Page 71 of Never Been Gargoyled
“We heard,” the woman who’d brought Ogram’s basket said carefully.
“We think she's making a mistake trying to take this place from you,” Laney said. “Some of the older folks intown remember when Helga first moved here. How she transformed the estate into something magical.”
“I bet she’d want someone who loves it as much as she did to bring it back to life,” Liana added. “Not give it to someone who might only see it as a business opportunity.”
“You don't even know me that well.”
“We know enough,” Dorvak said. His gaze slid to Laney and color flooded his cheeks.
Their faith in me was overwhelming.
“There's something else,” Laney said, looking a bit nervous. “We've been talking, and if you're serious about opening this as a botanical garden, we'd like to help. Not financially,” she added quickly, “but with our time. We could put signs up, spread the word to any tourists in town.”
“I don't know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Feydin said by my side. “These people want to be part of what you're building.”
“But what if I lose the legal case?”
“We believe it’ll work out,” someone said.
After they left, I sat on the stone wall surrounded by their gifts, feeling overwhelmed. The basket from Ogram contained vegetables, fruit, and a jar of honey. Laney’s tea sachets were carefully labeled and smelled amazing. Someone else had brought books about local gardening and a list of community contacts who might be interested in educational programs.
“They really want this to work,” I said, tears in my eyes.
“They want you to succeed,” Feydin said. “There's a difference.”
“Is there?”
“The garden is an excuse. They see something in you worth supporting.”
“What do they see that I don't?”
“Someone who cares about more than herself. Someone who wants to create a beautiful place for others to enjoy.”
I thought about that as we went back to work. When I'd first arrived at Winterbourne Estate, I'd been focused on my own fresh start, my own dreams. But somewhere along the way, those dreams had expanded to include other people. The visitors who would walk these paths. The children who would learn about plants in the greenhouse. The community that would gather here for festivals and celebrations.
Maybe that's what Helga had seen in me. Not someone who would restore the estate, but someone who would share it.
“I want to fight for this,” I said suddenly.
Feydin looked up from the bench he was assembling. “I agree, but what changed your mind?”
“Those people believed in me before they had any reason to. How can I let them down?”
“You're not letting anyone down by facing impossible odds.”
“Maybe they're not impossible. I’m sure we’re missing something.”
“Like what?”
“I don't know yet. But I'm done wallowing. If Rebecca wants this place, she's going to have to prove she deserves it more than I do.”
Feydin's smile was brilliant. “There's my fierce mate.”
“Your what now?”
His expression froze, panic flashing across his features. “I meant… That is…”
