“His bees?”
As they went inside, she explained about the AWOL bees, and he just laughed. “Maybe it’s a good thing. Somebody like your dad probably shouldn’t be working with bees in the first place.”
She bristled at his judgment but held her tongue. “Well, Cooper’s been helping him a lot. She’s becoming quite the expert. And it would probably break both of their hearts not to get the bees back.” To change the subject, she got out her list and began to go over what she wanted done in the kitchen, waiting as Aaron made his notes.
She walked him through the house, pointing out a few other things she thought might need attention and then down to the cellar to talk about the duct system for the new heat pump.
He grimly shook his head. “Might need to replace it all.”
“Really?”
“Well, I’ll let my HVAC guy decide. But I wouldn’t be surprised.” He closed his notepad. “Are you sure you want to make all these renovations?”
She blinked. “Yes, of course. Why shouldn’t I?”
“It’s a lot to invest.”
“Like I told you, I want to create a B&B,” she reminded him. “I hope to generate some income and—”
“Well, if you really want to generate income, you should just sell the whole place.”
“Sell the whole place?” She couldn’t hide her aggravation now. “This is my parents’ farm, Aaron. I can’t very well sell it. And even if I could, why would I?”
“Because it would make a good development.”
“A development?”
“Yeah. You could put in thirty to forty building lots here. Do you realize how much you could make on a deal like that? And I could help you—”
“Aaron”—she held warning in her tone—“this is my parents’ property, and I have no plans to—”
“It’s really your mom’s property,” he interrupted. “Your dad is too far gone to have an opinion—”
“Oh, don’t fool yourself, my dad still has opinions.” She didn’t care to mention some of his opinions were a little offbeat. “And as for my mom, I’m sure she has no intention to sell.”
“Maybe not today. But when your dad is gone ... well, she might be ready to move on. Selling this property would give her the freedom to live anywhere, do anything.”
Jewel hadn’t really considered this and wasn’t sure she even wanted to.
“Look, I’m not trying to be a downer, Jewel. But you should face facts.”
She reached for the stair railing then looked him straight in the eyes. “You’re right, this is my mom’s property. In fact, it was her family that left it to her. And my mom loves this farm and the countryside. I seriously doubt she will ever want to sell it.”
He held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I wasn’t trying to step on toes. I just thought it was something you might want to consider. For everyone’s best interest. Your mom’s not getting any younger. And running a B&B and maintaining this property, well, it could turn into a real money pit. Ya know?”
She did know. But she wasn’t about to admit it as she trudged up the stairs. Back in the kitchen, she folded her arms in front of her and cocked her head to one side, narrowing her eyes intoan I-mean-business look. “So, Aaron, I guess I’ll look for another contractor to handle my renovations. Obviously your heart’s not into it if you think we should just sell the whole place.” She strode toward the living room and, as a clue their conversation was over, opened the front door. “I appreciate your expertise, but I think it’s time to part ways.” Instead of waiting for his response, she went onto the front porch, eager to send him packing.
When he joined her out there, he looked slightly crushed. Or were those crocodile tears? She didn’t really care. She just wanted him gone. She leaned against the porch railing with a no-nonsense expression, arms folded in front. But instead of leaving, he planted himself in front of her.
“Oh, Jewelie, don’t overreact when someone gives you some friendly advice. It might be hard to hear, but someone needs to say it. Can’t you see I care about you and am just trying to look out for your welfare? For you and your daughter and your mom. Three women out here alone ... with your dad going downhill so fast. A B&B might seem fun at first, but things break down, weather can get rough in winter, a roof can leak, a pipe can break. It gets expensive. And before you spend one more penny on this place, well, it just seems responsible for me to point out another option.”
He stepped even closer to her, planting his hands on the porch railing on either side of her and looking tenderly into her eyes. “You’re a beautiful woman. A talented artist. An intelligent businesswoman. Do you really want to be tied down to an old run-down farm? You could sell and reinvest in a comfortable, new, low-maintenance home for you and your daughter and mom. You might enjoy living in town with neighbors next door. And you could start up a new art gallery, like the one you used to own. It could be handily located right downtown where folks can get to it and enjoy it. Think about all the traffic you’d never get out here in the country. And you could be a real asset to the community. Join the chamber and get involved...”
She couldn’t deny there was an appeal to all he was saying ... and yet, as she glanced over her shoulder to where the pumpkinpatch was coming on strong, then over to where the lavender field was in full bloom, she felt a tug on her heart. She’d enjoyed years of city life but, to her surprise, she hardly even missed it now.
“I get what you’re saying,” she said stiffly. “I appreciate you caring enough to speak your mind.” Uncomfortable being boxed in against the railing, she decided to just buck up and speak her piece. At least she had his full attention. “It might seem foolish to you, but I need to pursue this dream. Mom and Dad are happy as clams in the new house, Cooper is actually happy here—she likes the country life—and I have a real vision for this farmhouse. It’ll take work and perhaps have some big challenges, but I think it could be a profitable B&B, and I can imagine a really cool gallery in the barn. It won’t be open every day, but for special exhibits by invitation only. And I want to run artist retreats and maybe even make this into a venue for music festivals or weddings or who knows?” She shrugged. “I just can’t give it all up. Not yet, anyway. If you don’t want to help me renovate this money pit, as you call it, please, just say so, and I’ll find someone who—”
“Okay, I’ll do it,” he said quickly. “And I’ll do it for less than any other contractor in town. Under one condition.”
