Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
T oday, Dani had two goals.
Start the process of reimagining the hotel plans with Liam.
And not fall any farther for the man in question despite that incredible kiss last night.
She’d thought maybe once they’d gone into her aunt and uncle’s kitchen, Liam might try to resume the kiss, but instead, he’d thrown proverbial cold water all over the place. Rejected her with a single word: mistake .
Didn’t stop her mind from circling back to the kiss over and over again, though—or to the conversation she’d heard between Liam and Cody afterward. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but when Cody had asked Liam the very questions she’d wanted answered…
But his reasons for the rejection didn’t matter. He was right. It had been a mistake.
And now, with Liam and Dani shut up in the same room together—and plans to stay that way all weekend—she had to focus on the task at hand and the original pencil-drawn plans spread across the conference room table at the Tourism Bureau.
“It’s been two hours, and we’ve made absolutely no progress yet.” Dani sat back in her chair, which squeaked out a protest.
Liam tapped a pencil against the wooden tabletop. “I’m not trying to be difficult.”
“I’m not either. But much as I like the idea of compromising, the reality of it is harder than I thought it’d be.” Dani pointed to the plans. “Every time you suggest a change, I remember something I loved about the original way things were. I’m sorry.”
“I get that. I’m not taking it personally. But if we have any hope of getting something together by Monday…”
“Ugh, I know.”
A cloud covered up the sunlight that had just been streaming through the conference room window that faced the alleyway between the bureau and Great Lakes National Bank.
Liam frowned. “I hate to say this, but I’m wondering if there’s any chance we could get the meeting postponed. We only have two days until the Monday meeting.”
“No, that’s actually a good idea. But can you afford more time away from the office? Isn’t your coworker getting anxious for your return so you can pitch your project to your dad?” Liam’s phone had buzzed when they’d first started working, and he’d said it was Travis looking for an update.
“He’ll survive. I’ll have to let Dad know about the schedule change, but if it means we have a bit more time to put together a killer proposal, I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.”
“All right.” Dani picked up her phone and sent off a text to Seb. “I’ll let you know what my uncle says about a postponement.”
“Great.” Liam stood and stretched, walking the room in his jeans and purple Henley that hugged his muscles. The man looked good in a suit, but all casual like this?
It was making Dani’s second goal for the day that much harder to achieve.
“Great.” Dani tried for a smile, but it felt forced. She fiddled with the silver foil ball in front of her that had once held one of Martha’s breakfast burritos. “So, any ideas for how to get this compromise truly under way?”
Liam paced a few moments, then froze. “How about this? What if we do this kind of like a draft pick in sports?”
“A what now?”
“Come on, Dani. Don’t tell me you’ve never watched a draft pick.”
“Not exactly a sports enthusiast over here. I spend most of my free time watching the Travel Channel and planning all the trips I want to take someday.” She flicked the foil ball across the table toward the trash can at the end. It flew across the room and hit the door instead. She winced. “Case in point.”
Liam chuckled and bent to pick up the ball. With seemingly little effort, he tossed it into the can. “What if we just go back and forth, taking turns picking something we want to keep about our plan for the hotel? It makes us have to prioritize what’s most important to us.”
“That could work. Let’s try it.”
“Okay.” Liam slid back into his seat and studied the plans.
Dani did the same, her eyes searching, mind considering—and doing her best to not let the spicy scent of his cologne wrap around her or sway her heart.
Finally, Liam sat back in his chair and swiveled to face her. “Ladies first.”
“This is hard. And scary. What if your first pick is something I can’t stand?”
“I’m open to suggestions if you’ve got a different way to go about this.” There was no arrogance in his tone. He truly was trying to be objective.
And not for the first time she wondered why he was doing this. Why he’d stayed when he could have easily gone home. Was he truly falling for her, like he’d admitted to Cody? Or was it some sense of obligation, the promise his dad had given Seb?
She couldn’t ask him though. It would definitely risk her ability to accomplish that second goal. Might derail them from goal number one as well.
Dani shook her head. “No, it’s okay. We’ll do it your way.” Then she closed her eyes and allowed herself to remember the Grand Sullivan Hotel how it once was. What meant the most? Her eyes reopened. “I want the gazebo to stay where it is.” It was too important to her—to her family’s history—to ever see it moved elsewhere.
“Got it.” Liam grabbed a yellow legal pad and wrote down her choice. But what part of his monstrous plans would he insist on keeping first? “And for me, the rooms have to have televisions.”
She nearly laughed with relief. “You and those TVs.”
He winked and wrote his “demand” down with a flourish. “I’ve got to make a stand for my fellow modernites. What’s next?”
“The community porch. It stays.”
Frowning, Liam nodded. “Gotta admit, that one hurts. I really loved the idea of individual porches.”
“And I have too many memories on that porch to let it go.”
“Like what?” He looked up at her then cleared his throat and diverted his gaze. Tapped the legal pad again. “Never mind.”
Her insides twisted. She hated him pulling away like that. But it was for the best. “Um, so what’s your next pick?”
“The lobby as I have it designed here.”
Ugh, no. “Does it really have to be three stories high? Aren’t we losing out on valuable real estate we could be using for housing guests?”
“That’s what the villas are for—to make up for that. The outside of a hotel has to be beautiful, but a lobby is a hotel’s first real chance to impress guests. Why would we waste that opportunity?”
Dani swallowed against the loss of the lobby she remembered as it disappeared like a popped bubble. “O-okay.” Her voice shook, but she plowed on. The faster they got this “draft pick” over with, the sooner they could be done here—and she could retreat to her couch and drown her sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and the Travel Channel. “Then speaking of the outside of the hotel, I want to rebuild it to keep the original architecture. The columns lining the veranda, the turrets, the twin low-lying dormers with multiple windows, the central open belvedere.”
“The original is gorgeous, I’ll give you that.” Liam scratched his neck. “But we’re keeping the colors I suggested.”
“Red and gray? You can’t be serious.”
He shrugged. “White is so plain.”
“And stately.” She couldn’t keep the indignation from her tone. Dani stood, walked to the window, and leaned her forehead against it. Breathed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get worked up.” When she turned back to face him, Liam was looking at her, frowning.
He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. Sighed. “It’s fine.” Picked the pen back up. “Next pick?”
She wanted to move forward, to shake him, to shake back the teasing Liam, the one with the softness in his gaze, who asked her what was wrong.
But if he returned, then she probably wouldn’t be able to stick to her resolve. This professional distance was good, and she’d do well to remember that.
Dani resumed her seat, shoulders straightened. “I want the rooms designed the way they used to be—all individual and unique, with charming bold patterns and antique furniture.”
Nodding, he wrote it down.
They went on that way for hours, working out all the little details, picking and choosing. And by the end of the day, they had a plan—and Dani hadn’t flirted with Liam once.
But she still wasn’t sure if she’d really succeeded at either of her two goals after all.
* * *
He and Dani finally had a plan. Liam should have been relieved.
But it was all wrong.
They’d concluded their meeting at seven last night, cross-eyed and exhausted, but he hadn’t slept well.
And even though he’d just sat through a sermon by Pastor Arnie on peace, Liam’s insides were as fidgety as ever.
It had been kind of nice to attend church though. Little Stone Bible—with its steeply angled A-frame roof, its twenty wooden pews with red hymnals that had clearly been handled over the years by multiple generations—was not at all like the mega church he’d attended as a kid with Mom and Dad, but despite its humble existence, love pulsed strong here. Liam could feel it in the greetings he’d received before service, in the sturdy presence of Seb and his whole family, including Dani, who sat on the opposite end of the pew next to her cousin Mia.
“That’s all for today,” Arnie Chamberlain said from the small pulpit. The fifty-something-year-old pastor closed his Bible, and the light streaming through the stained-glass windows lining the walls reflected off his shock of red hair. “Be sure to say hello to all of our guests and make them feel welcome.”
And by that he meant Liam, because as far as he could tell, the fifty or so people here were all Jonathon Island residents.
The crowd stood and the din of their chatter rose, filling the small space. Laughter, pleasant and long. Hugs exchanged. Liam got up and moved to the wall, watching it all from the sidelines. His gaze narrowed in on Dani, so pretty in her long floral skirt and white top, her hair down and curled, looking like a spring flower.
How he’d managed to be in the same room as her yesterday and not kiss her again was a wonder.
“Mr. Stone.”
He startled, and he looked to his left, finding Pastor Arnie there smiling at him in his black button-up shirt, his red hair slicked back. “Hi, Pastor.” Liam straightened and fiddled with one of the cuff links on his suit jacket. It had seemed appropriate to wear to church, but after a few days of dressing down, the thing felt a bit awkward, even here. “Thanks for that sermon today. I’ll be thinking about those verses on anxiety for sure.”
“I’m glad, son. And happy to have you visit with us today.” Pastor Arnie held out his hand and Liam took it, shook. “Finding peace is something some spend their whole lives figuring out. It’s one thing to say ‘trust God.’ Another completely to actually learn how to do it.”
Liam laughed, and it came out stunted. “I understand better than I’d like to.”
“Well, we’d love to see you next week.” He tapped his Bible against his chest. “We’ll be talking more about it then.”
“Wish I could, but I’m leaving Friday.” Seb had agreed to move the council meeting to Thursday, which meant Liam’s time here was running out.
And so was his time to figure out a better hotel plan with Dani.
“Too bad. Next time you’re on the island, we’d love to see you though.”
Like he could ever bring himself to come back. Not with how hard it already was to think about leaving Dani once. He’d never survive a second goodbye.
But Liam just smiled and nodded. “You got it.”
As Pastor Arnie moved off to speak to an older woman, Liam blew out a breath and snuck a look at his watch, then again at Dani. Maybe he should just tell her he’d meet her over at the Tourism Bureau?—
“Liam, dear.”
This time it was Constance Franklin at his elbow—Mia’s mother-in-law, the one who’d lost her son and husband in the boating accident a few years ago. “Hi, Constance.” He’d met her at the town picnic the other night. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, I was just wondering if you liked blueberry muffins.” The woman smiled in a motherly way and pulled a Ziploc full of muffins from her large purse. Miraculously, they weren’t squished. “I baked some extras and thought you and Dani might like to enjoy them together.”
“That’s really kind of you.” Too kind, really. What would she say if she knew he’d kissed Dani and then called it a mistake? Probably lob all of these muffins in his face. Or maybe she was too nice for that. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.” She handed him the package of muffins and then shrugged, something frail in the motion. “They were my Troy’s favorite. I always bake extras…old habits. So I’m happy if they can go to someone else and not straight to my hips.”
Wow. “They look delicious, and I know for a fact Dani has a sweet tooth. These are gonna help fuel our next brainstorming session.”
Constance nodded and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad, dear, I’m glad.” Then she shuffled off, leaving Liam with nothing to do but lean back against the church’s white wall.
This town really was something else.
“Are those Constance’s famous blueberry muffins?” Seb asked as he sauntered up, rubbing his hands together.
“They are. Want one?”
Seb scanned the crowd, his gaze stopping on the spot where Elise, Dani, and Mia were chatting. “I’d better not. Elise has been after me to lessen my sugar intake. But you enjoy.”
“I told her I’d bring it to my next brainstorming session with Dani this afternoon.”
“Ah yes, she told me you’d be hard at work yesterday and today. Hopefully the extra time gives you a bit more flexibility in your schedule so you can really dazzle us with your presentation.”
“Hopefully.” Liam tried to infuse confidence in his tone, but judging by the scrutiny in Seb’s look, he’d failed.
“Are things not going well? She told me this morning you had come up with a plan.”
“We did, but…” Liam pressed his thumb along the Ziploc’s seal. “Something about it just isn’t jibing. It feels off.”
“How so?”
“We’re trying really hard to compromise our visions, and the way we went about doing that was to take turns selecting features we wanted to keep from our individual plans—or in Dani’s case, the way the hotel used to be.”
“Ah.” Seb stroked his chin. “And that didn’t go well?”
“It went fine in terms of us getting along and making decisions. But I think it feels off because it will create a really disjointed experience for guests. They’ll arrive to a nineteenth-century building painted the wrong color and then walk inside to find a dazzling modern lobby. Then they’ll go up to their rooms, which will have this vintage design but a sleek bathroom that doesn’t match the charm.”
“That sounds confusing.”
“I know.” Liam groaned. “But I honestly don’t know how else to compromise.”
“Let me tell you something I’ve learned after thirty-plus years of marriage, son. Compromise isn’t just about picking and choosing things from your two individual visions of what life should be. It’s about teamwork and blending your ideas so you create something new—together.”
Liam straightened. Seb’s words…they struck a chord. “That’s where we’ve gone wrong. Seb, you’re a genius.”
Seb laughed. “I’m glad someone around here finally realizes it.” Then he winked. “Now, go create something amazing with my niece.”
Liam frowned. “We’re just talking about the hotel, right?”
“Of course.” Seb grinned. “What else would we be talking about?”
Ugh, not Seb too. “Thanks for the advice. I’ve gotta go.” Liam walked toward Dani, who looked up from talking with Mia.
“Liam, hi.” Her smile was fake—he knew her real one enough to recognize the counterfeit, and it still ate at him. “Are you ready to go?”
“If you are.”
“I’ll see you later.” Mia gave Dani a hug. “Bye, Liam.” She flashed him a meaningful look before leaving.
Without another word, he and Dani walked out the front, people waving bye and letting them know they were praying for them to work miracles on the hotel.
When they were finally out of earshot and on the road toward the Tourism Bureau, Liam spoke. “So I was talking to Seb, and something he said really sparked a thought in me.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I don’t know about you, but the plans we came up with last night?—”
“They don’t feel right, do they?”
He stopped, turned to face her. “You don’t think so either?”
A breeze picked up the ends of her hair and blew them around her face. She swatted them away. “No. But I don’t know how to make it better.”
“I think I might.”
“Really? How?”
“By creating something entirely new, something that’s borne of the old, inspired by the old, but that brings the hotel into the twenty-first century.”
Dani cocked her head. “And how do we do that?”
“By blending your design elements with the functionality and amenities found in my plan.” At her look of confusion, he waved his hand in the air. “Like, for example, the community porch. That stays, but the terraces above it become individual room balconies. We can keep the colonnaded look—and the design of the porch that means so much to you—but we can also gain the amenity of a private view that so many modern visitors will love.”
She tugged on a strand of her hair, considering.
“I’ve got a million other ideas, but that’s just one example.” A pause. “So, what do you think?”
“I think…” And then Dani flashed him a real and true smile, and his heart lurched inside his chest. “I think you’re on to something, Mr. Stone. Let’s go get our brainstorm on.”