Page 29 of Just One Chance

He stood talking to the woman at the front desk. They were laughing about something. I couldn't help the flare of jealousy that sprang up.

When he noticed me, he straightened and moved away from the counter. "You ready for the tour?"

"I'm excited to see more of the property."

"Let's start with the rooms. The ones on the third floor are unique. They started out as apartments for the family or the inn manager, and now we offer them as suites to guests."

"I'm in one of them."

"Yes, but you should see everything before you render your opinion."

I followed him without argument to the elevator where he took us back to my floor.

"There are a few rooms that are empty right now." He unlocked the first with a swipe of his card.

He swung the door open, and I stepped inside. This one had a great view of the mountains with seating on the balcony to enjoy it. The kitchen area was large and open to the living room. A big screen TV hung over a fireplace. "This suite has two bedrooms."

"Is the furniture the same in all the rooms?"

"We bought different things as we expanded."

"It's usually best to have a cohesive look. Every room has the same decor. That way the online pictures are accurate."

"We advertise that each suite is unique. Guests are excited to try a new room each time they stay here."

I had no experience with that and wasn't sure if it was something that people liked.

He took me into the other suites, and then we headed downstairs where the rooms were more uniform in size.

The inn itself was a hodgepodge of decor and furniture, and I felt a little stressed as we went through the rooms. "I'm used to the decor being the same in every room."

"When I offered to make the furniture, I wanted it to be different. Especially on the third floor to keep with tradition."

I sighed, not sure that Boone was going to be willing to consider any changes. "What amenities do you offer?"

He paused in the hallway. "We don't have many amenities inside, other than a game room and the restaurant."

I tipped my head to the side. "You don't have an indoor pool or a fitness center?"

Boone chuckled. "Those things weren't part of the original inn for obvious reasons, and we never felt the need to convert an existing space."

He led me to a game room with pool tables and ping pong. "Families love this room. Especially when it's raining and they can't go outside. We don't have room to add an indoor pool, and an outdoor one wouldn't get used often. Our summer season is short."

"I can see how that would be an issue." What could be added that would make the inn a destination? Guests needed something more than just the outdoors, especially if the weather wasn't great.

He led me through the game room into one that had floor-to-ceiling windows but contained tables, chairs, and boxes.

"Why aren't you using this for something?"

He shrugged. "We don't have a use for it."

I moved around the room, an idea coming to me. "Have you ever thought about adding a snow room?"

His forehead creased. "A what now?"

"A snow room? You know a room where it snows and lays on the ground. Guests can sit on benches to enjoy the snow and sip their coffee."

He gave me a long look. "You're joking."