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Her face softened. “Thank you. I’ve worked hard to build it.”
“But you don’t need to be in California to run it.”
Her face pinched. “Not technically. It’s an online business, but I love it there.”
“I get that.” Who wouldn’t love a house on the beach? Why would she want to come back when there was nothing for her here but bad memories and heartache? A part of me wanted to remind her about the good times we had, but there was no point when she wasn’t interested in hearing about them.
I had a feeling she felt too vulnerable the night that she packed her grandmother’s things, and she was running from feeling anything. That she wouldn’t come back unless she had to, and as much as I wanted to see her again, I would only get these brief glimpses. When the inn sold, I’d never see her again.
It was what I wanted. I didn’t want the temptation of my best friend’s younger sister nearby, but at the same time, I felt a sense of loss when she left.
“You want to see what I’ve done so far?”
She hesitated for a second before she finally nodded and moved down the hall toward me. A hint of a smile came over her face. “You smell good, like a Christmas tree covered in sawdust.”
“Is that a good combination?” I asked, my breath stuck in my throat.
She smiled wider as she stepped past me into the room I’d come from. “I think so.”
Does that mean she was attracted to me? I couldn’t be sure after her last visit. She was wrapped up in her grief, and I felt like an ass for thinking about how good she felt as she sobbed in my arms.
It was why I held myself back when she was sitting on my couch. I didn’t want her to know what an asshole I was for desiring her while she was in a bad place.
“I was worried that adding closets would take away from the feel of the rooms and make them smaller. But it’s not bad, and I can see how it would add value to the property.”
“You need a closet, a window, and a door to call a room a bedroom for resale. Your guests will like having the option to hang up their clothes.”
“I wonder if all of this is a waste because someone might buy the property and tear it down.”
“Do you want the inn to reopen?” I asked.
She smiled sadly. “I like to think Gram’s vision will carry on, but I don’t have any control over it.”
I bit back my thoughts about her running the place, or at least hiring a manager to run it for her. “It would be nice if there was an inn here. People can come here to see the farm. We’re adding a light display this year to draw even more visitors.”
“I remember the lights you had up,” she said, referencing the nutcracker display.
“That’s just a small part of it. Talon’s been working on it all year and promised that it would be epic this year.”
“I wish I could see it.” She fell silent, and I wondered if she’d be here at Christmas.
“You’re always welcome on Monroe Farm.” No matter how many times I said it, I wasn’t sure if she believed me.
“That’s sweet of you.”
“Let me show you the closet that’s done. I sent you pictures, but you didn’t respond, so I wasn’t sure if you saw them or not.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just too painful to be wrapped up in the details of the inn.”
“I thought you wanted to get rid of it.”
“It’s hard when it’s your past, you know? It was never really mine, but it’s still hard to let go of it.”
“Lila gave it to you. It’s yours.”
Marley turned on her heels in a slow circle, her hair fanning out behind her. “It doesn’t feel like it. I don’t know why that is.”
Maybe because she didn’t feel like she deserved it. That she wasn’t good enough for it, or something crazy like that. But when you’re raised with parents who put you down like hers did, I imagine it’s hard to accept good things when they come into your life.
