CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Zane
Life offered few things better than a nice warm day when a man could drive with the top down and enjoy the sun beating down on him as he tore down the highway at top speeds. The rest of the world faded away in those moments, so I knew to take advantage of them when they came along.
The wind caught my hair and rang in my ears, and I turned up the music and pressed my foot on the gas pedal as I looked toward the horizon. I drummed my hands on the steering wheel and bobbed my head to the beat. Things were good, and even though I was alone, the sun and the music were good enough company for me.
Sadly, a phone call interrupted my bliss, and through the speakers I heard, “Mr. Gilford, the attorney called. She needs to speak to you as soon as possible.”
“Did she say why?”
“No, but she sounded like things were about to be finalized.”
“Fine. Thanks,” I said, hanging up before turning my music back up to enjoy the rest of my drive.
When I pulled up to the office, I put the top up and checked my look in the mirror before I strode in, full of good vibes and an even better mood and outlook. The receptionist welcomed me and ushered me into the attorney’s office before handing me a glass of water and leaving. An especially efficient attorney, Kristen Jacobs came in a minute later. She had an all-business look with her short blonde bob, glowing tan, and stern expression.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Gilford. I’m glad you could make it in so quickly. I imagine traffic is a nightmare out there at this hour.”
“I took the scenic route, so not too bad. Besides the sun is shining, so it’s a great day. You should get out of this office and enjoy it. It’s days like this that make me want to jump in my car and head for the beach.”
She raised an eyebrow and leveled her gaze on me with a look that said she thought my suggestion was ridiculous, but she enjoyed taking my money, so she stayed silent.
Getting down to business, I asked, “Is the paperwork finished?”
She nodded as she pulled a stack of papers from an envelope and pushed them across the desk toward me. “Are you sure you want to do this? That’s a lot of money you’re leaving on the table.”
I scanned the legalese on the papers in front of me and then looked up at her. “You know, I guess I should be more worried about that, but I’m just not.”
“Well, we can’t easily come back from this point, so you need to be sure, Mr. Gilford. Otherwise, you’ll be paying me a lot to get back less. Understand?”
I signed my name where the tabbed arrows directed me to and said, “I know.”
The business of the day done, I walked out of the office and enjoyed the warm sun on my face for a moment before I looked around at all the gorgeous trees and breathed deeply. The fresh air filled my lungs and gave me a momentary high I’d never found anywhere but here.
I had to admit I enjoyed Vermont in the fall. The place held a certain peacefulness that even I couldn’t deny. I still hadn’t fully acclimated to the cold, but the crisp mountain air and colorful foliage were charming in some ways. I hadn’t even thought about California in a while and found that I didn’t miss it all that much.
As if to remind me why I liked it more than California, the owner of the coffee shop I frequented walked into the parking lot next to the law office and caught sight of me.
“Zane! Now I know you aren’t going to come this close to my shop and not get a cup of joe!” Elaine Taylor said, her gray hair flying in the wind as she rushed over to me.
I smiled and shook my head. “Not today, Mrs. Taylor. You’ll have to forgive me,” I said, turning on the charm I knew she liked so much.
She smiled and pulled me in for a quick hug. “Word around town is you’re keeping that inn of your mother’s.”
I could tell she was trying hard not to gossip, but she was terrible at hiding her true motives.
“Just signed the paperwork before you caught me. The Gilford House Inn will stay just that. You know there’s always room for you if you want to get away for a little while.”
“That is so good to hear! Your mother was one of my dearest friends, and she would have been so proud to see all that you’ve accomplished. Here, let me grab you a cup for the road, okay?”
There was no turning her down, so I nodded and thanked her. She rushed back out a minute later with a cup of coffee made just how I liked it and a donut too.
“You spoil me, Elaine.”
“Of course. You deserve it. Now you be good up on the mountain and remember to call my husband when the snow eventually gets here. He’s itching to use that new plow of his.”
“I sure will. Have a good one, and thanks for the coffee!”
I walked back to my car and drove the winding road up the mountain to the inn where my staff waited on the front porch all wearing smiles. In the very front stood Mandy, who gave me an out of character high five as I hit the last stair.
“Mr. Gilford, we can’t thank you enough for deciding not to sell the inn.”
The other staff members echoed her comment, and it felt good to be around what I had discovered to be a real family of people. We relied on one another at the inn, and though it had taken me a long time to understand that, my mother had been right all along. These people were family, and it felt good to have them all smiling at me.
“Thanks, everyone! We’ll be having an employee appreciation day sometime next month. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it’s going to be a blast. If anyone has any suggestions since I know my mother used to do them with you guys, please let me know. You know where to find me.”
With calls and echoes of “Thanks, Mr. G!” in the air, I walked away with a smile and a wave to sit beneath the tree that overlooked the valley below. I’d begun referring to it as Our Spot in my mind because it was where Becca and I had shared that Fourth of July picnic together. It felt like so long ago, and I missed her more than I liked to admit. Nearly every inch of the inn and the surrounding grounds seemed to be haunted by the memory of the woman I shouldn’t have lost.
It had been my fault she left, but that didn’t made it any less difficult to bear. In fact, it made it that much worse. I would often go to that spot to relax, and naturally, my mind would drift to all we’d been to each other. Though I missed her, I had to admit it was really over. I’d left her dozens of different messages for days after she stormed out, but she never called back.
But even if she didn’t know it, what she said about selling the inn and putting all my staff out of their jobs sunk in. It wasn’t the right thing to do, and when it came time to sign on the dotted line and leave the inn, Vermont, and all the memories of the past year behind, I couldn’t do it.
I sat with my back pressed against the bark of our tree and stared out at the valley and all the trees that surrounded it with their red and gold colors. Vermont really showed off in autumn. I hadn’t noticed last year, and as I took it in now, I couldn’t help but wish that I could be enjoying the beauty with Becca.