She opened the door to a room with thick, vacuumed carpet, a stripped four-poster walnut bed, and a dust-free like-new sofa and upholstered armchairs that matched the style in the parlor. It smelled clean too, although he missed the parlor’s lavender scent. “It’s as big as the bedrooms in the Grand’s presidential suite.”
Caleb propped open the three-paneled door, then stepped inside and laid the keys on the polished walnut side table.
“I liked these rooms when I was a kid. The 1980s remodel in the newer part of the hotel never did much for me.” He openedthe windows to bring in the fresh scent of lilacs, as he’d done in the inn’s garden wing the day Ariel and Miss Dahlia arrived.
“It must have been exciting to grow up here, with people checking in and out every day.”
“I pretty much terrorized the entire hotel.”
Ariel laughed. “I can imagine the mischief a boy Harry’s age could get into here.”
“Harry the driver?”
She nodded. “When he’s in his carriage, he’s in his element. Quite the little businessman.”
“He has to be.”
She moved closer, brows furrowed. “Is he okay?”
Caleb drew in a breath, his muscles tightening as he thought of the boy’s dilemma. “His mom passed away two years ago. His dad’s a fishing guide in northern Lake Michigan. From what I hear, he pretty much drinks everything he makes. Harry’s grandfather supports the boy the best he can.”
“So Harry has to be a good businessman.”
He stepped into the bathroom.
Ariel peeked in at the antique tile floor and spotless vintage fixtures. “You’re doing well in your business too. Other than linens, this room is ready for occupancy, and you can have the rest ready in no time. It’s a shame to waste such a beautiful, comfortable room.”
The inn’s latest profit-and-loss statement agreed with her. But yes, he’d learned a lot since he got here. “I plan to reopen this wing as soon as possible.”
Ariel’s little squeal and lightning-fast hug threw him off balance, emotionally and physically.
“It’s too early to celebrate. When I tell Grandfather what I’m doing, he could say no, and I’ll have to override him.”
He couldn’t describe how much he dreaded that.
“Want me to go along when you tell him?”
Yes.
He shook his head. “If I can’t make a difficult decision then follow through on my own, I have no business trying to run this hotel.” Maybe the Lord was telling him to go back to his band. Or maybe Caleb was taking the coward’s way out. Either way, he couldn’t decide until he knew the direction He wanted him to go. “Thanks, but I’ll need to handle this myself.”
“Sure.” Ariel started for the door. “Where will we find the sheets?”
“Good question. We had linen closets on the third floor, back when we all lived there, so there’s probably one down here too.”
“If we find one, it’s probably not stocked. Want to get some sheets and towels from the main inn to save time?”
“I don’t want anybody telling Granddad that I sneaked linens into an empty hotel wing. Let’s look here first.”
He grabbed the ring of keys and quick-walked down the nearest hallway to an unmarked door, found the correct key on the third try.
Empty.
A search of all the first- and second-floor closets turned up no linens. “I’m going upstairs.”
He took the wide marble steps at a run. On the third floor, he rounded the corner to the left and flung open the closet door.
The neatly stacked sheets and towels there could have lasted the whole family a month.
