He ignored the sinking feeling in his chest. It wasn’t too late, but it might as well have been. If he didn’t interfere, which he promised himself he wouldn’t, his time could very well be up. He forced a smile as they walked toward the side door.
“Would you do me a favor? Tell her I said good luck with everything?”
Mary pulled him into a hug. “I’ll tell her. And good luck to you, honey. I just know this place is going to take off. If you need someone to answer the phones or something, give me a holler.”
Andy watched as she walked to her car and got in. No matter what, he wasn’t going to interfere. It wasn’t his placeto ask her to change her life for him. He had that opportunity when they were younger, and he wasted it. If she was happier in Washington, DC, he wasn’t going to ask her to give it up. He would let her pursue her happiness the same way he was, without interfering. Silently, he hoped she would change her mind.
Chapter 19
Samira shut off her alarm on Monday morning with an even heavier sense of dread than usual. At one time she used to look forward to going to work. That was a feeling long gone. She tried the fake positivity and fake enthusiasm she often heard in motivational speeches, and so far, it was useless. No matter how hard she tried to fake it till she made it, she was miserable.
No longer wanting to bother dressing up to overcompensate for how she really felt, she put on plain black pants, a white, button-down shirt, and black flats. She didn’t have it in her to put forth any extra effort. It had been cold and damp all weekend, so she put on her favorite knee-length, heavy sweater. It was tan in color and went with everything. She wore it in place of a jacket any time the weather allowed for it.
She was relieved when she walked into work and didn’t see Andrea anywhere in sight. She nodded a greeting to the ladies working at the front desk before quickly making her way to her office. Once she was safely inside, she did something she rarely did; she closed her door.
Instead of turning on the computer, she opened her drawer and pulled out a colorful notebook and a pen. Writing things down often helped her to think things through, so she started on a list of pros and cons. The pessimist in her had an easier time coming up with cons, as usual. At least, once they were written down, she had an easier time looking at them objectively. Obstacles were insurmountable when they lived in her head.
“You okay?” Andrea’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Samira quickly closed her notebook before bringing her attention to Andrea. “No, but I will be eventually.”
Andrea apparently took that moment of honesty as an invitation to walk into the office and take a seat. She sat across from Samira and looked at her expectantly. She never had been one to push. It was a quality Samira couldn’t appreciate enough.
“I didn’t sell the house,” Samira blurted out.
Andrea’s expression remained impassive as she waited for Samira to continue.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
Andrea let out a small laugh. “Okay, why didn’t you sell the house?”
“I don’t know!” Samira exclaimed.
Andrea’s laugh was instant. She covered her mouth to hide it, but there was no use. Samira had to laugh along. She knew she was being completely ridiculous, but she had no idea what she was doing. She didn’t plan to keep the house. At the last minute she told Wendy she couldn’t sign the purchase agreement and requested she take the house off the market. The more she thought of someone else buying the house and turning it into a bed and breakfast, the more wrong it felt.
Things may not have been on a positive note before her parents died, but that didn’t erase her childhood. They were both equally to blame for the circumstances that caused her to leave town. Had their time not been cut short, they likely wouldhave mended their relationship at some point. If her mother’s dream was to open a bed and breakfast, it wasn’t right to let some strangers make it a reality. That was what kept nagging at the back of her mind; they were strangers.
“I just couldn’t do it. The lady wanted to turn it into a B&B, and I couldn’t do it. I thought I wanted to be rid of the place, but it just didn’t feel right. I’m sorry. I’ll get to work. I’m just a little distracted.”
“Slow down. Is it the bed and breakfast that bothers you, or selling it period?”
Samira took in a ragged breath while she thought about that question. She made it sound so simple. What was it that was bothering her?
“I thought I just wanted it to be over with, but after spending time there and with my aunt, I’m not so sure I want it gone. Am I crazy? Just tell me I’m crazy.”
Andrea’s look of concern was slowly turning into a look of excitement. “You are not crazy. Now, is it the bed and breakfast idea that you hate, or that someone else wants to do it?”
Samira wasn’t sure why, but her feelings of dread and regret were slowly turning into something else. “My mom wanted to turn that house into a bed and breakfast. I couldn’t stand the idea of someone else doing it. It feels wrong. I may not have made amends before they died, but I can’t let someone else turn her dreams into a reality.”
Andrea’s eyes were gleaming. “Do you want to turn it into one?”
Samira hesitated. Her knee jerk reaction would be to say no. It was never part of her plan. But was it such a bad idea? She enjoyed the hospitality business.
“Maybe?”
Andrea stood from her seat and began to pace in front of Samira’s desk. “What would turn the maybe into a yes?”
“Andrea, you’re crazy. I ended a relationship because I don’t have the time, you think I have time to open a new business?” Samira leaned back in her chair and shook her head.
