Page 38 of Cross My Heart

“And you do?” I asked him as we walked behind the bar. The glassware was still hanging on the hooks, covered in dust. It would need to be washed.

“When you’re in a relationship, you have to dig deep and be honest about what you’re thinking and feeling. It’s hard but worth it.” When I gave him a dubious look, he continued. “What’s the alternative? Not talking about it? Her believing that you didn’t want her?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want that.”

“Then you know what you have to do.”

He let the topic drop, and we walked through the space, making notes of what was salvageable and what wasn’t. The good thing was the basic setup was fine. We just needed to restore what was there.

When we stepped inside the bowling alley, Heath said, “I don’t know anything about bowling alleys. There’s got to be someone who fixes these kinds of things.”

“I’ll make some calls.”

Heath stepped onto the lane. “We can polish the wood floors.”

I touched the leather of the chairs. “Marley and Fiona might want some new seating.”

There was a small bar in the back of the room and a space for bowling shoes. “Can you and Fiona get rid of these and see what it would cost to order new ones?”

“You got it.”

“This place is small. You planning to make it available to the public? Or is it just for guests?”

“I can’t speak for Marley, but I would think we’ll keep it for guests. More of an incentive to book a room here. Even for locals.”

Heath nodded. “You’re creating an experience for them.”

“That’s how I like to think about it. That seems to be Fiona’s specialty.”

I helped him measure the seating areas. “I think we could add a table here, and guests could place their shoes and bags underneath. You want to build that?”

“I’d love to work with my hands again.”

“Get this place up and running smoothly. Hire good people to run it for you, and I’ll give you a team.”

I chuckled. “I think I’ll have my hands full with this place for now.”

“Let this be your first project.”

Despite my fear that I’d screw something up, I said, “That would be a good start.”

“Fiona mentioned looking for a job. Is that why she’s home?”

“She was passed over for a promotion and coming off a recent breakup. I think she’s licking her wounds, trying to decide if she wants to go back to that job or look for another.”

“Mmm.” Heath jotted something down in his notebook.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I leaned a hip on the bar.

“It means this is the perfect time for you to convince her that something else is available. Something closer to well—”Heath touched the bar top—“here.”

“She doesn’t want to stick around here.” And maybe that was the reason I’d been slow to do anything about this building attraction.

Heath raised a brow. “When are you going to learn that you can’t have what you don’t go after?”

My stomach rumbled. “Are you done giving me shit? Because I’m starving.”

He gestured toward the exit. “Lead the way to the kitchen.”

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