“At six at night?” I checked my phone. Yep, a little past six.
“I’m really sorry. Let me know if you don’t have any luck and we’ll help you find somewhere. You may have to check in the next town over as well.”
“Thank you, Troy.” I hung up and said goodbye to Henry.
Back in my car, I may or may not have screamed and gave the steering wheel hell in my aggravation. Fuck! Had I made a mistake coming here? My first day, and I had no place to stay.
The fit only lasted a minute. I had to find somewhere to rest and there was no time to waste.
I drove by the motel where the sign readno vacancy. I checked the app I’d used and found there was no other motel in the area.
Driving to the next town seemed counter-intelligent to starting work tomorrow.
What in the hell was I going to do?
Chapter Four
Greg
As I carried a paint can into the house, I heard the car drive past, slowly. A tingle rolled up and down my spine, but I did not turn around. If I was going to be an innkeeper, I’d have to get used to people being around my house and living their own lives. Some were going to be quirky, and others would attract my bear’s attention. He was protective, so it would be an adjustment for him, too.
Inside, I carried the can into the downstairs hallway and set it on the canvas drop cloth. The soft gray with one tone lighter for trim should look nice when it was done. With the common areas more neutral, I felt as if it gave me options to have each room be special in its hues and decor. Without the historical constraints, I had a broader range, but I still liked the idea of keeping the Victorian feel. But with a bit of a fantasy edge. And of course, modern conveniences.
“Anyone home?”
I cringed. Back in the city, nobody ever popped in unannounced. Most of my acquaintances were business related, so I saw them in meeting rooms or restaurants, and I’d never exchanged more than a nod and hello with my neighbors. When Chelsea showed up with a plate of fresh-baked cookies as I was unloading the truck on the day of my arrival, my heart warmed.
I took it as a sign I’d chosen the right town.
And her questions about my plan for the house seemed to make sense, since she’d lived there for forty-plus years and watched my home go through many iterations. Most of them in the wrong direction. So, if she was concerned with the effect my choices might have on her property value, I didn’t blame her.
“In the hallway, Chelsea.” I continued getting ready to paint the trim because if I stopped every time she came by, I’d never get anything done. “What’s up?”
She came into the hall, dragging a folding chair from the living room behind her. “Nothing much. Oh, that old man on the other side of me, the one who thinks he’s all that, asked me out again.”
“Did he?” I stirred the paint and laid out the rollers and brushes. “And what did you tell him?”
“You know what I said. I haven’t been on a date since my wife passed away and not with a man since I was seventeen. I’m not sure they’re worth the trouble.”
I had to chuckle at that. “Me either, but are women easier?” I’d never dated one myself.
“People are people, all individuals, but nobody will ever be my Leesie.”
“No, I don’t suppose they could be. But maybe they could just be themselves.” I had stopped working and was just standing there, unable to imagine what it would be like to have a mate, someone at my side for decades and then gone. Maybe Fate was kind in not giving me someone. “There’s no reason not to have someone to spend time with, have dinners out or see a movie. You’re not trying to replace Leesie.”
She huffed out a breath. “No, of course not. But I don’t see why that means I have to lead that old goat on. I have friends already.”
Not the first time, we’d had that conversation. “Yes, you do. Now, what do you think of this color for the trim?”
“It’s much nicer than the color it was before you bought the place.” She wrinkled her nose, raising her glasses with the gesture. “You didn’t see it, since they slapped that white all over everything, but it was ug-ly!”
“I’ve found some of it as I worked. Purple, olive green, baby-poop brown. What were they thinking?”
She shrugged. “I’m glad you’ve stripped and refinished the woodwork. And the wallpaper in the living room is stunning.” She sniffed. “When we first moved in, the house was beautiful, owned by the nicest couple.” She settled back into her chair, eyes dreamy. “We were newlyweds, both of us just out of the military, and looking for a friendly town to settle down in.”
“I didn’t know you were in the military.”
“That’s a whole other bunch of stories. If you want to hear, I’d be glad to share them with you.” I had zero doubt of that. If I managed to stick it out here long enough.
