Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
H e’d never failed this epically before in his life.
Maybe personally—first with Mom, then with Tiffany. But professionally?
How had he read the situation so wrong?
As Martha, Tara, Janine, and Patrick gathered their belongings and shuffled out the door with a little chitchat, Liam ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. Looked at Seb. “I don’t know what to say. Or how this happened.”
“I was afraid something like this might happen.” Seb folded his hands, his expensive watch gleaming under the conference room’s fluorescent lights. “It’s not your fault, son. You were set up to fail by experience alone.”
“But this has never happened to me before.” He needed to unhook his laptop and get to work again on the plans, but all he could do was stand there, frozen. His eyes darted to Dani, who stared at the table, unmoving.
Clearing his throat, he moved to her side of the table, slid into the seat beside her. “Dani…”
Her gaze darted up to his like she was startled by his presence. Then her eyes narrowed. “What was that, Liam?”
“That was my best attempt at getting you what you wanted.”
“What I want…” She trailed off, huffing and pushing away from the desk. Standing. “Liam, did you listen to me at all? This entire week, I’ve been telling you story after story about that place, trying to bring you into something special, to show you that Jonathon Island is different. But you still don’t get it. And how could you?”
He tried not to wince at her words. As she began to walk toward the front of the room, he followed. “I do get it, Dani.”
She whirled to look at him, folding her arms across her chest.
He continued. “I know how important this is to you. That’s why I worked so hard on upping my game on this hotel. I created somewhere that I know people will want to come—a place people will want to spend time and lose themselves—just like you asked me to.”
Dani studied him for a moment, then sighed. “It’s not your fault, Liam. It’s mine. Regardless of your process, I should have insisted on seeing those plans before the meeting like Uncle Seb wanted.”
Speaking of Seb, he was now in the back of the room, cleaning up the coffee and snacks—or pretending to, anyway.
Liam took a step closer, lowering his voice. “Come on, Dani. I still don’t understand what’s wrong with the plans I created.”
“And that is precisely the problem.” Dani stepped away, shaking her head. “Goodbye, Liam. Thanks for trying, but I just don’t think this is going to work.”
“Wait.” Now she’d just plain insulted him. “You’re just going to give this up without seeing if we can fix it?”
“I think my dad may have been right.” Her shoulders sank. “Some things just can’t be fixed.” Then she turned and left.
And despite Seb messing around in the back, the room felt empty without her.
She’d released him.
He’d done what he came here to do, all that Dad had demanded—his best for the client. Even if that wasn’t enough.
Liam should be happy.
Instead, he rubbed a hand over his sternum.
“Don’t worry, son.” Seb walked over, his voice breaking into Liam’s thoughts. “She’ll be all right.”
“I’m not so sure about that. She’s really upset.” Liam moved to the computer setup. Shut the lid. Pulled out the cord connecting it to the projector.
Now what?
Liam looked at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating his words. “It sounds like she’s ready to be done with me. With this project.”
Leaning against the table facing Liam, Seb unbuttoned his shirt sleeve and rolled it up to his elbow. First one, then the other. “Son, the thing you need to know about Dani is that she lives and breathes this island. This whole thing was her idea.”
“I knew that. She’s clearly passionate about the rebuild, about this town. I didn’t understand at first how much was riding on this, but once I did, I slaved away at the plans. I tweaked and restarted. I even got advice from a few colleagues of mine, which I never do. But I wanted it to be perfect.”
For her. And not just because she was a client.
Because she was…Dani.
The realization hit.
Oh man, he liked her. How had he let that happen?
Liam loosened his tie. “Anyway, I really thought I’d nailed it. Clearly, I was wrong.”
Seb considered him before nodding at the now-blank projector screen. “I actually think you did a bang-up job. I love the facelift you gave the hotel, including the addition of the villas and the more modern lobby. But that hotel doesn’t mean as much to me personally, and Dani’s got a whole host of memories tied up in that place, in growing up there. If Dani’s motivations are what I suspect—to get her siblings all back here—the way to do that isn’t to change the offering. It’s to remind them of what they’ve given up.”
“That makes sense. But given your understanding of today’s tourists and their expectations, do you really think that building an exact replica of the past would be as successful as what I’ve designed? Because as much as I want to please Dani and the entire council, they aren’t my only concern.”
“I know. Your father has staked a lot on this project. I respect that you want to create plans that are going to speak well of your company.”
“I’m glad you understand. I wish Dani did too.”
“Maybe you can get her to come around. And I think with a few tweaks, Tara and Patrick could probably be persuaded to approve your plans. Janine is likely a lost cause.”
“I figured that too.” Liam paused. “So you agree that for the most part, my plans would be successful here?”
Seb stroked his fingers along his smooth chin. “As popular as the Grand was in its heyday, there were always travelers looking for the latest amenities. I mean, the rooms didn’t even have a television, and some guests loved that. Others didn’t. Some wanted a spa to relax in. Room service. A private porch they didn’t have to share with their neighbors.”
“So…” What was Seb getting at?
“So, do I think sticking with the old will have as much success or even fetch the kind of price that a more modern version would—especially if Daniel Sullivan decides he doesn’t want to buy it back after all? And that’s always a risk, knowing that man and his hot-headed temper.” Seb paused. “No, I don’t.”
“I don’t either.” And that would mean Liam’s dad would be out a significant amount of money when it came time to sell the property.
It was quite possible that going the way that Dani might want things to go would result in a huge risk. And for what? He loved history as much as the next person, but preserving it didn’t always pay the bills.
“What can I do? Dani pretty much told me things were over.”
Which should be fine if only there wasn’t that internal tug, that desire that had only grown through Liam’s little bit of time with her. The desire to help her. And according to Dad, Stone Development was Jonathon Island’s only hope for getting this project accomplished.
“Guess you’ve got to convince her otherwise.” Seb stood again, snatching his cell phone and stuffing it into the clip on his belt. “You always were a charmer, Liam, even as a little tyke. Find a way to show her that modern doesn’t have to be the enemy.”
After gathering the last coffee carafe, Seb walked out of the conference room, leaving Liam in the silence that buzzed with the white noise of the heater whirring in the background. How was he supposed to show Dani something modern while they were in this town that oozed history and everything she was familiar with?
An idea came to him, so sudden he almost wondered if it was divinely inspired. But was it too big a risk? Maybe it was better to just walk away.
Then again, he’d never know if he didn’t just try.
Pulling his cell phone from inside his jacket, Liam dialed the Los Angeles office.
“Stone Development, this is Marianne speaking. How may I direct your call?”
“Mare, it’s me.”
“Well, hi, shoogs. How ya doin’?” The sounds of keyboard typing filled the phone receiver. “We haven’t heard hide nor hair of you in a few days.”
“I’m okay. Having a little bit of difficulty convincing this client to go the more modern route.” He paused. “Is Douglas Kutcher still giving Dad grief in Minneapolis?”
“Yes, in fact. He just called again this morning, but your dad’s been in meetings all day. Why?” she asked. “Surely you aren’t calling to get the scoop on that when you’re knee deep in problems yourself.”
“I actually thought that maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. You willing to help me?”
“Are grits the most delicious breakfast food known to man?” At Liam’s pause, she chuckled. “Yes, sugar. The answer is yes. Anything. How can I help?”
* * *
Maybe she should just face the inevitable.
Getting the Sullivans back to Jonathon Island wasn’t in the cards.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help, Aunt Elise?” Dani dragged a chip through a bowl of guacamole on Uncle Seb and Aunt Elise’s butcher block island counter, which was spread with a full-on Mexican food feast, including chicken enchiladas, homemade refried beans, and flour tortillas. The smell of taco meat rent the air, spicy and full-bodied. It was Dani’s favorite meal.
But not even that could cheer her up tonight.
“No, dear, thank you.” From her spot standing at the stove, Aunt Elise pushed a spatula through the ground beef as it sizzled in a skillet. Even though she’d been cooking and probably cleaning for the last hour or so, she looked as put together as always in her beige slacks and powder blue sweater, her dark bobbed hair coifed without a strand out of place. “The girls and I have it handled.”
Dani’s family bustled all around her—her fifteen-year-old cousin Nora setting the table, Mia washing lettuce, Uncle Seb in and out grabbing fajita meat to toss on the Traeger, and her oldest cousin Evie chopping tomatoes.
Dani’s fingers itched to do more than snatch chips. “Seriously. After the day I’ve had, I’m happy to do anything to get my mind off things.”
“What happened today?” Evie piped up from the other side of the island. Tonight she wore a silky purple jewel-neck tee that, paired with her shoulder-length dark hair, somehow made her look elegant and older than her thirty-two years.
“The town council met to approve plans for the Grand Hotel rebuild.” Dani made a face. “Or rather, to not approve the plans.”
“Oh, that was today? The whole thing is so exciting.” Evie—who had worked at the hotel years ago, before it closed—brought the knife down on the tomatoes. “But I’m sorry the meeting didn’t go well.”
Mia shook out the lettuce and patted it with a paper towel. “How’d you even know about it, Evie? This is only your second time back on the island this year since the ferry started up again.”
Evie’s banker husband Kyle Munson worked in Port Joseph, the small town across Lake Huron, so they’d lived there for much of their nine-year marriage. But Evie eventually wanted to purchase a home right up the road from the ancestral Jonathon estate located on the northern tip of the island. And who could blame her? With its sweeping lawn that overlooked the lake, huge porch with a handful of Adirondack chairs, and enough space for them all to gather every week, it was an ideal place to raise kids.
“I still keep up with local chatter, sister dearest.” Evie hip bumped Mia. “Everyone’s been all abuzz about the new guy in town. Is he really as handsome as they say? What’s he like?”
Mia grabbed a glass bowl from one of the paneled green cabinets and moved back to work beside Evie. “You should ask Dani about that. She’s spent the most time with him.”
Oh brother. “I don’t?—”
Thankfully, Finn chose that moment to sweep through the crowded kitchen making airplane noises, and Evie’s five-year-old Cora chased after him along with Maggie, who dragged one of Evie’s old Cabbage Patch dolls behind her.
“Chloe! Chase! Come play with the littles, please,” Evie called toward the den, where her eight-year-old twins were watching television, enjoying the beginning of their spring break.
But the ragtag group headed out the back door all on their own, leaving the adults in relative peace again—for now.
“Don’t you remember Liam Stone from our visit to California when you were a teenager?” Aunt Elise asked, continuing the conversation as if nothing had happened. “He and his family came out several times to visit us in New York too.”
“I remember some scrawny kid running around playing with swords. Was that him?” Evie asked.
“It was. And I believe he’s grown into quite the handsome young man.”
“Gross, Mom.” Nora spoke up from the dining room. She stuck her head fully into the kitchen and scrunched her face, accentuating her freckles, one last plate in her hand. “He’s like, half your age.”
Mia tsked at her younger sister. “Just because she’s old doesn’t mean she doesn’t have eyes.”
“Who are you calling old?” Aunt Elise came after Mia with the dirty spatula.
Laughing, Mia hid behind Evie, who just kept chopping tomatoes as calm as could be. Not surprising, as she was used to three kids and their crazy antics.
“You’re not old, Mom,” Evie said. “Just oh so wise.”
Dani sighed. She missed this in her own family. Missed feeling a part of it. It wasn’t their fault—the Jonathons always did their best to include her. It was just something in her own soul.
“That was a very loud exhale.” Aunt Elise flipped off the stovetop burner and moved the skillet of taco meat to another before covering it with a lid. Then she turned and slipped into the seat beside Dani. “I’m sorry the meeting didn’t go your way.”
“What happened, exactly? You said Liam was working hard on the plans.” Using a cutting board and lettuce knife, Mia started in on the lettuce, cutting willy nilly, unlike Evie’s perfectly proportioned tomato slices.
Dani reached for another chip and dipped it in the guac. “Liam’s proposed plans for the hotel weren’t exactly what I’d pictured.” She bit into the chip, the crunch filling the sudden silence of the kitchen. “And by that, I mean he proposed something completely new and modern—it was nothing like what the Grand ought to be. The man somehow managed to remove every ounce of historic charm and replace it with cold sterility.”
Mia groaned. “How frustrating.”
“I agree.” Aunt Elise tucked her hair behind her ear. “But your uncle seems to think a hotel like that would make the island a lot more money.”
“He said that?”
“Mmm hmm. But I told him that some things are worth more than money.”
“Yeah, but money’s nice to have,” Evie said, finishing with the tomatoes and scraping them into a bowl, which she positioned between the olives and shredded cheese. “Still, I get why you’re upset, Dani. Some people just don’t understand the draw of history that makes the island special.”
“I tried telling Liam.” Dani sat back and tugged her hair up into a ponytail, fastening it with a hairband that had been on her wrist. “He just didn’t get it, I guess.”
“It’s too bad that young man didn’t get to see the island at the height of its popularity,” Aunt Elise said, her expression dreamy and far off. “All the charm of it, with the summer storefronts open, the walking tours, the smell of fudge as you walked down Main Street. Some things just need to be experienced.”
They all smiled, remembering.
“It’s charming even in the spring though.” Mia set down her knife. “So many lovely and romantic spots. Troy used to take me to…” She trailed off, frowned, cleared her throat. “Anyway. The point is, even now, a shell of what it was, Jonathon Island is still the most enchanting place in the world. A big fancy hotel would ruin that.”
“It would, wouldn’t it? And my brothers and sisters would never come back to run a hotel like that.” Oops. Had she said that out loud?
“Is that your goal?” Evie sounded surprised. “I thought you merely wanted to revitalize the economy.”
“I do. But…”
“That’s a pretty tall order, dear.” Aunt Elise patted Dani’s knee.
“I know that. I do. But if anything would get them back here, it’s a rebuilt hotel. James would be the first one to return. You know he always dreamed of running the hotel someday.”
“All things are possible with God. But there’s a lot of hurt here for your siblings. Do you think it’s realistic to place all of your hopes in them returning?”
“I just want us to be a family again.”
“You can be a family even if you aren’t all in one place.” Aunt Elise dropped her voice. “But even being five miles from someone doesn’t mean anything unless people are willing to forgive.”
As if sensing their need to be alone, Evie and Mia finished up their tasks and headed out the back door to check on their dad and the kids.
“You’re talking about Mom, aren’t you?”
Another squeeze to her knee. “You say you want family back, but you aren’t willing to try with the one member of your immediate family who is close by and wants to be here.”
“If that’s true, then where is she?”
“You know where. The same place she’s been. Waiting.”
Dani sighed and opened her mouth to respond, but her phone vibrated on the counter in front of her. She frowned when she saw Liam’s name pop up on the screen. “What does he want?”
“To talk, I imagine.” There was amusement in Aunt Elise’s tone.
“About what? I told him the project was done.”
“Guess you won’t know unless you answer.” Standing, Aunt Elise headed for the back door too. “Hey, all! About time to eat!”
Dani should just ignore the call but then she’d spend all evening wondering. Ugh. Fine. “Hello? Liam?” She headed for the front porch.
“Hey, Dani. Do you have a minute to talk?”
Once outside, she leaned against one of the porch posts, where a flowerpot hung just overhead. Right now, the plant inside sat dormant, but come summertime, it would bloom into something beautiful.
“Okay.” A breeze filtered in off the lake, and she shivered. It may have been warmer than usual lately, but it was still chilly when the sun went down. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Liam cleared his throat. “I’ve been figuring some things out all day. And frankly, working up the nerve to call.”
“I figured you’d be long gone by now.”
“Then you don’t know me very well.”
“I guess not.”
“That’s not…” He groaned. “Look, I know we’ve hit a snag. But I think there’s still a chance we can fix this.”
“Are you saying you’re willing to redo the plans?”
“I’m not going to say no to that, because it wouldn’t be fair in light of what I’m asking of you.”
“And what’s that?”
“I want you to take a trip. With me. Tomorrow.”
“What?” Was he asking her out? “That’s not what I expected you to say.”
“Let me explain. I have a client meeting at one of our luxury hotel projects in Minneapolis. I thought I could show you around. Maybe explain my vision for a modern hotel a little better?”
Oh. “But I don’t want your vision.” She pressed her lips together, making sure to school her tone into something professional. Because despite what she’d thought, she and Liam weren’t becoming friends. They were colleagues—colleagues with different opinions. But she was the client, and wasn’t the client always right? “Why can’t you just draw up the plans for the hotel the way I see them?”
“Because as I’ve told you, my company has a lot at stake here too. And two of the five people at that table today loved the plan I presented. They—and I—believe it would be in the best financial and economic interest of the town to go the more modern direction.”
“You need a majority though.”
“Seb thinks with a few tweaks, Patrick and Tara can be convinced to approve my plan.”
And then Dani would lose all control over the project that was hers to begin with.
Unacceptable.
Her left hand formed a fist, but she released it slowly along with a breath. “Let me make sure I have this right. You want me to come to Minneapolis so you can convince me that modern is the way to go?”
“Essentially, yeah. My secretary booked us flights for tomorrow. But if you don’t feel comfortable with that, I understand. I just thought it would be a good way to show you my perspective instead of trying to explain it with words.”
“You have a lot of nerve after what happened at that meeting. Maybe it’s just best to let this whole thing go.”
“Is that really what you want? I thought I was the only developer even willing to touch this project.”
She frowned. “Maybe Uncle Seb didn’t look hard enough.”
He sighed. “Look, Dani. I’m not asking for a commitment here. I’m just asking for you to give this one more shot. Let me show you what I do—what I can really do, if you give me a chance—and if you want to can the project after that, fine.”
“Why are you doing this? I got the impression that you’d gladly wash your hands of this project and walk away because it was too risky to your bottom line.”
It was a moment before he answered. “To be honest, Dani, I’m asking myself the same question. But basically, it comes down to the fact that I promised my dad—and I promised you. There’s a disconnect somewhere between us, and I want to see if it’s possible to bridge the gap.”
“You mean bring me over to your side.”
“If you want to phrase it like that, fine.”
“What if I want to bring you over to my side instead?” Now, hey, there was an idea. What had Aunt Elise said? It’s too bad that young man didn’t get to see the island at the height of its popularity. Some things just need to be experienced.
That was it. Just like Liam wanted to show her his perspective, she wanted to show him hers. And it went so far beyond the hotel—which wasn’t a true assessment of Jonathon Island, being half burned like it was.
She had to show him more .
And if she could convince an outsider like Liam Stone to love and cherish this place, then maybe her dreams really were possible.
It was her last real chance to find out.
“I’ll go, on one condition.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’ll go with you if you come back to the island with me afterward and let me show you my perspective, my island in a way you haven’t seen it before. After our little drive through town and the tour of the hotel, you got right to work on your plans, but there is still so much to show you. So I’ll give you a chance to convince me, but only if you let me have a chance to convince you .”
“Do you think you can keep an open mind about what I show you?”
Dani hesitated. Could she? But it was only fair if she expected the same of him. “If you will.”
“Good then. It’s a deal. May the best convincer win.”