Page 6 of Through the Dark Night
“If you’re really interested in doing this, you might want to talk to my wife about the design inside. I think she would cut you a pretty good break. She specializes in healing spaces, and that seems to be like something you might be interested in.”
Shannon wanted to smile and agree with him, but she felt her defenses going up. She didn’t want to be that vulnerable with anyone, let alone a complete stranger. Someone she was going to have to see every day for the next year if his estimations were correct.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, and her words came out very cool, very standoffish, very much protecting herself from any kind of vulnerability.
Dominic didn’t seem to notice or mind. “It’s gonna be kind of hard to get you a quote for the entire building, but if you don’t mind going piece by piece, I can give you some ideas and some quotes to get started.”
Dominic went on to say that he felt like they should do a thorough inspection of the foundation and the bones of the building and mentioned some other things while Shannon listened, feeling bad that she had been so cool when he had been so open and vulnerable with her. He’d admitted that he’d almost lost his wife, and she wished that she knew more about that. Not that it would do her any good now. Her husband wasn’t interested in coming back, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted him. Did she really want someone who cheated? And honestly, once she got over the sadness of seeing everything that she had built get torn to shreds, she knew that she hadn’t married the best man anyway. The best man had stayed in Raspberry Ridge, and she hadn’t seen him in decades.
Dominic got her contact information and promised to send an estimate over in a reasonable amount of time. Then he left, and Shannon wandered back down to the once grand entranceway to stand at the top of the stairs and watch the sunset.
Everything she owned was in the back of her SUV and behind her in this building. This was what she was staking the rest of her life on. She had a little bit of cash coming from the sale of a few other things that had taken a bit longer to arrange, and she wondered if maybe she was being crazy for spending it all on fixing this up. But there was a part of her that already knew that it was what she was going to do no matter what. Maybe it was foolish, maybe it was crazy, maybe she was just reacting out of depression and desperation, but this was where she was going to settle, and this was where she was going to build the rest of her life. At this inn.
And it wasn’t just going to be Dominic and his crew and whatever subcontractors he hired. He’d mumbled about all of that stuff, but Shannon had done her share of painting at least, and she had done some DIY projects around the house over the years. She enjoyed working with her hands. Maybe it wouldn’t cost as much as what Dominic was thinking, because she would pitch in and do everything she could to bring this old place back to its former glory.
And maybe, somewhere along the way, she would heal herself while she was at it.
But as she watched the sun slowly sinking past the edge of the lake, she realized that it wasn’t just about herself, and it wasn’t just about the building either.
In her mind, she could see families, smiling and laughing, coming up the stairs. Couples finding romance, maybe a second chance, like she would like to have had, or maybe couples who made the right decision the first time. Laughter and dancing, and smiling faces and people being enveloped by the inn and by its charm and its stately grandeur, giving them a restful place from the world.
Maybe it wasn’t just about restoration, maybe it was about looking beyond herself and creating a place where other people could find joy and happiness, and maybe even some healing as well.
Three
The next morning, Shannon decided before she could even begin to tackle anything in the inn, she needed coffee and normalcy. She was tempted to jump in her car—it would be quicker—but the late September breeze was warm, and part of the reason she moved back to Raspberry Ridge was because she missed the fresh, wholesome air that came in off the lake. Plus, she missed the community that formed around her and the small-town vibes. As much as that made her nervous and defensive as well.
Regardless, she was determined to enjoy the day, so she grabbed a light jacket and stepped out into the bright September sunlight. The air was clean and fresh and seemed to make its way to the depths of her lungs as she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and smiling at how good it felt.
The walk to town was only ten minutes or so, and it did her body good to limber up.
She’d slept on a bed, using sheets that she had brought to make it so it was clean. She didn’t want to know how many spiders were in the room with her, but at least she knew there were none in the sheets when she put them on the bed.
Today would consist of a long laundry list of trying to make sure that she got the basic necessities that she would need in order to live there figured out before she even began to tackle the things she needed to do at the inn to get it ready for guests. Maybe Dominic’s estimate would come in and it would be well below what she was afraid it was going to be.
But she didn’t need any of that now. She just needed coffee and maybe some food.
The scent of cinnamon wafted through the air, feeling like a hug as she looked closer at the bakery her friend had run when she lived in Raspberry Ridge.
She couldn’t remember her name, but she remembered Lauren, who had been Yolanda’s friend, although she hadn’t been there the day of the tragedy.
Still, that had been forever ago, and the cinnamon smell drew her right in. The bells jingled above her head as the door closed behind her. A woman in her late twenties stood up from behind the counter.
“Lauren?” she said carefully.
“Mrs. Callahan?” Lauren said tentatively.
“It’s McKay, but you’re right. I’m Yolanda’s mother.” She stumbled over the name of her daughter, and she wondered if it was even wise to say anything when she saw Lauren’s eyes flicker. In order to get past the awkward moment, she continued to talk. “I bought the inn, the Sunset Inn on the hill. I’m planning on restoring it.”
Almost as though Lauren sensed Shannon’s nervousness, her uncertainty, or maybe just how difficult the last year had been for her, she smiled warmly. “I have fresh apple cider donuts, and they’re on the house. Especially for anyone brave enough to take on the old inn. That would be amazing if you’re able to fix it up and have guests. That’s your plan?” she said, bustling around behind the counter, getting a plate, and setting two steaming donuts on top of it. They glistened with a sugary glaze as Lauren looked up. “Coffee?”
“Please,” Shannon said. “And I can pay for it.”
“I’ll charge you for the coffee, but the donuts are on the house. This is a new recipe, and I’m trying to get opinions on it.”
“Well, they smell delicious, if that counts for anything,” Shannon said. She remembered Lauren as being slightly serious but always down for a good time. She’d been one of Yolanda’s best friends, and she’d spent a lot of time at Shannon’s house. It felt like she had grown up, though, and was more of an equal to Shannon than a little girl—like there weren’t two decades between them.
“I’m so glad you’re back in town.”
