“I’m pretty sure I know someone,” Harper said with a soft laugh.
Despite the lightness, I was constantly aware of Helen, of the careful way she included me, never excluding but never letting me off the hook, either. As the platter of chicken made its way around again, she caught my eye. “Things seem to be moving along quickly at the resort,Chase. I admit I wasn’t thrilled about taking on that loan, but you’ve been managing the expenses diligently.” She paused, taking a sip of her wine, her gaze steady over the rim of the glass. “Keeping everything balanced with a project this size, especially with the partnership structure… that takes real skill.”
The compliment landed with surprising weight, and a flush crept up my neck. “Thank you, Helen. I appreciate the support. It’s definitely a complex project, but we’re tracking everything closely.” I decided to offer a bit more, sensing this was more than just polite dinner chat. “I made sure to build a healthy contingency fund into the budget right from the start, and it should cover most typical overruns, which is important since we made the strategic decision to phase the work on Room Block One to manage upfront costs. That’s a risk when working on old buildings. But as long as nothing completely unforeseen pops up, I’m confident we can keep things on track financially.”
Helen nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with the answer, though a flicker of that inherent Coleridge caution remained in her eyes. “Good to hear. We’re all counting on this renovation paying off.”
Thewehung in the air, encompassing family, legacy, and the future tied up in those resort walls.
“We’ve had plenty of hiccups and none have derailed us or the budget,” Harper added. “Jules warned us that the upcoming quarter is tight, but by then the biggest expenditures should be finished.”
I shot her a smile, staying quiet about the fact that I’d been on plenty of jobs where something blindsided us last minute. Usually, the skeletons in the closet were uncovered during the demo phase, but there were plenty of exceptions to that rule. I resisted the urge to cross my fingers and took a sip of wine instead.
“You must be so busy with the new firm,” Helen said as she passed a bowl of potatoes to Austin. “I’m impressed you have time for a distraction like this meal.”
“I’ll make time,” I replied as I filled her wineglass. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to dinner here. Besides, a man’s gotta eat.”
“He skips way too many meals,” Harper said, not missing a beat, and I wasn’t sure if that was a vote of confidence or just her amusement at my floundering.
“Commitment is so important when you’re starting out. It must be a challenge to keep focused.” Helen’s eyes were warm, but I sensed a depth to her words.
“He’s always been a pretty focused guy,” Ben added, amused, but I noticed a hint of camaraderie in his tone.
I couldn’t help wondering if her subtle question was a probe as to how well my new venture was going. “I’ve taken on several new projects besides the resort remodel, but I’m used to juggling. If it gets to be too much, I’ll just hire Finn to help out.”
A round of laughter went around the table as he high-fived me.
Ben smirked at us. “Did Eli put you through the ringer before giving you his blessing? Sounds like him.”
Harper laughed. “I hardly heard a peep from him about it. Chase wasn’t quite so lucky, but he pulled through just fine.”
I shrugged, pretending not to care. “I think he’s just mad he’s not here to harass me tonight.”
“His loss is our gain,” Helen said with a warm smile that made me hope the interrogation phase of dinner was over.
Indeed, the conversation moved on, and we discussed Ben’s classes and how things were looking up. “Got pretty good grades on my midterms,” he said and made eyecontact with both Harper and me. “I wanted to thank both of you for the help.”
“Happy to do it,” Harper said, glancing at me.
“It was nothing,” I added. “You’re doing all the hard work.”
The Coleridge brothers were all hard workers. It was obvious in their hands and their shoulders and their stubborn attitudes.
Austin talked about a canceled charter due to a storm, and Finn piped in about how he saw the biggest wave ever at the beach. I listened and contributed, trying not to come off as overly cautious.
Dinner wound down, and Harper leaned in close, whispering, “You okay? You look like you’re holding your breath.”
“I’m good.” Despite the intensity, I felt grounded. Like I was already part of something important. “I was a little tense when we first arrived, but nobody’s eaten me alive yet.”
We moved to the patio for coffee. Outdoors, it was cooler, a breeze rustling through the trees. Harper talked with Ben, both of them laughing over some shared joke about an old boat they used to own. I liked seeing her like this, at home and at ease with her family. It was all so different from what I’d known growing up. But I could see the appeal, even with the expectations and uncertainties that came along for the ride.
Helen refilled my coffee, her hand resting on my shoulder for an extra moment. “It was nice seeing you here tonight.”
“I’ll have to stop by more often,” I said, though it came out more as a question than a promise. “Think I might explode from eating that much, though.”
“I wouldn’t accept anything less,” she said. “And we’renot so bad once you get to know us. Then again, you already do.”
I grinned. “Tonight hasn’t quite been the same.”
