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“Have you been checking on the progress?”
“I trust Heath.” And I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for me to come here, to see what it looked like. I was afraid that I’d remember all the things I loved about the inn. That it would hold too many memories of Gram.
“You should still have been here.”
“I’ve been avoiding it.”
We walked inside. The kitchen wasn’t finished, but a few appliances were hooked up. We’d be able to cook on the stove.
“I’m going to sleep. I’m exhausted. We can talk about this in the morning,” Aiden said, heading up the stairs with our bags.
I sank to the floor and dropped my head into my hands.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d sat there. At some point, Heath texted.
Are you okay?
Tears filled my eyes. I wasn’t sure I’d be okay ever again. Aiden didn’t like me dating Heath. The inn was almost finished, and I was overcome with emotion. What did I want? Did I want to alienate my only family member? Did I want to live in California or Maryland? What was the right decision?
My entire body ached from standing on my feet all day and the confrontation with Aiden. I was exhausted. I went upstairs to find my bag in the hallway and grabbed linens from a closet. The water turned on down the hall, and I figured Aiden was showering.
I made the bed in the largest room facing Heath’s cabin and fell onto it, beyond tired. I couldn’t respond to Heath, not when I didn’t know what any of this meant.
I tossed and turned all night, sleeping for short bursts of time. When the sun finally rose, I got up and showered, knowing Aiden would already be up and probably out for a run.
Downstairs, I made tea and eggs for him.
When he came through the door, he was sweaty from his run. He grabbed a water from the fridge. “I ordered groceries to be delivered this morning.”
“I was wondering where the food came from.” I was on edge about when he was going to bring up Heath and my living situation.
I pushed the plate of eggs across the counter.
Aiden grimaced. “I don’t know if I can handle you with him.”
My stomach twisted. Aiden was the only family I had left. “I don’t want you to be upset.”
He was the one I’d grown up with in that trailer. He knew what I’d been through. He tried to protect me, but no one could shield me from my parents’ sharp words and neglect.
Aiden shook his head. “I came home hoping I’d figure out what I was supposed to do. I thought seeing the inn again would spark a decision. I’d know what I was supposed to do.”
“I’ve been avoiding the inn for that same reason. When I first came home, I was positive we should sell. I didn’t want any memories of our parents.”
Aiden raised a brow. “And now?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been avoiding thinking about it.”
He picked up the fork and cut a bite of the egg. “We can figure it out together.”
“That would be nice.” It was good having Aiden by my side and not halfway across the world.
He chewed for a few seconds, swallowed, and then said, “What’s going on with the estate? You said there was a delay.”
I got out the orange juice from the fridge and poured two glasses. “Mom wanted to see the will for herself. That was the last I heard about it.”
“Is she going to challenge the will?” Aiden asked, his muscles bunching.
“I don’t know. There’s no penalty for her to do it, but she’d have to hire an attorney.” In the past, my parents didn’t have money, but they had lived off Gram. I wasn’t sure how they were surviving now. Maybe Mom had come into money and had the resources to sue.
