Chapter 3 #3
Today, she grabbed a bag of frozen strawberries and bananas from the small freezer to act as her base.
Add in a cup of oat milk, some peanut butter to thicken it up, a tablespoon of maple syrup, and a large handful of kale, and she was on her way to a morning meal that could sustain her if the day took a wild turn.
Hallie turned on the blender and let it whir, watching the blades start to aggressively break down the frozen fruit. The concoction was quickly becoming a puce color, which meant that it was on its way to being perfect.
Growing up living at an inn hadn’t seemed strange to her until recently. The sale of the inn to Reese had dislodged something in her that was causing Hallie to feel more unsteady by the day. And the more she tried to ignore it, the more it was all that she could fixate on.
It was like she’d looked up one morning and everything suddenly felt unfamiliar in a subtle way. Not jarring, just… not quite right anymore.
But nothing had changed, at least as far as her life went.
The owner’s quarters still had two bedrooms, each with an en suite, and then the living room-slash-kitchen that anchored them in the center.
She’d always lived in the same bedroom, which she’d shared with her brother until she’d turned eight.
Once he’d entered high school, he’d moved into a room next door, technically separate from the apartment.
Hallie could remember how she thought it’d been so cool, the freedom of living independently like that.
Even if he was only about twenty feet away.
A teenager living in his own hotel room was unorthodox, sure, but Mason had always been disciplined. He, unlike Hallie, did a really good job of staying out of trouble, a fact that her parents had no trouble reminding her about over the years.
As she poured her perfectly blended smoothie into a plastic cup, she started making another one, like she had done when Sydney stayed with her for a few months over the summer.
She missed having someone else around, and even if it would lead to as many problems as solutions in her life, it was incredibly gracious of Brynn to step in for the next few weeks.
She thought about Mason again, knowing that in just a few weeks, she’d have a first row seat for the “Perfect Brother” doll experience—now complete with Deluxe Add-On Wife and Twins.
Mason was the quintessential accomplished oldest child.
Captain of the Stoneport football team, he’d earned a full ride to Colorado, where he’d met his now-wife, Claire.
And if that wasn’t enough, he’d also played varsity basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring.
There were numerous awards and broken school records lining the glass cases of their high school that were dedicated to him and his athletic accomplishments.
Did Hallie mention he was valedictorian of his class, too?
Seriously, what D1 college athlete also majored in computer science?
She sighed at the same time she turned off the blender, feeling the twinge of personal embarrassment that was cropping up more and more often with her trip to Colorado looming.
With her parents running the inn and ferrying Mason to sports practices, Hallie’s childhood was mostly spent at The Stone’s Throw, trying to occupy her own time without getting into too much trouble. Which wasn’t exactly an easy accomplishment for someone with her natural sense of curiosity.
Maybe if she’d been more like Mason, her parents would have gotten on board and supported her goals.
She didn’t blame them. For one thing, she’d never set any goals.
For another, running the inn was a 24/7 endeavor, and she’d never been easily focused.
Hallie’s biggest interests growing up had been running around with Sydney and talking to the guests.
Still, she hadn’t expected that her parents would pick up and sell the inn.
By high school, Hallie had shifted into working different positions at The Stone’s Throw most evenings and weekends, given that she had free time after school and Sydney was always busy with tennis.
And she’d even gotten a four-year hospitality management degree at a local college to ensure that she could take on more responsibility as her parents got older.
It’s not like she was expecting to inherit the property or anything, given that it was her parents’ retirement plan, but she thought there’d at least be a conversation. Something. She’d been hoping for at least another decade to get her life together and figure out a clear plan for her future.
And now, the future had come knocking, and she felt woefully unprepared to tackle it.
At the very least—she stared down at the counter—she had prepared a second smoothie of the perfect consistency. She grinned triumphantly as she placed lids on both.
With a smoothie in each hand and one last look in the mirror next to the door, she made the quick trip from her apartment, past the kitchen doors, and into the lobby.
Brynn was already standing next to the check-in desk, dressed similarly to Hallie but in clothing that screamed—in a very classy, understated way, of course—wealth.
A tailored, crisp shirt fit Brynn so well that it looked bespoke.
Black, tapered pants hugged her frame perfectly, accentuating the gentle curve of her hips.
A thin necklace that was definitely real gold dripped from her collarbones.
In comparison, Hallie felt like her own outfit was a few shades too faded to be considered black. Still, she extended her arm and offered Brynn the smoothie. “I didn’t know if you had time for breakfast.”
Brynn gave her a smile that implied Hallie had just saved a puppy from a burning building. She took a dainty sip before placing it on the counter. “This is perfect. Thank you. I did actually head out this morning to find something, but I guess shops open later in the winter?”
Hallie nodded, trying not to slouch her shoulders, which was easier to remember in the face of Brynn’s perfect posture.
She even drank her smoothie with class, a thought Hallie never believed she’d ever have the chance to think.
“We’re in the lull before the winter season starts to pick up, which still won’t be as busy as summer when it’s in full swing.
That means fewer tourists and reduced hours.
Some of the more kitschy shops shut down completely during this time. ”
“Definitely a different vibe than the summer.”
Right. Because when Brynn and Grant had been planning to get married, Brynn had spent a decent amount of time in Stoneport. Just a few months ago, in fact.
Hallie had been busy supporting Sydney during that time, who was in the midst of retiring from professional tennis.
Even though Sydney’s breakup with Grant a year before that had been a part of her lament, the bigger focus had been her best friend’s career-ending injury and what it meant—the loss of the path she’d been painstakingly forging for the last fifteen years.
Brynn’s wound was much fresher, at least where Grant was concerned.
They should have been married three months ago and settling into a life together.
There was a small, insecure part of Hallie that wanted to dislike Brynn, but she just…
couldn’t. Because Brynn was looking at her again, much like she had last night.
It was a look that said Hallie really was the boss here and that, to the best of her ability, Brynn would do anything asked of her.
People didn’t look at Hallie like that. Like she was someone who held all the answers.
It was a strange feeling that settled in her stomach then—not exactly unpleasant, though it still made her feel a little squirmy.
Hallie cleared her throat. “So we’ll start this morning with a tour of the property.
Then I’ll walk you through the departments and what everyone does.
Lastly, we’ll review the day-to-day and what I do that’s different from anyone else’s roles.
Those are the things you’ll really want to click with since you’ll be handling them in my absence. ”
Hallie let out a surprised laugh when Brynn pulled a small notebook and pen from somewhere and started furiously jotting down information. After about thirty seconds, she looked at Hallie again. “Okay, I’ve got that all written down.”
“I do have a handbook with standard operating procedures that I can give you. We made one for Reese when she was getting trained.” It had been, more than anything, a good exercise for Hallie to go through, regardless of the fact that Reese had never ended up using it in any meaningful way.
The book was a massive brain dump of what she’d learned working at the inn for decades that hadn’t been documented anywhere else.
A grateful look flashed across Brynn’s face. “That would be incredible. I’ll still probably take my own notes, though. It helps me better absorb the information.”
“Right,” Hallie answered as she started walking, gesturing for Brynn to follow her. “You just finished up your PhD program?”
Brynn nodded. “In philosophy.”
“That’s… abstract.” They stopped in front of the doors leading into the kitchen.
Brynn’s whole face lit up. “Analytical philosophy, my area of study, is actually the opposite of abstract, even if that’s a common misconception,” she said with a rueful smile. “It leverages clarity and logic to try to answer some of our most enduring philosophical questions.”
Hallie knew that she was looking at Brynn like she’d just sprouted a tail, and yet she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to know more.
Brynn was quickly becoming one of the most interesting people who had ever walked into The Stone’s Throw.
The best part was that Hallie was going to get a front row seat for whatever came out of her mouth next.
“And you spent… how many years studying this?”