Page 5 of The Single Dad Billionaire
“Oh my goodness, Josh!” Brenna said, smiling brightly.
Mr. Jacobson shook my hand.
“Hello, Josh,” he said. “I see you know each other. I guess that makes sense, since you both grew up here.”
I nodded. Mr. Jacobson had only come to town three years earlier, so he wouldn’t have known Brenna or her family.
“Yes,” I said. “I’ve known Brenna since she was very young. But I haven’t seen her in several years.”
“That’s wonderful you can reconnect,” he said. He turned to Brenna and shook her hand. “I will look forward to hearing from you in a couple of days to discuss your plans.”
“Thank you,” Brenna said.
We watched Mr. Jacobson get into his car and drive away. Then I turned to her again.
“What are you doing here? And this is so weird. You look exactly the same, but you also look completely different!”
Brenna laughed. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, your face looks the same, but here you are, all professional-looking. I remember the last time I saw you, we were both basically just kids.”
“You were a senior in college!” she said.
“Yes,” I answered. “A kid.”
Brenna looked down at her suit. “I guess I do look different than I did that day, don’t I?”
“Yes.”
She ran her eyes over my dress shirt and pants. “You’re pretty fancy too,” she said.
I shrugged. “What can I say?”
She laughed, and I was struck by how beautiful she was. She had always been pretty, but now she had a confidence and maturity that made her stunning.
“Okay,” I said. “Enough about clothes. What are you doing here? And why are you at the B&B?”
Brenna shook her head. “That’s a question I keep asking myself. But the technical answer is that this is mine. I inherited it.”
I looked at her in shock, not sure what to say.
“I know,” Brenna said. “I am just as shocked as you are.”
“Were you close with Mr. Reynolds?”
“I wouldn’t say we were particularly close,” she said. “I was nice to him, and I was nice to his family, but this is such a surprise to me. I mean, I am grateful for sure, but it is just so strange.”
She turned and looked at the property, and I could see she felt overwhelmed. I had been with several clients in the same position, and I knew her mind must be racing.
“Do you need someone to talk to about all of this?” I asked.
She turned and looked at me, and I could see relief in her eyes.
“Actually, yes,” she said softly.
“I figured. I don’t want to overstep, and I know I haven’t seen you in years, but I do know you. And I also happen to deal with bed-and-breakfasts as part of my career, so perhaps I can be of some help.”
“You are not overstepping,” she said. “We are old friends.”
