Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Two months later, it was February, and the divorce papers were still unsigned. Her lawyer had spoken to Duncan’s lawyer, who’d miraculously found an entirely different bank account and several real estate investments that weren’t included in the original filing. It was time to finalise the divorce. Before long, there would be nothing tying the two of them together other than their shared children and grandchildren.
Christmas had been interesting. She’d had to face Duncan at Brandon’s house as they ate a meal together and opened gifts with the kids. But they’d managed to work their way through the day without an argument. His girlfriend had attended with him and had gone out of her way to be polite. Gwen supposed she couldn’t ask for more than that at this stage in their relationship.
She sat in her car, looking out over the old bed and breakfast. At least she had this one thing to look forward to. The purchase would be processed as soon as the divorce was finalised. The property would be hers. And this morning, she was meeting with a series of contractors to talk to them about the possibility of doing the work she needed them to do. She’d already hired an architect who’d drafted a design that she loved, and she was excited about the next step.
The first contractor arrived in a large, shiny truck. He pulled up onto the curb and leapt out of the truck, waving at her. She stepped out of her vehicle and walked him through the building. Then she laid out the draft of the plan on her car bonnet to show him.
He mentioned that they would need to consider a new sewage system, since the old one used on the block was septic, and now there was a town system available. And she might as well redo the entire plumbing for the old building, if she was going to do that. And that would add a substantial amount to the overall costs of the project.
She swallowed that down with a smile and shook his hand to say goodbye. He promised to shoot through an email with a quote later that week.
The next contractor arrived and had much the same reaction. He was excited about her project but pointed out several weaknesses in the structure, as well as the sewage system. He also said she should replace the electrical wiring, since it was old and wouldn’t pass inspection. More expense. Her stomach was beginning to churn. Thankfully, she had more than enough in her account to cover the additional items, but it still made her anxious. And she was frustrated that the inspector she’d hired hadn’t included the issues in his property report.
After the third contractor left, she felt as though she might be going to have a panic attack. She lay down across the back seat of her car and tried breathing slowly and deeply as she stared at the carpeted ceiling. This was too much. What was she thinking, taking on a project of this size? No! She couldn’t do it. It was overwhelming. She was a housewife, a mother. What did she know about running an inn or managing a restaurant?
She’d taken on projects before. Maybe not this size, but she’d been overwhelmed more than once in her life. Taking care of four children had been a challenge. And she’d handled that. It hadn’t always gone well, but she’d managed to raise four independent, healthy adults who were confidently managing families of their own. She wasn’t going to be intimidated by this undertaking. One step at a time. That’s all it took.
With a smile to herself, she sat up and saw Debbie and Joanna standing on the front stoop, looking around.
“Hello!” she called, waving at them.
They marched down to greet her with hugs.
“How did it go?” Joanna asked.
“It was great,” Gwen replied. “But there’s a lot more work to do than I realised.”
“That’s to be expected,” Debbie said. “There’s always more work than you think when it comes to old buildings.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Gwen said. “I was having a little panic attack in the back of my car, but I’m feeling a bit better now. I’m glad the two of you are here.”
“Don’t panic,” Joanna said. “You’re the strongest person I know. You can do this.” She squeezed Gwen’s hand.
Gwen’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you. You’re such a great cheer squad.”
Debbie embraced her. “We’re proud of you. Aren’t we, Jo?”
“Absolutely. And I’m going to be your first guest.” Joanna smiled.
“I’ll bring Caleb, too,” Debbie replied. “We’re always up for a romantic getaway.”
They always knew what to say to help Gwen feel better. She sniffled and looked up at the gorgeous building in front of them. It was majestic, with its old-world charm. She tried to picture how it would be after the work was done. It was going to be amazing. She only hoped she could pull it off without having a complete breakdown.
She grinned. “Thanks, ladies. You’re the best.”