Mara perked up. That would be amazing.
Gray slapped his buddy on his back. “I’m Italian, my friend. Fresh veggies and herbs are at the ready for you both. We can tour that after we check out the inn.”
Fresh ingredients were always a bonus, and Mara looked forward to the gardens, but it was the kitchen ahead that had her attention.
Amber led them up the front porch steps. “We’ll do the tour of the inn first and leave the kitchen for the grand finale.”
“Tease.”
Amber laughed at Seth’s growled word. “Yep. We want to give you an overview of the inn. That should help give you ideas of what we’ll need you to make. We’ll have actual guests two weekends from now.” Her voice faltered along with her steps.
Smiling, Gray kissed her and took her hand. “Breathe. We’ll be ready. You’ve covered all the bases.”
Eyes locked on Gray, Amber huffed out a breath. “You’re right. With Mara and Seth here, we’re completely ready. We can do this.”
He kissed her again, making Mara’s eyes mist.
Gray’s whisper barely reached her ears. “You can do anything, Amber. You’re incredible.”
Mara turned away from the private moment as Seth did the same from the other side. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she felt a tug in her heart.
Gray’s love for Amber was evident and strong. She wanted that. Wanted someone to know the real her, and love her anyway.
She yanked her eyes away from Mr. Clean and looked around the lobby of the inn, hoping her emotions hadn’t shown in her eyes.
If Seth hadn’t already figured out that some asshole had hurt Mara, the look of absolute yearning would have alerted him.
Gray’s support of and love for Amber practically radiated from the couple and filled the room.
Chaos Machine’s eyes had filled with tears. He wanted to kick the ass of the jerk who’d hurt her.
Gray broke the moment when he slung his arm over Amber’s shoulder and faced the group again. “Amber plans to have a small gift store here in the lobby. She’ll showcase Nimii’s moccasins, along with the work of other local artisans. Dani’s honey and Nash’s cider, too.”
Amber nodded. “There are many incredibly talented people in our area. You’ll have to head into Phail soon to meet some of them. Get a feel for the town, too.”
Seth nodded. “Family-friendly food? Comfort food options?”
Amber smiled. “Exactly. I’m betting you both have far better ideas than I do. I’m sure Gray can give suggestions, too. We’ve been here for a few months, and probably have a good handle on the type of people who’ll visit the inn.”
The inn had three floors, but the guest rooms were all on the second floor. There were eight rooms, each named rather than numbered. Apple-y Ever After, Pie Shop. Duckington Palace. The Apiary. Harvest Time. Blossom Time. Inn Cider. Toy Box.
Cheesy but fun. They’d decorated the rooms with the themes in mind. Not in a tacky, over-the -top way. Instead, they brought the theme out through the decor. Photographs on the walls, plaques with information on the photos and other items that covered the walls.
They’d used items from the history of apple farming to add to the fun of the rooms. He’d worried that the inn would be geared to old ladies, but he could easily see families and couples of all ages here.
The Toy Box room showcased the machinery needed to run an apple farm. An old wooden beehive served as a nightstand in the Apiary. Old tractor bits sat on the wall in Harvest. And a lot more.
While he hadn’t wanted to spend the time checking out anything before the kitchen, his buddy was right. This way, his brain was cooking with ideas. He could do theme nights where the meal matched a specific room.
Although he was pretty sure duck wouldn’t be on the menu. He’d check with Jolie to see how she felt about that.
He imagined Mara had plenty of ideas to go with the pie shop room, but he could make some savory pies of his own.
Finally, they headed down toward the kitchen. This time, they took a smaller staircase. Built for servants or just another access route?
His leg ached, and he worked hard not to limp, although he leaned on the railing more than usual. Hell, he’d never used a railing until that IED had changed everything.
Gray pointed out the door to the owner’s suite where he and Amber lived and a laundry room with two sets of new machines. Finally, his buddy opened the door to the kitchen.
