“Did you know the previous owners?” Ezra asked, curious but also a little reluctant. Considering the history of the house, he wasn’t sure how willing people were to discuss the past occupants. He figured this would be a good way to get a general idea of what people’s reactions might be.
“I did,” Nathaniel answered, followed by a bittersweet smile. “My father used to work here when Lyla and Richard owned it. He helped in the café, did some maintenance work, gave them ideas to grow their business. We were all close, and he loved this place like it was his own. I would come and help him sometimes, especially in the kitchen. It helped foster my love of cooking, inspiring me to go to culinary school so I could get a decent job in the industry.”
Ezra recognized the passion in his eyes. He knew the feeling all too well, though it had dimmed slightly in recent years. That kind of love never truly goes away.
“It’s a great place,” he continued. “When it went up for sale, my wife and I considered buying it ourselves. We spoke to the realtor and the bank about it and everything.”
“Why didn’t you buy it?” Ezra asked. It was evident Nathaniel had the passion for it.
Nathaniel shrugged sheepishly. “Didn’t exactly have the funds,” he admitted. “The bank wouldn’t loan us enough to cover the purchase of the property, and even if they had, we’d still need to come up with the added money to start the business. We’re both in our twenties, so though we’ve had some time to save, we haven’t had nearly enough to afford a venture like that.”
His demeanor fell for a moment, then brightened again. “But you know, I’m going to keep working at it. We still have a long life ahead of us, and there are other great properties out there. It’s a setback, but it’s only temporary. One day I’ll have my own bed and breakfast and it’ll be more successful because I didn’t jump into something I couldn’t afford.”
“That’s an incredible mindset to have,” Ezra replied. It was the kind of attitude he looked for as a head chef in the people he hired. “You’ll go far with that attitude and passion. You just have to keep working hard and never give up. I had my own share of setbacks when I was first starting out, but I worked my way up to being a head chef, even though there were times I thought I couldn’t do it.”
“You were a cook?”
“Sure was back in Chicago. I’m planning on opening up the café again so I can make good use of those skills. I belong in a kitchen.”
“That’s incredible! You worked your way up to being a head chef and then owning your own place. That must’ve taken some dedication.”
“It did,” Ezra admitted, though as the conversation progressed, he started to feel a bit like a fraud. Talking about his achievements as a head chef was one thing. He worked hard to make that happen. He gave up time with Clara, gave up sleep, focused on his studies in college, and suffered so many burns he’d lost track, to get to where he was at.
Yet when it came to owning the bed and breakfast, it didn’t seem right to be proud of that. He didn’t feel like he had put in enough work to earn it. His father had died, and it essentially was handed to him.
That unnerving feeling that his father was watching him returned. He got the sense that he was judging him for taking credit for a gift he was given. It was his father’s career that led to this, not his.
But he was determined to prove himself even with this. Sure, they were given the money to buy the property, but making it a success was a whole different story. That was something they’d have to work at, and they would. Ezra wanted to be proud of their bed and breakfast instead of sulking in this sticky fraudulent feeling.
“I admire you,” Nathaniel said. “And if you ever need any help around here, let me know. I’m admittedly a little bitter over the fact that I couldn’t buy the property, but that doesn’t keep me from wanting it to succeed. I’ve made so many great memories here, I’d love to see it come to life again.”
Ezra was drawn to the genuine passion Nathaniel had for cooking and for the property and was compelled to help him in some way. They hadn’t opened yet, so he couldn’t know for sure how busy they’d be, but there were a ton of things to do to prepare. It would be nice to have an extra hand to get everything ready, as well as someone who could watch over things when Clara and Ezra wanted to get away together.
“You know, we could probably use some extra help around here,” Ezra said. “Would you be interested in working for us?”
“Really?” Nathaniel asked, his eyes widening in surprise and delight.
“Really. If you want to, of course. No pressure.”
“I’d love to! If I can’t buy this place, the second-best option would be to work here while saving up for my own bed and breakfast. I would put so much heart and passion into this.”
“I know you will,” Ezra smiled. “I’ll make some coffee and we can talk numbers.”
14
“That’s so exciting,” Clara said after Ezra told her about their new hire. “It sounds like he’s going to be the perfect person to help us with this endeavor. We’ve been needing someone on our side who’s familiar with the property and the town in general. The added insight should help a ton.”
“Agreed,” Ezra said, puzzling over where to move his chess piece. “I know the salary I offered is a little on the higher end but…”
“Worth it,” she said. “Good choice.”
Conversation paused so Ezra could fully focus on his next move. The game was
