Chapter 11 #2
"I thought you'd want to know what entertainment is available in town. Aren't you hoping to entice visitors to visit Hart’s Inn and the new brewery?"
"I haven't given them my recommendation yet."
"How does Malcolm feel about it?" My brother rarely allowed anyone else to suggest changes.
"He's worried it's too much expansion in a short amount of time. You just opened the restaurant."
"That's a valid concern."
"But you have to take risks in businesses," he said simply.
"The town hosts all kinds of winter and holiday-themed events: parades, festivals, street fairs. Ever since Natasha and Eve bought the town, they've expanded the offerings. There are more food trucks for events now and even horse-and-carriage rides. It's an experience."
"I'm assuming visitors spend a few days visiting the shops, eating at the restaurants, and then they need something else. Maybe they go skiing at Wilde Resort or relax at a spa in Telluride?"
I nodded. "I've heard guests talking about that."
"You think it's possible they'd leave town if they're staying at Mistletoe Inn and visit a brewery?"
"I suppose." I wasn't the business expert though. "You're not planning to cater to Hart’s Inn guests?"
"Before I give a recommendation I'd like to see how much the community will support a brewery. For the success of certain businesses, you need both local and tourist traffic. The locals carry you through slow seasons."
"Are you thinking it could be a date-night option?" I asked as we walked slowly along the sidewalk.
He turned slightly toward me. "I want to run something by you. But first, how do you feel about hot chocolate?"
I smiled at the change in direction. "I'd love one."
He went up to the window of Hattie's truck. "Can we get two hot chocolates?"
"Would you like marshmallows?" Hattie asked.
"Not for me," Beck said.
"Speak for yourself. I love marshmallows on my hot chocolate," I said with a smile.
"Clara, how are you?" Hattie asked, finally seeing me standing behind Beck.
"Good. I'm giving Beck a tour of town. He's Malcolm's friend."
Hattie smiled, but I saw the question in her eyes. She wanted to know if this was the man I was with when she picked me up the other evening. "How nice. You won't find a better tour guide than Clara. She's been a part of this town for a long time."
"So I've heard," Beck said, his tone low.
Hattie handed Beck the payment box, and he scanned his card. "Let me get your drinks."
When she returned with our cups, Beck asked, "Would you go to the Hart’s Inn for a brewery, maybe with your friends or a date night?"
She pursed her lips. "That could be a fun night out, and I'm always up to try new things. But you should probably ask more people than just me."
"Thanks for giving me your opinion," he said.
She leaned farther out the window. "I'm happy to hear that Rowan is finally opening his brewery."
I paused, gripping my to-go cup. "You knew that Rowan wanted to open a brewery? He only mentioned it to us recently."
Hattie's cheeks flushed pink. "He mentioned it once in passing. I didn't realize it was something he didn't talk about."
"I thought he kept it quiet. You know how Malcolm can be," I said to reassure her.
"I do."
I lifted my cup. "Thanks for the drinks."
"Have a good night," Hattie called after us.
We continued to walk slowly to the square. "The tree is always decorated, and during the season, kids can meet Santa."
"This place is something else. Is it like this in July?" he asked, his voice full of awe.
"It's warmer, so it's a little harder to keep the magic going. But tourists hike and rock climb that time of year, and it's a unique place to visit. People tend to want to take an ornament home as a souvenir."
His steps slowed as we approached the town square. "There's still a tree and wreaths on every lamppost?"
"That's the beauty of Christmas Town. It's the same no matter what season you visit. People want to experience Christmas year-round."
"It's interesting."
We stood in front of the tree. As usual, I was in awe of its size. "When I was a little girl, I used to come and sit and just stare at this tree. It felt so magical to me."
"You want to sit and enjoy it for a bit?"
"Sure." I was surprised he wanted to experience a childhood tradition with me. "I'm usually so busy I don't have time to pause and really look at things, you know? The details kind of fade into the background."
He sat on the bench and ran his arm over the back of it. "It's good to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak."
I sat next to him, sipping the hot cocoa. "You mean, smell the pine?"
He smiled and shifted slightly so that he was angled toward me. "Yeah, that."
He was so close that I could smell his masculine scent, catching a whiff of his aftershave. This felt like a date. He'd met me at work, then bought me a hot chocolate, and now we were admiring the town's tree. "What will anyone think if they see us together?"
He waggled his brows. "That you're fulfilling your mother's wish for you to show me around town."
"Just because we're a tourist destination doesn't mean that it's not a regular small town that comes with scrutiny and gossip."
"We'll just tell them the truth." Then he chuckled. "Not the whole truth obviously."
I bent my knee so that it was facing Beck on the bench. "Were you going to tell me something before we got the hot chocolates?"
His forehead wrinkled, and then he nodded. "Yeah, actually, it was about Rowan's plans. I asked him if there was anything that would set his brewery apart from others. And he had this idea I want to run past you."
"Go ahead." I wondered why he was confiding in me and not Malcolm if he had a concern about Rowan's plans.
"He mentioned installing a beer bath. Have you ever heard of that?"
I pursed my lips. "I don't think I have. Is that how it sounds? Visitors bathe in beer?"
"It's actually a mix of ingredients that go into beer. You can drink the brews while you soak. It's supposed to be a spa-like experience, and the visitors will have an amazing view of the mountains."
"If people like that kind of thing, it could be good."
"We talked about adding hot tubs for families and kids who don't want the brew experience, and we could serve different flavors of root beers."
"I think it would draw more people than just opening a tasting room for his brews."
"I think so too. They already have a restaurant, so he won't serve food necessarily."
"Oh, you know what would be cool?" At his nod, I continued," If he served one thing, a soft pretzel, popcorn, or even peanuts. Something for people to snack on."
"I like the soft pretzel idea."
"Did I answer your question?" I wasn't sure why he needed to talk to me about this. I wasn't used to anyone running questions about the family business by me.
"I think it's a great idea, and I think it could work. It's exciting, you know? But Malcolm is very close minded about it."
I snorted. "That's Malcolm. He tends to want to come up with the ideas and is impatient with anyone else's. That was another reason why I didn't fight to stay at the inn. Malcolm is in charge, and as the eldest, that makes sense. But it makes it hard for the rest of us to find our place."
He let out a breath. "That's not good if I'm going to be working with them."
"Should we even be talking about this?" This was the conflict of interest I was worried about. I didn't want to come between Beck and Malcolm or him and my family.