Somewhere across the world, his sainted mother had just stopped to cross herself. But Flynn knew from long experience what it took to run such a place, and her doing it on her own, even with Ari’s help, was a lot.
“Help with the inn?” She sounded utterly baffled by the suggestion.
“It’s something I know a bit about.”
“Being a professional guest is not the same as running things.”
“To be sure. But my family runs a B and B in Clare, so I grew up turning rooms, scrubbing up, hauling luggage—with considerably less cheer about it than Ari does, I have to say.”
“You grew up in a B and B?”
“I did. We had people from all over the world come through. I’d listen to them talk about where they were from and yearn to be the one out on the adventures instead of the one helping house the adventurers for the night. So, when I hit eighteen, I lit out to do exactly that and haven’t looked back. But that doesn’t mean I don’t remember how it’s done.”
“That’s sweet, Flynn, but you are here on vacation, and I’m not going to have you working, particularly not at something you didn’t like doing in the first place. Besides, Kennedy says you get itchy being in one place for longer than a few days.”
She wasn’t wrong. Under normal circumstances, he’d be yearning for the road by now. But these weren’t normal circumstances, and he found himself more content than he’d been in longer than he could remember. “Darlin’, I’ve got no inclination to leave this spot for a century or so. And even then, it might be just for food.”
Pru arched a brow. “And what, pray tell, would you do for a century?”
Grinning, Flynn rolled her beneath him. “Let me show you.”
Chapter Five
“I KNEW I’D END up with a few clients from people I know, but word has spread like wildfire. Thanks.” Abbey accepted the glass of wine Pru offered. “I’ve got more people wanting to book sessions than I can manage in the temp space we have set up right now. People here are really into the idea of a spa.”
Balancing her own wine, Pru settled into one of the deck chairs opposite her friend. “I thought they might be.” The news both pleased and worried her. She’d invited Abbey to ply her trade on a whim, a means of testing the waters. But she hadn’t expected the idea to take off quite this fast.
“That’s your thinking face. What’s cooking in that brain of yours?” Abbey asked.
“I’ve been noodling over the idea of a day spa for a while. But I wanted time to gather some data on interest before I broached the subject with my sisters. A spa would necessitate renovations—an expansion or addition somehow. There’s—”
The back door opened, pulling Pru’s attention to the other end of the porch. She lost her train of thought as Flynn stepped out and grinned at her. Just that quick flash of his smile had her blood heating, and she had to fight not to grin foolishly back.
“Pru?” Abbey looked from her to Flynn.
Pru pokered up and prayed she wasn’t blushing. Did she have a blinking neon sign over her head? Having torrid affair with sexy Irishman. “There’s not room in the house for a full day spa without cannibalizing on guest space. Plus, I wouldn’t want to have clients constantly tromping through and disturbing anybody. I mean, not that people tromp at a spa, usually, but you know what I mean.”
“A day spa is it?” Flynn asked.
“Just brainstorming.” Pru made introductions. “Abbey, here, has more business than she knows what to do with, and we’re kinda straining at the seams regarding temporary space.”
“And what is it you do?” he asked.
“Well, facials and aromatherapy is what I’ve been doing. Back in Mississippi, where my regular job is, I do body scrubs, wraps, and body masks, among other things. It’s all about the pampering.”
“That sounds grand. And you’re thinking of introducing some of that here?”
“Eventually. I think the response Abbey’s gotten has proved there’s a local market, and certainly it’s something guests would appreciate. But Abbey’s only here temporarily, and we’ve only barely gotten the inn off the ground. We haven’t yet made it solidly into the black from our initial start-up costs, so I can’t hit my sisters up with the idea of investing more in an expansion without numbers to support it.”
Flynn angled his head. “What if you did something on a smaller scale? You’ve already got the room for your massages. Couldn’t you co-opt one of the guest rooms not being used? Temporarily transform it, while Abbey’s here, gather your numbers. Now that the wedding’s over, do you have any fully-booked weeks coming up?”
They didn’t. They were getting a steady trickle of reservations, particularly for weekends, but during the week, reservations were still sparse. Pru considered. “What would you need, Abbey?”
“For what I’m already doing, just a comfortable reclining chair.”
“What about the hydrotherapy and wraps and such?”
“Some of them require specialized equipment, but some could be managed with access to a bathroom with a tub and shower.”