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“Allison,” I said, “this is real. Everything that is happening right now, you deserve it. The more I heard you talk about your bed and breakfast idea, the more I believed in you. The more I wanted it for you. I’ve seen your sketches. I’ve seen how hard you worked to get your grandmother’s house fixed up. You are dedicated and resourceful and strong.
“Then, when I saw the kind of mother you were, there was no doubt. No doubt in my mind at all. You impress me every single day, the same way you will impress everyone else soon. This is going to be the greatest adventure, and I am so glad I get to be a part of it with you.”
“Ryan…” she said, her voice breathy and small. She was breathing shallowly, and I squeezed her hand a little tighter to get her to focus. Her gorgeous eyes were watery, and a single tear streaked through her makeup and down her nose.
“You are going to be an incredible bed and breakfast owner. You would be no matter where you opened one or when. I know that about you. You would have made it work somehow, someway. Even if you had to open one in the middle of the desert, you would have found a way. But I saw how much you had your heart set on this old house. I saw how much you loved it, how you had dreams for it. Plans for it. And I could see them. I could see how perfect they were, and I believe in your vision. I believe in you.”
“But it wasn’t available,” she argued, the doubt in her mind trying to take over. The paperwork was literally on the desk beside her, but she couldn’t let herself believe something good like this was happening to her. “The owner, they wouldn’t sell. Not to anyone. I tried.”
“I know,” I said. “That’s why I went up there to talk to him.”
“You did?” she asked, her jaw falling open.
“Yes,” I said. “It took a while to find him. It wasn’t easy. But I tracked him down. I had a long talk with him about his family. Their legacy. About you.”
“About me?” she asked. “What about me?”
“About how tenacious you are. About how pure and good and kind you are. About how you would open a bed and breakfast with the property and invite people to stay there. To enjoy the grounds and the home. How it wouldn’t go to waste like it has been,” I said. “They are good people. They just wanted to bring their family together and ended up driving them apart. I can see how that would happen now, firsthand. It’s why I brought you here. I tried to tell you, but you couldn’t believe me. I don’t blame you. But I hope that being here, seeing the paperwork in front of you, you believe me now.”
“You did this for me?” she said, more of a statement than a question.
“Yes,” I said. “I have a few connections, and I was able to make some things happen to get the ball rolling. But I want you to know, I am not doing this so I can swoop in and save you. I believe you would pull this off anyway given the time and the opportunity. At some point, you would have figured out how to get this place. I just was able to grease the wheels. I don’t want you to feel like I am trying to rescue you. You did this, Allison.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said.
“I believe in you, explicitly,” I said. “I know you can do this. You can do anything.”
“Allison,” Carmella said, “I would like to get your attention to these papers if I could. We have some things to sign in order to finalize the sale.”
“Go ahead,” I said, Allison still not having broken eye contact with me. It was like she believed if she did it would all disappear like a dream. “I wanted to do this for you. I wanted you to have exactly what you want. You deserve that. You deserve so much more. I just hope I can give it all to you.”
24
ALLISON
Was this really happening?
I looked between Ryan and Carmella, blinking hard to make sure the images of them didn't dissolve away. They didn't. They really were there. And so was I. This wasn't a dream. It wasn't some conjured-up thought to help me hang on to my goal for a little bit longer. This was real.
I watched Carmella check over the paperwork, making sure everything was exactly what it should be. She explained a few details of it, just to make sure I fully understood, then handed it over to me.
"All you have to do is sign it and initial," she said.
