CHAPTER 24 #2
“So, once she got some of her strength back, she just wanted to focus on baking for enjoyment, for the community. But I always remembered working together, even if it was brief. How fun it was. I wanted to make her happy, but in doing so, I found my purpose. I found what excited me, what I wanted to do with my life.”
And instead, I’d landed at Skoll Corp, doing none of it. I had started there in a marketing position…but then it had morphed into other responsibilities, more and more tasks piling up.
I bit my lip, still chasing that bright spark of inspiration that was still reverberating through me.
I made up my mind. I had a vision, so clear in my head.
A complete website update, marketing materials throughout Everwick, better signage.
I wouldn’t even bother with online ads; I’d contact travel influencers who could make content instead, invite them out for a free weekend stay.
They’d see how amazing this place was and get it out to their following.
People only needed to know this was here, and they’d swarm to it.
“Let me help you,” I said, my tone soft but certain.
A gruff sound fell from his throat. He would turn me down—I could feel it.
“Jonathan, I’m serious,” I insisted.
Quickly, I rose from the chair, the book falling onto the floor, and went to his desk, splaying my hands over the top. His lips twitched. His eyes went to my spread palms, trailing up my arms before meeting my eyes.
He leaned forward, his hand propping up his chin.
“I appreciate the offer, Red, but right now there are so many things on my to-do list that are bigger priorities, which need immediate attention. You’ve been listening to some of them all morning.
Advertising is important—I get that—but trying to draw more people in when this place isn’t ready just feels backward.
Half these cabins need repairs, the garden’s overgrown, and there’s more issues that you’re not even aware of.
I’m not proud of this place, and I don’t want to market a mess.
” He exhaled, then rubbed the back of his neck.
“Truth is I’ve already been doing that. I opened sooner than planned, only because May said it was time.
Maybe she’s right, but it’s not how I would’ve done it. ”
Jonathan’s gaze shifted to the window, thoughtful. “I don’t mind the low guest count. I’ve got enough money saved, and I’ve got a vision—I just can’t do everything all at once.”
“I’m not asking you to pay me anything,” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s not what this is about. I want to help.
You can’t do everything alone, and you shouldn’t have to.
This is fun for me. Besides…” I gestured to all the paperwork scattered around his desk.
“Who else is gonna help fill up your cabins when you have all this to deal with? The cabins are just sitting there. What’s a little marketing gonna hurt? ”
His gaze flicked down to the surface of his desk. His lips pressed together.
“You don’t like to accept help, do you?” I asked gently.
The old chair creaked as he leaned back, regarding me with narrowed eyes.
“I mean, you’re doing everything yourself.
Even the cabins. If you had a crew, even a small one, the work would get done quicker and get the Hollow to where you want it to be, and you could focus on other things.
Like marketing. Like turning a profit. Like relaxing.
” I ticked them off on my fingers, one by one.
“You sound like May,” he grumbled, but there was the ghost of a chuckle behind it.
“Yeah, and she’s right. Between both of you, I’m sure you know every carpenter, electrician, and handyman along this entire coast. You just don’t seem open to the idea. Why is that?”
He let out a slow breath, rubbing his thumb over the edge of an envelope…one of the investment firms offers that used to hound his father. “I like doing everything myself,” he said quietly. “Always have.”
The words didn’t land with confidence this time though. They felt forced.
There was a long pause before he added, “…Or maybe,” he murmured, “I keep fixing things here because I couldn’t fix things with him.”
It wasn’t dramatic. Or self-pitying. Just honest.
My chest tightened, knowing he was talking about his father.
“When someone breaks something into a million pieces,” I said softly, “it leaves a lot of pieces to pick up.”
I reached out, brushing my fingers against the back of his hand.
“And it helps…to have help.”
He dragged in a deep breath and slowly scrubbed at his face. I’d slept beside him last night. He’d been like a furnace, radiating heat, but even though he’d slept soundly, he still looked tired.
“All right,” he finally said. “You and May are right. If I want to finish sooner, I need to bring a crew on.”
I beamed in victory. “And you’ll let me help you too?”
A smile touched his lips. “Because you’re insisting and only if it’ll make you happy.”
“It would,” I answered honestly.
“Okay,” he replied, inclining his head.
“I might need a little bit a marketing budget,” I added in sheepishly. “For printed materials. Maybe a new sign for where the highway turns off. With lights.”
“I can manage that,” he answered, smirking.
“Great. In that case,” I said, trying to hide my giddiness, “do you have a laptop I can borrow?”
His chair gave another sound of protest when he rose, going to a cabinet drawer, where he procured an old, dusty laptop with a heavy charging cord.
“Will this work? I never use it since I have my own.” He gestured toward the computer on his desk.
Erik had one similar—only the best for him, after all—so I knew it cost a pretty penny.
“But this one used to be my father’s. He barely used it, so it should still work. ”
Anything was better than nothing.
And once we get his cabins filled up, I’ll talk to him about getting a laptop from this century, I promised myself.
“I’ll get to work,” I said. “What’s your domain name and host for the website? I’ll need the log-ins. I’ll start there.”
There was a long pause. “Well, see, I, uh, haven’t exactly—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” I said, retreating back to my armchair after I plugged in the charger.
“I’m not good at this stuff, and besides, I don’t have the time,” he admitted. “Give me land and tools over domain names any day.”
Just then a flash of lightning lit up the front room, bright and silver. Moments later, the rumble of thunder rolled through the woods, booming.
“Then it’s a good thing it falls to me now. Okay, I’ll fix it,” I told him. “And by the time I’m done, you’ll have guests coming out of your ears.”
First task, get a website.
“Promise?” he asked, his voice dipping lower as he prowled toward me in the armchair. He pressed his palms to the leather arms, leaning down until he was a hand’s span away.
“I’ll have all these cabins booked up by the end of summer,” I said softly, my eyes dropping to his lips. “You’ll see.”
His kiss made a slow tingle make its way up my spine.
“By all means, have at it,” he murmured, pulling back.
We smiled at one another as the laptop booted up, the glow reflecting in his eyes.
Then, I tucked in for a long, productive afternoon, just as Jonathan returned to his place behind the desk, ripping open another envelope that needed handling. The moment I got online, I was a girl on a mission, the cabin falling away.
And I felt more inspired than I had in years.