Chapter 6
Chapter Six
J ust one more hour and she’d know if all the faith she’d put in Liam was good—or not.
But she hadn’t been able to sit around her apartment, or the Tourism Bureau, alone another minute.
Holding her goodies in one hand, Dani knocked on Mia’s front door with the other. Squeals of laughter rang out from inside, and stomping feet carried closer and closer until the door flew open and four-year-old Finn peered up at Dani. “Hi, Dani! Mom’s-letting-us-watch- Paw-Patrol -isn’t-that-fun-Chase-is-my-favorite.”
“Is that so?” Laughing, Dani ruffled Finn’s blond curls and stepped inside the warmth of the tiny bungalow on Lilac Lane that Mia and Troy had purchased when Mia had been pregnant with Finn. “Are you supposed to be answering the door though?”
The TV blared from its spot over the fireplace.
“Not to strangers. But you aren’t a stranger.”
“Dan-Dan!” Sweet Maggie toddled over from the couch wearing nothing but a diaper and a pink T-shirt stained with applesauce. She gripped a doll in one hand.
“Hi, sweet girl.” Closing the door behind her, Dani squatted and set the box of donuts she’d picked up from Jill on the living room floor. “Come here.” She opened her arms for a hug, and Maggie came willingly, smelling of graham crackers and milk.
Despite the chaos of Mia’s home—of little children in general—that hug went a long way to calming her anxiety.
“Where’s your mama, huh?”
At that moment, Mia came through the arch that led to the dining room. “What’s going on out here?” Her hair was tugged up in a messy bun, and she wore sweats and an oversized Hart Fishing Company T-shirt that had probably been Troy’s. Her hand flew to her chest when she saw Dani. “Dani? Hey! What are you doing here?” Her cousin came forward for a hug, and Dani stood to receive it.
The Paw Patrol theme music came back on, and the kids rushed back to the couch.
“Sorry to just drop in.” Dani bent to pick up the box of donuts. “But I come bearing sugary gifts.”
“Just what my kids need.” Mia rolled her eyes but snatched the box from Dani’s hands and waved her toward the dining room, which led to the kitchen. “If their behavior is atrocious after their inevitable sugar crash, I’m bringing them back to hang out with you all day.”
“Ooo, sorry, I’ve got a big meeting today.”
“The hotel one?”
“So the whole island knows about it, huh?”
“Well, Mom told me, and Dad told her.” Once inside the humble kitchen, Mia pulled a stack of paper plates from her cupboard. “But would you be surprised if the whole island did know about it by now?”
“Not really. Martha can’t exactly keep her mouth shut.”
“Understatement of the century.” Opening the box, Mia slid out a chocolate Long John and split it in half. She divided them between two small plates. “You have a minute to stay and talk?”
“Yes, please. I need the distraction anyway. You got coffee? I would have brought some but didn’t know if you’d already had a cup.”
Mia chuckled and pointed at the microwave. “My mug has been in there about three times already this morning. I keep reheating it thinking I’m going to have a chance to drink it hot. I have been sorely mistaken.”
Her cousin laughed, but being a single mom couldn’t be easy. Thanks to Troy’s life insurance, she only had to work part time at Martha’s, but still. Finn and Maggie were so young, and still needy. “I need to babysit again soon. Give you a break from all the busyness.”
“You’re sweet, but I’m fine. Constance and Mom help out when I’m working. Besides, you’re the busy one. I’ve hardly seen you since Mr. Handsome came to town.” She waggled her eyebrows at Dani.
“I don’t know to whom you are referring.” Dani made her way to Mia’s Keurig. She flipped it on to warm the water and opened her drawer to peruse the selection of K-cups.
“Mmm hmm.” Mia grabbed the plates and headed for the living room, tossing a “we’re gonna talk about this when I get back” over her shoulder.
When the Keurig was ready, Dani inserted her chosen K-cup, placed a pink ceramic mug under the spout, and pressed down on the closing handle. The machine whirred, lulling her into a moment’s peace as the delectable brew began to fill her cup.
“Smiling just at the thought of Mr. Stone, are we?”
Dani sighed. So much for peace. “At the thought of coffee and nothing more, I assure you.”
Folding her arms over her chest, Mia leaned against the counter beside Dani. “Oh, come on, Dani. He’s gorgeous, and the two of you have been working so closely together. What’s he like?”
“Liam’s nice enough. Charming, even.” The coffee trickled to a stop, and Dani removed her mug, moving to the fridge to fish out a container of heavy cream. “And is he cute? Yeah, sure, but he’s a big-city guy at heart. And even if he wasn’t, he doesn’t understand what it’s like to live in a small town, to be part of a community like this. And we all know I belong here. This is my home.”
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Mia said in a singsong tone.
“Whatever. Besides all of that—which are all valid points, thank you very much—he’s leaving after we get the council’s approval.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fun tonight before he leaves.”
When Dani turned wide eyes on her, Mia laughed. “Not that kind of fun. But it’s okay to go on a date now and again and enjoy yourself.”
“What’s the point if I know it can’t go anywhere?”
“You’re such an old lady. Come on! I’ve only really seen you interact from afar, but there seemed to be a vibe between the two of you. Am I right?”
“It’s not like I’d know it if there was. You know I’m horrible at dating.”
“Correction. You don’t even try at dating.”
“I try. Sometimes.”
“Mom!” Finn rushed into the kitchen, chocolate smeared on his cheeks. “Maggie bit me!” He pointed to his hand, where there was a glob of slobbery chocolate.
“Ugh.” Mia snatched up a rag and wiped off Finn’s cheeks and hand like it was an Olympic sport and she was the reigning champion. “Hang on, Dani. Mags!”
Mia and Finn rushed out.
While they were gone, Dani poured cream into her coffee and stuck the lid back on, shoving it back into the recesses of Mia’s fridge. Then she reached for the sugar.
“Okay,” Mia said as she slid back into the kitchen, “one blind date with some guy in Port Joseph two years ago does not count as dating. Especially when you bailed after like ten minutes.”
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Go back to a conversation like it wasn’t just interrupted.”
“Practice, cuz. Lots and lots of practice.” Mia flashed a wry grin. “Now stop changing the subject and answer me.”
“You’re bossy.” Dani took a sip of her coffee. Hmm. Needed more sugar, even though it was probably too much. But she needed the courage, the extra jolt, if she was going to survive the next few hours. “But fine, I bailed after ten minutes because there wasn’t a spark. It would have been a waste of time and money. At least I got out before he had to buy me dinner, right?” She added another teaspoon of sugar from the bowl beside the Keurig. “That was the considerate thing to do since I knew it wasn’t going anywhere.”
“Dani…”
Here we go . “I know what you’re going to say. Just don’t, okay? I know my standards are high?—”
“Try impossible.” Mia grabbed herself a donut and plucked off a stray sprinkle. “Not every relationship is going to end like your parents’.”
“I know.” And she did. She believed in love. She’d seen it. For other people, like Mia and Troy. “But there’s always the possibility that it will. And can I really live with that constant fear?”
“What fear is that, exactly?”
Dani stirred in her sugar. “The fear that loving someone so much will destroy me if the relationship ends.” Her voice trembled and lowered as she set the spoon down on the counter. “Look at how vulnerable Dad became when Mom cheated on him. Look at what he did .”
“I know that whole situation was really hard for you, Dani, but there was probably so much more to the situation than you realize. Not that it excuses what Aunt Becky did. Or what your dad did afterward.” Mia frowned and picked at the sugar coating on the apple fritter in her hand. “But who’s to say that the guy you fall for would cheat on you? Does Liam seem like that kind of guy?”
“No.” Dani sipped on the hot coffee, let it run down her throat and warm her through. “But Mom didn’t seem like that kind of woman either. We were happy once, Mia. Or I thought so. But then Mom’s high school sweetheart showed back up on the island—all done up in his fancy attorney suit—and Mom threw that happiness away. The same love that gave us such joy destroyed us all in the end. And I’m just not sure I’m strong enough to survive that kind of destruction again.”
“Hey.” Mia stepped toward her and grabbed Dani’s hand, squeezing. “I’m not saying Liam is the one or anything. Other than cursory introductions, I haven’t spent any time with him since we were kids, and I was too young to remember. But you’re writing him off just like you’ve written off every guy who is a remote possibility. And don’t you think it’s time that you give yourself a chance?”
“Maybe.”
Mia narrowed her eyes. “Maybe?” For someone who was four years younger, she sure had the mom look down—and the ability to put Dani in her place.
Dani laughed. “Fine. I’ll think about dating again. Someday.”
“No day like the present, you know.”
“Ha.” Dani took a final swig of her coffee, finishing it off with relish. “Today is not one of pleasure, but business. Today is, hopefully, the first step toward bringing Jonathon Island back to life. And maybe, once that’s done—once the economy is thriving and people have made their way back here—maybe then I can find time for my own happy ending.”
“I only hope by then it’s not too late.” Mia smiled, something sage and sad in her eyes. “But I do wish you all the luck in the world today. You’re feeling good about it?”
“A bit nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. But yeah, I think I’ve communicated my vision to Liam well enough, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s going to present.”
She could only pray that her mission to get her family back to the island wouldn’t fail before it had even really begun.
* * *
The moment of truth had arrived.
Dani stepped inside the conference room, which buzzed with energy and movement. Off to one side, red-haired Janine Dirks pushed her glasses up on her nose as she chatted quietly with the ever-stylish Tara Chamberlain, who smiled and tossed her silver-blonde hair over one shoulder. Patrick Kelley sat at the twelve-person table, his thumb scrolling along the screen of his phone. Seb and Martha were in back, Seb grabbing a cup of Joe from the coffee carafe someone had supplied and Martha forking out a sticky bun from a Styrofoam container.
“Good morning, Dani.”
She turned, and there was Liam, glancing up from his computer, which was hooked up to the projector. His navy, three-piece suit cut across his shoulders, across his whole figure, somehow emphasizing his muscles without being pretentious. Dani stepped closer to him. “Morning. How are things?” She glanced around him. “Where are the plans you’re going to show us today?”
“Since I didn’t have all the supplies to prepare a professional presentation board, I scanned the plans in via my phone and uploaded them to a PowerPoint last night.”
“Fabulous. And…” She bounced on her toes. “And everything’s ready to go?”
“We’ve got this.” He winked at her, leaning in just a bit to squeeze her elbow. Good thing Mia wasn’t here. She might be able to sense how Dani’s heart hitched just a little at the contact. “You just sit back and watch the master at work.”
Dani snorted. “The very arrogant master.”
“The charming master, remember?” He flashed her his dimples as if, yes, he knew how dangerous those things were.
“You all ready to begin?” Seb cleared his throat behind them.
Dani and Liam turned to find the rest of the council seated. Tara’s gaze bounced between the two of them thoughtfully, but the rest of the members were either looking at their phones or paying very close attention to their sticky buns and coffee.
“Yes, sir,” Liam said.
Dani nodded her agreement and tugged at the bottom of her blouse. For this meeting, she’d worn her nicest blouse and a pair of slacks she’d had to drag from her closet just so she didn’t look like a hag next to Mr. Stylish over there.
She glanced down at Uncle Seb, who gave her a smile, but she couldn’t help but see the creases in his furrowed brow. Clearly, he was still worried over the fact Dani hadn’t been able to convince Liam to show her his plans.
Well. Here went…everything.
“Welcome, everyone,” she said. “As you know, Seb and I have been working on a plan to revitalize the island’s economy, and it starts with the rebuilding of the Grand.” Her throat grew thick. This really was momentous. “I’ve been working with a development company out of Los Angeles that specializes in renovations and rebuilds to draw up a proposal that will both honor our island’s legacy and help us move forward into the future. Once we’ve presented you with the plans, we’ll open it up for discussion and questions, and at the end of the meeting, we will vote whether we want to move forward with these plans or not. Majority will rule.”
Everyone blinked back at her, expressions neutral. Dani’s toes fidgeted in her black flats. “So, without further ado, let me introduce Liam Stone.” Turning, she smiled at Liam—and she felt his returning grin to her fingertips. “Liam, take it away.”
“Thank you, Dani.” Liam grabbed his presentation clicker from the table while Dani slid into the chair farthest from Liam—a good way to view the crowd and their reactions. “I want to thank you all for taking time from your busy schedules to be here. It’s been an absolute honor to spend time on your island this past week. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that I’ve been utterly captivated by the beauty of Jonathon Island—especially its hotel.”
Oof, he was a charmer, wasn’t he?
Janine nodded along, and Martha tucked a piece of her gray-streaked, dark hair behind her ear and leaned forward, her top-heavy frame pressed against the table.
“Now you might be asking, who is this Liam guy and what are his qualifications? And you might be skeptical of me too. I know some were.” His gaze flickered to Dani—hopefully quickly enough that nobody else noticed. “But I want you to know that I’m fully qualified to be here and help you. I’ve got degrees in architecture and business, and over a decade of experience in the field. Here are just a few of the properties I’ve helped to take from old and worn to shiny and new.”
Liam flipped to the first slide of an impressive beachside hotel. Then another and another, each one fancier and more luxurious than the next. Uncle Seb folded his hands on the table and studied them with extreme focus, as did the rest of the council. Janine frowned, but that was to be expected.
None of the properties had the historic glamour of the Grand.
“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the reason we’re all here. The future of your island.”
Dani blew out a breath as Liam hit the clicker. An architectural rendering of the rebuilt Grand appeared on the screen—but this was not her family’s hotel.
The Grand, a veritable bastion of history, had been transformed into a shining, completely modern shell of what it had been. Liam’s drawing had the hotel painted red and gray. Gone were the familiar turrets. The curving terrace. Gone was the long summer porch. In its place were divided, individual porches for each ground-floor room, and a public porch where a hotel outdoor restaurant would now be. In the sketch, a grand staircase led down to an outdoor pool in the shape of Jonathon Island, and there was a whole new addition labeled “villas” abutting a separate pool where the gazebo currently stood.
Her eyes frantically searched the plans, finally seeing the gazebo moved to the waterfront where, sure, people might gain a fabulous view of the lake but would lose all the privacy and quiet currently afforded by the location.
“This is just the outside, of course. I’ll get to the inside in a moment. But as you can see”—he mashed the clicker down, and a pinpoint of light appeared on the projector screen—“we’ve got three pools, one of which is an adults-only spa retreat pool, as well as a new garden, tennis and pickleball courts, a walking path that will strategically take visitors past the state-of-the-art fitness center and spa so as to encourage them to make use of such facilities, and of course, the golf course, which will be expanded from the current nine-hole course to a full eighteen holes.”
If she’d been a cartoon character, Dani’s jaw would have smashed straight through the desk, maybe even the floor, beneath her. This couldn’t be right.
Her gaze swung to Liam, desperate for him to look at her. For him to confirm that he was joking.
He had to be joking, right? If not, how could he have gotten it so wrong?
But maybe…maybe the inside was better?
He flipped to the next slide and the next—and just…no. Dani hadn’t blinked, and the dry air stung her eyes, so she rubbed them. Maybe she could somehow clear away what she was seeing. But it was still there.
“The indoors will boast a new and improved foyer, designed to impress and welcome visitors to their luxurious new home. There will be space for three restaurants and a conference center for larger events. What used to be the Grand Pavilion will now be the island’s one and only movie theater. And I haven’t even gotten to the rooms.”
The rooms, at least, he surely wouldn’t change. The Grand was known for its unique guest rooms, each one featuring a different style and color scheme, from the wallpaper to the paintings and curtains.
And then Liam flipped to the slide labeled “Accommodations,” and when Dani saw a sleek room with black furniture, swanky wall hangings that looked like they belonged in a modern art museum, and lush dark carpet to replace the real wood floors and brightly-patterned carpets that were all part of the Grand’s historical charm—she nearly couldn’t hold it in any longer.
But Janine beat her to it. “I can’t look at this anymore. What is this monstrosity you’re showing us?”
Liam stopped talking mid-sentence. “I’m sorry?”
Janine pointed an accusing finger at the screen. “Did you even look at former pictures of the Grand? We never had fancy jet tubs in the bathroom or TVs above the desks. And we certainly never had tacky Andy Warhol paintings. We had Monet or Renoir on the walls—the perfect way for guests to calm themselves at the end of a beautiful day of stepping back in time. What you’ve done is just ruin the whole effect with your cookie cutter plans that degrade the historical integrity of our island.”
Harsh, but Dani couldn’t agree more.
“And you.” Janine turned and glared at Dani. “You let it happen.”
Dani opened her mouth to respond. But what could she say? How could she defend herself?
But the bigger question was—how could Liam have thought this was what she’d wanted?
Seb frowned. “Now, Janine?—”
“Janine’s right.” Patrick pointed at the rendering. “That is a very nice hotel, young man. But it does not belong on Jonathon Island. And frankly, Dani, I’m surprised you support this.”
“I…” The words got stuck in her mouth.
Liam’s brow furrowed. “My primary concern here wasn’t preserving the history. It was creating a luxury hotel that will be irresistible to the right tourists—the kind who will gladly spend thousands of dollars in your shops and restaurants during their stay.” He turned to Dani and looked her purposefully in the eyes. “The kind that will get people back to this island.”
Her insides squished together, her stomach bottoming out, and she honestly wondered if she was going to be physically ill. “But at what cost? This is not what we discussed.”
Liam took a step backward, blinking as if to clear away a cobweb from his eyes. He glanced at the projector screen, frowning. His jaw ticked tight.
“I, for one, think it’s a fabulous hotel.” Martha glared at Patrick across the table. “Mr. Stone is right. We need something big and flashy to draw people back to the island, and this is exactly the kind of luxury visitors will be looking for.”
Beside her, Tara turned in her seat to look at Martha. “Yes, but nothing about this hotel is special or unique. I’d love to see a hotel that marries the desire to appreciate our past with the recognition that the future is upon us as well.”
“That’s a very political answer,” Martha said. “Which is typical of someone in your position.”
Tara’s lips pursed.
“I agree with Tara.” Patrick stroked his mustache.
“Surprise, surprise.” Martha didn’t do much to hide her comment under her breath. “You always have to fight me.”
“Not everything has to do with you.” Patrick shot her a glare. “It’s very reasonable to ask to see plans that are more in line with history. That place is unrecognizable.”
“Hear, hear.” Janine rapped her knuckles on the table as if she held a gavel. “I am all for bringing our economy back to acceptable standards, but not if it means compromising our morals.”
“Oh, please.” Martha rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing immoral about Mr. Stone’s drawing.”
“I most certainly think there is?—”
“Ladies, please.” Uncle Seb held up his hands. “Calm down, everyone. I know you are all very passionate about our home, but Mr. Stone has done great work here, especially given his background.”
How could Uncle Seb say that? Was he just being nice? Then again, there was a certain gleam in his eye, one Dani almost didn’t recognize. Mia sometimes talked about Uncle Seb’s fast-paced job as a lawyer back in the day. About how ruthless she’d heard he could be. At the end of the day, he was a businessman first. It made sense that he would be all in favor of “progress”—if that’s what this could even be called.
If it were up to her, Dani would call it murder. Hotel-cide. History-cide. That was a thing, right?
“Dani, you’ve been awfully quiet.” Uncle Seb patted her arm, and she jumped. “Any questions for Mr. Stone here?”
Her gaze met Liam’s. His was full of questions.
She sighed. Maybe he meant well, but in the end, he was just an outsider. How could she expect him to understand what this meant to them all?
Still, she couldn’t stand to see her family’s legacy reduced to this . And her brothers and sisters would never in a million years come back for a hotel like the one in the rendering. Certainly her father wouldn’t. As far as they were concerned, this would only serve to put her family legacy in the ground once and for all.
“No questions.” She felt everyone’s eyes on her. “Just…I’m sorry, everyone.” What else could she say? In the end, it was her fault for relying on someone so different, with different values, from a different world for help.
“No need to apologize, Dani,” Uncle Seb said, the compassion—and maybe pity—clear in his eyes. “Look, everyone, it’s clear we don’t agree on this plan, so what we’re going to do is take a breather and revisit things next week. How’s next Monday?” He studied each person, waiting for their nods. “Meeting adjourned. See you all then.”
His words were the death knell to all of Dani’s dreams. Because there was no way to find a new developer to create plans by next week.
And Liam wasn’t the man for the job after all.