I don’t know how much time passes. I stare blankly at the calendar on the computer. A few last-minute cancellations have come through, and I’m glad for it. The last thing I want to do is go around cleaning and prepping rooms.
I should check that all the heaters are on enough so things don’t freeze in the empty cabins. But I don’t want to move. I don’t want to do anything.
I’m still sitting there when the front door opens and Jacob stomps in, shaking snow from his boots and coat. “We cleared off the drive with the snowblower.”
“Everyone canceled.”
“Everyone?”
I gesture at the computer. “Well, all two of our reservations for today.”
“That’s a bummer. I’m sure we can use the money.”
“Yeah, about that . . .we should talk.”While you’re still sober.I didn’t tell him yesterday. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t want to lose the glow I had from being with Archer despite the heavy topics we covered. I also didn’t want the added stress giving him an excuse to drink. Might as well tell him now, when there are no guests around and he’s already cleared up the driveway.
He puts his coat on the rack and then sits in the chair across from me.
“We owe some back taxes to the county.”
He blinks a few times. “What does that mean?”
“It means we could lose the house if we don’t come current.”
His brow furrows, eyes full of confusion. “Can we pay it? Can we get the money from somewhere?”
I shake my head. “No. We don’t have it.”
He stands, hands clenching. “That can’t be right. We can’t lose our home. There has to be a solution.”
“I’ve already tried everything. Reed even helped me over the past year to put it off as long as we could.”
His hands tunnel through his hair. “How could you let this happen?”
My mouth drops open. How couldI?“It’s not like I’m choosing any of this, Jacob. I’ve done everything I can.”
But have I? His words pulse through me, along with all my worst thoughts about myself, everything I’ve worked against since Aria died. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I work myself to the bone, it’s never enough. I can’t fix anything.
“Have you though? How has this place been in our family our whole lives, and now that you’ve taken over, it’s gone downhill?”
It’s not me he’s angry at, it’s the situation. At least, that’s what I try to tell myself. I’ve kept too much from him, and now it’s time to come clean. “Dad mortgaged the property when we were kids to help raise us. To pay for my ice skating, to finance Mindy’s education. Then he did it again when he got sick to pay his medical bills.”
He sits back down, his elbows on his knees, his hands covering his face briefly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know until after he died, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
His jaw clenches, and he turns away. “If you had mentioned it sooner, I could have helped.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. This is where we are though.”
He blows out a breath. “How much time do we have?”
“We have to pay by the end of next month, or they’ll put a lien on it.”
He’s silent, staring at the corner of the desk. I glance over, but there’s nothing there.
“Is this why Archer’s leaving?”
The words hit me like a physical blow. “Archer is leaving?”