Page 42 of Just One Spark
"We went through this with the restaurant, and after watching Malcolm lose his shit every five seconds, I've realized that it's better to remain calm."
"That's really good advice."Then he paused and looked at me."How do you do that exactly?"
When Clara walked by, I waved her over."Can you talk to Beck?He's freaking out."
Clara smiled and grabbed her boyfriend's hand."Why don't you come with me?"
"I just wanted to make sure that everything was running smoothly."Beck's voice trailed off as they walked away.
Hattie appeared at my side."Everything looks amazing.I love the handcrafted furniture, the bar is gorgeous, and the framed photos of you guys as kids…so adorable."
I grimaced."Adorable?"
She pulled me over to the one where we were having a picnic in this building when we were kids.Clara had brought a tea set that we'd filled with water, and I was holding one of the cups with my finger pointed up in the air.We must have been pretending to be pretentious or something.
"This is amazing," Hattie said.
"I prefer amazing to adorable."We moved from one to another, and with each one, I told her a little bit about the day that was pictured.
At the last one, we paused."It sounds like you had an idyllic childhood."
"We had the run of the property.Yeah, there were guests from the inn too and hikers on the trails, but we found plenty of space to play.At some point, we got more interested in sports, but I remember the days when our imaginations were everything.We'd build a fort, play pirates, or pretend we lived in this building.It was fun."
"I love that you had that," Hattie said, and there was no censure in her voice.
By the time I was friends with Hattie, we were playing more with friends and less with our younger siblings.So she hadn't experienced one of the days depicted in the pictures."It was nice."
"I assume that your siblings will get married and have their own kids, raising them here as well."
"That's the idea.We wanted to build a business that would sustain the family for generations."
She waved a hand at the wall of pictures and the one with our family's story on it."I think people will see that you're building something based on family and love and will relate to that."
Beck approached, looking a little more put together."We're going to make the speech outside now that everyone is here."
We went outside and gathered around the front door.It was cold, but I was excited to share the brewery and the brew baths with my family.
Beck gestured for me to stand next to him.
We'd planned for me to start the speech."It's hard to believe that we're finally here.After years of planning and dreaming, Malcolm invited Beck to evaluate the businesses and decide if this was even feasible.Not only did he love the idea, he invested in the business, staying to help us build it from the ground up.When we were kids, playing in this building as if it were our house, we could never imagine what would come later.That our dreams would only get bigger.I know each one of you has dreams, and I want you to know that we're open to hearing them and expanding our business in even bigger ways in the coming years."
Callum whistled, and everyone cheered.
Beck stepped forward."It was an honor to be invited, and I feel lucky to have this opportunity.I believe in Hart's Brewery and Bathhouse and know it will be a success."
I grinned."Welcome to Hart's Brewery and Bathhouse."
Everyone cheered, and we opened the doors for them to walk inside.They'd all seen various stages of the construction process, but only a few of us had seen the finished project.
Mom ran a hand over the nearest table."This is a gorgeous set.I love seeing all of them in the space."
"Thanks, Mom," Boone said, pride evident in his voice.
"It was the right move to use Boone for the wood projects," Dad said.
"We delayed the opening to give Boone the time he needed to build all of this, and I think it was worth it," Beck said.
"The family's story and pictures on the wall combined with Boone's handcrafted furniture give the brewery a unique feel," I said.
