Page 4 of From Grumpy to Forever
But…that was a detail I was still trying to work out with the lawyer. For now, I needed to focus on the problem at hand.
“Thank you. I really appreciate your?—”
“She’s not one of our own,” Reid grumbled. When I turned to look, his dark eyes were fixed on me with an unreadable expression. “If I had to bet, she’s from the city.”
“I am.” I flashed him a bright grin. “Born and raised, in fact.” I refused to be intimidated by this man. He didn’t know it yet, but I wasn’t easily deterred. As a pretty, petite blonde who always looked on the bright side, I’d spent my entire life being underestimated, particularly by rough and gruff macho men.
“But I used to visit Trickle Creek every summer and stay at the Tamarack Inn,” I told the men. “I have a lot of fond memories of summers spent at the inn with my grandparents.” A familiar twinge of sadness flashed through me the way it always did when I thought of them, but I pushed it down.
“Your grandparents used to bring you here?” Grayson asked. “For a holiday?”
“Oh no,” I told him. “They owned the Tamarack Inn.”
I turned to see the surprise on Reid’s face. “Your grandparents were the Walkers?”
Again, the hurt in my chest twinged at the way he referred to them in the past tense, but I kept a smile on my face as I nodded. “And now I do.”
“You own it?”
“I sure do,” I told Reid. “So, I guess I’m one of your own after all.” My use of finger quotes made Grayson laugh and slap his brother on the back.
“She’s got you there. And Reid here is the best handyman in town, isn’t that right, brother? And just so happens to be looking for work.”
He gave his brother a sharp look before he dropped his head and grumbled something under his breath. After a moment, he finally looked up. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll see if I can help.”
“Thank you.” I clapped my hands together. “I’m parked right out?—”
“I’ll drive myself.” With a shake of his head, Reid walked past us both, shooting his brother a dirty look on his way by. “I’ll meet you there.”
As soon as Reid was out of earshot, I turned to thank Grayson. “I really appreciate your help. It was nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Avery.” He laughed and shook his head a little. “And I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot of you. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. We’ll do what we can.”
“We?” I tipped my head.
“He’s moody, but he’s a good man,” Grayson said. “You just have to look past the crunchy exterior to the gooey insides.”
“Gooey, huh?” It was my turn to laugh. “I’ll see about that.”
“Actually,” Grayson winked at me, “I have a feeling that you might.”
Chapter Three
Reid
The Tamarack Inn had seen better days.
It used to be a beautiful old building with robin’s-egg blue siding and white shutters, and a wraparound porch where guests could gather in the evening and admire the perennial flower beds. It had a perfect location, just a few blocks off the pedestrian-only plaza that served as the hub of Trickle Creek with shops, cafes, and restaurants. The inn was once the only place for visitors to stay when they came to town.
When I was a boy, I used to think it was the biggest building I’d ever seen. With three floors and twelve rooms, it was hardly a skyscraper, but for Trickle Creek, it was a focal point to be sure.
At least, it had been. Before the condos were built up at the ski hill, drawing hundreds more tourists to town, but not to the inn with its old charm and personal touch.
Now, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness to see the once beautiful gardens overgrown with weeds, the paint peeling and chipping off the siding, and the sagging porch.
I never knew them well, but the Walkers had always been friendly, and the pride they had for their inn had been apparent.
I vaguely remembered they had a granddaughter who was around when we were kids.
