He just shrugged. “Looks like it. Don’t worry, I won’t let her ruin the theater.”
Tori glared at Gavin. “Ruin it? It was my idea to restore it in the first place.”
“And I guess it’s my job to see you do it correctly.” Gavin rose, dropped some bills on the table, and crossed to the door.
She stood there simmering in anger as he disappeared.
“He really is a good guy. He’ll be a big help to you.”
“I don’t want his help.”
“Ah, well, you’ll soon learn that no one in this town gets away with countering Miss Eleanor’s… ah… wishes.” Beverly shook her head. “Except that son of hers, Cliff.” she said under her breath as she walked away.
Chapter9
The weeks flew by in a blur of appointments and decisions. Tori started a large notebook for her plans, carefully keeping track of everything that needed to be done.
She’d extended her stay at the B&B but really did need to find a place to stay long term. Darlene’s place was quaint and cozy, but she craved her own space. She’d have to make time to check out what was available on the island.
Then the day finally came that she’d been waiting for. She sat nervously in the lawyer’s office, waiting for Miss Eleanor to come and sign the final papers. Her pulse raced, longing for the papers to be signed and the theater to be hers. She wanted to honor her grandmother’s legacy and rekindle those childhood memories.
Miss Eleanor came in, nodded to her, and sat down. First they signed a contract that she’d restore the theater back to how it was and that she agreed to Gavin overseeing it. She tried one more time to assure Miss Eleanor this contract wasn’t needed. But Miss Eleanor wasn’t having it. Then they signed the sale papers as the lawyer read through page after page. Her fingers trembled slightly as she signed the last one.
The theater washers. Excitement swept through her.
She rose from the table and reached out her hand. “Thank you, Miss Eleanor. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“I expect you won’t.” The woman nodded. “Because I’ll have Gavin there watching to make sure it’s done right.”
Tori bristled. “I assure you it will be done right. It will be restored to its previous grandeur.”
She hurried out into the sunshine, clenching the key tightly in one hand, her notebook in the other. She headed down the sidewalk and directly over to the theater. Bursting with pride, she opened the front door and stepped inside. With determined steps, she headed into the main theater room. Pride mixed with nostalgia washed over her as she ran her fingers over the worn velvet seats.
“Hey, Grams. I did it,” she whispered into the silence.
“You often talk to empty rooms?” Gavin’s voice came from the doorway, and she whirled around.
“Do you often sneak up on people?” She glared at him, annoyed that he ruined the moment.
“I just stepped in the door. No sneaking involved,” he replied with a trace of amusement.
“My grandmother would love knowing this theater was going to be restored and active again.” She eyed him defiantly but was surprised to see a slight softening of his normally grumpy demeanor. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought we could look around the whole place. Come up with a plan.”
“I have a plan.” She held up her large notebook. “Very detailed.”
“Great, then let’s go over it. Step by step.”
She let out a long sigh, the sound echoing in the vast space of the theater. “Then will you leave me alone?”
“Probably not,” he admitted, his features relaxing into the first genuine smile she’d seen from him.
Gavin felt a tiny bit guilty for interrupting Tori’s private moment. Some people might think it was a bit weird that the woman talked to her grandmother. But he thought it was kind of endearing.
He swept his gaze around the theater. “Okay, want to start here in the theater?”
“My plans actually start at the front door. It’s sturdy but needs to be scraped and repainted. I want to paint it the same green it used to be. And it needs a new lock.” She opened the notebook she’d held up and seemed like she was consulting a list. “The ticket booth outside needs to be repaired. It has broken boards. One of the panes of glass in the window that holds the posters of the shows needs to be replaced. And the word ‘Theater’ over the door is missing the T.” Snapping the notebook shut, she walked away from him, heading to the lobby.
