Chapter 21 #2
The silence that followed was deafening. Mom’s face paled, her eyes widening. This was my cue.
“Look,” I jumped in, seizing the chance to redirect the conversation. “I get it. We all do. It’s a lot of money, and yeah, it’s risky. But we’ve got to do something. The resort can’t keep limping along like this.”
Mom focused on me, surprise evident in her expression. “You agree with this plan?”
I shrugged. “I’m just saying, we need to consider our options. The old girl needs some serious TLC if we want to keep her afloat.”
“But millions in debt?” Mom shook her head, her voice rising slightly. “That’s not just risky, it’s… it’s…”
“An investment in our future,” Harper interjected softly.
I nodded, surprising myself with how much I meant it. “Yeah. I mean, change is scary, but sometimes you’ve gotta take the plunge, right?”
The irony of my words wasn’t lost on me, and I caught Harper’s knowing look. I avoided her gaze, focusing instead on Mom’s worried face. The parallels to my situation with Jules were uncomfortably clear, but I pushed that thought away. One crisis at a time.
“I don’t know.” Mom sighed, her shoulders sagging. “This just seems so overwhelming.”
I reached out to pat her hand. “Hey, we’re Coleridges. Overwhelming is our middle name, remember? We’ll figure it out.”
Harper frowned at me before turning to Mom.
“We wanted to let you know the facts immediately—so you wouldn’t feel left out of the loop.
But we’re in the very early stages here.
We don’t even know how much money we’re talking about yet, or if we need a loan or can figure out a way to finance it ourselves.
So deep breaths, okay? We’ll tackle this together, as a family. Just like we always have.”
Mom grabbed Harper’s Coke glass and took a long drink, which broadcast how unsettled she was. Her hand trembled as she set it back down. “Thank you for that. I’m not trying to be difficult—this is just a lot to swallow.”
I reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Lean on us, Mom. Don’t go worrying about step twenty when we’re at step two. We’ve got your back.”
As Harper gave me another long, assessing glance, I just hoped that was true.
A flash of movement caught my eye, a presence that drew me like gravity.
My breath stilled as Jules glided through the pub, heading for the bar where Braden was polishing glasses.
Her hair was pulled back in the usual bun, but a few rebellious strands had escaped, framing her face in a way that made my fingers itch to tuck them behind her ear.
Our eyes met, and for a heartbeat, the world narrowed to just us.
A small smile tugged at her lips. I couldn’t stop myself from returning it, remembering how those same lips had felt against mine just hours ago.
Turning away, she stopped next to Braden and opened a folder she carried. Their heads lowered over it.
“Eli?” Mom’s voice snapped me back to reality full force. “Are you even listening?”
“Huh? Yeah, of course.” I tore my gaze away from Jules, but not before catching the sharp look in Mom’s eyes. Crap.
“What was that about?” She nodded toward the bar, her tone deceptively casual.
I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance but probably hitting somewhere around guilty teenager. “What was what about?”
“That… look with Julianne.” Mom’s eyes searched my face. “I thought you two were practically enemies. You actually smiled at each other.”
“Oh, that.” I forced a laugh, ignoring the way my stomach churned. “Nah, we’ve just come to an understanding and are getting along better. For the resort’s sake, you know? See? Everyone is working together to make Sunset Siesta a crowning glory.”
The lie tasted flat, like the dregs of a Coke left out too long. I risked a glance at Harper, who was staring at me with a mixture of disapproval and… was that pity?
Great.
Just great.
This whole thing was putting her in a bad spot, not just Jules and me.
And we weren’t teenagers, for God’s sake.
We shouldn’t have to skulk around. Despite my fears of getting close, I had to admit that maybe it was time to move this relationship into the light a little.
Not with Mom yet, but maybe a sibling gathering.
We could break the news in stages, establish allies before coming clean to Mom.
Because Mom was going to be complicated.
I wasn’t delaying. I was planning. I almost patted myself on the back, but there was no doubt this situation couldn’t continue without something changing. If only I knew what had to give. I hated change.
“An understanding,” Mom repeated as her gaze flicked between Jules and me. “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing.”
I nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “Yep. Totally good. Professional. Anyway, about those renovation plans…”
As I launched into a rambling monologue about new loungers and pool tiles, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was treading water in a rip current, being pulled farther and farther from shore with each passing second.