He opened the first page to reveal several small colored photos of teenagers, the kind that were taken every year in high school. Excitement replaced Harper’s anger. She leaned forward to examine the pictures more closely.
“This must have been my mother’s own photo album. These kids must have been her friends.”
“Any idea who they are?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure.”
This album was the kind with sticky pages. The plastic covering could be lifted and the photos inserted inside, then the plastic covering would be placed back over the pictures, essentially sealing them inside. Miranda may have written names and dates on the backs of the photos, but they’d been entombed inside their sticky homes for so long, Harper couldn’t check without the risk of tearing or damaging them in some way. Frustration ate at her. She was on the edge of knowing her mother better but a barrier had been placed in her way.
As she turned the page, her heart lifted a little. She pointed to one of the pictures, a young girl with long dark hair, blue eyes and braces on her teeth. “I think this is Abby. Oh, and this is Willy. I’m positive.” The photo showed a good-looking young man with longish, light brown hair and a sweet smile.
Ethan studied the. “You’re kidding. This is Willy?”
“I’m sure it is. I’d have to check with Abby to confirm, but this is kind of how I remember him.” She touched the picture. “He had so much promise here. It’s heartbreaking what the alcohol has done to him.”
“Yeah, it always is.”
She heard the bitterness in his voice and knew he was thinking of his father. Growing up with an alcoholic parent must have been tough, almost as tough as growing up without any parents at all. Harper wished she could pull him into her arms and offer some kind of solace. Not being able to touch him was like a physical pain, an ache that wouldn’t go away.
Instead, she turned another page. More candid shots, kids playing sports, swimming in the lake in front of the lodge, and generally clowning for the camera. One picture in particular caught her eye. A boy, a young man really, leaning against a tree. The photo was taken at a distance and his ball cap was pulled low, making it hard to get a good look at his face. Though his arms were folded across his chest as if he were impatient with the photographer, his half grin spoke of amusement, and something more. Affection, perhaps?
Harper thumbed quickly through the album before going back to the page with the mysterious young man. “I wonder who he is. There’s no other photos of him.”
“Maybe you’ll have to take out the picture to see if there’s anything written on the back. Or perhaps you can take this album to Abby. If she was your mother’s best friend, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for you.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to do that.”
Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway before Reese Hanson stuck his head through the door. “You almost finished clearing out this room? We’d like to get a start on the demolition.”
Harper got to her feet, taking the photo album with her. “Almost done. I got a little side-tracked looking at some old family albums.” She cocked her head to one side. “You went to school with my Mom, didn’t you, Reese? Maybe you know some of the people in her album.”
“I was a few years older and at least four grades ahead of her. We didn’t hang out with the same people.”
“It’s a small town. You must have seen them around, even if you were older. Humor me and take a quick look. Please?” She held out the album to him.
Reese reluctantly took the album from her and flipped through the pages. He pointed to some of the pictures. “This is Abby, and this is Willy Eklund.”
“I thought so. What about some of the others?”
He put names to several of the other pictures, skipping by the one of the young man leaning against the tree. Some of the people he named were familiar to her since they’d remained in Minnewasta, but others were strangers, having left soon after graduation, never to return.
He turned the page to an eight by ten of Miranda wearing her cap and gown at her high school graduation. The corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “Your mother was very pretty.”
“She was. Did you know her well?”
“I worked for your grandfather at the lodge the summer after I graduated from high school. And like you said, it’s a small town.”
“Oh. I didn’t know you’d worked at the lodge. Grampa never mentioned it.”
He closed the album and handed it back to her, signalling the end of their trip down memory lane. “We need to get started on the demolition tomorrow.”
Harper blinked. “Tomorrow? I thought I had a few more days.”
Reese shook his head. “Change of plan. We finished with the foundation for the new extension ahead of schedule and my crew is available. Time is money.”
“I’m going to need help moving the things I want to keep to the cottage where I’ll be staying.”
“No problem. What about the furniture? Most of it is going, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Harper thought fast. “If you can loan me a truck and a couple of your men, we can take the furniture to the charity in Brainerd today instead of waiting for them to pick it up.”
“I can get a few of the guys to help you. You can use my half-ton.”
Ethan turned to her. “If we use both of our trucks, we can probably get the lodge cleaned out by the end of the day.”
Everything was happening so fast. It would have been nice to have more time to sort through her grandparents’ room, but perhaps it was better this way. Better to get this over quickly.
She nodded at Ethan and put the photo album back in the box. “I’ll tape these up again. I don’t want them to get mixed up with any of the stuff going for donation.”
“Write ‘Keep’ on the boxes and I’ll take them to my truck myself and make sure they get stowed in your cottage. What else do you want to hang on to?”
She marked all the boxes in the closet to keep, even though many had no markings to identify what they contained. Then, she helped Ethan move them and the other things she wanted to save to his truck. Reese’s crew took apart beds and began moving out the old furniture. They filled her truck with garbage bags full of old clothes and other items meant for donation. By the end of the day, the lodge was completely empty and a few of the interior walls had started coming down.
Later, as she and Ethan walked around the empty lodge, panic gripped her. The memories accumulated within the old wooden beams of the lodge, and her only link to the past, had been boxed up and hauled away. Her heart thrummed in double time. She was overwhelmed by the enormity of what she’d embarked on, and she was terrified she’d made a mistake.
Ethan laid a hand on her shoulder. “You did the right thing. It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
His touch was warm and comforting. It took all her self-control not to throw herself into his arms. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
He gave a negligent shrug. “You’re not that hard to read.”
Only to you.
His calm reassurance eased her fears. Despite everything, there was no one else she’d want beside her on this project.
Ethan poured more wine into her glass and Harper raised it to her lips. She’d cooked a simple dinner for them in her cottage, braving the chilly early spring weather to barbecue a couple of steaks out on the deck. She could hardly wait until it was warm enough to eat their dinner on the front porch and watch the sun go down.
“Thanks for bringing the wine. It’s really good. Not that I know anything about wine.”
“But you know what you like?”
She chuckled at that. “Exactly.”
“I thought a small celebration was in order,” he said. “The end of three weeks of construction and so far, so good.”
She touched her glass to his. “I’ll drink to that.”
The changes Reese’s crew had made in such a short time were remarkable. The interio
r walls on the second floor of the main lodge had been demolished and the reframing to allow for new bathrooms to be installed had begun. Two bedrooms would have to be sacrificed, leaving only eight upstairs, but it was worth the loss to have an ensuite bathroom for every room. The rough-ins for the new plumbing and electricity were next on the list. The place was a virtual beehive of activity.
This was really happening.
The rich, red wine did a little happy dance on her tongue. She enjoyed wine, but rarely bought any for herself. On the few occasions when she’d bought a bottle, it was usually a modestly priced one that went along with her modest income. This one tasted expensive. She examined the label. Most of the writing was in French, and all she could make out was that it was a Burgundy from France. When she lifted the glass to her nose and inhaled, she could practically see rows and rows of grapevines, feel the sun on her back, and smell the rich, dark earth.
“I’ve never seen this wine before. Where did you get it?”
“In a wine shop in Minneapolis. There’s not a lot of selection in Minnewasta.”
He must have picked it up there when he’d gone to the city for work. Or at least that’s what he said he was doing.
Stop torturing yourself, Harper.
Harper took another sip of the wine. They’d been working together for several weeks now and, even though their close proximity made her ache with need, she was grateful for the time to get to know him. She liked him a little more every day. She loved his sense of humor, his kindness, and the way he listened to her ideas, took them seriously. That meant a lot to her.
A few months after her grandfather died she’d begun dating Brian, a local she’d gone to high school with who was single after a recent divorce. They’d gone to movies and local events, and she’d been grateful for the company. She’d been desperately lonely and Brian had filled a void in her life, at least for a short while. But when she shared her ideas for renovating the lodge and turning it into an eco-resort, he’d told her she was crazy. A place like that would never take off and besides, no bank would ever loan her the money. What did she know about running a resort?
She’d been crushed and had almost given up the dream. Soon after, they’d gone their separate ways. Brian grew tired of waiting for her to give him sex, and she grew tired of his persistence. Last she heard, he had married a girl from a nearby town.
Ethan believed in her dreams, believed in her, but his frequent trips to the city and his mysterious disappearances worried her. He’d never really explained how he’d found out that Abby had been ill. She hadn’t even heard that Abby and Reese had moved back to Minnewasta, and she usually heard all the local gossip at Miller’s. Yet, he knew before she did.
The idea of him with another woman, the thought that he’d lied to her by omitting he was already involved, made her slightly queasy.
“I saw that.”
Harper blinked. “What?”
“You looked like you’d eaten something sour. What’s the matter? I thought you liked the wine.”
“I do.”
“Then what’s wrong? Did you have a tiff with one of your sisters?”
“No.” She took a fortifying sip to give her courage. “I was wondering about the wine. You said you got it in Minneapolis?”
“Yeah. In a wine shop on France Street, ironically enough. You don’t have to finish it if you don’t want to. I’m not going to be offended.”
“It’s not that. The wine is great. I was just wondering…” She bit her lip, unable to find the words.
“What?” He cocked his head, searching her face. “Come on, Harper, spit it out. You don’t usually have any trouble telling me what’s on your mind.”
She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to his. He had denied the existence of another woman. But even if there was someone else, it was none of her business. She had insisted that business come before their personal lives. Sure, he’d kissed her, but she had no claim on him. None at all.
So, get over yourself, Harper.
“I was wondering if maybe we could form a partnership with this shop to provide us with wine. This seems like the kind of quality stuff I’d like to serve here.” The lie tasted bitter on her tongue.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll contact them the next time I’m in the city.” He took a sip of his wine. “Why were you so reluctant to tell me your idea?”
She swallowed. One lie tended to lead to another. “I was afraid you’d think it was a dumb idea. It’s a little early to be thinking about wine when we don’t even have a kitchen yet.”
“Maybe. But it doesn’t hurt to think ahead. In fact, I think we need to start looking for our chef and our resort manager. We’ll need experienced people in both positions.”
“I’m still trying to convince Maggie to take the position of head chef.” She sat up straighter and set her wine glass on the table, glad to focus on something besides her mixed-up emotions.
“Has she held that position in any of the restaurants she’s worked at?”
“Not that I know of, but—”
He held up his hand. “We need an experienced person in that position, Harper. We need someone who can come up with signature dishes for the lodge, someone who can supervise a staff and run a kitchen. Someone who knows all about purchasing the correct amounts of quality ingredients.”
“Maggie can learn to do all those things.”
Ethan set his glass on the table. “I’m all for Maggie working in the kitchen if she chooses, but you know as well as I do that we need to hit the ground running. We don’t have the luxury of letting her learn on the job.”
Much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. But she wasn’t ready to concede. “Maggie is a talented chef, and a very capable person. And she’s got as big a stake as any of us in the project. She’ll work hard to make the restaurant a success.”
“Has she even said she wants the job of head chef?”
“Not in so many words—”
“We need someone who’s totally committed.”
“She will be. I’m certain of it.” Harper crossed her arms and frowned at Ethan. “And what about me? I’m definitely committed to this place. I’ve been looking after it since I was a teenager. What makes you think I couldn’t be resort manager after the renovation?”
“You were fine with a small fishing lodge with ten rooms that were rarely full, but we’re talking about triple the rooms, a large staff to supervise, a complex new booking system, and all kinds of new guest activities for you to coordinate. Running the kind of complex we’re creating requires a lot of experience.”
Now he was pissing her off. “Are you saying I’m not smart enough to figure it out?”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m only saying that when we first open, we’re going to need a manager with experience. Over time, working with a knowledgeable manager, you’ll gain that experience, too.”
“So in the meantime, I’m supposed to play second fiddle in my own lodge?”
“You want the best staff in place in every position, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Then I know you’ll do what’s right for the lodge and hire an experienced hotel and restaurant manager who knows what he or she is doing.”
She hated that he was right. She didn’t have the education or experience to run a world class resort. In truth, she’d been worried about not doing a good job for the lodge as manager. She’d likely have her hands full keeping up with the bookkeeping. But she didn’t have to tell him that. “I’m going to soak up every bit of information I can so I can run the place myself in a few years.”
He winked, lifting his glass in a toast. “That’s my girl.”
Ethan watched her raise her glass to his toast. Thankfully, she’d accepted his point of view on both the manager and the chef’s positions at the lodge. He wasn’t sure she’d be so open-minded about what he had to tell her next. “There’s something I need to discuss with
you.” He cleared his throat. “Mr. Hainstock wants to give the contract to build the new cottages to his brother.”
“His brother? You mean he wants to give this guy the contract without getting any other bids?”
“Yes, but—”
Her glass clunked down on the table. “But nothing! In one breath you’re telling me I can’t give the position of chef to my sister and in the next, I hear Mr. Hainstock wants his relative to build the new cottages? No way!”
“I know Cam Hainstock, and I know his work. He’s hardworking and ethical, and he does very good work. We’d likely award him the contract anyway.”
“But we don’t know that for sure, unless we actually put the job out to tender.”
“Mr. Hainstock was adamant on this point, Harper. Cam is to have the contract.”
She lifted her chin in defiance. “I want to discuss it with him.”
Ethan thought fast. “You can’t. He’s out of town. In Europe.” More lies.
“Don’t they have phones in Europe?”
“He’s on vacation and doesn’t want to be disturbed. Can’t you trust me on this one, Harper? Cam Hainstock really is the best person for this job.” He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. “I’ve got pictures of some of his completed jobs. He’s worked all over the state.”
He found the pictures he wanted to show her and handed her the phone. As she examined them, her mouth curled in a frown. “This is a beautiful building. What is it?”
He leaned over to see the picture she asked about. “It’s a law office in Rochester, Minnesota. The client wanted something that would blend in seamlessly with the older existing architecture on the street, and Cam came up with this. It’s one of my favorites, too.”
She looked at him in surprise. “He designed this building?”
“Yes. He’s a very talented draftsman and builder.”
She watched him intensely. “You sound like you know him well.”
Ethan swallowed hard. “We’ve worked together on a few projects. I’ve always been impressed.”
Harper scrolled through the rest of the pictures. “Okay, I’ll admit these pictures look really good. But how do we know he’ll do a good job on our project? We don’t even know how much he expects to spend on building the cottages.”
Lies and Solace Page 16