“How many do you have?”
“We’ve got eight upstairs and an accessible room downstairs. There isn’t an elevator to the second story.”
“Then I’d want to take all of them.”
“Pardon me?” I croaked. It was odd because I could’ve sworn he said all of them, and that was some crazy talk.
“Yes, all of them,” he repeated with a laugh. “Some of us grew up here, and some are friends who have joined the tradition by tagging along. We’re all queer, and a few of us are in nontraditional relationships. If we rent out the whole place, we don’t have to worry about anyone else’s thoughts. We’ve done Airbnb rentals close to each other in the past, but this is a much better option.”
“But Fourth of July is months away.”
“The Comfort Parade and BBQ are a pretty big deal. There aren’t a lot of options, so if I find a good one, I book it right away.”
“Wow. Okay. Yeah. “
“I’m James Whitaker, by the way, but everyone calls me Whit.”
“Nice to meet you.” I hoped my voice stayed on an even keel because, inside, I was jumping up and down with excitement. “I’m thrilled you stopped by. What brings you to town this weekend?”
“I spend weekends on my parents’ ranch a few times a month. Selena told me about the open house and thought it could work for the Fourth of July, so I stopped by.”
“Selena might be my new favorite person.” I needed to send that woman flowers.
“She’s a helper, and she’s pulled my ass out of the fire more than once.”
“Hank, good to see you again.” Whit reached around and offered a handshake to Hank. “It’s been a long time.”
“Hey, Whit, same to you. Too bad Riley’s ankle kept him away from the Saddle Up. I know that’s y’all’s thing.”
Pain flashed in Whit’s eyes for a second, and then it was gone. “It happens. Hopefully, he and I can catch up on this trip instead.”
Whit looked approvingly at the cozy corner I’d made in the lobby near the front window of what used to be the parlor. There were overstuffed chairs, baskets of books, soft throws, and a few vintage trucks and trains. It wasn’t overly obvious that it was a little space, but if you knew, you knew.
A rule of business repeated over and over on podcasts I’d been listening to while I’d been prepping rooms popped into my brain: get the commitment on paper.
“Actually.” I turned and shoved the tray into Hank’s hands. “We can talk now.”
Hank looked surprised, but he gamely started wandering around with the tray. I paused for a second to appreciate how he’d done exactly what needed to be done, even though he was likely hating it. The locals knew him well enough to ignore his scowl as they snagged another piece of brunch dessert off the tray. It was kinda cute.
“I appreciate it. Once word gets around about this place, you’re going to be booked solid.”
“Feel free to tell all your friends,” I answered with what I hoped was a dazzling smile. “But for now, let’s get you booked. Since you’re taking all the rooms, we can do a discount.”
“You’re a new business, and frankly, I don’t need it,” Whit said firmly.
Obviously, it was arrogant, but it put more money in my pocket, so I wasn’t going to argue with him. There was a definite attempt to soften the statement. If he wanted to spend more, then I’d let him.
“I appreciate you being mindful of that. No worries, though, I’ll make sure your stay is fantastic.”
Once I’d gotten Whit’s rooms booked for the Fourth of July, my feet began fidgeting a little in anticipation of the happy dance that was near bursting from me. At my toe tapping, he looked down and smirked a little.
“Keeping the happy dances in check takes a lot out of a guy,” Whit said with a wink before he sauntered off in the direction of Selena and her husband.
Before I could find him, Daddy came and found me. On his way across the room, he unceremoniously dumped his now-empty tray on the brand-new hosting desk. It was hard to get upset as he crowded me into the back office room because…O-M-G…it was hot. Like, do me right now, and I don’t care if anyone hears us hot.
“Get the rooms booked?”
“Yes,” I whisper-squealed, and then I did the happy dance I’d heroically controlled until right then. Daddy smiled at my antics without telling me to keep it down. “The entire Lavender Porch for the Fourth of July weekend. All. Of. It.”
