Page 7 of The Inn Dilemma

A light pink tinges her cheeks as she looks down. It’s then that I realize one of my hands is still on her knee and my thumb is rubbing circles. I pull back.

“Well, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” It’s time to pivot this conversation again. “So all the church services your mom took you to finally stuck?”

“I mean, she took us, but it never really made sense to me at the time.” She shrugs. “It didn’t sink in until I talked with Beau’s assistant, Elise, who shared the gospel with me at the art gallery.”

“So that’s when you left?”

“After Elise started meeting with me for Bible study, I told her the whole story about my family. In a loving way, she told me it was time for me to come home and try to make things right.” A shaky breath leaves her lips. She takes a deep breath before finishing. “It took me a few weeks, but I bought a plane ticket, packed my bags, and came home.”

“You just up and lefthim?”

“Yep. I left a note on the kitchen table. He tracked me down at the airport before I got through security and told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life. That no one else would be able to give me all that he had.” She scoffs. “I wasted so much time on him. It’s just my luck I’d choose a guy who only saw me as arm candy. But I’m done with that. I’m attempting to rebuild the bridges I’ve burned, trying to make amends and eat crow when needed. Unfortunately, Daddy Dearest has no interest in forgiving me.”

Interesting that she uses the same name for Kent Price—Daddy Dearest—as Christian. To most of the outside world, the Prices are the poster children for the picture-perfect family. But anyone who’s spent time behind their closed doors knows what a mess their situation really is.

“He hasn’t forgiven youyet.He’ll come around,” I say with finality, even if I don’t have a shred of evidence confirming that statement.

She shrugs. “I hope you’re right. But anyway, Beau and I are done, and I’m taking a dating sabbatical for the foreseeable future.”

“Why a dating sabbatical?” I ask.

She looks at me as if I asked her the dumbest question ever. “Let’s just say Beau was the straw thatbroke the camel’s back after a long string of poor boyfriend picks.”

Nova never had good taste in guys from what I remember. It seemed like she was always jumping from guy to guy, searching for love in all the wrong places. Now that she’s come to Christ, my prayer for her is that she finds her worth in Him and not a man—or even herself.

“So now I’m back home.” Her eyes drop to where she fiddles with her hands in her lap. “Well, not home-home.”

I reach forward and grip her shoulder. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want.”

Nova appears to compose herself, then looks up at me. “Thanks. Aunt Birdie taking me in was a huge weight off my shoulders. I love Reese and appreciate what she did for me more than I can say. But she needs her space just like I need mine. Besides, I’m already enjoying working here.”

My brows draw together. “You’re working here?”

She perks up. “Yeah, in exchange for room and board, I’ll be helping around the inn with whatever needs done. Cleaning bedrooms, bathrooms, getting cabins ready for guests. Anything she needs.”

“We have plenty of staff to do all that. I don’t know why she’d ask you?—”

“She didn’t. I told her I’d be working around the place to earn my keep. Dad never let me get a job in high school, not even to work at his company, and neither did Beau. I want to feel useful. Do things to help others. Earn my place here.”

Now I understand it. “That’s fair. Even though you’ve always been useful and absolutely no earning is needed when it comes to this place.”

Nova gives me an irritated look. “I refuse to just sit around and do nothing. I know people think I’m some pampered princess, but that’s not who I want to be. Not before and definitely not now.”

“I never thought that about you.”

She looks down and picks at a thread on her shirt. “Well, you’re one of the only people who doesn’t. Even Chris thinks–” Nova stops herself from finishing.

I hook my finger beneath her chin and tip her face up. “Even Chris thinks what?”

She turns her head away, and I drop my hand from her face.

“Chris hates me. And he’s going to hate me even more now.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I abandoned him and ignored all his calls. Dad will never forgive me, and neither will Chris.”

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