Page 45 of Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge

Ben’s throat grew thick with emotion. ‘I love you too, Grandad,’ he replied.

‘What I’m saying is that I want you to follow your own path, not mine or your dad’s,’ carried on Walter. ‘If that takes you away from us then so be it. We’ll miss you, of course. But if you’re happy, truly happy, then I can make my peace with that.’ Walter’s voice began to falter and Ben could hear the true emotion coming through. ‘Because that’s all I ever wanted for you. To be happy.’

‘The trouble is that I wasn’t,’ Ben confessed. ‘And, despite us not getting along so well recently, I’ve really enjoyed being home. I’m not saying that the hotel isn’t worrying me but if we can work together, I think we can save it for all those future generations you were talking about.’

‘What about your own dreams?’ asked Walter. ‘They’re equally important.’

‘What if saving Maple Tree Lodge is my dream too?’ said Ben, suddenly filled with emotion.

The silence stretched out as they locked eyes, his grandad’s tear-filled ones staring back at him.

‘You need to be sure,’ said Walter.

‘This place is in my bones, my soul,’ Ben told him. ‘Perhaps I had to leave to discover that what I really wanted was to be at home.’

Walter’s shoulders relaxed, as if the stress and worry that he had been hanging on to for so many months, even years, finally left him.

‘I was talking with Lily about why I became an architect in the first place,’ said Ben. ‘About building great places that are here for generations to come. Like our hotel.’

Walter nodded. ‘Longevity. Something we can both agree on.’

‘I want to keep it for the future,’ Ben told him in a fierce tone. ‘Protect it. For our family’s future.’

‘You’ll save this place,’ said his grandad, nodding his head. ‘I can feel it. You’re a hard worker, you’re bright, you’re more than capable. You can do anything you set your mind to.’

‘Even save our home?’ asked Ben, suddenly feeling nervous.

‘Even that,’ said Walter. ‘You won’t be alone either. If you can let an old man help you out once in a while.’

‘We’ll save it together, Grandad,’ said Ben. ‘I promise.’

‘Me too, lad.’ Walter gave his hand a squeeze. ‘Me too.’

Ben looked down at the letter he was still clutching in his other hand and made a decision. He reached forward and threw it into the flames, leaving a brief crackle and then it curled up into ashes.

Walter nodded his approval as they both looked at the fire.

Finally free of the letter, Ben could feel the tension leaving him. Change was coming to Maple Tree Lodge at last. And he was so grateful for Lily for being the catalyst for it all, he thought, glancing at her once more.

22

Despite her conversation with Hannah the previous evening, the following morning Lily was still feeling a little sheepish about not telling the Jackson family that that she no longer had a job with Hans Haubermann.

But they had been so kind about her redundancy that she couldn’t help but feel enveloped by their kindness.

‘Losing your job is never easy,’ said Hannah over breakfast at the dining table. ‘I’ve been through quite a few jobs already as well.’

‘Mainly because they took advantage of you and worked you all hours until you couldn’t take any more,’ Lily reminded her.

Hannah gave her a sheepish grin. ‘Perhaps,’ she said.

‘But you’ve always had your family around you,’ said Lily. ‘And I can see why you needed them. They’re very supportive of each other.’

Hannah frowned. ‘And you didn’t have that?’

‘Sort of,’ Lily told her, with a small shrug. ‘To a point, in any case. But it was always about their careers and then mine too. So I tried to emulate them. But I’m not sure it’s quite me.’

‘Maybe now you’re staying, you can unpack everything you brought with you,’ said Hannah. ‘I’m not sure you’ve opened at least one of those boxes since the last move.’