Chapter Twelve
Ava
“I think it’s a money pit,” Gianna declared, flagging down Luke to order another drink. “But I’m willing to look into it, if only to stick it to Ben. It’s going to need a ton of work though, and I’d be willing to bet the inspection won’t even find half of what will come up while you’re renovating.”
“While we’re renovating,” I corrected her.
We decided to hit the bar at the lakes, Tailwind Tavern, conveniently located within walking distance of my house. Other than the bar downtown near the Van Kamp house and my bakery, it was the only one within miles.
It had been in Luke’s family since his grandfather opened it in the eighties, and it hadn’t been redecorated since. While I probably wouldn’t point any tourists this direction, it was perfect as a local watering hole. It felt like stepping into your elderly aunt’s home, welcoming with a rustic charm that only extended to family and close friends. Outsiders wouldn’t see the appeal.
“The pictures you guys took make it seem like it has a lot of potential.” Jules turned to Gianna. “I know you’re not enthused about this project, but do you think maybe you’re looking for reasons for it to fail?”
Gianna gave her a pointed look. “You’re lucky I’m two glasses in, girly, or those would be fighting words.”
“I think you’re both right,” I tried, wondering how I was the one mediating a disagreement instead of Jules. That had always been her strong suit. “The house has a lot of potential and comes with authentic charm and historical background,” I explained. “But I do think that it will take a lot of investment, both of time and money. That being said, I think that’s true of any house we’d find. Unless it was already being used as a B&B, we’ll have to make major changes anywhere.”
Gianna had already drafted a letter of intent, had us all sign it, and emailed it to Ben. She’d had that done in under an hour—the benefits of having a lawyer on your team. Since her signature was on that page alongside ours, I knew she was at least nominally committed, but I worried that her enthusiasm was entirely revenge-based. It concerned me that she might change her mind once she cooled down over the encounter with Ben. Funding wasn’t really an issue for her or Viv, but it was still a big commitment.
“And even more modern houses can have costly complications during renovation,” Riley added helpfully.
“So what’s your plan, then?” Gianna pressed, sitting back in her chair and flagging down Luke a second time in an effort to get that refill. “How are we paying for it? How are we getting the funds for a renovation? Are you expecting us to live there to run it as a bed and breakfast?”
I took a deep breath and another drink of my margarita, reminding myself that these were all valid questions. Though a part of me wondered if Gianna was the one asking them because, as Jules suggested, she was looking for a way out.
“Look, I’m not going to force you to pick up your whole life and move back here,” I told Gianna, glancing at Viv as well since she hadn’t yet agreed to uphold the pact. “It would mean the world to me if you did join us here, but that’s a big ask.”
Gianna blew out a breath. “I just don’t want to take my career backwards instead of forwards, and for Viv and I both, this would be a backslide. I’m willing to be an investor and a consultant, but this isn’t going to be a full-time gig for me. It’s going to be a passion project that I slip into and out of as needed.”
I nodded, turning to Viv.
“Same goes for me,” she agreed. “When I can get away from work, I’m happy to come help in person, but it won’t be often. And,” she glanced at Jules, “it’s probably the best way I can figure to make things up to you.”
I pulled her into a clumsy side hug. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Luke finally dropped off a fresh cosmo for Gianna, apologizing as he hurried off with an overflowing beverage tray. She took a long, savoring sip before diving back into business.
“We’ll have to incorporate if we’re going into a joint business venture. It’ll reduce liability and make it easier for everyone to have equal shares.”
It took every ounce of self-control not to jump across the table and hug her. “Does that mean we’re doing this for real?” I asked, unable to hide my stupid grin.
“It means we’re doing this for real,” she agreed. “But we’re doing it properly, and if this house ends up more liability than opportunity, we’re backing out. Agreed?”
The very idea made my stomach turn, but I didn’t want a bad investment either. “Agreed.”
Viv lifted her white wine spritzer. “To the pact.”
We spent the rest of the night making a comprehensive list of questions for Ben and next steps for our business. Gianna promised to research loan options and get us incorporated. Riley would research the practicalities of running a bed and breakfast and converting an existing home into one. Jules and Viv would hammer out a preliminary marketing strategy, including our potential decorating scheme, so that we had a consistent theme. I would work on moving the purchasing process forward with Ben, volunteering as tribute so that only one of us had the insufferable task of dealing with him. The last thing I wanted was one of the girls backing out from sheer irritation.
And, best of all, we’d be meeting again next weekend to go over everything.
I hadn’t seen my friends in years , and suddenly I was seeing them twice in as many weeks. Even if I couldn’t convince Gianna and Viv to move back, the pact was still keeping us closer together than we’d been in a long time.
Was it going to be way harder than I imagined? Probably.
Did I care? Not even a little.
Jules and Riley were staying for the weekend before returning to Indy. Jules would get to work packing up her apartment and hopefully move in with me by the end of the month. Riley needed a little longer because of the terms of her lease, but she hoped to join us soon, too. I was positively giddy at the prospect of so much girl time. In a few short weeks, they’d both move here with me until the sale was finalized. Then we’d all move into the Van Kamp house. Together.
I could barely contain my excitement, and I knew I wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep tonight.
Viv and Gianna stopped drinking shortly after our toast and drove home to Indy so that they could get caught up on work tomorrow. On a Sunday.
I was a small business owner and I ran a bakery, so I was open every day but Tuesday. I wasn’t opposed to putting in long hours and working hard, but I didn’t understand how a lawyer and an advertising exec could possibly need to work weekends on a regular basis. Clearly, I wasn’t cut out for corporate life.
Jules, Riley, and I stayed for one more round of drinks after Viv and Gianna left before making the five minute walk back to my parents’ house. I’d been living there alone for eight years now, but I still had trouble thinking of it as my house. Maybe our house, but never just mine, in spite of what the paperwork said.
Jules and Riley stopped dead when they walked in the front door, and not just because it was a tight squeeze for two people on that tiny landing.
When they lingered in the kitchen, I turned back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jules answered too quickly. “It just…looks exactly the same as the last time I was over.”
I took a long look at the view from where they stood, doing my best to see it from an outside perspective, but it didn’t seem odd to me. “Why wouldn’t it?”
Jules offered a warm smile. “It doesn’t look bad or anything. I just thought you might have put your own touch on it over the years, that’s all.”
“Oh.” She had me there. I suppressed the uncomfortable feeling welling up in my gut. “I had to buy a new toilet for the downstairs bath last year.” It sounded pathetic even to me, but I refused to delve any deeper than that. Not when today was going so well.
Not when things were finally starting to turn around.
“Where do you want us to put our stuff?” Riley asked, her voice a touch too high.
I showed them to my parents’ old room and the spare bedroom we had used as a library. They were oddly silent as Riley took my parents’ room and Jules dropped her bag onto the sleeper sofa in the library.
“Are you guys ready for bed or did you want to watch a movie or something?” I knew they were probably exhausted after traveling all day, but I had to ask.
They exchanged a single glance before Jules jumped on my suggestion. “A movie, definitely. I could use some winding down time after all the excitement tonight.”
“For sure,” Riley agreed, leading us back downstairs. “Do you still hide Oreos in the same place?”
I laughed at that. “Of course.” I couldn’t believe she remembered after so long.
I couldn’t believe my girls were finally coming back home.
The next morning, for the first time in twelve years, I almost slept through my four o’clock alarm.
Almost.