10. Chapter 10
The bright beams of the sun’s rays are shining directly into my eyeballs through the open floor to ceiling wall of windows in my bedroom.
Fuck. That can only mean that I overslept, and I’ve missed the sunrise.
Grumbling, I roll out of bed and grab my phone to see the time. After nine. Great. I also have five texts from Violet and a handful from Emma.
I toss my phone back down on my bed. I’m not ready to deal with this shit. I just want coffee.
I shuffle to the kitchen and reach into the cabinet to grab coffee but find an empty space. I look around the shelf, not finding the bag of coffee that’s normally there. Then I remember that I used the last of it yesterday and meant to go to the store to buy more before I heard Violet and Emma in the kitchen.
This is great. Now I can’t avoid the inn like I wanted to all day.
I toss on my hoodie and shove my feet into some boots before heading up to the inn in my plaid pajama pants.
I creep in the side door, looking around each corner like a burglar at my own goddamn inn.
“What are we looking for?” A voice whispers from behind me. I jump up and swing my fist back into the face of the voice.
“Fuck man, what was that for?” Wyatt rubs his nose.
“Serves you right for sneaking up on someone, and for God’s sake whisper!” I whisper shout at him, trying not to bring attention to us.
“Why are we sneaking around? And why are we whispering? We’re the only ones here.”
“Oh. We are? Then I guess we don’t have to sneak around.” I straighten and walk freely to the dining room to start with my coffee.
“Why are you sneaking around in the first place? Avoiding Violet?” How the hell does he already know that? He was on shift last night, catching actual burglars.
“Why are you here?” I scowl at him.
“Breakfast.” He walks into the kitchen and I follow him while the coffee brews.
“Where is Violet?” I ask, reaching into the bread basket for a bagel .
“Don’t know. No one was here when I got here. Why are you avoiding Violet? Roman told me you had a fun time with her and Tiff last night.” He scrunches his nose up and looks at me apologetically.
“Yeah, it was a great time.” I pop my bagel in the toaster.
“You’re not answering me about Violet.” Wyatt pushes me.
“Because. I overheard her and Emma talking. She said that I was the nerd of the family, and she doesn’t know what she’s doing with me.” I don’t turn from the toaster when I admit this to him. I don’t even know why I chose to answer him.
“Lee,” he steps into my space, looking at me empathetically, a softness covering his face that he doesn’t let people see often. “You have to know that’s not how she meant it.”
“How am I supposed to know that? I don’t know her anymore. She was pretty cozy with Roman when I left the brewery.”
“No way. They’re just friends.” He defends one of his best friends.
“I saw it, Wy. They were there laughing and she was touching his arm. Isn’t that flirting 101?” I grab my bagel out of the toaster and slather it with cream cheese.
“Not for Violet. She’s only been obsessed with you since we were kids.” He leaves the kitchen with his food and sits in the dining room at the large table.
I follow him and take a seat across from him after grabbing my coffee and adding some cream.
“Whatever. I learned my lesson. I won’t make that mistake again.” I shrug and start eating my breakfast without looking at him .
Wyatt slams his fork down on the table, “Yeah? What self-deprecating lesson is that Lee?”
“What?”
“What bullshit have you fed yourself this time? What lesson have you learned that makes you less than?” Wyatt’s face is turning red like it always does when he’s angry.
“Women don’t want me. They just use me to get to you all. Seems like Violet’s following suit now that she’s old enough. When they learn what I have to offer I’m good for a one night stand or to be with until they can get to you. It’s been happening for years. So I learned my lesson to stay in my lane.”
“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it.” He throws his stuff in the trash with a force that almost knocks over the trash can, “When you figure your shit out, you better hope it’s not too fucking late for Violet.”
He leaves me sitting at the table.
It’s already too late for Violet. She’s going to fall for Roman’s charm. I know it. Just add it to my tally of failures. The inn, the girl, all of it.
I toss my remaining bagel into the trash, and refill my coffee before heading out to the barn to work on some nightstands for the rooms we’re finishing. And to be in blissful quiet by myself.
I get maybe an hour of working to myself before my sister comes to find me. Sometimes I really miss the days that my siblings would pretend this place didn’t exist. But when Pops fell off the roof and broke his hip over the summer they finally took notice of me and how badly the inn was in disrepair. I finally ranked on their lists of importance. But as with everything, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be .
“What can I do for you?” I mutter, not looking up at her while I carve an intricate design on the front of this drawer.
“You’re a fucking idiot.” She gives me a stony stare. I can see her foot tapping out of the corner of my eye.
“Please enlighten me oh wise one, why am I an idiot today in your eyes?” I ask her sarcastically.
“Stop it. You know exactly why I think you’re an idiot.” She steps closer to me.
“I can assure you I have many a reason, but none that will probably align with your thoughts.”
That earns me a slap across the back of my head.
I look up at Emma this time, “What the fuck was that for?”
“Being an idiot.
“Again, please tell me why you’re here abusing me for being an idiot.”
“You really think Violet and I would talk about you that way? Let alone the fact that you think I would let anyone talk to or about my own brother that way? I can slap you senseless, but I’ll be damned if I let anyone talk shit about my family. So. You’re an idiot.” Her foot taps faster, but at least her arms are crossed so my head is safe, for now. “You better figure your shit out. Because I’m keeping her, God knows this place needs more women. And she wants to keep you, so get your head out of your ass.” She hits me one more time across the back of the head when I turn back to my carving.
I get up and walk over to where we store the summer toys. I pull a helmet off the rack and place it on my head so I can work on my design without being hit again.
“What are you doing?” She stares at me hesitantly while I latch the clip under my chin .
“Protecting my damn head for the rest of this conversation.” I walk by her to go back to my carving.
“Whatever. Don’t take my advice. What do I know? I’m just a woman who was involved in the entire conversation and saw her burn a quiche this morning. Violet. Burnt. A. Quiche. Because of your dumb ass.”
“Is that all you came here for? Because if so, I’m busy finishing these up for the inn.”
I sit back down on my stool and bring the drawer back up and pick up my veiner to finish this floral design.
“No, I actually had business things to discuss with you. I just wanted to make my effort to get you to stop being a dumbass. But I failed so maybe I’ll have better luck with business.”
“Yup, you probably will.” One more slap to my head. “See? Prepared.”
“Okay well, I need your eyeballs first please. So can you spare a precious moment of your time please?”
I sigh, placing my tool back on the table. “Sure.”
She pulls out her phone and takes a seat on the stool next to me. “You know you can take that off now.” She flicks my helmet.
“Safety first.”
“Whatever, I took these of the pastries that Violet—” I growl at the mention of her but Emma ignores me, “—baked for the weekend of the dance. I’m going to post them today, so you’ll need to make sure you’re checking for the orders on our bookings for next weekend. I sent out an email to the people already booked with a link to add on. So you will need to tell Violet if I’m not here.”
“Okay. ”
“Am I going to get more than short answers?” She looks at me out of the corner of her eye.
“It looks good. I will tell Violet. Promise. Continue.” I hold up my fingers in the old boy scout’s honor.
“Okay, moving on. We’ve seen a huge bump in bookings with the Valentine’s Day packages, for the whole month. What do you think about creating packages for the other months? We could create a family package for school breaks, a St. Patrick's Day thing maybe with Rebels? Micro-wedding packages?” She talks a mile a minute. I love that my sister has the passion for business and growing the inn with me. But I won’t tell her that.
“What the hell is a Micro-wedding?” I raise an eyebrow.
“It’s the new trend. Basically just the couple and max ten people. They could book the rooms at the inn, or some of the cabins, a lot less work than a whole big wedding, so less hands needed on deck. Violet said she could bake cakes for the wedding packages, and I’m going to talk to Roman about doing something with a bar for the few guests if you like the idea.”
I love everything she’s saying. This could really make us a true destination that could keep people coming back year after year, or even for different packages throughout the year for a weekend.
“Everything sounds great, Em. I love the idea of the micro-wedding. Talk to Roman and let me know what he says.”
I pick up my veiner again and go back to work.
“Really?” She sounds distrusting of the fact that I like her ideas .
“Yeah. I’m not Pops. I want new things to draw in new customers.”
Pops was not receptive to my ideas. Partly why the inn went to shit.
She runs her fingers over the design I’m working on.
“You know, we could sell your furniture. I’ve seen Bed and Breakfasts do it before. They use local artisan’s items for decor or furniture, and put price tags with the artisan’s name. If people like it, they can buy it. And your stuff is so beautiful.” She wanders over to some of the other furniture I’m working on for the dining room.
“You keep saying.” I don’t think I want to put myself out there yet. “You think people would actually buy it?”
“Of course. Think about it. And about Violet. You know I’m right.” She hugs me around my shoulders and walks away leaving me with just my thoughts.
I finally finish the design on the drawer and slide it into place. Next is the staining process. I stare at the choices I have lined up on my shelf, and the stack of design notes from Scarlett. This room faces the water so we decided to go with a light blue, seafoam green color palette.
All of these are words I never thought I’d use in my day to day running of the inn.
I choose a whitewashed light gray stain for the nightstand and grab a rag from my workbench.
I no sooner pour the stain on before one of the stray cats that live in our barn hops up for some love.
I have a soft spot for these furry creatures. Midnight, the black cat that is currently creating pawprints on my work, is one of my favorites. She came last winter, and always sticks with me while I work in the barn. She’s been missing for a bit though, I thought maybe someone had taken her in.
I move her off the nightstand and bring her over to my workbench where I keep some food and bowls.
“You’re getting a little chunky there girl. Too many visits to Esther? I know she likes to give you the good cream.”
She only meows in response.
I scratch the top of her head only three times as she likes and then I go back to work while she eats her food and curls up on the blankets I leave out.
My mind keeps wandering back to Violet and Emma.
Emma is right. She would never let anyone talk bad about her brothers in any way. Once in high school, Cooper had a bad football game after a tough break up, and a lot of kids were talking shit about him. Emma heard some of them and decked two kids, breaking one nose.
I want to believe that’s not what Violet would think of me, but it’s been so long. What if I don’t really know her anymore? What if after her time in New York she wants a guy more like my brothers?
Maybe I overreacted. I might just have to suck up my pride and apologize to Violet, but I should probably hear her out first. I don’t want to lose her as a friend, or more. And I need to talk to her to get the truth like an adult.
Being an adult is easier when you’re the recluse.