Page 82 of Middle Ground

I sigh. “I feel like no one in this town takes me seriously. I mean, you were there when Louis called melittle lady, like I’m a kid playing pretend at this whole thing.” I cast my gaze to the side, too chicken to look at Jackson. “Everyone loved and respected my mom in this role. And I guess I worry I’m…not enough.”

Jackson reaches out and tips my chin up, forcing my gaze to his. The fire in his eyes makes my pulse jump.

“You, Meyer Ellison, are more than enough,” he says. “I’ve never seen someone so well-suited for a job they also happen to love. That’s rare. If this town is too small-minded to see that, then fuck ‘em. Your success will be the only proof you need.”

“But what if I fail?” I whisper.

He shakes his head. “You won’t,” he replies. He sounds soconfident, and I wish, not for the first time, I could steal some of it and bottle it up for myself. “But if you did, you sure as hell wouldn’t be the first. Or the last. And most importantly, you wouldn’t be in it alone. Your name isn’t the only one on that paperwork.”

My lips quirk slightly. “The prospect of watching you go down with me does soften the blow a little.”

Jackson grins. “Of course. Despite her best efforts, I have come to learn a thing or two about my business partner.” He tucks a loose curl behind my ear. “There’s no shame in giving something your all, Meyer. Even if it doesn’t work out in the end.”

His words twist around my heart, settling there. I have a feeling he isn’t just talking about the inn. But right now, I don’t have time to examine them and pick them apart, as I like to do. Right now, we have a dinner to host.

Inhaling deeply, I nod. “Alright, Vaughan. Let’s go show them what we can do.”

We somehow managed to pull it off. Our staff did us proud, working to ensure everything went smoothly, and the dinner organizers were pleased.

My nerves didn’t entirely go away, but I was able to ease into things and relax partway through the evening. I was worried that someone would bring up the vandalism or thefire, and the dinner would derail from there, but no one brought any attention to our bad luck.

“This evening was lovely,” Mayor Danby says as she walks up to me and Jackson. “This tent really suits the space out here. I’ve always had a soft spot for this place, and for Beatrice, but I’m excited to see where you take things, Meyer.”

I smile, letting the utter relief flow through me. “Thank you. That truly means so much to me.”

“Do you do weddings?” she asks. “My daughter is getting married in August and her venue just cancelled on her. She has been looking for a replacement, and this seems like it would be right up her alley.”

I glances over my shoulder at Jackson, then back to the mayor. “We…don’t.”

“But we would love to,” Jackson interjects, stepping up to take his place beside me. “We’ve been looking to expand, and that is an excellent idea. Have your daughter contact me and we can set up a time for a tour. Work out some details.”

Mayor Danby grins. “Splendid!” She reaches out and shakes Jackson’s hand, then does the same to me. “We’ll be in touch. Have a good night, you two.”

I watch her walk away. As soon as she’s out of earshot, I whirl on my business partner. “What was that? Since when do we host weddings?”

He shrugs. “That’s business.”

“Thatcame out of nowhere,” I argue. “We haven’t even had time to figure out if tonight was a success.”

“In my experience, conducting business is a lot like performing improv,” he says.

“Because when you do something stupid, people laugh at you?”

He chuckles. “No. It’s the wholeyes, andthing. You obviously have to take stock of the risks, but generally being open to opportunities that fall in your lap is smart.”

“So now we host weddings,” I say.

“So we do.” He studies me. “Not that I’m complaining, but you don’t seem to be protesting the idea.”

“Lucky for you, I actually don’t…hate it.”

Admitting to liking any of the changes Jackson pushes for when it comes to the inn has become easier over time. And this one, in particular, seems promising.

Jackson grins. “That must have been really hard for you to say.”

I nod, mock serious. “Oh, you have no idea.”

He chuckles. “I’m flattered.”