a piece of property, something that can easily be converted into a rental unit. And with all the tourists we see in Park City throughout the year, you’d be able to quickly recoup any renovation costs, and maybe even fund your own vacations, from time to time.”
“And the bad?”
“The bad is that any investment you put into renovating said piece of property will more than likely come out of your own pocket,” she explained. “Because while your father was smart enough to leave you something to build on, unfortunately, he didn’t leave you much to build with. Mostly everything he had in terms of liquid cash or assets has already been claimed by his remaining debtors.”
“Mostly everything?” I repeated the phrase. “Wait. So, there isn’t anything left?”
“There’s some left,” Olivia continued. “The last time that I checked, it was around five thousand dollars.”
“Five thousand dollars?” I tried and failed to hide the surprise in my tone. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“But…” I shook my head in disbelief as I thought through my reply. “My father practically lived jumping in and out of private helicopter rides. Fuck, I’m pretty sure he had his own wing he’d reserve whenever he went to Vegas—”
“I don’t mean to offend, Mr. Timms, but it sounds like you’re describing the exact kind of man who may not have a lot of cash left in his name after he passed away.”
“You’re right,” I admitted, my face falling as I spoke. “Okay, then. Five thousand it is.”
“And the cabin property, too,” Olivia reminded me. “To be quite honest, Mr. Timms, that property alone should be able to net you the rest of your assumed inheritance, if you’d have any interest in renovation.”
“Yeah. Renovation. Sounds good.” I offered Olivia a curt and final nod. “So, where do I sign for everything?”
“Five thousand dollars?” Austin frowned before he slipped another piece of sushi between his lips. “That’s it?”
Austin and I had decided to meet up for lunch after I finished meeting with my father’s attorney. I wasn’t too familiar with any of the newer restaurants in town, so I ended up letting Austin pick the place, which had turned out to be the right move.
I couldn’t deny that I was impressed with The Sushi Bistro, a spot that was hidden away enough from the tourists so that it wasn’t overcrowded, but still popular enough with the locals not to feel too deserted, either. And I was pretty excited about the menu, too, which consisted of basically every variation of sushi known to man.
“That’s it,” I replied with a sigh. “Five thousand dollars. Oh, and the cabin that’s still on the Bed & Breakfast property. I’m guessing that’s something your dad put aside for him, though, since it seems like my dad was hellbent on leaving nothing behind but memories.”
“Well, at least that’s something.” Austin shrugged. “What’s the plan, then? Put the cash into savings?”
“Not savings,” I corrected. “I’m putting the cash my dad left into the cabin. And then, I’ll be throwing in a few thousand myself.”
“You’re putting it into the cabin?”
“I’m going to renovate it,” I explained. “The plan is to rent it out during the height of tourist season, or maybe look for a tenant to stay there year-round. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Austin pressed. “Invest in a property here?”
“Why? Do you think I’m going to be a bad landlord or something?” I grinned.
“No,” Austin replied. “I just think that renovating a property is a big deal, the kind of thing that’s going to keep you here, probably for a little longer than you wanted to stay.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I murmured. “Sorry if I misunderstood what happened between us last night, but I got the feeling you liked it when I’m around.”
“I do like it when you’re around.” Austin scoffed before he playfully rolled his eyes. “I just want to make sure that you like it when you’re around, too. Park City has its good side, but I’m not going to pretend like it’s the most interesting city in the world.”
“You’re worried that I’m going to get bored?”
“It’s not about the boredom,” Austin clarified. “I just… I know what it’s like to stay here for so long that you start to wonder why you even came here in the first place. And once you start thinking about that, the rest just comes tumbling right down. And one day, you wake up and feel like you don’t