Peyton smiled. She would figure out a way through this. She didn’t need the pub. She would just find a new partnership, even if that meant outside of town.
“And I know Callum would support you. He may not have physically been here, but I know he would have been by your side. The way he looked at you when you were teenagers… A love like that doesn’t go away in time. You’ve never been alone, Peyton. We’ve been here. We will always be here. No matter your choice, we will support you. You come first to us—then the hotel. Realise that order. I may not be your mother, but I see you as my daughter and I will always treat you like one. I’ve never tried to replace your mother. She was a wonderful woman. But I have tried to be the maternal figure you needed all these years.”
Peyton removed her hands from Jenny’s and quickly wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks. “Thank you, Jenny. I promise I will do everything in my power to make this hotel succeed. Not only for my parents, but for all of us. For everyone who believes in The Spencer-Dayle.”
Jenny stood up and brushed the tear that had escaped away. “I’ll always be proud of you, Peyton.”
“Thanks, Jenny. For being here when you could have easily left,” Peyton said and picked up the pub’s letter.
“I wanted to watch you grow and make this place beautiful. I owed it to your parents to be the one to do it when they couldn’t,” Jenny said before she walked out of the office and the bell rang to signal she’d left the hotel.
The moment Peyton was alone, she reached for the closest pen and read through the termination contract between The Spencer-Dayle and Daylesford Pub. There was no need to contact the hotel’s lawyer. She didn’t want to go into arbitration or court over it. Jay was not only terminating the relationship between their businesses, but also their friendship.
Peyton looked through the pages to see that the hotel hadn’t fulfilled its obligations in providing a reputable image for both organisations. She shook her head and placed the tip of the ballpoint on the paper. Then she took a deep breath and signed Peyton Spencer on the dotted line and added the date.
Peyton stood at the door of the pub. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she was scared it would force itself out of her chest. But she needed to do this. She needed to prove just what she was capable of as a business owner. This wasn’t a game. This was her hotel’s future that Jay had meddled with. If he was upset with her being with Callum, then he needed to take it out on her, not the hotel. But he had known it would hurt and that was why he had done it.
You can do this, Peyton.
She placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. The loud pub quietened the moment she took three steps inside. Countless pairs of eyes were on her, but she ignored them. Instead, she locked eyes with Jay.
He looked surprised to see her. Whispers could be heard around her, but Peyton tuned them out as she walked towards the counter.
“Mads isn’t here. She just left with her folks,” he said, wiping down the wood counter.
Before Peyton could say anything, Jay’s father walked from the door to behind the counter, holding a clipboard.
“Jay, where are the invoices from today’s del— Oh, hello, Peyton.” He smiled.
Peyton looked at him, wondering why he was being so sweet to her. He sounded genuine, considering that now the hotel and pub were no longer associated with each other.
To be nice, Peyton gave him a tight smile and said, “Hello, Mr Preston.”
“What the hell do you want?” Jay growled, annoyed.
Mr Preston dropped the clipboard on the counter with a bang. “I didn’t raise you to speak to women like that, Jayden. You apologise to Miss Peyton.”
Jay let out a short laugh. “I ain’t apologising to her. I will never apologise to an ungrateful bitch.”
And there was the truth. Peyton wouldn’t challenge him. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out the letter. She saw the startled look on Mr Preston’s face as his jaw dropped. Turning her attention towards Jay, she saw him eyeing the paper.
Ignoring the painful blows from his words, Peyton placed the termination notice on the counter and said, “It’s signed and dated. I’ve emailed a copy to my lawyer.”
Mr Preston picked up the letter and quickly read it. The moment he reached the last page, he winced. “Peyton, I had no idea he was doing this. Please retract this.”
“Dad, no! We don’t need her!” Jay roared.
Peyton saw the anger in Mr Preston’s eyes as he looked at his son.
“Are you crazy, Jay? We need her and that hotel. Why do you think we’ve lasted this long? That hotel brings in revenue for us. That hotel brings in revenue for the entire town!”