The Lakeside Inn by Leeanna Morgan (ebooks children's books free .txt) 📗

“I did, too. But we had some hungry rats who chewed through our cables. And, believe me, a little dust is the least of our worries.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Penny shook her head. “I’ll show you what happened when you come for dinner.”

Despite her rat problem and the other things on her mind, she kissed him and walked back to her painting team.

He cared about Penny and wanted her Bed and Breakfast business to be a success. For her sake, he hoped there weren’t any more surprises that were too big or too expensive to fix.

By the time Penny returned home, the electricians were still hard at work ripping out the old cables. Luckily, they would be able to replace most of them easily. The others would need a little more work, but she was determined the job would be done correctly. The last thing they wanted was a house that wasn’t safe.

Barbara ran onto the front veranda. “Nick Costas from Bozeman called. He had some news about the enamel box.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “What did he say?”

“You were right. The box was made in Switzerland around the mid-1800s. He had it appraised by an antique dealer in New York City. How much do you think it’s worth?”

“I don’t know.” Penny chose a number that was four times what she thought it would be. “What about two thousand dollars?”

Barbara grinned. “If it went to auction this week, the dealer thought it could make about fifteen thousand dollars.”

Penny couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure? It’s just a small snuffbox.”

“A small snuffbox that’s worth a fortune. If we sold it, the money could pay for the remodeling.”

“Maybe, but the snuffbox has been in our family for a long time. It wouldn’t feel right selling it. What do Diana and Katie think?”

“They want to keep it. Katie thinks it’s too pretty to give to someone else and Diana’s attached to the sentimental value. If you want to keep it, that’s okay with me.”

“I think we should. Did Nick say when it will be sent back?”

“He’s using a special courier company. It should be here in the morning.”

“That’s great. We’ll have to find somewhere safe to store it.” Penny took off her jacket. “Have you been able to do any work this morning?”

“I only came back half an hour ago. It was too noisy here, so I used Mom and Dad’s apartment as my office.”

“How are they?”

Barbara sighed. “You know Mom. She puts on a brave face but, underneath, she’s sad. Dad’s keeping extra busy in the general store. He wants me to buy an orbital sander.”

Penny smiled. Their dad had been trying to entice Barbara, Diana, and Katie into his workshop for years. But his daughters had completely different interests that didn’t involve sawdust and tools.

“I’m assuming you didn’t want the sander?”

“I told him I’m a lost cause. I’m much happier behind a computer.”

“It sounds as though he needs some company in his workshop. Katie wants me to fix a bookcase she found in the attic, so I could do that with him.” Penny walked through to the kitchen. “Do we have power?”

“Not yet, but we have some yummy food and drinks. Mom gave me a container of fresh lemonade. There are also sandwiches and pie on the counter, and some chocolate bars from Sweet Treats. Brooke heard about our rat infestation and thought a little chocolate might brighten our day.”

“That was nice of her. I’ll put it in a plastic container so the rats don’t eat it.”

Barbara took two glasses out of a cupboard. “Think positively. Once the traps are set and we’ve replaced the cables, we won’t have any more issues with four-legged rodents.”

“I hope you’re right.” They didn’t need unexpected bills or more holdups. “Have you thought about what you’d like to call our Bed and Breakfast?”

Barbara pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “It’s funny you should mention that. Diana, Katie, and I had the same conversation while you were at the tiny home village. These are our suggestions.”

Penny read the list. “Honeysuckle Inn, The Lakeside Inn, Bluewater Inn, and Rose Inn. They all sound like great names.”

“We thought so, too. But we can’t use Bluewater Inn. Another Bed and Breakfast not far from here has the same name.”

“Which one was your favorite?”

“Diana and I liked The Lakeside Inn. From a marketing perspective, it tells potential guests exactly what they’re getting; bed and breakfast accommodation right beside a lake. Katie liked Honeysuckle Inn because it sounded romantic. But we don’t have any honeysuckle vines around the house.”

“If we use The Lakeside Inn, we could tie the name into the images we use on our website and Facebook page.”

“Exactly,” Barbara agreed. “All our marketing and promotions should reinforce how wonderful it would be to have a vacation beside the lake.”

“Was Katie okay with calling Grandma’s house The Lakeside Inn?”

“She’s fine. If anything, it made her menu choices easier. She’s adding more fresh fish dishes to the optional meals we’ll offer our guests.” Barbara took the glass of lemonade that Penny handed to her. “Thanks. Now that we have a name for our Bed and Breakfast, when do you want to open?”

Originally, they’d planned to open their business at the end of June. But now, with an extra two days needed to replace the electrical cables, and the flow-on effect, Penny wasn’t sure when they could take their first bookings. “If I were being optimistic, I’d say we might open on the second weekend in July. But I really don’t know. A lot depends on what the plumbers find.”

Barbara crossed her fingers. “I’m hoping none of the water pipes need to be replaced.”

“So am I.” Penny took a sip of her mom’s lemonade. The sweet, refreshing liquid was delicious. “We should ask Mom to make some of her lemonade for our guests.”

“She’d love that. It would give her an excuse to introduce herself to everyone.” Barbara held up her glass. “To The Lakeside Inn.