“Oh, wow, it’s like being seventeen again,” Hope said. She rolled down her window and inhaled. The lake! You could feel it in the air.
“There’s something that just is summer to me here. It floored me too. Like no other place in my life.” Libby paused for moment, letting Hope drink it all in. Then she added, “If you’re up to it, I’m hoping to show you the restaurant space, then we can drive out to the cottage?”
Hope gave Libby a sidewise glance. She knew her friend was better than anyone at taking charge and making sure everyone fell in with her plans. Hope was here to take a few days off and enjoy the cottage while she licked her wounds. Libby’s aim was to get Hope to commit to more.
“I’d love to see downtown, all your work, for sure. Yes. But you know I haven’t said yes to this idea. I’m here for a break, not a business.”
Libby was the Queen of Confidence; it was in her nature to tilt her chin into the wind and dare the world to try to stop her. It appears the world had come up short every time, and Libby had won every dare.
Hope felt like she used to be that way, that she used to be confident. However, she’d dared the world to stop her, and the world did.
Hope did always dream of a food life. Her best memories growing up were here, with her friends at the lake or her grandparents learning about the food they grew.
Was this the time to open a new business? She had catering clients in Covington. She could build on that back home. Hope was only sure that she wasn’t sure!
Seeing the building Libby had renovated wasn’t making a promise. She wanted to see Libby’s triumph. She wanted to be inspired by her old friend’s accomplishments.
Libby drove toward town and described the project. “We’ve got five spaces to lease on the lakeside area of downtown. The structures are side by side. You’ll remember, though, they’re not like a strip mall. Each one is a unique space. At the end is the space we’re turning into a restaurant. The roof, electricity, plumbing, heating, and cooling are all up to code. Dean Tucker, J.J.’s husband, has helped me replace, shore up, and repair everything we needed. He’s my right-hand man. You’ll love him. Oh, and we kept the historic charm but brought all the infrastructure into the twenty-first century.”
“It sounds like you’ve been working your tail off.”
“I have, but as you’ll see, the restaurant space can be arranged your way. Your kitchen, your décor, your theme. Whatever you have ever dreamed of for your own place, you could do.”
Hope shook her head. She tried to stop her brain. She knew exactly what she’d do but didn’t say it. Libby was clearly able to take even the smallest kernel of an idea and run with it. Hope wasn’t ready to give her old friend an inch on this because it was easy to see Libby had the mile ready to go.
“Here we are,” Libby said.
Downtown Irish Hills was the same and also different. The center gazebo was under repair, scaffolding was set up, and caution tape blocked the entrance.
“How many ice cream cones did we eat on those benches in there?” Hope said as the memory of their bikes propped on the side of the gazebo flashed into her mind.
“We kept the character of the old one and the details, but we’re making it larger and connected to power for a sound system. It’s set to be completed next week.”
Hope looked across the street to a stretch of buildings that were crumbling, boarded, and straight-up depressing.
Libby followed her eyeline and grimaced. “Yeah, that’s phase two. I’m working on that. But this side, this side is almost ready for you!” She nodded her head to the lakeside stretch of buildings.
“You’re terrible,” Hope said.
They pulled up to the parking space.
“Yes, one hundred percent terrible.”
Hope got out of the Jeep and looked up and down the little stretch of small-town perfection.
“You’re kidding, right? This can’t be real.”
The five buildings were a part of a row, that much Libby had said. What she hadn’t described was just how each had a distinct character. Each its own color, one with natural red brick, the next painted white, one ornate, adjacent to another with a plainer architectural style. There was a three-story space in the center, bookended by two-story neighbors. The end buildings were larger and l-shaped so they could turn the corners, giving them two window banks adjacent to the sidewalk.
Just beyond the end of the row, a lane stretched straight down to the lake.
The proximity of the lake made this hamlet feel more like Nantucket than Southern Michigan. In the distance, the water reflected the clear blue sky and twinkled with sunlight.
Hope took it in. The armor she’d put up against being sucked in by Libby’s plan took a hit. The water and the building made her see Irish Hills through Libby’s eyes.
“We did everything we could to keep the old feel but also be a great partner for businesses interested in these spaces,” Libby said.
“Nailed it,” Hope remarked.
