Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
His face fell and that fucking look of pity washed over his face. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I had no idea. Forgive me.”
I shook my head and waved him off. “You couldn’t have known. It’s fine. Each day it…well…it gets better. For lack of a better word.”
Rich exhaled. “I lost my mother not that long ago. I felt lost for several months. I still do at times, if I’m being honest. They say losing a parent is one of the worst things, but I cannot even imagine what losing your spouse is like.”
“It sucks,” I answered with a half-smile. “Back to business. You’re looking for a partner. A silent one or someone more involved, because I can tell you right now, I’ve got my hands full with The Muddled Moose.”
“You can be as involved as you’d like. I don’t need money from someone else to open the restaurant, but I’d like to have someone local involved, and if you put your money into it, you’d be more likely to be involved. I’ll hire out someone to manage the restaurant, take care of the day-to-day things, but it would be nice to have you make an appearance once a week.”
“And where will you be?”
He grinned. “Italy? France? Who knows. I like to travel, Liam. Opening another restaurant isn’t going to stop me from doing that.”
Rich Mitchell would have been the ideal man for Hope to have married. Then again, he probably would have been the type to cheat on her.
“So what you’re saying is you’ll want me to make sure everything is running smoothly while you’re having a grand time touring the world.”
Rich shrugged. “I need someone local who knows what it means to own a place. You’re successful, as we can see by the packed house out there.”
“I also have a two-year-old daughter for which I’m solely taking care of.”
That surprised Rich. “Who is watching her now?”
“The nanny.”
“The nanny?” he asked. “Then what’s the problem? Sounds like you have someone who will watch her.”
I let out a breath. “Listen, Rich, I appreciate you thinking of me for this opportunity, but I think I’m going to have to pass. My dream has been The Muddled Moose, and to be honest, right now, where I am in my life, I’m barely hanging on by a thread. I don’t think I want to take on anything else.”
He looked disappointed. “I’m sorry to hear that, Liam, but I understand where you’re coming from. Are there any other business owners in town who you think might want to get in on this project of mine?”
I leaned forward and placed my elbows on my desk. “Rich, have you taken this to the city yet to see if it will even pass? Moose Village isn’t like Lake Placid; they prefer to stay small. A hidden secret, if you will. They allowed an Italian restaurant up on the lake, and it took several months for the owner to convince the town to give him the permit, and he is from Moose Village.”
“Do you think there is a chance they’ll say no?”
Shrugging, I replied honestly, “I don’t think you have a very good chance of them saying yes. Additionally, it depends on the location of the lot. Is it even zoned for commercial?”
“No, it’s residential, but in my experience, money can buy you pretty much anything you want.”
A bark of laughter slipped free. “Not in Moose Village. Perry the Moose would have better luck opening up a restaurant on the lake than you will.”
“Perry the Moose?” he asked, a confused expression on his face.
Waving it off, I stood. “I’m sorry I can’t help you. I hope this wasn’t a waste of your time.”
With a smile, he shook his head. “Not at all. I’m going to stay, order some dinner, and enjoy the evening on your rooftop.”
“Please, order anything you want; food and drinks are on the house.”
Rich reached for my hand. “That’s mighty nice of you, Liam. Thank you.”
I walked Rich back out and got him a seat at the bar on the rooftop. I informed Chad, the bartender, that drinks and food would be on the house for Rich, Nathan, Aurora, and their guests. By the time I had finished talking to him, Rich was conversing with a woman sitting next to him. I chuckled, slapped him on the back, and told him to enjoy his night.
Two weeks had passed having Kim as Winnie’s nanny, and things seemed to be going well. Winnie was happy, I was happy knowing my daughter was safe and at home, and Kim seemed to like the schedule. She had her mornings and early afternoons before she had to show up to watch Winnie. Each night, I was able to leave between ten thirty and eleven, which worked out well.
I put two pancakes on Winnie’s plate and cut them into pizza-sized shapes. I filled a bowl with syrup and set it next to her. Winnie didn’t like the syrup on her pancakes; she wanted to dip them in it. I thought it was adorable—messy, but adorable.