Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
The floor of the bed-and-breakfast was hardwood timber, but it was in dire need of sanding and polishing. There were so many stains and marks on the surface. Susan, the agent, assured her that the structure was sound, and the inspector Gwen had hired said much the same thing. She hadn’t wanted to see the place until she received the report from the inspector so she didn’t get her hopes up too high in case it was irreparable. But the report outlined that there was a need for a new roof and a few minor structural repairs. In general, the property was sturdy and in decent shape, with mostly cosmetic work needed.
All of this was very good news for Gwen, who quickly set up a time to view the property with the agent. Now that she was on-site, she loved it even more than she had previously. It was beautiful and had so much character. She couldn’t believe no one else had snapped it up. There was history in this building—she could feel it. If only the walls could talk and tell her the stories of who had stayed there and what had taken place.
After a discussion with Joanna, she’d decided to attach a bistro to the side of the inn. It was the perfect type of restaurant, in her opinion. Something for everyone: a combination of locally inspired and traditional French cuisine with a modern twist—her favourite style of food. Her stomach grumbled thinking about it.
Joanna would help her with the kitchen design and planning for the menu. She had also promised to be on board for the first few months to ensure everything was running smoothly. But she had vowed that she wouldn’t be involved in any of the paperwork, since that’d been her undoing. And she was no good at it. Gwen had reassured her that she would manage all of that and would certainly hire a bookkeeper to make sure everything was done the right way from the beginning.
Gwen’s love for interior design would be helpful during the renovation process. And she was itching to get started even before she’d made an offer on the place. There was no turning back now. She was in love with this building, and she couldn’t wait to get started on the project of a lifetime.
Susan clacked over the hardwood floors in her super-high heels, grinning with red lips. “So, Gwen, what do you think? Isn’t it marvellous?”
“It’s in better shape than I thought it would be from the outside.” Gwen didn’t want to be too effusive. She was hoping to get the price down a little from the asking.
“Are you ready to make an offer?”
Gwen nodded. “I am. I can’t close on it until my divorce is final, but I want to get the paperwork underway.”
They went through the numbers. Gwen was delighted to get immediate feedback from the owner that they would accept fifty thousand dollars below asking price but would go no further. The two properties were owned by the same person, which made negotiating easier. And since they were already zoned correctly, she could get to work immediately on planning for the inn and bistro.
“You won’t regret this,” Susan said. “You’re gonna love this place. It’s got good bones.”
“I agree,” Gwen said, looking around at the high arched ceilings, the old-fashioned sconces, and the timber slat walls. “A coat of paint will do wonders.”
“Is that the plan?” Susan asked.
“I have plans to do a lot more than that. But I want to retain the historical look and feel.”
“If you need recommendations for an architect, I can give you a great one. He’s good at envisioning what you want for the space while respecting the historical aspect.”
“I would love to get his name. Thank you.”
Susan handed her a piece of paper torn off the broker sheet with the name Allan Comer and a phone number. “There you go. I hope it works out well for you. Congratulations. You should go home and open a gigantic bottle of champagne.”
Gwen took a few photos of each room and the outside of the building. Then she drove home to her unit. It was situated directly behind the dunes. She could sit on her balcony and watch the waves rush up the golden sand. But she wouldn’t do that today, since the entire sky had clouded over and rain threatened. Instead, she pulled a bottle of champagne out of the fridge, then thought twice and called Joanna.
“Hey, Jo, do you want to celebrate with me?”
“What’s happened?” Joanna asked.
“I bought it!” Gwen declared as her eyes filled with tears. “I made an offer on the old bed-and-breakfast. I bought your restaurant block. I’m going to turn it all into an inn and bistro.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic. Hold that thought, I’m jumping in the car now and heading your way. Also, Debbie just arrived, so she’s coming with me.”
“Debbie’s in town? What’s going on?”
“Oh, she’s had some issues at work and needed to get away for the night.”
Gwen was delighted that Debbie was in town for the celebration as well. She hadn’t realised her friend was back in Sunshine, and she wondered what that was about. It was Monday night, and Gwen knew that Debbie had gone into the office today. She usually stayed in the city during the week and came to Sunshine on weekends.
She put together a cheese and olive platter while she waited for her friends to arrive. Then she pulled three champagne glasses out of the fridge and set everything on her dining table. Ebony danced around her feet, looking for a square of cheese, which Gwen happily gave her.
“Sit. Down. Roll over!” The dog complied with every command as long as there was cheese involved.
Finally, there was a knock at the door, and she let the women into the condo.
“Congratulations!” Joanna cried as she embraced Gwen.
“This is huge!” Debbie added as she hugged Gwen.
Gwen wiped the tears from her eyes and went to pour champagne. “I opened a bottle of bubbles for the occasion. I was about to celebrate alone, but I thought you might like to join me, Jo. And, Debbie, I can’t believe you’re here. How wonderful to share this with my two best friends in the whole world.”
She poured champagne into the three glasses, but before she could say another word, her phone rang. It was Duncan. She sighed and answered the phone, holding up a hand for her friends to wait a moment. They sat on the couch. Debbie rolled her eyes.
“Hi, Duncan. How can I help you?”
“I’m checking in. How are things?”
She smiled tightly. “Things are fine. You don’t have to do this, you know. We’re separated.”
“But not divorced yet,” he said.
“I realise that.”
“I noticed that a big chunk of change just disappeared from the bank account…”
She sighed. “Are you keeping track of my bank account, Duncan? That’s my money.”
“As I said, we’re not divorced yet. And I’d like to know what you’re doing with that money.”
“We’ve almost finalised the divorce paperwork. And don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything drastic until the filing is complete. But for your information, I’ve transferred money into another account so I can use it as a deposit for a property I’m buying.”
“What property?” he asked. “I thought you already purchased a condo.”
“I did. But I’m buying that old bed-and-breakfast, plus the land Joanna’s restaurant was on. They’re adjoining properties, and I intend to open an inn and bistro.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Are you there?” she asked.
He started to shout. “What are you thinking? I worked hard for that money, and you’re going to squander it on a restaurant? Do you know how many restaurants go out of business every single year? It happens all the time. If you want to lose money, just buy a restaurant—it’s what every businessman says. But of course, you don’t know that because you don’t know a thing about investments or business or restaurants.”
She held the phone away from her ear while he continued his tirade. Finally, the shouting stopped.
“Are you finished yet, Duncan?”
He grunted. “You’re making a big mistake. You need to think carefully about your future.”
“My future is fine. I have the money my parents left me, plus half of your retirement account, and the money from our joint real estate sales. Don’t worry about me.”
He growled. “That’s my money. If you have enough from your parents, you shouldn’t need to take mine.”
“It’s not yours—it’s ours. You and I were partners. It so happened that you took on the earning responsibility while I took on the home. Both roles were equally important for our family, and you know that. Please don’t diminish what I’ve done and all the sacrifices I’ve made. I know you’re better than that, Duncan.”
He grunted again. “Fine, do what you like. I don’t care. Just remember that I told you so.”
He hung up the phone. Gwen felt as though she would cry again, but this time not from happiness. She set down the phone and inhaled a long, deep breath.
“That sounded nasty,” Debbie said.
“Are you okay, honey?” Joanna asked.
Gwen nodded, forcing herself to smile at them both. “It’s fine. Duncan isn’t happy about the idea of me buying a bed-and-breakfast.”
“We gathered that,” Debbie said. “I could hear the shouting from here.”
“Don’t worry about him. He gave up the right to have a say in what you choose to do the moment he stepped out on you.” Joanna walked over to give her a hug. “You do what you think is right. I could see the joy on your face when you spoke about your plans. This is right for you.”
“A life half lived is no life at all,” Debbie added, joining them.
Gwen laughed. “You’re right. What’s the point in keeping all this money in the bank if I’m not going to do anything enjoyable with it?”
“Besides, you can always sell it,” Joanna added.
“Of course I can,” Gwen replied, brightening. She raised her glass. “Thank you for being here. You’re the best.”
“To you,” Joanna said, lifting her glass up to touch sides with Gwen’s. “And to the best inn and bistro in Sunshine!”
“To you!” Debbie chimed in, clinking her glass to theirs.
They each drank champagne. Then they sat around the table together eating cheese, crackers and olives as rain slapped against the tall glass windows along one side of the condo. Gwen felt bolstered by their confidence in her and their support.