Mrs. Wright grips her cane in a white-knuckled hand as she lowers into the upholstered chair opposite my desk. I stand there until she’s safely seated then take a seat myself in the chair right next to her. I owe this woman for years of the best job I’ve ever had. I’m not going to speak to her from behind a desk.
“You’ve been busy, haven’t you?” she asks, a devious smile twisting her lips. “A husband and a fiancé. That sounds like something I would’ve tried to get away with in my day.”
I laugh. I have no idea where she’s getting her information, but I’m not surprised. Mrs. Wright always seems to know what is going on. “I can only plead ignorance, as embarrassing as that is.”
She waves a hand as if my knowledge of my near bigamy is irrelevant. “You know my kids are anxious for me to sell, and I promised them it’d be done by summer.”
I bow my head. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
“I wanted to give you as much time as I could, but I’m not getting any younger, so when you said you couldn’t buy in May as we planned—”
“I understand.” I wince. I shouldn’t have cut her off, but this is literal torture.
“I’ve been selective with my buyer, and since I know you worried about what any of the national chains might do if they took over, I tried to avoid the big names.”
I nod and smile politely, but tears press behind my eyes. Owning The Orchid has been my dream for years, but I have to let it go. I can see now that my belief that I could eventually buy it is a sign of how spoiled I’ve been my whole life. “It was kind of you to consider my wishes. You certainly didn’t have to.”
She huffs. “Well, you have made me a great deal of money over the years, so that’s worth something, isn’t it? My kids just see this place as the money pit it was before you came on. They have no idea what it’s been making me in recent years.” She winks and whispers, “Can’t let them know too much, or they’ll come around looking for their share.”
I laugh. “Well, I’m glad you thought my efforts were worthwhile.”
“Indeed. And it was easy to prove that with the numbers as well. As a result, the company that’s taking over has agreed to let the current staff stay on.”
“Who’s the buyer?”
“The name of the business is BEK, LTD.” She gives me a grim smile. “I know it’s not the same as making The Orchid yours, but it’s the best I could do, Brinley.”
My eyes well with tears, but I take a deep breath and tighten that string that seems to be all that’s holding me together these days. “You did more than you had to. You have for years. And I’m grateful.”
* * *
I rarely close my door when I’m not in a private meeting, but after Mrs. Wright leaves, I do. I close it and curl up in a ball in my chair, looking out over Lake Blackledge. I won’t cry. No. I’ll save that for later. But I need some quiet moments—my chance to say goodbye to my dream.
We got off easy. My friends and I will still have jobs. There’s more here to be grateful for than not . . . but still I need to grieve.
When there’s a knock at my door, I ignore it and keep staring.
The door opens anyway. “Hey, baby boo,” Stella says. “I wanted to check on you.”
“Hey.” I force a smile. “I have good news. The new owner is going to keep us in our positions.” I don’t add for the time being, even though the pessimist in me knows it’s easy for them to make those promises now and then change the rules the moment something suits them better.
She lowers herself into a chair across from my desk and sighs. “Well, that is good news, but it’s not the reason I was worried about you.”
“Oh?”
“Promise you won’t freak out.” I nod, and her brow wrinkles with her frown. “I’m friendly with Mrs. Wright’s finance guy, and he just called to give me the scoop on who bought the spa.”
“BEK, LTD,” I say. “Whoever the hell that is.” It’s not like I’m privy to all the companies and individuals who’ve been considering the purchase, but I know enough about some to know who to be on the lookout for. That one wasn’t on my radar.
Stella gives me a sad smile. “Honey, it’s Marston,” she says. “He’s BEK, LTD.”
My heart squeezes hard and sinks just as suddenly. “Marston?”
She stands and wrings her hands. “You said you wouldn’t freak out.”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “I’m not.” I don’t trust myself to say much more. My hands are already trembling. He did this for me, I have no doubt.