Page 8 of Tinsel & Tools
Gavin
Following the directions on the GPS, we turned from Aspen Street onto Maple Street, noting all the streets were named after trees. Thanksgiving was two days away, but Brookhaven was already decked out for Christmas. Wreaths hung from every lamppost, and storefronts glowed with lights and other holiday decorations.
Allie stared out the passenger-side window of my car, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were smudge marks from her fingers and nose on the glass. “This place is adorable. Look at these little shops.”
“I see them,” I muttered, focusing on the road in front of me.
A week ago, I received a call from my grandfather’s attorney, informing me that the probate process was complete, and I was now the official owner of Cedar Falls Inn. Since I didn’t have anywhere to go for the holiday—and Allie chose not to visit her family in California like she usually did despite my offer to cover her flight—we decided to drive up north to check out my new property and spend a few days in town.
As we passed a gazebo in the middle of what looked to be the town square, the GPS instructed me to turn right on Willow Lane. Just past the town hall, we parked across the street from a one-story brick building with a wooden sign out front that read “Norman Glynn Law Office” and headed inside.
A woman sat at the front desk. “You must be Mr. Price,” she said as soon as we walked inside, catching me off guard.
I lifted a brow. “How’d you know?”
She chuckled softly. “Most of our clients are locals. Besides, Mr. Glynn only has one appointment today.”
In a small town, it probably wasn’t hard to spot the outsider.
A man who I assumed was Mr. Glynn stepped out of his office and walked toward me. “Mr. Price. Thank you for coming.”
“Call me Gavin.” I shook his outstretched hand. “This is my friend, Allie.”
He smiled her way. “Welcome to Brookhaven.”
“Thank you,” she replied brightly.
“If you’ll come back with me, there are a few documents I need you to sign, and then you can head over to the inn and check out your new place.”
We followed him into his office, where I sat across from his desk and scrawled my name in the spaces he’d marked. When we were finished, he slid a key to me. “It would make your grandfather happy to see you taking over the place. He’d received a few offers from investors over the years, but he never wanted to sell. Not even when the place wasn’t turning a profit. Said it was part of the family, and it always would be.”
Family wasn’t exactly a word I’d associate with the man I’d never met, but we were related.
“I don’t know about all that. It’s sort of hard to think about him in those terms,” I admitted.
Mr. Glynn nodded as if he understood and let the subject drop. “Mrs. Ross is expecting you. She’s kept things running as best she could the past six months, although it’s quite the job for one person.”
“I can imagine,” I acknowledged.
We said our goodbyes and left. Allie and I climbed back into the car. As we buckled our seatbelts, she turned to me, practically vibrating with excitement. “You ready to see your bed and breakfast?”
I nodded. “I think so. Just hope I’m not getting in over my head.”
According to the directions, Cedar Falls Inn was located near Lake Briar on the north end of town. The sun was already starting to set behind the towering pine trees as we headed to our destination.
“This looks like something out of a movie,” Allie mused as she watched the passing landscape.
I didn’t respond. All my attention was focused on the unfamiliar, darkening road in front of me.
When the inn finally came into view, she gasped. “Oh wow.”
From what I’d read online, the bed and breakfast was a large two-story house with two bedrooms on the first floor and six more rooms upstairs, plus a boat house on the lake. In front, just one car sat in the small gravel parking lot. I was a bit shocked as I pulled in beside the other vehicle. Mr. Glynn had mentioned the place wasn’t turning a profit, but I didn’t expect it to be empty, especially during a holiday week.
Even with only a few dim, outdoor lights illuminating the area, I still noticed that the paint on the building was chipped, several windows were cracked and patched with tape, a few shutters were dangling off their hinges, and weeds had grown over the steps of the front porch that looked like it had seen better days.
“Oh wow is right. This place looks even more rundown than the pictures and reviews made it appear.”
Allie swatted my arm. “You’re not seeing the potential. With a little work, this could be gorgeous.”
