揟hat抯 a helluva lot of what-ifs,?Haley whispered. 揧ou抎 have to get a lawyer to take care of all the legal stuff, like making sure this land is zoned right for a bar, and to check into people living in the back, and liquor licenses, and . . .?
Jessica held up a hand. 揑抳e retained Uncle Elijah抯 lawyer out of Killeen to help me with the legalities of selling the place. What if I just told him I want to keep it and for him to look into the possibility of a bar? I抳e got the money that my folks left me, plus what I inherited from Uncle Elijah抯 estate sitting in the bank, so we could get whatever we need to do for remodeling, but I like the idea of using the wood we抳e got before we go buying more.?
揟here was money involved, and not just this old church??Haley asked.
揧ep,?Jessica answered. 揌e left his entire estate to me. There抯 enough to pay a lawyer to take care of all the legal stuff and redo this place, and probably float us for a year until we can start making a profit.?
揑 wouldn抰 be surprised if the lawyer found out that you抎 need to close up the doors from the sanctuary into the former Sunday school rooms.?There was excitement in Wade抯 voice. 揧ou could probably leave the one from the fellowship hall to the bedrooms if it worked out. But I抦 sure the lawyer will find out all the particulars for that kind of thing.?
揂re we serious??Haley asked. 揑抳e got money saved, and I抳e got a place to live, so I wouldn抰 need to take up any of the rooms. I could just keep Mama抯 house and live there, or I could sell the house, and we could use all the furniture in her house to furnish this place like a home, and I could have one of the bedrooms.?
揥e抳e got bathrooms in the foyer for guys and gals,?Risa said, 揵ut what about a shower or tub??
揟he room that the evangelist was supposed to use has both. A garden tub and a walk-in shower,?Lily said. 揇aisy and I found it when we were looking around. Can I have that room??
Risa shook her head. 揘ope, Jessica should move into that room, but maybe she would let us use the tub and shower. What am I saying? This is just a pipe dream, isn抰 it? Kind of like playing house when we were little girls and drawing up the rooms in the dirt with a stick.?
Jessica remembered those days fondly, but this was a lot more serious than their imaginary playhouses and pint jars filled with wild daisies and whatever flowers they could pilfer from their mothers?flower beds.
揟he people in town might set fire to the place, but fate is sure telling us that this is a possibility,?Wade said with half a chuckle.
揘aw.?Risa shook her head slowly. 揟hey抣l cuss and rant and rave, but they wouldn抰 burn down a building. God would be madder at them for doing that than He would be at us for making a bar in a church.?
揋ranny Stella will lead the ranting party,?Daisy said.
揧ep, she will,?Lily agreed. 揂re y抋ll really thinkin?about this??
揜ight now, we抮e just thinking about it,?Jessica said, but her mind was going ninety miles an hour. 揑抣l have to talk to my lawyer and see if it抯 even possible.?She turned to look up into Wade抯 green eyes. 揂re you serious about buying half interest in this thing??
揧ep, especially if you抣l let me park my trailer out behind the bar for free and move my equipment into that storage barn out back,?he answered.
揑 didn抰 even know there was a storage barn.?Jessica went to the end of the hallway and threw open one of the back doors. Sure enough, there was a metal barn out back. 揑 wonder what抯 in it??
揂 couple of old lawn mowers and some extra pews.?Wade headed back toward the fellowship hall. 揑 peeked in the window a few weeks ago, when I came past here on my way down to the fishing dock. The road has gotten pretty rough and not many people use it anymore, but I like the peace and quiet at that particular place on the river.?
揥e抎 all have jobs.?Mary Nell抯 tone was full of hope and excitement. 揌aley, you could come work here in the summers, and we could all be together for a few months every year.?
揑 might not even go back to Alabama if we decide to do this,?Haley said. 揑 might be ready for a change in my life.?
揙h, yeah??Jessica asked.
揧ep,?Haley answered. 揃esides, I抎 be jealous that y抋ll would be here together, and I抎 be off in Alabama.?
揌aving you here would be great,?Jessica said. For Haley to even consider staying in Riverbend seemed to put the icing on the cupcake for her.
揧抋ll want a beer??Wade asked. 揥e just made a pretty big decision. We should celebrate with a beer at least. If I抎 known we would get serious about a bar, I would have brought champagne.?
揧es,?the women chorused.
揌ow about you girls??Wade turned around. 揑抳e got cold root beer in bottles.?