Chapter1
Natasha
"We can't put the repairs off any longer."My sister dropped into the overstuffed armchair in the great room where a fire crackled in the fireplace, and a large tree took up the corner, decorated with gold and white ornaments.
When our parents died in a car accident, we inherited money, and I was finally able to realize my dream of owning an inn.The only problem was that it was Christmas-themed and was part of a package deal.Christmas Town, a small town with shops and restaurants lining one street, were part of it.
I had been hesitant that we could handle it, but Eve had convinced me that we could do it.She said we'd be selling an experience, not just a hotel room.Besides, how could we run the inn if the surrounding streets and shops were vacant or run-down?
It was nice to be surrounded by the cheer of the holidays year-round.If we were able to stay in business that long.
"We got the place up and running like we planned," Eve continued."Now we need to invest in infrastructure before everything falls apart."
When we first opened, we splurged on bedding, linens, silverware, and plates.The sale came with an extensive collection of holiday decorations and furniture."Are you sure we can't hold off just a little longer on the renovations?"
"Reviews state that the inn is charming but dated."Eve glanced up from her tablet."This place needs a facelift, or we're going to lose business."
It needed more than a facelift, but I was hoping to wait before we sunk our meager profits into costly renovations.
"You don't want to discourage guests from returning," Clara, the owner of the Christmas Shop, said.
The locals and tourists enjoyed coming to Candy Cane Lane to shop, but we needed the overnight visitors to sustain the inn, which was my pride and joy.It wasn't that I didn't want the updates; I just wasn't sure we could afford it yet, and I didn't want to do more than we could handle.
We didn't have a safety net.We'd spent our inheritance purchasing this place and buying new things for the inn.We'd lose everything if it failed.
"Who did you have in mind?"I asked Eve, who served as the town event planner.We affectionately called her the mayor.
She glanced at her tablet, where she kept spreadsheets of information."The Sterling Brothers do good work."Then she looked up."I know you'd prefer not to work with Ford's family—" Eve started.
I waved a hand, dismissing her concern about my ex and high-school sweetheart."There's no reason not to."
After high school, I'd gone to college, and Ford had enlisted.I thought we could handle long-distance, but we drifted apart.He was consumed with his new job, and when he stopped communicating, I thought it would be better for me to break things off.When I confronted him, he'd actually looked relieved.That had been the worst part.
As far as I knew, Ford was still in the army, so there'd be no chance we'd run into him if we hired his family's construction company.
"I think you should hire a local business.You want to be part of the community as much as possible," Clara said.
"We can start with an estimate.What do you think is our most pressing issue?"I asked her.
"A fair number of visitors are coming from out of town.We want them to have a great experience and come back every year.This is the beginning of a family tradition.Everything starts with the inn," Eve said.
Eve was great at selling her ideas, and this was no different."We have reservations, and we're heading into our busiest season.I don't want the place to be a construction zone."
"You can talk to whoever comes out to do the estimate.I'm sure they'll keep it confined so that we can carry on with business as usual," Eve said confidently.
We were our own bosses, which was incredible but also scary.
"You should be getting a call about it," Eve said, tapping something on her tablet.
She was efficient, managing the events in town, whereas I preferred the hospitality side of the business.I had to admit that the place needed upgrades.I was worried about lengthy construction, dust, and noise.Hopefully, whoever came from Sterling Brothers Renovations would have a solution.
Eve set her tablet aside and lifted her mug of hot chocolate."To Christmas Town."
Clara lifted her mug."To Christmas Town."
I did the same."To Christmas Town and friendship."
"May we be successful and the guests come back year after year," Eve said before she sipped her drink.
