she would help him out. Somehow.

  But she was looking at Garret, a hint of a smile playing around her lips accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes and a dimple in one cheek. Her hair slipped over one flushed cheek and caught the sun slanting through the windows.

  He couldn’t look away and didn’t want to. The silence in the room seemed to deepen as his pulse stepped up just a bit.

  Her lips parted, and his pulse increased.

  This was crazy, he thought, knowing he should look away, but unable to. He had his plans and Larissa wasn’t a part of them.

  She was. Once.

  That was too long ago. He had changed too much and she had changed too little.

  He pulled his attention back to Pete.

  “Tell you what I’ll do for you, Pete,” he said, leaning forward, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. “If you find another place and you need to put down a deposit, go ahead. But I want you to come back here and check this place out in two weeks before you make your final decision. If it meets your approval, then I’ll take the deposit you gave the other hotel off the price.”

  He swallowed down the panic his rash promise created. More money down the drain. More red ink bleeding on to the inn’s register.

  Money is just a tool.

  He learned that watching his stocks do their roller-coaster dive and climb. However, he had never forgotten counting every penny when he was younger and often more than once.

  In his peripheral vision he caught Larissa’s concerned frown, but he kept his attention on Pete, afraid his fish might come off the hook if he didn’t maintain eye contact.

  Pete bit his lip, ran his hand over his face then, after what seemed like eons, nodded. “Okay. You got it. I’ll be back in two weeks and if I like what you’ve done, then we’ll talk.”

  Not the firm commitment Garret had hoped for but it was a start.

  Pete got to his feet and Garret stood and held out his hand. “Thanks for coming by. We can still book the test meal if you want.”

  Pete waved off the offer. “I’ve already eaten here. The food is really good. Excellent in fact.” He glanced from Garret to Larissa. “I wouldn’t mind a tour of the grounds. I’ve never walked over them before.”

  Garret tried to keep the smile on his face thinking of the long grass and the weeds encroaching on the pond. He hadn’t had a chance to get to them yet. He knew the land surrounding the inn wasn’t what it used to be, but hopefully the space and beauty of the place would speak for itself. And hopefully Pete would see the potential in what Garret had already accomplished.

  “Would you be willing to do that, Larissa?” Garret asked.

  “Sorry. I have a few things to do,” she said, waving him off.

  Why did her choice to avoid Pete ma
ke him feel a bit better?

  Because you’re a typical guy, Garret thought, giving himself a mental shake. You’re not dating her, but you don’t like the idea of someone else being with her.

  Pete looked as disappointed as Garret was relieved, but he gave Larissa a quick smile while leaving the office.

  “I really appreciate you giving us a chance,” Garret said as they walked through the lobby.

  “I’m interested to see what you come up with,” Pete said, shooting another glance over his shoulder at the office as if hoping Larissa would change her mind.

  Garret opened the door for him and Pete stepped outside.

  “What do you want to see first?” Garret asked, his tone suddenly brisk and businesslike. He was here to sell.

  Pete shifted his briefcase from one hand to the other in a nervous gesture. “You may as well know I didn’t really want a tour of the grounds,” Pete said with a wry grin. “At least, not with you. So we don’t need to go through the charade.”

  Relief shimmered through Garret. One less thing he would have to try to “sell” to Pete.

  “You would have preferred Larissa?” Garret tried to keep his tone light. As if it didn’t matter that Pete and Larissa had dated at one time.

  “Yeah.”

  “I understood you guys were an item once.”

  Pete angled him a wry glance. “Why do you want to know?”

  Garret lifted his shoulder in an offhand gesture. “Just making conversation.”

  “I don’t think you are. I know your history. I know you used to date her,” Pete said, his eyes steady on Garret. “And from the way you were looking at her this morning, I get the feeling she still means a lot to you.”

  Garret’s first reaction was to deny whatever Pete said. His second was embarrassment that his feelings had been that apparent.

  If they had been obvious to Pete, what had Larissa seen?

  “I don’t think she noticed,” Pete said, as if he could read Garret’s thoughts. “And I was watching her a lot.”

  “I know,” Garret replied.

  Pete tweaked out a dry smile edged with regret. “She was never that interested in me. I think she dated me to try things out. I always got the sense her heart was already taken. Or still taken,” he said.

  Garret didn’t want his own heart to quicken at what Pete said. Didn’t want to feel that spark of hope rekindle. But Pete’s comment came too close to what Daphne had said yesterday.

  Had Larissa really missed him? Had it really taken her time to get over him? He shook the feeling off. He had come here with a plan and he couldn’t afford to let Larissa distract him from that.

  “So, back to the conference,” Garret said, “I’m looking forward to seeing you in two weeks.”

  “I’ll let you know what happens,” was all Pete said. “We’ll stay in touch.” Then he turned and walked down the path to the parking lot.

  Before he went back into the inn he glanced over his shoulder again at the property and a comment Larissa had made rose up, adjusting his perspective.

  People come here to rest from a journey they’re on.

  He thought of all the places he’d stayed during his business trips. Every time he’d come into a hotel room or inn, the first thing he would do was drop his suitcase to the floor and walk to the window to check out the view. Usually it was a city, lit up for the evening. Sometimes just an asphalt parking lot and another wing of the hotel across from it.

  Someone coming here and looking out the window would see the expanse of the grounds and the mountains beyond that. It wouldn’t be home, but it would feel like it.

  Home. Garret felt like he hadn’t had a home since he left Hartley Creek. He still didn’t really have one. His apartment was adequate, sparsely furnished and utilitarian. This inn felt more like a home than his apartment did. He certainly spent more time here. Last night he was here until ten o’clock, weeding and trimming. He had come back to his apartment exhausted but feeling better than he had in years.

  Garret let the emotions settle in his soul as above him the wind sighed through the trees, accompanied by the gurgling of Morrisey Creek.

  Peace and quiet. It had been years since he felt either, he thought letting the tranquility wash over him. Working here was like being on a retreat. This place had so much potential.

  Potential that would take years and a huge cash injection to realize.

  As he entered the inn he saw Sheila checking in a young couple. They were laughing with her, looking forward to their holiday. They came to this inn trusting the staff to take care of them. Sheila pointed him out as the owner. They turned and smiled at him. “Lovely place you have here,” they said as they walked past going up the large staircase to their rooms.

  He glanced around the lobby again, trying to see it through their eyes. Through Larissa’s eyes.

  It was a lovely place, if you could look past the repairs that needed to be done. And once that work was done, it would look even more welcoming. Friendly.

  Homey.

  He let the thought settle, a part of his mind shifting to the woman sitting in the office. At one time he and Larissa had talked about where they would live. She had always said she wanted to live here. She said it was the best place in the world.

  Now he was here after all, a part of the place and a part of the history.

  Why not keep it? Why not be involved in something with roots? Why not be involved in something with Larissa?

  He let the errant thought rest, trying to imagine what that would look like. At one time it would have been all he wanted.

  The door to the office was still open and he could hear Larissa talking. He moved into the doorway, but Larissa no longer sat at the table. Instead she stood by the window with her back to him, holding the telephone.

  “I’m not sure what to do, Dad,” she was saying. “We put a huge dent in the operating loan on the kitchen renovations, which I wasn’t crazy about...I know. I didn’t agree with that either.” She eased out a sigh. “No...I didn’t bring it up.” A long pause followed this. Obviously her father had a lot to say. “Of course I’ll let you know what Garret wants to do. Hope the rest of the trip goes well. Thanks for the advice.” Then she hung up.

  She held the phone in one hand, resting her fisted hand under her chin as she looked out the window. From this angle Garret caught the troubled look on her face and while one part of him wondered what she was thinking, the other part of him felt a jolt of annoyance that she had wasted so little time contacting her father. Couldn’t she make her own decisions? Was she still Daddy’s girl as Emily had intimated?

  He waited a moment, cleared his throat then stepped into the room.

  She whirled around, puzzlement twisting her features. “I thought Pete wanted to see the grounds,” she stammered, a flush creeping up her neck. “I thought you wouldn’t be back for a while.”

  Obviously. Hence the call to Daddy to see what she should do. He wanted to be angry but a growing part of him felt sorry that she didn’t think she could make her own decisions.

  But for now they had business to discuss and one thing was certain—he knew he didn’t want to do that sitting so close to her.

  Letting his foolish thoughts take him places he could never go.

  Chapter Eight

  He looked angry, Larissa thought as Garret plucked a pad of paper from the desk. Had Pete said something to make him look so upset?

  “Take your cell phone and some paper along,” he said, his voice brisk and businesslike, his dark eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “We need to see who can do what for us in two weeks.” Garret rolled up his sleeves, ready for work. “I’ll meet you at the first room on the second floor,” he said, then abruptly left.

  Larissa picked up her phone, puzzled at the sudden shift in Garret’s attitude. While Pete was here it felt as if she and Garret were moving to a better place in their relationship.

  Well, as good a place as could be expected for a couple of
exes who had parted on bad terms. But still.

  Once in a while she had caught him looking at her and his smile had a warmth to it that hadn’t been there before. She sensed something had changed between them and while she wasn’t sure what it was, she didn’t mind the shift in the constant tension humming between them.

  She hurried up the stairs and found him standing in the middle of the first room, holding a tape measure, frowning at the room. “So we need to make a plan,” he said. “We’ll need quick and cheap.”

  Larissa pulled her pen from behind her ear and blew out a sigh. “Do you really think we can fix up the rooms in two weeks?”

  “Not the way you’d like to, but we could probably do some superficial stuff. Some paint. Maybe some new bed coverings.”

  “Superficial seems like a waste of time and money,” Larissa said. “Some of the walls need to be re-drywalled. The carpets need replacing. I really hoped we could redo the windows and install new doors. The bathrooms could use new fixtures.”

  Garret held his hand up at her list. “Unfortunately superficial is all we can afford right now. We don’t have time to do everything you want in time for Pete’s conference.”

  “So forget about Pete,” Larissa snapped. “Do the work right and we can look for other business once we’re done.” She caught his frown and sensing his resistance, toned her anger down, trying to sound reasonable and professional. “We both want the same thing. We both want the inn to turn a profit and Pete just pointed out exactly what I’d been saying all along.”

  “If we don’t get Pete, we might not get other business. I can’t afford to put my own money into this business to buoy it up until things turn around,” he retorted. “I’m not as well off as your father.”

  His words held a lash of anger that was unexpected and surprisingly hurtful.

  Her mind ticked back to another time Garret had shown his anger with her over her father. They had fought about telling her parents about their relationship. He wanted things out in the open, but she was still afraid of what would happen when her father found out that she was dating Garret. Her father had never made any secret about his plans for her. He wanted her to go to university. Make a success of herself. He didn’t want her to get married for a while. And she knew he certainly wouldn’t want her to get married to someone who was working for him as a laborer.