Page 22 of Forbidden Dreams
Natasha leaned in to whisper. "She's really worried about you and Aspen working together. Please tell me that you can do it."
I smiled reassuringly despite my reservations. "She doesn't have to worry about us."
Natasha sighed. "I don't want to know how you won Aspen over, but thank you. I want Eve to have a healthy and relaxed pregnancy. She's been through a lot the last few years. She deserves this."
The sisters had returned home and bought the town only after their parents died, leaving them a sizable inheritance. "She does so much for this town. She should relax and let us handle the hard stuff."
Natasha grinned. "I told Eve we could count on you to smooth things over with Aspen."
I chuckled without any humor. "I think Aspen realized that I'm not one of her brothers, so she doesn't have to give me a hard time anymore."
Natasha laughed. "That's good to hear. I can't wait to see your plans for the restrooms. They're embarrassingly out of date."
"I'm on it."
She waved me away. "Don't let me keep you."
Natasha was the best thing that ever happened to my oldest brother, Ford. They'd recently reconnected when they had both moved back to town.
The double doors to the grand ballroom were propped open, but the lights were off. Aspen stood in the middle of the room, doing a slow spin.
"Are you imagining a ball? One where you're the princess?" I asked, not quite sure where that came from. I'd always been the rough-around-the-edges kind of guy. Not one to wax poetic about fairy tales.
She laughed. "Definitely not. Those stories are laughable."
I carried the tray toward where she stood. "Why's that?"
She lifted the coffee with her name on it and drank. Then she licked the foam off her upper lip with her tongue, and my heart skipped a beat. "Everyone knows fairy tales aren't real. They're a fantasy that books and movies sell to women. What if movies encouraged girls to have wanderlust, to explore the world, and go on grand adventures, instead of find a man and get married?"
I set the tray on the ground and pulled out a chocolate croissant, still warm from the oven, from the bakery bag. "I'm fairly sure there are a couple of those as well."
She shook her head. "In my opinion, there're not nearly enough."
"You'd make the perfect heroine for that movie," I said before I could think better of it.
Her startled gaze met mine. "You say it like it's a good thing."
"Isn't it?" I asked, drawing out the two words. It was clear that I'd never really known Aspen. I'd learned that she was hardworking and determined, seemingly the opposite of her family's opinion. It was an interesting dichotomy, one I wanted to figure out.
She chewed her bottom lip, ignoring the bag of pastries at our feet. "My parents seem to think so." Before I could ask a follow-up question, she moved away from me. "What are your thoughts on the restrooms? Is anything salvageable?"
I grabbed my black coffee, following her to the back of the room where the restrooms were located. "I met with Hudson the other day to discuss plumbing. The pipes were never replaced. The idea was that they didn't use this space as often as the rooms in the inn or the shops. But now that the plumbing is complete everywhere else, it's time to fix the pipes here too."
She raised a brow. "What did you think of the bathroom itself?"
"I'm sure you agree that the bathrooms are horribly out of date and don't match the grandness of the space. The guests are dressed in their best, and when they go to the bathroom, they probably cringe at the outdated tile and squeaky hinges."
She cradled her to-go cup of coffee in her hands. "What did you have in mind?"
"A complete overhaul. The bathrooms should feel grand and luxurious." I headed in the direction of the women's bathroom, which was by far the most important when it came to design. I opened the door, and she preceded me inside.
She stepped into the first room, which was devoid of any furnishings. Then we walked through to the second door. "What's the point of this vestibule?"
"Maybe it was an attempt at grandness at one time, but now it's a waste of space. We could make it into a sitting room, comfy chairs where women can set their champagne glasses on end tables and chat about the dance. It shouldn't feel like a bathroom. We could place a few mirrors along the wall for women to check their makeup and fix their hair."
She let out a breath. "I love that idea."
I pushed open the door to the restroom. "In this space, you'd have the sinks and toilets, all new and modern of course. There should be more counter space. You could place baskets of hand towels on them to give the space a more luxurious feel."
