Liam Sullivan pulled into a house he’d just flipped and had planned to put on the market. Instead, his mother made a last minute decision to move back to the area, making him rethink that decision.
He and his parents moved here from Michigan when he was fourteen, following his father’s job. Though his father still had to commute to Saratoga for work, he’d fallen in love with the Lake George area and wanted a house on the lake.
After Liam finished college, his father was transferred out of state again, but at that point, Liam liked the area and decided to stay, making a name for himself as a contractor and a strong businessman people respected.
Soon repairs and additions turned to flips and investments. Every year his business grew and evolved and branched out to the point where he was doing less hands-on work and more supervising and making deals. He’d always known he wanted to be his own boss, but even he never thought he’d be sitting this pretty at thirty-two years old.
“Mom,” he said, opening the door. His mother was going to live here for the time being until everything else fell into place. He could have had her staying at his house on the lake, but he was at a point in his life that he didn’t want his mother underfoot.
“In the kitchen, Liam.”
He smelled something good. Maybe he should reconsider having her move in just for the food alone. “What are you making?”
“Shrimp Scampi.”
He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He’d missed his parents when they moved away seven years ago, but made the time to go visit several times a year. They often came back to see him too.
Unfortunately, last year his father died suddenly of a massive heart attack. His mother was at loose ends. The two of them made the decision together that she’d come here since he wasn’t about to walk away from his business. There was no family for his mother in California, and no long-standing career keeping her there. She’d always been a housewife and she pretty much only had him to watch out for her now.
“No dessert?” he asked her.
“You know there is always dessert. Have a seat, Liam. You look like you did on Christmas morning when you were hoping to get that brand new bike left by Santa under the tree.”
He smiled at her, remembering that Christmas morning well. “This is even better news.”
“Well, what is it?” she asked.
“Remember Granny’s Orchard?”
“How could I forget? You dragged me to that haunted house every single year and caused me to have nightmares for weeks after.”
He loved that haunted house, but more so, he just loved that farm.
They’d moved here right before school started and he hadn’t known a soul. Once they were settled, his mother took him apple picking. Something they’d done together his entire life, and being fourteen didn’t mean he’d outgrown it. She’d been trying so hard to keep his life normal, but it had been the fifth move for them in fourteen years.
It wasn’t only that his mother tried to keep up traditions with him, it was the place itself.
He’d always loved the outdoors and the land just beckoned him. He didn’t want to just climb a tree and pick apples, he wanted to explore. He wanted to sit in a tree and look out over the land. Go into the bakery and store whenever he was hungry, then go back out and walk everywhere to see the pumpkins and raspberries, strawberries and vegetables. He was betting it was a pretty awesome place year-round on the land, but he’d really only walked it in the summer and fall.
To some, it might sound like silly memories, but to a new kid in town, he held onto it and couldn’t let go anymore than a dog would release his favorite ball. A place he felt at peace, and one he dragged his mother to often, even his father, whether it was to buy sweets and knickknacks in the store, or fruits and vegetables when they were available. He ate more vegetables than he wanted just for the excuse of a visit.
“I’m going to buy it.”
“What?” his mother asked, pulling a chair out and sitting down.
He grabbed the chair next to her and finally sat. “I’m buying it for you. You can have your own bakery now like you always wanted, with no worries about moving again.”
His mother’s eyes glistened, then she laughed. “Liam, that is just nuts. You can’t buy me a farm so I’ve got a bakery.”
“I can and I am. You’ve always wanted one; you even said for years how much you loved that little store. Why not have what you want in a place that is familiar to us both?”
“That’s true, but to own it. I don’t know the first thing about running my own business.”
“You can learn then.”
It would give his mother a much-needed purpose in her life. So many years of being a housewife and taking care of his father left too much time on her hands—and probably her mind—now. This would be a challenge and something she’d enjoy.
“I want to say you’re crazy again, but I’m just too excited. Did you really buy it?”
“Not officially. I went out to the farm this morning to get some muffins. I noticed that it’s falling down and in need of repair. Anthony Michaels, who owned and ran it, died five years ago and it was left to his daughter, Belinda Rogers. Remember her? She’s the one you always talked to in the bakery?”
“I remember her now. Sweet lady. Are you saying she’s run it on her own for years?”
“She has and it shows. We got to talking and she said it’s getting away from her. She knows I’m a contractor and she approached me on some repairs. One thing led to another and I made her a fair market value offer. She seemed shocked, and then agreed.”
“But nothing binding has been done yet?” his mother asked, looking almost upset now.
“I don’t believe she’ll go back on her word. She said she was going to tell her daughter tonight, but that it was solely her decision and she’d rather see it run the way it used to be. I get the feeling her daughter may protest, but she assured me multiple times that the farm was only in her name.”
“So you’re buying a farm to give me a bakery? Please don’t tell me I’ve got to run the farm too,” his mother asked, horrified.
He laughed. “Of course not. I don’t even have time for it. I’m going to fix the barn and the house up and probably rent the house out at some point. Maybe I’ll find someone who can run the farm and housing can be part of their salary.”
“I don’t know where you come up with these ideas, but your excitement is rubbing off. When do we start?”
He hadn’t seen his mother this happy in a long time. Now he knew he made the right decision.
“I’m going to talk to my lawyer on Monday and Belinda gave me the name of hers. No need to go through any realtors at this point. We’ll work out the details, but I told Belinda that I’d let them stay on until the end of the year as it’s their busy time and they can teach me the ropes.”
He turned his head when he smelled smoke, his mother jumping up. “Oh dear, I’ve ruined dinner. Good thing I only have to bake on the farm or I’d be out of business in a week.”
He laughed and walked over to take the pan out of her hands and dumped it in the garbage. “Why don’t I take you out to dinner and we can celebrate.”
“I’ll let you do that. Liam,” she said, pausing.
“What?”
“You’re so much like your father it breaks my heart at times.”
“Why does that break your heart?”
“Because I just miss him. But I look at you and I see what you’re trying to do and I know that we raised you right. That your father is looking down on us and knowing that I’ll be taken care of.”
“Always, Mom. I did this for you as much as I did it for me.”