“Save me a couple. My granddaughter loves them.”
“Sure, it’s just her.” I wink at him and open the trunk. “I have plenty for both of you—they’re on the house.”
Anything to keep him happy and motivated to stay for a couple more years. There’s a rumor that he might sell the practice. The problem is I don’t see any doctor crazy enough to want to buy it and move to Luna Harbor. This place is a beautiful, quaint town that, unfortunately, is outdated. People are leaving, tourists aren’t coming, and well, how is that sustainable?
Siobhan thinks I’m crazy. She believes this place has potential, but does it? We need a miracle to save it. I look at the three empty retail spaces. There used to be a coffee shop and a nail salon next to it, and the last space was an ice cream parlor when I was a kid. I look at my store and wonder if I’m next.
When I enter through the back door, a pang of sadness hits me right in the chest. This building needs a lot of repairs, which could be the main reason no one wants to open a shop in this part of town. Maybe I’m just a fatalist, and things aren’t so bad.
There’s a voice inside my head saying but you’re right, and you should start looking for a job. It’s time to move out of Luna Harbor.
The scent of lavender reminds me of my dreams. I created this place with a vision. Nothing and no one will stop me from creating a line of products that will become a household name. It’s just a matter of working harder and having faith.
Chapter Five
Nydia
It’s around eleven o’clock when a man wearing a suit enters my store. He’s tall with dark hair and piercing green eyes. He’s handsome. The guy doesn’t fit in my store—or in Luna Harbor. I just pray he’s not here to serve me with an eviction notice. Ever since Mr. Danfield died and his son took over, he’s been trying to kick me out. Unlike Mr. D, who didn’t care if I paid my rent the first or the last day of the month, his son threatens to evict me if I’m late by only a few days. Well, in this case, twenty-two, but I’ll have the rest before the end of the month. If this guy wants me to pay today, I’m in so much trouble.
I flatten my shirt, fake my happiest, friendliest smile, and say, “Good morning, how can I help you?”
He shows me his phone where there’s a picture of my farm. “I was told you own the farm on the west side of town.”
I frown. “Yeah?”
“I want to rent the property, or at least, the house. Can you tell me more about it?”
He could check that out in the Luna Harbor’s Gazette. There’s always an ad running there for the property, courtesy of my cousin, Chris Knapp. Dori, the real estate agent, has it in her listings—with pictures. Why is he coming to me?
Since I could use the rent money, I don’t ask. I try my best to be approachable. “What do you need to know?”
“How many rooms are in the house?”
“Two.”
He shakes his head, taps his phone, glides his finger across the screen, and then shows it to me. It’s a picture of my house. My house. There’s not one place where it says my house is for rent. He then says, “I mean the big house.”
“The only house for rent is the guesthouse,” I clarify.
“Can you rent me the farm?”
“No. I. Lease. The. Guesthouse. Mostly to tourists who want to spend the weekend in Luna Harbor.”
“How much does it cost to rent the farm?”
He is persistent—or am I not explaining myself?
I laugh. “Again, the farm is not for rent. I live and work there. If I rent it to you, what’s going to happen to my flowers, my lab, and my storage place?”
He frowns. “You have a lab?” I nod in response. “What kind of lab?” he asks suspiciously.
“Meth, obviously.” I glare at him and then show him a lip balm. “I call it that, but it’s the place where I produce my lavender products. You did notice that this is a lavender shop and that you went to a lavender farm, right?”
He clears his throat. “Of course, I knew that. So are you the only one who lives there?”
“My roommate and I.” I think. Lately, she’s been staying with her boy toy at the inn. Maybe she moved out, and I have no idea.
He nods. “So, there are two houses. How many rooms are in the main house?”
I groan. “Seven.”
“Perfect, how much do you want for it?”
Is this guy for real? “You want to buy my house? What part of ‘I live there’ do you not understand?”
“Well, rent it.”
“The guesthouse’s rent is twelve hundred for the weekend or twenty-four hundred for a month,” I state.
“No. I. Want. The. Big. House,” he insists.
I laugh because either he’s stupid or he thinks that if he asks enough times, I’ll change my mind. I won’t. “Listen, buddy, that house is not for rent. I live there. If I rent it to you, where am I supposed to live?”
“The guesthouse,” he answers. “You move to the guesthouse for the next couple of years.”
I show him two fingers and repeat, “Two years?!”
“Yep, I can have the contract ready in a few minutes.”
I burst into laughter. “This isn’t New York or any of those cities where you snap your fingers and you get whatever you want. Nope. Here in Luna Harbor, you get what we have. The house isn’t available. There are other houses in town.”
“Most of them need a lot of work, and none of them have enough rooms.”
“Why do you need that many rooms?”
“We have a big family,” he answers.
“Are you planning on moving to Luna Harbor temporarily?”
He shrugs. “We’re not sure how long we’ll stay. A friend suggested that I buy a lot and build a house, but that won’t solve my current issue. I need the house now.”
The bell on top of the door chimes. I look over to see who’s coming, and it’s two of my favorite people, Ethan and Zeke Killion-Hutchence.
I wave at them. “Hey, Nydia,” they say in unison. They stare at Mr. Expensive-Suit-Arrogant-Attitude, and they both smile at him.
“What are you doing in Luna Harbor, Langdon?” Zeke asks, shaking the man’s hand and then patting his back.
“Trying to buy a house.”
“I’m not selling my farm.”
“But she doesn’t want to sell it to me,” he complains, sounding like a child who isn’t getting the candy he wanted. “Then just rent me the main house.”
“Why do you need a house here?” Ethan asks.
“It’s complicated.”
Zeke laughs. “If it involves you, it’s always complicated. I’d offer our place, but we’re just building it. Our cottage has one extra room if that helps.”
The suit guy shakes his head. “I was trying to convince this lovely lady to sell or rent me her house.”
“Her guesthouse won’t fit all of you assholes,” Zeke says.
“I agree, which is why I’m trying to convince her to move to the guesthouse. We can occupy the main house.”