Page 13 of Bear Haven
“His motorcycle is loud.”
“Very good point, Bill. I don’t like all the motorcycles, either. They’re very loud. We’re a small, quiet town.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, we’ve been looking for garage space to house and repair motorcycles. Do any of you know of some space for sale or rent? Maybe near the boat yards?”
“Repair?”
“Yeah. I like to tinker from time to time. So does Gus.” Confused looks were leveled at Michael. “The one with the tattoos,” he clarified, his voice a little tight. His patience was beginning to wear thin. Bex knew they should wrap things up and send her neighbors on their way, but Bill’s eyes perked up at the mention of motorcycle repair
“Just what sort of repairs?”
“I’m not sure what Gus has planned beyond basic maintenance. When he returns from Knoxville, you can talk to him. He’s pretty good.”
“How many people do you plan on having stay at your little inn?
Bex pasted on a smile as Mildred’s attention turned back to her. “Not very many. We have six guest rooms upstairs.”
“I see. I don’t know where you plan to have all those people park. They can’t park on the street. We have a strict no parking on the street policy.”
“The driveway on the side of the house is actually more than sufficient as it runs from the front room to the back edge of the property. I know it looks a little crowded now, but once the bikes are gone, there will be plenty of room.”
“I assume if we call the city and the county, we’ll find that you have all the permits to legally operate an inn?”
Bex’s gaze shifted to a petite blonde woman who didn’t look to be more than Bex’s age. Her eyes were hard, her lips pulled tight like Mildred’s, but that’s where the similarities ended between the two women. Something about her made Bex nervous. Michael’s hand flexing on her shoulder told Bex that the woman made him uncomfortable, too. “Yes, you’ll find we have all the permits. I can get you a copy of them myself if you’d like. I have a couple of extra sets inside for just this reason.”
Two could play the game of Prove It.
“That’s all right. We simply don’t want anyone operating a business… Illegally.”
The way she said business made Bex’s skin crawl. Did the woman know something? Had she seen something?
“Lydia, I believe they’ve answered our questions,” Bill said to the blonde.
“You’re not fooling anyone. You’re just hoping to get that piece of junk in your shed fixed, Bill.”
“That’s not at all what I meant.”
“Oh, hush. It is so. But, I have to agree, Lydia. They have been kind enough to talk to us and explain their plans, to set our minds at ease.”
“Hmm.” It was the only sound Lydia made, but then, “Speak for yourselves. I’m not satisfied with their answers. I’ve seen some weird things going on. I’ve seen some strange happenings since they showed up. I’m not convinced.”
“Would you all like to come inside?” Bex asked, sweet as iced tea on a hot summer day. “We can show you some of the progress we’ve made. Of course, there are a few rooms we can’t let you in without hard hats. We wouldn’t want anyone hurt.”
“Why not? You don’t have insurance? You’ll need insurance before you can open for business. And are the contractors insured and bonded? Are they licensed? Maybe we should come in and take a look around.” She took a step forward. “I, for one, would be —”
“Come on, Lydia. We’re not going to intrude on their time any further. We got the answers we came for. What are your names?” Mildred asked
“My name is Rebecca, but everyone calls me Bex. This is Gus’s brother, Michael.”
“And the injured man? Poor thing looks like he went ten rounds with a bear.”
Michael nearly choked on a cough. Luckily, Bex bit her tongue. If they only knew… “He’s my father.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
Her face was close to cracking from the fakeness of her smile, but Bex persevered. “None taken. But, if you’re not going to come inside, we do need to get back. There’s still a lot of work to tend to before the day is over.”
She waited. The small band of nosey neighbors nodded and made their way off her front porch, Lydia being the last. She didn’t want to go. Everything from her stiff posture to her even more disapproving stare told Bex that. But go Lydia did and when they were all well on their way, Bex turned to Michael who ushered her inside the house.
