6
Opening day was a success. The response to the tours of the inn and its grounds were met with nothing but praise and Susannah found herself getting more than a little emotional. How she wished her grandfather could see how magnificent the old house looked and the wonder on her guests’ faces when she talked about the history of both the property and the town. Every word she spoke, every fact she shared, every story she told, she learned from him. Pops had such pride in this home and this town that sharing it seemed like a fitting tribute. And as much as he hated the thought of seeing the family home change, she had a feeling he still would be proud.
Strong arms gently wrapped around her waist and she let out a soft sigh as she leaned against Colton.
“The inn’s a big hit,” he said softly, resting his cheek against hers. “Not that I expected anything less.”
She hummed softly, enjoying the feel of his arms wrapped around her. He had been her rock through this entire process. He’d helped her make decisions and listened to her when she needed to talk. There was no way today would have felt like the success that it was without him standing here beside her. Now they were standing in the small living room in her private quarters staring into the fire and it was the perfect end to a perfect day.
“After hearing nothing but construction noise for so long and then a whole lot of quiet because it was just me here, it was nice to have the house filled with laughter today.”
He nodded and kissed her cheek. “You made everyone feel welcome. And I think it was brilliant to offer this weekend preview to members of the press and social media influencers to help spread the word about this place. I’m sure there are going to be nothing but rave reviews coming your way and you’ll be booked up for the coming year before you know it.”
The thought made her smile. “That would be amazing. But I can’t take all the credit for the idea. Mason’s fiancée was the one who suggested it after I talked with her a couple of months ago about handling some of the social media marketing.”
“Plus, she and Mason got a night here at the inn,” he teased.
“Oh, stop,” she said, laughing softly. “Family is welcome here any time they want.”
“Still, it’s better that they get the chance now while they still can.”
Pulling away slightly, she turned and looked at him. “You mean because of the baby?”
“No, I mean because there aren’t going to be any vacancies for a long time. I’m certain of it.”
Reaching up, she caressed his face. “You are very sweet to say that, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. The grand opening isn’t for another couple of weeks. This was really just a test run.”
“A successful test run,” he confirmed. He hugged her close before stepping away. “I should be going.”
Confused, Susannah turned around and faced him. “Going?”
Nodding, Colton picked up his coat from the sofa before smiling at her. “It’s late and I shouldn’t be here.”
Now she was even more confused. Walking closer to him, she asked, “Why shouldn’t you be here? Don’t you want to see how breakfast goes tomorrow?” The words were spoken lightly but even she could hear how nervous she sounded.
He was standing in front of her and reached up to caress her cheek. “Susannah, it’s not proper for me to spend the night here when you have guests. I know we know most of them personally, but it’s still not right. I don’t want anyone making any snide comments about the innkeeper sleeping with the handyman or anything like that.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the image. “Colt, that sounds a little like bad porn right there. No one’s going to think anything of it. All the rooms are upstairs. No one will even know you’re here.”
And that’s when she knew exactly what was wrong. Even without considering the sad smile on his face, it even sounded wrong to her own ears.
“Colton, that’s not…I mean…”
His hand on her cheek stilled. “I’m not looking to be your secret, Susannah. There was a time when we kept things quiet when Sam was still living here, but that was different.”
Reaching up, she held his hand to her. “I don’t want you to go,” she said softly, urgently. “I want us to celebrate all we accomplished together.”
If it were possible, his smile turned even sadder. “Sweetheart, I’d like nothing more than that, but not at the expense of your reputation.”
“I think you’re being a little old-fashioned,” she teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
But he shook his head. “Nope. I’m just being respectful of you.” Then he leaned in and kissed her before wishing her a good night. “Lock up behind me.”
She stood there for a solid minute before walking out and locking the front door. And as she walked back to her rooms, Susannah still couldn’t believe he left. Not once while they planned the opening or even while they talked about every aspect of the business did she consider what people would think of Colton spending the night. She had a right to a life, didn’t she? And his sleeping over wasn’t anyone’s business but her own!
Locking the doors to her apartment, she considered calling him and demanding he come back but thought better of it. Still, the whole situation didn’t sit right with her and once everyone was fed and settled in the morning, she was going to do something about it.
It was late and Colton knew he should be asleep and yet he couldn’t seem to make himself close his eyes. Lying in his bed alone, he stared up at the ceiling and forced himself to think long and hard about the state of his life.
Leaving Susannah’s earlier was the right choice, even though he hated it. In a perfect world he wouldn’t have to be coming home alone because he and Susannah would be living in the same house.
And married.
Yeah, he still was having to come to grips with that one.
He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t going anywhere earlier in the week. He knew he’d rather be with her than without her. But was he fooling himself?
For as long as he could remember, Colton wanted to be married. Hell, he’d wanted to be married and have a family. His parents had always had a good marriage and it was because of them that he believed it was possible. Not that they were perfect, but he watched them work together to overcome struggles and hard times. He heard them fight but he also saw them make up. He could remember hearing them both apologize to each other. And as he grew up, that was the image he had of what a marriage should be – two imperfect people who forgave each other when mistakes were made. Two people who were in it together.
By the time he and Dana had gotten married, he discovered that it wasn’t quite like that. Hell, he had even contemplated not getting married because what they had wasn’t the same as what his parents had. It wasn’t until he voiced his concerns to his mother that she sat him down and explained some hard truths to him.
“Every day in a marriage requires work,” she said. “Some days you’ll barely like each other and that’s okay. But what you have to understand – what you have to accept – is that no two people can agree on everything all the time. There’s compromise and there’s accepting that there are going to be things you’ll never agree on.”