Chapter 4
Gavin
Following the directions on the GPS, we turned from Aspen Street onto Maple Street, noting all the streets were named after trees.
Thanksgiving was two days away, but Brookhaven was already decked out for Christmas.
Wreaths hung from every lamppost, and storefronts glowed with lights and other holiday decorations.
Allie stared out the passenger-side window of my car, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were smudge marks from her fingers and nose on the glass. “This place is adorable. Look at these little shops.”
“I see them,” I muttered, focusing on the road in front of me.
A week ago, I received a call from my grandfather’s attorney, informing me that the probate process was complete, and I was now the official owner of Cedar Falls Inn.
Since I didn’t have anywhere to go for the holiday—and Allie chose not to visit her family in California like she usually did despite my offer to cover her flight—we decided to drive up north to check out my new property and spend a few days in town.
As we passed a gazebo in the middle of what looked to be the town square, the GPS instructed me to turn right on Willow Lane. Just past the town hall, we parked across the street from a one-story brick building with a wooden sign out front that read “Norman Glynn Law Office” and headed inside.
A woman sat at the front desk. “You must be Mr. Price,” she said as soon as we walked inside, catching me off guard.
I lifted a brow. “How’d you know?”
She chuckled softly. “Most of our clients are locals. Besides, Mr. Glynn only has one appointment today.”
In a small town, it probably wasn’t hard to spot the outsider.
A man who I assumed was Mr. Glynn stepped out of his office and walked toward me. “Mr. Price. Thank you for coming.”
“Call me Gavin.” I shook his outstretched hand. “This is my friend, Allie.”
He smiled her way. “Welcome to Brookhaven.”
“Thank you,” she replied brightly.
“If you’ll come back with me, there are a few documents I need you to sign, and then you can head over to the inn and check out your new place.”
We followed him into his office, where I sat across from his desk and scrawled my name in the spaces he’d marked.
When we were finished, he slid a key to me.
“It would make your grandfather happy to see you taking over the place. He’d received a few offers from investors over the years, but he never wanted to sell.
Not even when the place wasn’t turning a profit.
Said it was part of the family, and it always would be. ”
Family wasn’t exactly a word I’d associate with the man I’d never met, but we were related.
“I don’t know about all that. It’s sort of hard to think about him in those terms,” I admitted.
Mr. Glynn nodded as if he understood and let the subject drop. “Mrs. Ross is expecting you. She’s kept things running as best she could the past six months, although it’s quite the job for one person.”
“I can imagine,” I acknowledged.
We said our goodbyes and left. Allie and I climbed back into the car. As we buckled our seatbelts, she turned to me, practically vibrating with excitement. “You ready to see your bed and breakfast?”
I nodded. “I think so. Just hope I’m not getting in over my head.”
* * *
According to the directions, Cedar Falls Inn was located near Lake Briar on the north end of town. The sun was already starting to set behind the towering pine trees as we headed to our destination.
“This looks like something out of a movie,” Allie mused as she watched the passing landscape.
I didn’t respond. All my attention was focused on the unfamiliar, darkening road in front of me.
When the inn finally came into view, she gasped. “Oh wow.”
From what I’d read online, the bed and breakfast was a large two-story house with two bedrooms on the first floor and six more rooms upstairs, plus a boat house on the lake.
In front, just one car sat in the small gravel parking lot.
I was a bit shocked as I pulled in beside the other vehicle.
Mr. Glynn had mentioned the place wasn’t turning a profit, but I didn’t expect it to be empty, especially during a holiday week.
Even with only a few dim, outdoor lights illuminating the area, I still noticed that the paint on the building was chipped, several windows were cracked and patched with tape, a few shutters were dangling off their hinges, and weeds had grown over the steps of the front porch that looked like it had seen better days.
“Oh wow is right. This place looks even more rundown than the pictures and reviews made it appear.”
Allie swatted my arm. “You’re not seeing the potential. With a little work, this could be gorgeous.”
“Potential doesn’t pay for repairs,” I muttered as I climbed out of the car.
Before she could argue, the front door swung open, and a woman stepped onto the weathered porch. She had to be in her late sixties or early seventies and looked friendly, but tired. I instantly felt bad that she’d been left to take care of things on her own.
“You must be Gavin.” She smiled.
I smiled back. “Yes, ma’am, and this is my friend Allie.”
“I’m Jane Ross,” she introduced herself, and I took her hand gently. “You have perfect timing. I just pulled supper out of the oven. Thought you might be hungry after your long drive today.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I replied. “I know I could eat.”
“Me too,” Allie added.
“Well, let’s get you fed, then I can show you around a bit.”
We followed her into the house. The front room had been turned into a check-in area with a desk that was warped and faded.
Past that, the dining room held a big table and enough chairs to accommodate a large gathering, as well as a long sideboard topped with chafing dishes.
Everything was tidy and clean, but the wallpaper was dated, the carpet was thin and stained, and the ceiling lights covered everything in an unflattering yellow glow.
We continued into the kitchen, and whatever she had made for dinner filled the air with the scent of onion and thyme that had my mouth watering.
“Have a seat.” She gestured to the small kitchen table. “Hope you like chicken pot pie.”
“Judging by the way it smells, I already do,” I answered.
She chuckled. “What a charmer.”
I grinned. “Just speaking the truth.”
She served us each a plate with an individual pie, a green salad, and homemade cranberry sauce.
“This is absolutely delicious,” Allie moaned after she took her first bite.
Mrs. Ross beamed. “Thank you. I love to cook. When Harold offered me a job to cook and clean that also came with a place to stay, it was such a blessing.”
“Were you new to the area?” I asked, wondering why she needed a place to stay.
She shook her head. “Oh no. I’ve lived in Brookhaven all my life, but I lost my husband two years ago.
The medical bills were more than we could ever hope to pay, and after Thomas passed, I had to sell our house to get out of debt.
Your grandfather had been friendly with Thomas, and he knew we didn’t have any children, so he offered me a place when I needed it the most.”
I lowered my fork. “I’m sorry for your loss. I know just how difficult it can be to lose your family.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Yes, Norman mentioned your parents had passed, and that’s why this place was going to you. I’m sorry you had to endure that as well.”
“Thank you.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin and addressed an issue that had been bothering me since we pulled up. “I couldn’t help but notice the empty parking lot. Are there no guests tonight?”
She shook her head. “Summers aren’t so bad when tourists come to the lake. But as soon as the weather cools a bit, it gets awfully quiet around these parts.”
“Surely, people are in town visiting family for Thanksgiving?” I pressed.
“They are, but the locals don’t recommend this place anymore, seeing how outdated and rundown it is.”
The more we talked, the more worried I became that I’d inherited a money pit rather than an income-generating vacation spot.
We finished eating, and since it was dark outside, we decided to wait until morning to check out the property. Instead, I got our bags out of the car, and then Mrs. Ross led us to the staircase.
“Harold’s room was there.” She pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall on the first floor. “Some of his personal belongings are still inside since I didn’t know what you wanted to do with them.”
“Okay.” I hadn’t even thought about what he’d left behind besides what Mr. Glynn had mentioned, and I wasn’t sure I was interested in going through his stuff.
Upstairs, we came to a stop next to two doors open on either side of the hall.
“I apologize if these rooms aren’t up to your standards.
Harold knew the place needed to be updated, but he was hesitant to spend money beyond emergency repairs.
I’ve tried to keep up on the cleaning, but a lot of projects require more than this old woman is capable of to get this place back to how it was when people actually wanted to stay here. ”
Allie patted her arm. “From what I can tell, you’ve done a great job with what you have.”
I stepped into the small bedroom on the left and looked around. Faded brown carpet covered the floor, and a queen-sized bed with a brass headboard I could only imagine squeaked with every movement was pushed up against the wall. But the room appeared clean and cozy, so I wasn’t about to complain.
“Thank you. I’m in the other bedroom downstairs. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
We said our goodnights and then she left.
Allie hopped onto my bed, despite having her own room. “See? It’s not so bad here. This could really be something.”
I didn’t share her enthusiasm, but I wasn’t ready to rule out the possibility of renovating the place. “We’ll see. I think I need to get a good night’s sleep before making any decisions.”
“Fine.” She got up and headed for the door. “We can talk tomorrow, but I think this could be a great new chapter for you.”
Later, as dim light slipped in though the broken slats of the blinds, I lay on the uncomfortable bed and stared at the ceiling. With no sirens or honking horns outside my window like in NYC, the silence felt a bit disorienting.
I wasn’t sure it was something I could get used to.