Chapter Eighteen
Kory
“What do you think of my proposal?” Alexa asked after explaining her business proposition.
It was like a dream come true. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Someone pinch me. Alexa’s brows drew together, and I realized how I might have sounded. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for this. I never imagined something like this could happen. What made you think of this?”
Inside, I was screaming with excitement, but I tried to remain calm. My heart pounded double time, and my mind raced with the possibilities.
Alexa gave me a gentle smile. Her earlier concern seemed to have vanished. “When we were talking about the wedding plans this morning, I saw the fire in your eyes. It gave me the idea to keep this place running… not to mention the additional income source. Drake agreed as long as you were up for it.”
Drake and Alexa had what I wanted in a relationship. They put each other first and cared what the other one thought. From what Alexa had shared last night, they acted as a unit. That was the kind of relationship I wanted.
“This… it’s just amazing. It’s an incredible opportunity. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
Part of me wondered if Hayden had been involved in this idea. I hoped not, but I’d have to ask him to be certain. I didn’t want to ask Alexa in case it made me seem ungrateful.
“I know you won’t, Kory. So tell me, what do you think?”
My mind was awhirl with the possibilities. I ticked off the first few things that came to mind. I could clarify them later. “We could do bridal showers, baby showers, summer parties, weddings, birthday parties… the possibilities are endless. We could rent the space for photography sessions. The landscape is breathtaking. During the summer months, I can see photographers looking for a space that has beautiful grassy areas, mountains, water. It’s magical.”
“It is. My dad always told me he wanted his home to be the place that brought immeasurable happiness to his kids.”
Kids. Without thinking, I asked, “Do you have any siblings?”
“One, but we’re estranged. She’s actually leaving the area with her husband and my mother to start over. It’s hard to believe I’m related to them. We’re like night and day.”
My heart hurt for Alexa. She was so kind, but I could see the pain in her eyes. I reached out my hand. “For what it’s worth, sometimes the best of family isn’t blood related. Those who want to cause us harm don’t deserve to be part of our lives.”
As I spoke, the words rang true deep within. If my parents didn’t want what was best for me, they didn’t deserve to have me in their lives.
Alexa said, “That’s true. Thank you. I needed to hear that. It’s hard, though, knowing people who are supposed to be engrained to love you don’t. The rejection is hard to work through at times. It’s… tough not being able to go to the one person you should be able to.”
“I know. For me, I wanted to scream and cry out at times. But even if I had, my parents wouldn’t have heard me. These hardships make us stronger people. It makes us want more for our kids.”
“It does. Thanks, I needed that. Of course, I talk to Drake about it, but his family is fantastic and it’s hard to comprehend when you haven’t lived it.”
I nodded in agreement. Alexa shook her head like she was chasing away the negative thoughts. “I love your ideas. I won’t be able to devote much time, if any. This would be your thing all the way.”
I scooted to the end of the leather couch. “I’ll do everything. The income from the events could cover my rent and bills. I could create standard packages and customers could pick and choose options to add to make their event perfect. Then I’d set it up accordingly.” I pointed to the chandelier in the living room and then turned toward the dining room. “This area is perfect for a dance floor or dining room. The three downstairs bedrooms could be used for dressing rooms or staging areas.”
Alexa nodded approvingly. “Can you make a list of the things we’d need?”
“Yes, for sure.”
Alexa stood. “What do you think about lodging?”
I thought about that as I walked around the room. “I don’t think that’s necessary, and if we don’t go that route, it’ll keep the downstairs rooms available depending on the event. I’d need your help with pricing; I have no idea what’s reasonable for Skagway. We could offer a discount for locals to show support for our neighbors and work with the cruise lines to offer destination events to their customers.”
For bridal events, we could set up the downstairs bedrooms for changing areas and bridal salons. There was a shed in the back of the house where we could store extra furniture. Maybe we could create a job or two for the people of Skagway if the business took off.
“It all sounds good. Right now, we only have the community center or the Red Onion, which isn’t necessarily suitable for a wedding reception. I can think of several instances when someone wanted something different, but there wasn’t anything available.” Alexa’s eyes lit up, and she snapped her fingers. “I have a cabin that belonged to my dad and his parents. It’s got three bedrooms. We could add lodging there as part of the packages.”
I was growing more excited by the moment. We could offer a deal, complete with lodging. If I was going to live here for the foreseeable future, I would rather not have people stay in the house overnight. When I got a place of my own, we could offer rooms upstairs, if need be. “That would be fabulous. We could offer a honeymoon package and have champagne on ice waiting back at the cabin. As part of my hospitality studies, I found that often it was the little things that matter. Customer satisfaction is in the details. It’s what drives the five-star business ratings.”
“I agree.” Alexa stood, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Put together a budget for me. And regardless, you’ll live here rent free.”
I gasped, shaking my head. “I can’t stay here rent free.”
“You’ll be taking care of the house and the cabin. I was going to have to pay someone to do that. Or rent it out to some stranger I don’t trust. I have faith that you’re going to take care of this place like it’s your own. Like I said earlier, there is no way Drake and I could take this on. So, it’s a trade-off and takes a huge load off our minds.”
This might actually work.
“I’ve talked to Drake. We can front the money to set things up. Once that’s repaid from the income, what would you say to a thirty percent for me and seventy for you? We’d have to set up a percentage to retain for incidentals, but we can work that out.”
My mouth fell open. Seventy percent? “What? That’s too much.”
“You’ll be managing things completely. I’ll provide the initial startup cash and the facilities, but after that the business should be able to support anything needed. You’ll earn that seventy percent. And it’s another source of income for us that we wouldn’t have otherwise. What do you think?”
I jumped up and down. “I say yes. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’d like to talk it over with Hayden, too.”
“Of course. He dropped by the Red Onion as I was leaving. I told him I had something I wanted to run by you but didn’t share any of the details. I figured you’d want to do that.”
So Hayden hadn’t been involved. This offer had been made based on the abilities I’d exhibited this morning. It was hard to contain the giddiness inside. I never imagined I’d actually get to follow my dream and have my own career.
It was a win-win situation. I’d have a way to earn a living, and this created another income source for Alexa. Plus, it kept her extra homes in use instead of empty to deteriorate. I started making a list of to-do s. “When do you think I could see the cabin? And we probably want to make some time to get anything personal you don’t want people touching out of there and figure out where you’d like it to go. Maybe set up an owner’s closet for when you do decide to go there.”
Alexa said, “Good point. Let’s see… tomorrow is Sunday. What if we go out there before lunch? That way you’ll be able to work on whatever you need next week. We could also review the initial list of supplies to get started.”
“I’ll pull some information together.”
She reached out to give me a hug. “Great. See you tomorrow.”
I was determined to make this successful. With enough blood, sweat, and tears, anything was possible.
I waved good-bye as Alexa pulled away. When I was alone, I danced around on the porch with my hands in the air, letting the pent-up excitement finally break free.
Life was perfect. Absolutely perfect.