"That's one of the reasons I hired you rather than bring someone in from the outside. I knew if anyone would care enough about my project, it was the descendant of the founding father."
I wince at the term. My connection to the town is something I rarely speak about. It's one of those things that people know but no one talks about unless I bring it up.
There are downsides to having no siblings and a parent who is still alive. Besides my girls, I'm the only living relative of Warren James Creek, the founder of Willow Creek.
"Yes, I care very much about this town." I keep my explanation brief. I don’t like to talk about my relationship to the founder. So many people in Willow Creek already make a big enough deal about it that I don’t need another person to do so. I just want to be the kind of man who makes a name for myself and passes down my own legacy to my girls.
"I think it's so romantic that your however-many-great-grandfather named the town after his late wife. They must've been so in love."
So I'd been told. According to my parents, Warren's wife, Willow, died in childbirth. He was so distraught, he moved away from others to be by himself. He bought this land and made it his new home. Eventually others followed and that's how Willow Creek became the town it is today.
"They were." I need to redirect her. Change the topic of discussion away from me before the emotional similarity crumbles all my defenses. "So now that we know this place is going to be a pub, tell me how you envision it being set up."
I don't miss the gleam in Annie's eyes. She knows exactly what I'm trying to do by changing the subject.
"Okay, so I'm thinking the bar on the side." She points toward the right side of the shop. "The kitchen back there. I know we’ll have to close the area off, so maybe part of the bar can be in front of it so that orders can be brought out that way. Then bathrooms on the other back side and the rest will be open seating. I'm thinking barrels for tables instead of high tops, and then booths around the outside of the place. Ohhhh . . ."
Annie snaps her fingers again. "I wonder if we can have some outdoor seating next to the building, or even around back. I guess I would need to see who owns the grassy part to the rear and side since I know it's not part of my property."
I wince. "I own it. Well, sorta. It belongs to the town, but one of the stipulations in our town bylaws is that any piece of property owned by the town must be approved by me before it can be sold. It's an old and archaic way of operating, but the town counsel refuses to change it despite how many times I ask."
And I ask. Repeatedly. But they don't care that I don't want the responsibility. Willow Creek is a sentimental town that believes in tradition, and no matter how many times I tell them it’s okay to come into the twenty-first century and change things, they refuse to let go of the familial connection.
"Do you think the town council would be open to me having outdoor seating?"
I answer her honestly. "You would need to approach them, and I know you don't want that. This town isn't good at keeping secrets. The moment you asked, everyone would know who you are and who you're related to."
It's crazy how much Annie resembles Gracie, and yet I don't find her nearly as attractive as I do her younger sister.
"Okay, never mind. I'll keep the idea for the future after the pub opens."
"Is there a reason you don't want your sister and brother to know you plan to move here?"
I have yet to meet Owen, but Annie’s told me he was the first one to move to Willow Creek. Gracie followed, and now Annie. Although, technically, Annie was before her sister. Just no one knew it.
"It's not them I'm keeping it from, but who they would tell."
The last thing anyone would consider me is a gossip, but I refuse to lie to myself and say I'm not curious about what she means by that.
"I know my opinion doesn't matter, but I think if you told them you wanted it kept a secret, they would do that for you."
Annie laughs. "You’ve obviously never met my youngest sister. Keeping her mouth shut isn't something she knows how to do very well."
I'm torn between confessing to my client that I know her sister well enough to rent to her, and keeping my mouth shut to avoid the can of worms that might open up. No matter which way I look at things, I'm in a lose-lose situation. If Annie learns I know her sister, she might want to hire someone else. But saying nothing may bring its own set of consequences later. Either way, it's best for the time being to shut my trap and keep things professional.
"Let's get back to the task at hand. Do you have a time frame you want things done by? I have my guys on another project as well, but both can be done concurrently as long as you're not looking to have this completed in the next few weeks."
Annie shakes her head. "Time isn't a factor. The longer it takes, the longer I can stay hidden. I have to fly back to Chicago tomorrow to get back to work, so most of the communication will have to be over the phone. Unless you need me here for something?"
"Nope. Based on what you've told me, I'll have a set of blueprints emailed over to you in the next few days. Once you approve those, we can get started on the build-out. The otherproject is a senior living facility that's almost done, so my guys can easily work on both."
Annie smiles from where she's moving around the wide-open space. "I saw that. Someone purchased an old estate and is converting it. I think that's a great idea. This small community is growing in a good way."
I have to agree. There's progression, but not the negative kind that most towns see. "Yes, so far we've been able to keep the expansion of the town to only those things that will enhance it. Town council is adamant that we keep only small businesses as our main focus."
It's nice to know my great-great-great-great-grandfather Warren's legacy is still in place. He founded Willow Creek to get away from his memories, but created new ones in the process. Ones that are intact to this day.
"Then I chose the right place to bring my dream to life."
