Page 44 of Always Be an Us

"Do what?"

"Glare at her so menacingly."

"I wasn’t aware I was glaring."

"Well, you were. You do it without even thinking sometimes. You know men like us with RAF have to be careful."

"RAF?"

He nods. "Amelia calls it resting asshole face."

I give him a disapproving look. "I wish you wouldn't swear around my daughter."

"She's the one who said it, not me. I think she heard it from her mother."

"Right." I make a mental note to talk to Rachel about the swearing, but I'm ready to switch the topic, eager to get back to business and then get back to...Well, I’m not entirely sure what I want to get back to but it’s not here.

Thinking about Amelia again automatically reminds me of Emma's parting words.

There's a big difference between protecting someone and controlling them. Or respecting someone and fearing them.

I don’t want to think of how long I've been mulling that over in my head. But it bugs me.

What bugs me even more is that she might be right.

With all the restrictions I place on Amelia, my daughter might eventually come to fear me.

"You used to be a lot more charming, you know." My father’s comments take me out of my thoughts. "The women used to love you."

"Did you come here to reminisce, or did we come here to talk business?"

His eyebrows furrow sternly but also, something almost sad passes in his gaze.

"I’m just worried about you," he says. "There’s more to life than business, you know."

I nearly laugh. That’s ironic coming from a man who until recently never took a day off in his life.

"I know I’m probably the wrong messenger to tell you that," My dad says wryly as though he can read my thoughts. "But then again, I just might be the perfect person. Take it from a man who made all the same mistakes you’re making. When you get older, you'll understand what a huge waste it was."

"I appreciate what you’re saying Dad, but I didn’t come here for a psychotherapy session. Also, I’ll need to leave in a few minutes for my meeting with the Goldsteins. I just came to give you an update on the hotel you’re so eager to renovate."

My dad's lips press together. He doesn’t look like he wants to let the previous topic go, but eventually, he nods. "And? What about the Pink Hotel?"

"I'm working on getting a quote for the renovations," I say. "Yesterday, I met with a construction team that also handles small demolitions in Laketown. One of the guys there had intimate knowledge of the hotel. Apparently, his great-grandfather was one of the people who helped build it and he has some of the original plans lying around. Anyway, he's the guy working on the quote, but from my best estimation, it’s going to be expensive as hell to renovate it. I’m talking upwards of twelve million."

My dad curses and runs his hand through his hair. His frown deepens. Clearly, this wasn't part of his plan, and his resolve to renovate the hotel now seems shaky.

I wonder if he’s finally doubting himself, kicking his own ass for buying the hotel. I get a tiny bit of vindictive satisfaction from that. I almost don’t add this last part, for that reason alone, but I decide to forge on anyway. "But there is a cheaper, or at least better, way to go about it."

"Meaning?"

"Renovation is so expensive because we’re trying to hold on to the ancient design and relics of the place. Plastering the walls and fortifying what is essentially moth-eaten wood is costly. Not to mention the price of cleaning the chandeliers and remounting antique pieces, the paintings...the furniture... A few of them would have to be sent away out of state for work to be done on them. And that's not to mention the damn floors."

I don’t continue, seeing that I’ve made my point. "Anyway, all those things make for a very complicated renovation. For all fifty rooms, the renovation is going to cost a ridiculous amount. But it won’t be like that if we were to simply bulldoze the property and build something smaller from the ground up."

"You mean get rid of everything?" My father's eyes widen like it's a horrifying thought.

"Regardless of what option we choose, there's going to be a major structural change anyway. There may be cracks in the foundation and an entire back wall is completely gone. I would certainly hope for a design change too.

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