Chapter 16 #2
I had the map of the property from Malcolm, and I wanted to check them out.
Would one work for the brewery? My impression was that Rowan wanted to build something new, but I thought they needed to stick with what they were already doing, renovating a current building to stay with the historical feel.
I pulled out my phone.
Beck: I'm walking the Hart property today. Want to join me?
Clara: Won't someone see us?
Beck: Malcolm and Callum are at the restaurant. Your parents are at the inn, and Rowan is in the workshop. No one will be checking out the buildings.
Clara: I didn't realize you were doing that. I'd love to see them. I haven't been in one in years.
Beck: They aren't places anyone goes to?
Clara: No.
Beck: Meet me.
Clara: I do have help here today.
Beck: So you'll come?
Clara: Let me stop by home for my hiking boots.
That was a yes.
Beck: See you soon.
It was close to lunch time; I should grab something to eat. That would give me something to do while I was waiting for Clara to arrive.
I headed over to the restaurant and asked the hostess to put some food in a basket. It was a service they offered for those who wanted to go on a picnic, and she immediately got to work on my order.
I waited in the front area on a bench. When the basket was ready, I paid for it and thanked her. Thankfully, Malcolm was in the back and didn't see me. I wasn't ready to deal with him just yet. I was riding the high of my conversation with Rowan.
I pulled up the map on my phone and texted Clara to meet me at the closest parking lot to the trail that led to the largest building. I drove to the spot, and when she pulled up, I grabbed the basket and a blanket out of the back of my car.
She got out. "Is this a picnic?"
"It was close to lunch. I thought it would be a good idea to grab something. We'll be hungry."
"That's a nice idea."
I couldn't resist leaning over to kiss her. "No one will see us here. Unless your brothers have cameras on the trails."
She laughed. "Definitely not. They lean toward the rustic feel."
"Good for us then."
She grabbed the blanket, and we headed toward the first building. "We used to play in these buildings when we were kids. We'd spend hours playing pretend games, house, and school. That was only until the older ones, Malcolm and Callum, got bored and switched to sports."
"That sounds nice." Nice wasn't the right word for it. It was actually magical. An idyllic childhood I couldn't imagine.
She smiled wistfully. "It really was, and I hadn't thought about that in years. We were pretty young. I miss those days when everything was simple."
I wanted to know if anything was ever simple. From my perspective, it tended to be complicated. But maybe that wasn't the right mindset to have.
We walked for about twenty minutes before we came to the first building.
"This one is the biggest, and there's a dirt lane that we've used in the past to access it." She pointed toward the lane on the other side that went through a clearing in the trees.
"That's perfect."
I set the blanket and the basket on the stoop. Then we walked in a circle around the building. "The tubs or whirlpools could be installed here, and the brewery on the side that faces the road."
"Let's wait until you see the inside before you make any decisions. It might not be in good shape."
I helped her open the heavy door. "We'll have to get a contractor out here."
"I know Rowan reached out to Sterling Brothers Contracting about future projects. They're active in the area."
"You'll have to give me their information.
" When I had an idea, I needed to know everything about it.
Would it work? How much would it cost? How soon could it be done?
My mind was racing with the possibilities, because this building already had large windows and beautiful beams on the ceiling. "This could work."
"You already know?"
"Let's walk around. I need to see if there's enough room for a bar and tables. We'll have to add onto one side of the building for the baths. But I think we can do it in such a way that the style fits the original."
"You don't need a kitchen since you won't be serving food, right?"
"We talked about offering something small, maybe appetizers or snack food."
"Then you don't need as much room. We could set up an outdoor area with fire pits and picnic benches in the summer with outdoor games like corn hole."
I grinned at her. "I like the way you think."
She smiled softly. "This space is inspiring me, and it holds a lot of good memories. I'd love to see it come back to life."
We slowly walked around the building, my brain was already doing the calculations, trying to figure out if there would be enough space for what we'd talked about. We'd definitely have to expand on one side to accommodate the beer baths and hot tubs.
We wandered outside to see how much flat area there was to have people sit.
"You know what would be neat? If you could serve pizzas. I know you were thinking about snack foods, but I can see families coming for something more substantial."
"We'd need a kitchen for that."
"But not a huge one, and I'd keep your offerings simple. Cheese and pepperoni."
Beer and pizza. It wasn't something I'd even thought about for the brewery, but I loved the idea. There was a small building. "What's this for?"
"I think it was used as a storage area, but we liked to use it as a playhouse." She looked in the tiny window. "What if we cleaned it up, and allowed kids to play in it?"
"I'd want to take a look inside to see if it's doable. But that could be part of the renovation."
She clasped her hands together. "I'd love to see these buildings in use again. And I can't think of a better reason than for Rowan's brewery."
"You know you have a good story going here?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You could put it on the placemats or have the story posted on the wall. You can also reveal the history of the property. People will love to learn about it."
"I'll have to go in the library and see what I can dig up on the Hart family history that people would care to hear about."
I'd intended for this to be something that happened only in my cabin, away from prying eyes. But I'd asked her to come here, and I'd brought a picnic lunch. Now she was involved in the project, researching the history and scouting potential spaces for the brewery.
The fact was that I wanted her here. The property, the buildings, were part of her family history, and she should be involved. But another part of me enjoyed having her here. She was getting more involved in my life, and I knew that complicated our relationship.
Would I be able to walk away when it was time?