Chapter 6
Ford
Now that I had my crew working with me, things were moving faster. We made quick work of demolition and were careful to remove the debris during the quiet part of the day. It wasn't possible to completely cover the fact that renovations were ongoing, but I tried to minimize it as much as possible.
As soon as we dumped everything in dumpsters, I cleaned up the dust from public areas.
A few guests asked what work we were doing and were pleased when I said we were updating bathrooms and the carpeting.
I took that as a sign that they wanted to come back. The updates would bring in even more people. Natasha was worried about the cost, but this was an investment in the business.
On Friday, I sent the crew home at the end of the day. Then I walked through the rooms to check on the progress and to ensure there wasn't any unintended damage we'd need to fix. I was just closing one of the doors when I heard someone on the stairs.
Natasha emerged on the landing. "I thought everyone went home for the night."
I shrugged. "I sent the crew home. I was just doing a final walk-through."
"You're a hard worker." Then she shook her head. "That doesn't surprise me. You always were."
Seeing her now in a skirt and silky blouse with heels, I wanted to follow her into her apartment, undo the delicate buttons, and reveal her bare skin.
Would it be different between us? I shook my head. I shouldn't even have thought about her like that. This was work. She was my client.
"I heard the guests talking about a toy drive tonight."
"We're collecting toys for the holiday. The drive will go through the beginning of December. But this is our kickoff event. Eve wanted me to ask if you wanted to attend as a representative of Sterling Brothers."
"Sure." I wanted to go home and open a beer. But I could spend a few hours with her on a good cause. I was sure my brothers and Cooper would want me to do it.
"You don't mind?"
I shrugged. "It makes sense for us to participate. It'll be fun to buy toys."
She raised a brow. "You're going to shop for the toys?"
"How hard could it be? My brothers and I are basically big kids."
She shook her head. "We're holding it in the town hall. Eve's hoping to get everyone excited about the toy drive.”
"Should I change?"
Natasha waved a hand. "It's casual. I talked Eve out of making it a party."
I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Your sister really enjoys this stuff, doesn't she?"
"She thrives on it. For events like this, she says it's for a good cause and assumes that everyone will want to participate. That's not always the case, but that's her attitude, and I think it helps. Her energy is infectious."
It was a good cause, and I was positive my brothers would want to be involved.
Plus, it gave me more time with Natasha, who I was fairly sure was avoiding me this week.
After our lunch to go over design options, she'd begun emailing me her choices.
I should have been happy about that, but I didn't like it.
"Just let me make sure the rest of the rooms are locked.
" I checked the doors of the rooms we'd worked on today.
Natasha followed behind me, the smell of her shampoo lingering between us. "I'm impressed with your progress. I've never renovated anything before, but it seems to be going smoothly."
"This part is quick. We're just tearing things out and trying not to create any damage to the existing structure. I still need to get behind the walls and check the pipes."
She winced. "That's the part I'm worried about."
"Don't forget. I estimated plumbing fixes into the original numbers. I overestimated, so if there aren't any problems, we'll come in under budget."
She smiled. "I love the sound of under budget. But I want to do this right. I don't want to cover up something that could be a bigger problem tomorrow."
"That's my motto," I said as we headed down the stairs.
Toward the main level, we ran into more guests, and Natasha greeted each one. She was a natural with people, warm and welcoming.
We paused by the counter where Aspen was working. "Going home for the night?"
Natasha cleared her throat. "Actually, we're headed over to town hall for the toy drive kickoff."
Aspen nodded. "I wish I could go."
"I'll be representing the Sterlings," I said, wondering if she'd think anything was weird about me going to the event.
Aspen smiled at me. "It's such a great event. I'll pick up some toys this weekend and drop them off."
"That's so generous of you," Natasha said graciously.
I don't know how anyone could come here and not think these women were doing good things, even if the inn itself was a little dated. Hopefully, the service more than made up for it.
"You can tell the guests that there will be refreshments if they want to stop by."
"Will do, boss," Aspen said with a smile, and when Natasha continued walking out the doors, Aspen said to me, "What's going on between you two?"
I gave her a warning look. "It's just business."
A smile played on her lips. "Sure it is."
Apparently, she wasn't impressed by my glower. "Don't go making it something it's not. I just happened to be closing things up, and she asked me to go. It wasn't something I could say no to, and I wouldn't want to."
She smiled wider. "Of course not."
Natasha was waiting for me, so I said, "Stay out of trouble."
"I could say the same to you," she called as I walked outside. I hunched my shoulders against the cold. I never wore a jacket to work because I usually overheated on demo days. I hadn't planned on going anywhere after work, so I didn't even have anything in my truck.
Natasha raised a brow when I approached. "Everything okay with Aspen?"
"She's irritating. Typical annoying sister stuff."
She smiled. "My sister can get that way, especially if I'm interested in someone. Or I should say, she thinks that I'm into someone."
I hadn't seen anyone hanging around the hotel, waiting to talk to her, but I didn't spend much time in the main areas of the inn. "Are you?" I cleared my throat. "Into someone?"
Her smile faded. "I was dating someone when my parents died, and I don't think he was prepared for it. He quietly faded into the background, eventually saying we should take a break, and I've been too busy since to even think about dating."
I should have been pissed that her boyfriend didn't stick by her side when she needed him. Instead, I was relieved. "He sounds like a jerk."
" I was overwhelmed with all the decisions that had to be made, and I couldn’t deal with him demanding more of me."
"You shouldn't have to handle him. He should be there, giving you whatever you need to make your life easier."
Her startled gaze met mine. "We weren't that serious."
We followed the sidewalk to the front of the inn. "He wasn't the right one for you."
"I didn't expect it though."
"Expect what?" I asked when she paused in front of town hall.
"Someone to be there for me. I can take care of myself." Instead of waiting for my response, she opened the door, and I rushed to assist.
I had so many questions. Why didn't she trust people to be there for her? Why was she so independent? I didn't remember her being unwilling to ask for help when we were dating, but then again, we had been young.
Had she been burned in the past? Was it my fault? That didn't sit right in my gut. I turned the idea over in my head as she walked in the space, hugging Eve and getting a run-down of the event before it started.
There was a huge tree in one corner with a few toys underneath. There weren't nearly enough, but the drive hadn't officially started yet.
"I'm so glad you could make it," Eve said, drawing me away from my thoughts.
"Natasha caught me before I could leave—"
She smiled. "Smart girl. We're so happy to have you here representing Sterling Brothers. Can I count on you to make a monetary donation?"
I glanced over at Natasha. "I'd prefer to purchase the toys myself."
Eve blinked in surprise. "Most businesses find it easier to write a check, but we love both."
"I want to pick some stuff out. Maybe Natasha can help." I wanted to know what her life had been like since I essentially walked out of it. I didn't have a right to know, but I wanted to nonetheless.
Eve looked from me to Natasha. "I think that's a fabulous idea. I'll make sure she has our wish list."
I rocked back on my heels, satisfied I'd successfully manipulated that situation.
Natasha would have to take me shopping. We'd spend more time together, and I'd get more insight into what made her tick and why she was so gun-shy about relationships.
If I was the reason for her reluctance, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with that.
I couldn't blame her either. I didn't handle things right back then. And now she was a grown woman with baggage I might have created. And I couldn't make it right.
A tall woman approached Eve. "I think we're ready to get started."
"Perfect. Thanks." Eve followed her to the microphone, and Natasha moved closer to me. "Why do you want to shop for the toys?"
"It seems like it would be fun. I told you that my brothers and I are just big kids."
She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to pick the toys that you liked as a kid?"
I chuckled at the idea of picking out trucks and cars. "I'll stick to the wish list though. I want to get the kids what they want."
"They don't give us a wish list per se. We have the ages and genders to give us an idea of what they might want."
"I appreciate you helping me." I nudged her shoulder with mine.
She rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched. "I didn't exactly volunteer. You did that for me."
Before I could answer, Eve tapped the microphone to get everyone's attention.
The room was filling with people. I assumed they were shop owners and people from the community interested in helping out. There were even a few reporters with cameras.
"Thank you to everyone who could be here tonight.
We're excited to kick off our annual toy drive.
We want to challenge you to fill this room.
We have a lot of kids who need cheer this holiday season, and we want to bring it to them.
If we reach our goal, we'll host a Christmas party to celebrate with the kids. "
Claps and whistles broke out among the crowd. I looked over at Natasha who didn't seem surprised by the news.
I leaned over to ask, "Did you know about this?"
"Eve mentioned it, and I thought it was a great idea. We want the community involved as much as possible. In the past, it was all social-media posts and newsletters. Now we want people to come here to physically drop off their donations and get to know the kids they're helping."
"That's kind of amazing."
Natasha smiled up at me. "I thought so too."
My heart skipped a beat. They weren't just running a business; they were creating an experience. Between the holiday spirit and community outreach, they had something special here. And I was proud to be part of it.
Eve continued talking, but I was hyperaware that Natasha was standing next to me. That this renovation just got a whole lot more complicated, because I was entwining my life with hers. It wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't help myself.
I was helping the kids and promoting the business at the same time. This was what Cooper and my brothers would want me to do. If it brought me closer to Natasha, then it was an added bonus.