“How much?” Kate asked automatically.
“Three thousand, maybe four. The wood's not salvageable.”
Kate felt her chest tightening. The renovation fund wouldn't cover unexpected repairs like this. That would have to come from operations.
“Do it,” she said. “We can't have ceilings collapsing.”
After Ben left, Tom studied her. “How bad is the financial situation?”
“It's manageable.”
“Katie.”
Kate showed him the spreadsheet. Tom whistled low.
“We're burning through cash faster than expected,” Kate admitted. “The article is accelerating cancellations. If this continues...”
“We'll be broke in thirty days despite Lillian's money.”
“Twenty, if vendors keep demanding cash.”
James wandered in, laptop under his arm. “I've been monitoring online reviews. We're getting killed. People are calling us everything from elitist to pathetic.”
“Can't you do something?” Dani asked, joining them. “Tech stuff? Make it go away?”
“I can't delete the internet, Dani.”
They stood around the desk, four siblings facing a crisis. Kate felt the familiar weight of being responsible for fixing everything.
The phone rang. Another cancellation.
“Yes, Mr. Trainor, I understand... No, we're not closing... Yes, full refund...”
After she hung up, Kate looked at her siblings. “We need new bookings. Fast.”
“I could reach out to my contacts,” Dani offered. “Fashion people, media types. Offer them deals?”
“My tech network might be interested in a retreat location,” James added.
“I know some firms that need meeting space,” Tom said.
They were trying, but Kate knew the math. They'd need at least sixty percent occupancy to survive, seventy to thrive. They were currently at twenty percent and falling.
Marcy appeared from the kitchen. “The food delivery's here. They want payment upfront. Seven hundred fifty.”
Kate reached for the checkbook, hoping it would clear.
“Wait,” Lillian's voice came from the doorway. She stood there with her walking stick, looking like she was about to faint. “How much do you need? For everything?”
“Lillian, we have your renovation money...”
“Which is earmarked for renovations. How much for operations? To get through this crisis?”
Kate did quick math. “Fifty thousand would give us breathing room. But...”
Lillian pulled out her checkbook, wrote a check, handed it to Kate. “Consider it an advance on your inheritance.”
“We can't...”
