Chapter 29
“Welcome to the pizza party.” Morgan kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “Thank you for coming by on such short notice.”
“You’re welcome. I know you. Something is up.” Elizabeth playfully wagged her finger. “Does this have anything to do with Harlow’s surprise visit to put those Renaud rascals in their place?”
Morgan thought about it. “In a roundabout way. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Prissy wiggled her way in next to Elizabeth. “I love pizza. What kind?”
“I ordered a variety of pies.”
“Apple is my favorite.”
“Pizza pies.” Morgan patted her shoulder. “Not fruit pies.”
“Oh. Well. I like both.”
Elizabeth grasped her sister-in-law’s hand and she and Gerard led her into the kitchen where Wyatt was pouring beverages.
Quinn and Brett, along with Tristan, Ben, Mrs. Arnsby, Tina, and Greg, weren’t far behind. The family and friends gathered in Morgan’s cozy living room.
Tristan entertained them with the egg-on-the-nose trick he and Chester had tried teaching Harlow’s pup.
Elizabeth was the first to notice the two people who were notably missing. “Where are Ronni and Jax? I thought they were returning home today.”
“They should be here any second.” Morgan darted to the window, thinking they had to be close. She started to telephone Ronni when she noticed her car pulling into the parking lot. “They’re pulling in now.”
She hurried outside and met them on the porch. “It’s a good thing you’re here. Grandmother is getting suspicious, wanting to know where you were.”
“Did you spill the beans?”
“Nope. I haven’t said a peep.” Morgan ushered the newly engaged couple into the house. “The unofficial guests of honor have arrived.”
“Guests of honor?” Brett echoed. “What did I miss?”
Jax placed a light hand on his betrothed’s back and led her into the living room. “Ronni and I got engaged.”
A beaming Ronni held up her hand, showing off her engagement ring.
Everyone started talking at once, congratulating the couple and asking if they’d picked a date.
“We haven’t decided on exactly when, but Morgan has graciously agreed to let us host it at Locke Pointe,” Jax said.
“Which is the perfect setting if you ask me.” Morgan clapped her hands. “Go grab a plate and some food before it gets ice cold.”
The guests munched on pizza and buffalo wings, along with chips, dips, and sweet treats Morgan had picked up from her friend Elin’s Danish Delight Bakery.
She waited until the festivities died down to usher the guests into the living room. “I know we have a lot going on, but I thought I should let everyone know that Wyatt, Denver, and Grady responded to a plane crash earlier today over at Stormbreaker Bay.”
Elizabeth sat stoically listening, and Morgan could tell by her expression she’d already heard the news, most likely from Denver.
“Judging by the look on your face, it was someone we know,” Quinn said.
“It was Jason.”
The room grew quiet—so quiet that you could’ve heard a pin drop. “He and his pilot got caught in the storm. Their plane went down. Neither of them survived.”
Mrs. Arnsby placed her hands on her cheeks. “Dear heavens. I’m sorry to hear about the pilot’s death.”
“It’s over.” Quinn sidestepped the others and stood directly in front of her best friend. She knew exactly what poor Morgan had suffered, the emotional trauma, fear and upheaval, all at the hands of Jason Greer. “You’re free.”
Morgan could feel tears burning the back of her eyes. Her bestie, the person who had been by her side through so much of the turmoil, understood what a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “Yes.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m finally free.”
All too soon the engagement party ended. The guests of honor and staff left, except for Quinn, Wyatt, and Gerard.
“Wyatt, Quinn and I will give you some privacy to discuss the proposal,” Gerard said.
“If you need our two cents, give a holler,” Wyatt joked.
“Good luck,” Quinn chimed in.
Making their way into the kitchen, Elizabeth waited for her grandchildren to take a seat before removing a thick set of papers from her purse. “I haven’t gone over the proposal yet. I made copies so each of us would have one.” She handed Brett and Morgan each a set.
The trio grew quiet, reading the proposal, listed as a “negotiation offer” for a road easement. The offer was outlined in bullet-point format, laying out the terms for the Easton Holdings Company’s, aka the Elizabeth Easton property’s right-of-way.
Brett let out a low whistle. “They did their due diligence, mapping out the exact footprint, the parties responsible for construction, ongoing maintenance, and also indemnities.”
Most of it sounded like mumbo jumbo to Morgan; legal terms she understood, but only on a basic level. She skimmed to the bottom, noting the dollar amount. “The investment group is willing to plunk down some serious cash for the sliver of land.”
“It appears so.” Elizabeth set her copy on the table and turned to Brett. “You know these legal documents inside and out. What is your professional opinion?”
“It’s pretty straightforward. They pay us money, indemnify us, they’re responsible for all work and subsequent maintenance.
Basically, on paper, we own the property but give the group full use of it.
” Brett made a couple of suggestions: to tighten the verbiage and close a couple of vague loopholes.
“Other than what I mentioned, it’s a fair deal. ”
“It now comes down to the three of us deciding whether we’re on board with a commercial project of this magnitude being built.”
“We already know half the islanders will love it while the other half will hate it,” Morgan said.
“Small business owners will benefit,” Brett reminded them. “Government-funded projects and programs could use the money.”
Elizabeth gazed thoughtfully at Morgan. “What do you think, dear? This could affect Locke Pointe Bed-and-Breakfast as well as the Lilac Inn.”
“I’ve given it some thought. You might be surprised, but I vote yes.
Not all guests will want to stay at a large resort, preferring a cozier, more intimate experience.
Some will love the idea of a high-end resort and spa,” Morgan said.
“Clearly, it will be geared toward people who have big bucks to spend.”
Elizabeth turned to her grandson. “Brett?”
“The island has plenty of undeveloped land on the east side. I do have concerns. If this group gets its foot in the door and the resort does well, they’ll want to expand.”
“I agree. However, they can’t.” A sly smile spread across Elizabeth’s face.
She removed a single sheet of paper—a plat map of the Canadian side of Easton Island.
“They can’t because Easton Holdings owns several easements, basically hedging the resort in and clearly defining the group’s limited boundaries. ”
“I vaguely remember us discussing this eons ago.” Brett studied the sheet his grandmother handed to him. “Maybe they already know about this, or maybe not. To sum it up, you could agree to the easements or right-of-way for the resort, but if they plan to expand…”
Elizabeth tilted her head. “They’ll need to hammer out another agreement with us.”
“Based on this information, my vote is yes,” Brett said. “If it’s not this company, it will eventually be someone else.”
“So it’s three votes yes?” Elizabeth asked.
“Three votes yes,” Morgan confirmed. “Changes are coming to Easton Island. I only hope we’re ready for them.”
The end.