Page 7 of Someone You Deserve
She lays her hand on my shoulder, our height difference making the gesture difficult. At six foot five, I’m taller than most everybody, so I’m used to it. “I know I didn’t, but you deserve this.”
Hearing those words from her only feeds into the anxiety brewing in my chest. For years, I’ve had this idea of flipping houses and turning them into vacation rentals for tourists in our town. The Cove Inn only has so many rooms, which means many out-of-towners end up staying in the handful of rentals in town or finding accommodations in nearby towns instead. It robs Carrington Cove of more revenue, and that’s revenue that I saw as an opportunity for a business, especially since I know just about everything about maintaining and owning a home. And now that this house is in escrow, it seems like I finally have a chance to make something of that beyond my reputation as the local hardware store handyman.
But the threat of failure is still lurking under the surface.
“Thanks, Pam.”
“Not a problem. Since we opted for a fast escrow, the keys will be yours by Friday. Tom was eager to get out from under the mortgage.”
“Damn. This is really happening, isn’t it?” I mutter mostly to myself. Friday is only five days away.
“It is. How long do you think it will be before the place is ready? You know I have clients that I can send your way.” Pam owns the real estate office in town, and she also runs the travel agency with her husband. When I told her about my plan, she was the first one to encourage me to go after it and introduced me to Tom and his wife before they even listed the house on the market.
“Well, I’m doing the bulk of the work myself, so I’m not sure, honestly. Between working at the restaurant and hardware store, and now helping Astrid renovate the bakery…” My eyes cast over the house again. “Maybe a couple of months as long as the weather cooperates?”
She nods, happy with my answer. “That sounds reasonable. It’s the off-season anyway. Winter is coming, so take your time. But if you could have it ready to go by March, that would be ideal so we can book for the spring break crowd.”
“I should be able to make that happen.”That is if I don’t go bankrupt first.
One day at a time, Penn. That’s what you promised yourself, remember?
She pats me on the shoulder once more. “Well, I’ll call you when I can officially hand over the keys, but I wanted to bring you by in person so you could get an idea of what you’re working with.”
I’ve driven by this house for most of my life, but I’d never seen the inside. Pam showed me pictures when she called with the information of the listing, and I put in an offer without seeing the place in person. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity and the price was right.
All these years I’d been putting off pulling the trigger on this venture, worried about timing, not having enough money, and what people might think. So, even though I’m finally taking a chance, I’mkeeping this piece of information close to the vest right now. I don’t need anyone’s input and pressure to make this work. I don’t want people inserting themselves into my business. And if worst comes to worst and things don’t pan out the way I want them to, I could totally live in this place. It would beat the two-bedroom house I snatched up years ago and have called home ever since—a place that I could rent out right now for income if I needed to while I worked on this one. I don’t mind living in a construction zone. I’ve done it before.
“I appreciate that. And, as we discussed, please keep this to yourself, okay?”
She eyes me curiously. “I will, but you should be proud, Penn. You’ve made a sound investment. That should be celebrated.”
“It will be, but now’s not the right time. I want to make sure everything is perfect before I let people know what I’m up to.”
She huffs out a laugh. “News flash, honey. Owning a business is a lot like having a kid. No one is ever really ready, but you just have to have faith that you’ll figure it out as you go. And you know how this town can be. Secrets don’t stay secrets for long.”
Faith.
That’s the one thing that’s been missing, the reason why I’ve been waiting until now.
Do I have faith in myself to make this business successful? I want to believe that I do.
But being a leader? Being a pioneer or the one in charge? That was always more of Dallas’s role.
And what would my dad think? He was always the one that was about helping others, donating his time volunteering at the Veteran’s Center in town after he was honorably discharged from the Marines when I was a kid. I swear, any Marine in or near our town knew who he was. While my brother was traveling around the world serving hiscountry, my dad taught me to be someone others could depend on, a man who stood by his word because that would be what I was judged upon someday.
But I liked blending into the background.
Even Parker, my younger brother, shot for the stars, academically inclined and steadfast about pursuing a career as a veterinarian.
Hazel, my younger sister, took her passion for photography and turned it into a business.
I’m the Sheppard sibling that always blended into the background. Hence why I help out at Dallas’s restaurant, and at the hardware store with Mrs. Hansen, and anywhere else around town where I’m needed.
It’s just been easier that way—less responsibility, less pressure, less to answer for when something goes wrong, but I could be there for people the way my father taught me to be.
I was rarely the one in trouble at home, unless I fed into one of Dallas’s not-so-bright ideas. My parents didn’t hover over me like the others, and I realized early on that if I didn’t do much to garner attention, it stayed that way.
But now? Sitting on the sidelines doesn’t hold the same appeal. Losing my father eight months ago was a wake-up call that I need to start living my life.