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Chapter Thirteen

The final month before opening was hectic, so Saturday night in the last week, Alex invited a small group to a pre-celebration drink at the Creek Hotel.

The night was in full swing, the initial formality giving way to genuine warmth as the beer flowed and conversations deepened. Alex was surrounded by a group that included Brian, Sassy, Bill Patterson, Tom, and the three girls, all squeezed around a table that had accumulated more chairs as people pulled up to join. Jake was over at the bar buying drinks.

‘So, what are you calling it?’ Sassy asked, cradling her second beer. ‘Once it’s restored, I mean. Are you keeping the Royal Hotel name?’

Alex paused, his glass halfway to his lips. ‘I hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose I just assumed we’d keep the original name. It’s historic, part of the town’s heritage.’

‘Historic it may be,’ Brian said, leaning back in his chair, ‘but it’s also a bit formal, isn’t it? “Royal” sounds grand, maybe too grand for what we’re building here.’

‘What do you mean?’ Jake asked, joining the conversation when he got back from the bar.

‘Well,’ Brian continued, warming to his theme, ‘the old Royal was wonderful, but it was also a bit stuffy sometimes. Very proper. But what you’re creating—this community project, bringing people together, the whole spirit of it—it’s different. More welcoming. More...’

‘Happy,’ Harriet finished, surprising everyone. She’d wandered over with Hazel, both women holding glasses of port. ‘That’s what this town needs. Not something grand and formal. Something that makes people smile.’

‘The Happy Hotel?’ Sophie suggested tentatively. ‘No, that’s the name of the Chinese restaurant in our village at home.’

Everyone laughed.

‘What about something that captures where we are?’ Tom offered. ‘The Outback Hotel? Simple, direct.’

‘There’s probably fifty Outback Hotels across Queensland,’ Jill pointed out. ‘We need something more specific. More us.’

‘The Garnet Creek Hotel?’ someone suggested.

‘Too obvious,’ Sassy said. ‘And frankly, a bit boring.’

A comfortable silence fell as people considered, drinks were sipped, and the background noise of the pub filled the space.

Alex stared into his beer, his expression distant. When he spoke, his voice was soft, almost to himself. ‘Molly always said this was her happy place. The outback. Garnet Creek specifically. She grew up in Brisbane, never saw country like this until I brought her through here on our honeymoon. We stayed at the Royal for three nights, and she fell in love—with the land, with the people, with the endless sky.’ He looked up, his eyes bright with memory. ‘Every time we came back, she’d say the same thing. “Take me to our happy outback hotel, Alex. I want to go home”.’

The table had gone quiet, everyone listening.

‘She didn’t mean the Brisbane house,’ Alex continued. ‘She meant here. The Royal. Garnet Creek. This was her spiritual home. Our happy place.’ He paused, emotion thick in his voice. ‘When she was dying, she made me promise I’d come back. Find a way to stay connected to this place. So, when I saw the Royal was for sale—’ His voice broke slightly. ‘It felt like she was telling me what to do.’

Sassy reached across the table, covering his hand with hers. No one spoke.

‘The Happy Outback Hotel,’ Alex said finally, looking around at the gathered faces. ‘That’s what I’d like to call it. If you’ll all permit the indulgence of a sentimental old man. It would remind me of Molly, of the happy days we spent here. And maybe—maybe it could become that for other people too. A happy place in the outback. Simple as that.’

‘It’s perfect,’ Amelia said immediately, her voice thick with emotion.

‘I love it,’ Sassy agreed. ‘The Happy Outback Hotel. It’s warm. Welcoming. Makes you smile just saying it.’

After a few moments, Alex cleared his throat, wiping his eyes and pulling himself together. The emotion was still there, but he’d regained his composure. He stood again, tapping his glass to get everyone’s attention.

‘I have another announcement,’ he said, his voice steady now, though still warm with feeling. ‘As you all know, once The Happy Outback Hotel opens, it’ll need proper management. Someone to run the day-to-day operations, manage staff, handle bookings, ensure guests have the experience Molly would have wanted them to have.’

The pub quieted, people turning to listen.

‘This needed to be someone with the right skills, the right attitude, and most importantly—someone who understands what we’re building here. Someone who believes in Garnet Creek’s future.’ Alex paused, his eyes finding Jill at the table. ‘Someone who’s proven over these past weeks that she’s got the intelligence, the work ethic, and the heart for this job.’

Jill froze, her beer glass halfway to her lips.

‘Jill,’ Alex said directly to her, ‘a few months ago you asked me if I’d need a manager. At the time, I was so focused on budgets and permits that I didn’t give you a proper answer. But I’ve been watching you work. I’ve been asking around town about how you’ve handled things at the hardware store—your organisational skills, your customer service, your ability to learn quickly and take initiative. I’ve talked to Ryan, to Sassy, to the crew. Everyone says the same thing: you’re exceptional.’

Jill’s hands were trembling.