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It wasn’t as if any guys my own age were kicking down my door to take me on a date. Even if they were, Silver had ruined me for men my age.

“If you don’t want to sell to him, why are you seeing him?”

“I thought you weren’t interested in what I’m doing with him?”

“He’s out of your league.”

“You think?”

“I’m not talking about status and money,” he said. “You may say you don’t want to sell, but Huxley isn’t going to take no for an answer. He needs this property.”

“He has all the others.” I sat across from him. “Why does he need this one?”

“This project is a huge money-maker for Huxley. He won’t stop until all the pieces are in place and he has everything. That’s how he operates.”

“He’s not pressuring me.”

“You’re in way over your head. You won’t even know what he’s doing until he’s done.” He pointed at me. “But Kent and I can help.”

“With what?”

“You should sell the house to us,” he said. “That will keep it in the family and out of the hands of Huxley.”

“But then it won’t be mine.” Gram left it to me. Didn’t she want it to be mine?

“You can still live here. We won’t throw you out of your house.” He glanced around. “We can renovate it and help you get it in the shape it needs to be in to start running the inn again.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because that’s what my mother would want.” He patted my hand. “You are sinking, and if I don’t step in, you’re going to lose this place. Our family home.”

“I don’t…” His offer wasn’t sitting well with me, but I did ask for a sign. “What do you and Kent get out of this?”

“Well, we get the property back.”

“But…”

“Listen.” He held his hand up. “My mother meant well when she left it to you, but you were never going to be able to run it the way it needed to be. There is no shame in that. She didn’t mean to, but she set you up to fail. She had a soft spot for your mother too and look how that ended up.”

“My mother was an addict and suffered from anxiety and depression.” I shook my head. “You can’t compare me to her.”

“I’m not, but when my sister got pregnant with you, my parents didn’t let her stand on her own two feet. I don’t blame them for trying to help, but Alyssa couldn’t get herself together because my mother enabled her. The same way she tried to enable you by leaving you this house. You didn’t need to be saddled with this responsibility. You’re too young.”

At twenty-one, I was far too young to be left alone out here and trying to run a failing business, but I tried my hardest. I never wanted to let the inn fall under, but after two years, I couldn’t find success.

“Kent and I can help you and we’ll all get what we want. It’s in this family’s best interest to keep this property in our possession. James will build this community and then he’ll sell because that’s what he does, He turns a huge profit and then moves on to the next big thing.” He stood. “Leaving everything and everyone behind.”

I didn’t expect Silver to stay with me forever. Part of me knew he paid attention to me because he wanted to buy this house. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t thought about selling to him and relinquishing myself of this burden.

But the other part of me, the one that was so rooted in family loyalty and the desire to belong, told me I had to hold out for a solution. Could my uncles be that answer?

“If we keep it, we have leverage later on when new buyers come in. If that happens in a few years and we all agree to sell, we’ll be in a stronger position.”

“You won’t throw me out?” I asked.

“You can stay as long as you need to,” he said. “If you’re serious about running this inn the way my mother had hoped for you, Kent and I can make that happen.” He ran his hand along the counter. “But I don’t want you to never learn to stand on your own, so I’ll have my attorney draw up an agreement.”

“What kind of agreement?”