“Yeah,” I say, my chest falling as I let out a deep breath. “In the listing, it says that it’s available for purchase for development, too.”
Willow’s eyes widen and she hands my phone back to me. “No, they can’t do that. They can’t get rid of one of the places that has been here forever. They can’t let a builder come in and turn that land into a development. That will take away from the small-town charm of Sugar Hill Hollow.” She pauses, shaking her head as I motion for her to sit. “It’s a shame there’s no one to reopen the rink.”
She spins in her seat, her eyes flashing to mine as she tips her chin up to look at me. “You should buy it.”
My eyebrows tug together and a laugh catches in my throat. “No.”
“Why not?” she challenges, crossing her arms over her chest. “You would be the perfect person. You could fix it up and reopen it.” She pauses, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. “Do you want to see them destroy it and build a strip mall?”
The muscle in my jaw tightens. “Well, no,” I admit, swallowing roughly. “You remember Harrison?” I pause and Willow nods. “He suggested the same thing, except he said we should buy it together.”
“That’s the perfect solution,” she says matter of factly, releasing her arms as she shrugs her shoulders like it’s just that easy. “You know people and have all the connections needed in that world.”
My eyebrows lift and I give her an incredulous look. Does she realize how outlandish this entire idea is? I shouldn’t have expected anything else from Willow. If there’s one person who has always believed in me, it’s her.
“I don’t know,” I say softly, tilting my head to slowly search Willow’s features. She stares back at me like she always did while we were growing up. Like she believes I could reach up into the sky and grab the moon with my bare hands if I truly wanted to.
Like she knows I can do anything.
“I think it’s at least something worth considering,” she says. The hues of blue make her eyes appear as though they’re shimmering beneath the fluorescent lights of the vet clinic. “No one said you have to make any decisions on it, I just think it’s something you should think about.”
Running my tongue over my top row of teeth, I slowly nod. “I have been,” I agree, dipping my chin.
A satisfied smile lifts the corners of her lips. “Good.” She tips her head toward the front door. “You ready to head to the shop?”
I rise from my seat, stepping up beside her. “Absolutely.”
Her perfume, a mix of lavender and vanilla, infiltrates my senses, triggering a part in my brain that sends a shiver down myspine. I swallow roughly, looking at her from the corner of my eye before we head out onto the street.
Leave it to Willow Alder to get the gears in my mind turning.
Leave it to her to think I can do anything.
A leak in the bathroom keeps me busy for most of the day and I’m in and out of the shop, attempting to play plumber as I try to repair the leak myself. Willow grabs me every now and then for my opinions on paint and different things for the store.
As I pull back up in front of the shop with the supplies I collected from the hardware store for my last ditch effort at fixing the plumbing issues, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I kill the engine and pull it out, glancing at the screen. It’s a message from Harrison.
Harrison
So, did you think more about the rink?
Jace
I did.
You seem to be all about this idea without even having a plan.
Harrison
Oh, I already have a plan.
A document comes through and I laugh to myself, shaking my head as I open it and scan the things he’s written down. He has information from his financial advisor, along with the steps we need to take to start a business.
Jace
Damn. You’re really serious about this.
Harrison
