Page 108 of Love on Deck

She stared at me, her eyes carefully shuttered. “So you could constantly restore furniture and have revolving stock for the hotel.”

“After I get the house into shape.”

Her eyes widened.

“Got. I mean after I got the house into shape, in this totally hypothetical slash unrealistic situation.”

Lauren ignored that last part. “Why haven’t you done it yet? Is the house not available?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Oh.” Her face fell for me.

Deep breath in, Jack. “It’s not, because I already own it.”

Lauren laughed, walking through the open archway into what was probably a family room. When I didn’t laugh with her, she stopped and turned back to face me. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.”

“What?” Pure confusion swept over her face when she came back toward me. “You mean you own this place, you have a solid business plan and the skills to restore it, and you haven’t even started?”

“I’ve started... kind of. But it needs time and my job doesn’t give me much of that outside of the office.”

Lauren stared.

I was beginning to itch under her disbelief. “It’s not like I can just quit my job and move out here to devote myself to it full time, and that’s what it would take to turn this place around. I was overeager when I bought it, didn’t consider how much time it would take. It’ll be more than a full-time job.”

Weirdly, Lauren looked hurt. She swallowed. “Are you happy at MediCorp?”

“Gosh, no,” I said, the words tearing from me with sudden, stark truth. The more they settled on me, the more I realized how deeply I meant it. “I hate it there.”

“Yet you own this place and you have somewhere to stay in town until this house is habitable. What’s stopping you from following your dream?”

I reached for her waist and pulled her toward me until she was in my arms, her head tilted back to look into my eyes. I could feel how tense she was. Did she worry that I’d walk away from her? “Well, for one, you live in Dallas, and I’m finding that I kind of like you.”

That earned me a little smile. “Nope. Our relationship is a newborn baby. You don’t get to use me as an excuse.”

That was fair. I drew in a musty, dust-filled breath. “To be honest, I was hesitant because I didn’t know how I’d fit in here again. I bought the property a few years ago on a whim and put it in my back pocket to deal with later. Aside from a few security issues, I haven’t really had to think about it yet. But lately, with the way Brad handled the venue issue and how he’d been taking advantage of my position in the company, I’ve felt less and less like I need to remain with MediCorp. Then with you dragging me out here for Tucker’s party, I realized how much I missed Arcadia and the people here.”

Lauren listened intently, never interrupting, allowing me to vent my feelings about this property and town. They had been building in me for some time—long before we had gone on the cruise—and I was ready to face them. Lauren allowed me to feel strong enough. Her open mind and interest in what I had to say made it easy to admit things I’d been afraid to even admit to myself.

“I love my life in Dallas, and my friends, the food, the culture. The way the buildings light up like they’re trying to outshine the Vegas strip. Torchy’s Tacos and something new to do every night. There is so much culture in the city, and it’s been a wild ride. But,” I said, hesitating, “I’ve come to realize that lifestyle isn’t something I want to keep up for the rest of my life.”

Lauren stepped out of my arms, holding my gaze. “So you would really quit your job to move out here and follow your dreams?”

My heart thudded, blood pulsing in my ears. Did I want that? It was a pointless thing to ask myself, because I knew immediately, deep in my gut, that it was exactly what I wanted to do. I was done with corporate marketing. I was finished with stupid conferences and doing all the menial jobs Brad didn’t want to handle.

A soft chuckle escaped my throat. “Yeah. It is. I think I’m going to quit.”

“Just make sure you start a new Instagram handle for this place.” She gave a defeated smile and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. “People love huge renovation projects like this. They’ll eat it up.”

“That’s a great idea.” I’d thought about starting an account for my furniture with the hope that it could grow into another advertising avenue or place to sell finished pieces. Maybe it would be better to create a brand that encompassed both the house and different furniture projects, one that could roll into advertising for the bed & breakfast once it was finished and ready to accept bookings.

Lauren walked toward the window, then her gaze took in the whole room. “This place is going to look great.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”

She tried to smile. “It’s bittersweet. I love your dream. I just wish it was closer to Dallas.”

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