Chapter 9
BOONE
The idea of a room filled with snow was a ridiculous waste of money. Who would even use something like that when you could just walk outside?
"It's perfect for the summer. That's when you'd get the most use out of it.
But I bet it becomes a place where couples spend time during the winter too.
Inside, you're protected from the elements, like wind.
If someone wants to propose, this will be the ideal location. A snow view without the discomfort."
"We're building a snow room so that couples can get engaged in the winter without worrying about wind?" I asked.
"That's one of the uses for the room." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling. "Look."
She showed me a room that was all windows with log benches to sit on. There were a few small trees, but the focal point of the room was the snow that covered everything and continued to fall from the ceiling. "These are growing in popularity."
"This isn't Miami."
She sighed. "I still think this could be amazing. This space is just sitting here unused. And you said yourself, you're skilled with wood. You can make the logs and trees."
I wasn't even considering the idea as a serious suggestion. It was an absurd waste of time and money. My parents would never go for it. "My parents hired you to change the decor. Think picture frames and furniture."
"Oh, that's easy. You hire a local photographer to take pictures of the property. The mountains, the inn, and the brewery. Those are your new artworks on the walls."
I liked that idea, but I still didn't know why we had to hire her to come up with it. "Is there anything else you needed to see?"
"Let's talk to Malcolm. I want to get a feel for what he's doing in the restaurant."
"What does he have to do with the furniture in the rooms?" That was the remaining item left we had to figure out.
"I like to get a complete picture." She tucked her phone away.
"Fine." I led the way out of the room, hoping she'd forget all about her snow room idea. We went downstairs to the restaurant, which was just off the lobby. I approached the hostess. "We're here to see Malcolm."
"Of course, Mr. Hart," the hostess said.
"Everyone calls you Mr. Hart?" Kennedy asked, amusement tingeing her tone.
I shrugged. "I don't know the servers and hostesses at the restaurant that well. When I pitch in to help, I'm usually behind the bar."
Before she could ask a follow-up question, Malcolm was striding toward us.
His gaze moved from me to Kennedy. "You wanted to see me?"
"I'm giving Kennedy a tour of the inn, and she wants to talk to you about the restaurant."
He raised his brow. "What does that have to do with the room decor?"
"That's what I wanted to know."
"I like to talk to everyone and tour everything to get an idea of what is offered. It gives me a full picture of the guest experience."
"Let's talk somewhere else then." Malcolm led us into the great room just off the lobby. There were large, overstuffed chairs and a wood-burning fireplace.
He sat in one of the leather wingback chairs, and we sat on the couch. "What are you thinking so far?"
"Ideally we'd like the decor to match the rest of the inn," Kennedy told him, "and maybe even the brewery. We could showcase photos of the property and the buildings."
"I don't think I want the workshop or my home photographed for the restaurant. I like my privacy," I said tightly.
"I wouldn't want my home photographed either. Maybe just the buildings we use for business purposes."
"My job is to figure out what could work best for your business and suggest them to your parents."
She would render an opinion and then leave, leaving us to deal with the fallout. I was hating the idea more and more.
"I like the idea of photographing scenery. That would be a nice complement to the brewery's frames that are photographs of us throughout the years," Malcolm said.
"Your parents mentioned new furniture in the rooms since they haven't been updated in a long time. But the restaurant is new. Are you looking to update anything?"
"I don't think so unless, for some reason, they need to match," Malcolm said.
"Would you mind showing us around so I can see everything?"
Malcolm stood, and we followed into the restaurant where he went through the decisions he made when they were opening.
The furniture in the restaurant area, the appliances in the kitchen.
When he was done with the tour, he said, "I'd better get back to work before it gets busy again.
Let me know if you need anything else from me. "
"Will do," Kennedy said.
When Malcolm walked away, Kennedy said, "He was surprisingly easy to deal with. I'd heard that he was the stubborn one."
"You're not making any changes to the restaurant," I said without thinking.
A crease appeared between her brows.
"I should get some work done in the shop." I'd spent most of the morning showing her around, and I was irritated. I hated losing work time to something like this, especially when I didn't think we needed her opinion. We'd always made the right decisions in the past.
She watched me carefully. "I can show myself around for a bit."
I nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."
"I will."
Then I turned and walked out of the inn. I was supposed to show her around the entire time she was in town. But I also needed to get my work done. And I could only take so much of this. I needed some time to myself.
Working with wood helped keep me sane, and I was going to need that now more than ever. Why had my parents thought it was necessary to bring in an outsider, someone from Miami no less?
She had to come up with something crazy like a snow room to justify her job.
When my parents told her no, she'd tell everyone that we were opposed to change and didn't know how to run a business.
But this was Colorado, not Miami. Two very different markets.
She had no idea what she was talking about.
At home, I buried myself in work, cutting the legs for the new table I was making. It was easy to forget about Kennedy and what she was doing. With every careful measurement and cut, I felt calmer.
It was dark when the door opened.
I pushed my safety goggles to my forehead as Callum walked in.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at the table top I was in the process of sanding. "Mom said that Kennedy's been walking the property by herself."
"She's a big girl. She can take a walk by herself." I set my jaw, annoyed that everyone thought she was my problem.
"Mom and Dad asked you to be her guide. You're supposed to make her feel welcome."
I grunted because I'd made her feel very welcome the last two nights.
He looked around the space. "But you're hiding in here."
"I'm not hiding." I was definitely hiding.
"I don't like having some outsider here either. But this is what it will take to make Mom and Dad feel comfortable about retiring. They want to know that they renovated the inn before they go, and that it's in good shape. And for some reason, they need this woman's opinion."
I took off the goggles, setting them on the work bench. "She wants to build a snow room."
His brow furrowed. "A what?"
"A room where it snows so that guests can sit and enjoy it."
"You're joking."
I shook my head. "I wish I was. Since we don't have a pool or a fitness room, she thought this would be the next best thing."
"I've never even heard of that. Is that a thing?"
"It's real and usually built for celebrities in warmer states to escape the heat."
He frowned. "Why would we need that here?"
I leaned against the counter behind me and folded my arms over my chest. "That's my point."
He gestured outside. "We have snow outside most of the year."
"It's expensive, and then what? We only use it two or three months out of the year? She said something about it being the perfect place for couples to get engaged. You know, because it doesn't have the wind."
He'd pulled out his phone and scrolled through pictures of snow rooms. "Huh. that's kind of a neat idea."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I see the appeal. It's temperature controlled, so just cold enough to maintain the snow without being too chilly."
I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe this."
He put his phone away. "Mom and Dad want her here. We have to defer to their judgment."
I had a bad feeling that they were going to do whatever Kennedy told them to. "They think they're doing the right thing, but I'm not so sure."
"If it makes them more comfortable about retiring, then what could it hurt?" Since Malcolm opened the restaurant, Callum had taken over management of the inn, but my parents were still in charge.
"You're thinking about finally getting control of the inn when they retire. You don't care about what it means for me. I don't make any contributions to the inn.”
"No one's going to make you leave, Boone. Don't be ridiculous."
"It's not the future of your business on the line."
"You can sell to anyone. You're not limited. Why do you think using your furniture in the inn will make or break your business?"
"I don't have time to create a website or market my stuff. I rely on word of mouth. Having my work at the inn speaks for itself."
"Maybe it's time you changed that. This is the catalyst you need to do more."
I growled. "I want to make furniture. Not the rest of it."
"You have to come to terms with the fact that you're not just a craftsman or a woodworker. You're running a business, and business owners have to market themselves, deal with taxes, and the rest of it."
"I don't want to."
"I know you hate all of it. But that's the reality. If you want a successful business, you have to do it or hire out."
"I don't know if I can afford to hire out yet."
"Why don't you talk to Beck about it? Isn't this his specialty?"
"He gives business advice to big corporations, not to someone like me."
"I'm fairly sure he's talked to Hattie when she just had a food truck to sell her hot chocolate. He loves talking business, and he won't charge you."
"Maybe." It wasn't a bad idea, and I was close with Beck since we spent a lot of time working together on the brewery.
"In the meantime, Kennedy is your responsibility. You don't want Mom and Dad to find out she's been entertaining herself."
"I don't see why she needs a constant escort."
"If you want to have any say over what happens, I would think you'd be all over her."
Oh, I was all over her all right. Inside her too. But I wasn't going to admit that to my brother. My private life was just that—private. I pulled out my phone.
Boone: Want to go out to dinner?
Then I showed him my text. "How's that?"
He snorted. "Your social skills could use some work."
"I never said I was Prince Charming."
"Tell me about it," he mumbled.
"You should be the one to show her around. The inn is your domain, after all." As soon as I suggested it, I wanted to take it back. I didn't want him talking to her.
"Mom and Dad chose you. Probably because they want you to see whether it makes sense to use your furniture. If it's not good for business, we shouldn't do it."
"I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt the family business.
" We were building a legacy for future generations.
I was being selfish, wanting my goods to be showcased in the inn when it might not be the best idea.
I had to build my business the old-fashioned way.
Then it wouldn't matter so much that Kennedy had the power to destroy my dreams.
"It's only for a few weeks, and then she'll be gone. We'll deal with whatever the fallout is. But no matter what happens, we won't let your business fold."
"I appreciate the support." The idea was that the property and its businesses supported the entire Hart family.
My phone buzzed.
Kennedy: Are you're offering to take me out?
Boone: Let's go to Christmas Town. I can take you around, and we can grab dinner.
Kennedy: You really want to do that?
I understood her reservations. I hadn't exactly been welcoming unless it was in the bedroom.
Boone: Yes.
I enjoyed her company when she wasn't talking about snow rooms and how it would be easier to purchase furniture.
Kennedy: Progress.
Boone: Don't get your hopes up. I'm still cranky most of the time.
Kennedy: I think I know a way to soften you up.
I couldn't show the text chain to Callum to prove that I was doing my job. Instead, I said, "I'm taking Kennedy to Christmas Town and dinner. Are you happy now?"
A slow smile spread over his face. "Better you than me."
"I knew this was all about self-preservation." If I didn't do it, someone else would have to pick up the slack, and it wouldn't be Malcolm because he was a single dad or Rowan because he just opened the brewery. Hunter was busy with outdoor activities, so that only left Callum.
He chuckled. "I don't want to deal with some outsider telling us how to run our business."
"Tell me about it."
He clasped my shoulder. " I appreciate you doing it so we don't have to."
"Get out of here," I said as he walked out with a wave.
I was actually looking forward to showing Kennedy around town. We'd spent most of our time inside a bedroom, and I wanted to get to know her better.
I just had to forget about why she was here, and that she had the power to crush my dreams.