Chapter 22 Savannah #2
"The place that looks like the setting for a horror movie about people who make poor real estate decisions," I continue, because apparently I need to spell out the obvious problems with this plan.
"The building that's been condemned longer than some people have been alive and probably needs an exorcism along with basic utilities. "
"Technically, it's not condemned," Xavier corrects with the satisfaction of someone who's done his research and found a technicality that makes his impossible plan slightly less impossible.
"It's just been closed due to bankruptcy proceedings.
The structure is actually sound according to the last inspection reports, which I may have spent some time reviewing this afternoon. "
"The building that doesn't have power," I say.
"We can fix that," Griff says with the confidence of someone who's never met an electrical problem he couldn't solve with enough determination and the right tools. "Temporary electrical service, basic lighting, enough power to run essential equipment."
"Or running water," I add, because someone needs to acknowledge all the ways this plan could go horribly wrong.
"Also fixable," Logan chimes in, stretching his arm across the back of the couch in a gesture that's probably meant to be reassuring but mostly just draws my attention to the way his flannel shirt stretches across his shoulders in ways that are definitely not helping my ability to think clearly about venue logistics.
"Or windows that aren't held together with duct tape and prayer."
"You're being dramatic," Griff says, though he's grinning as he says it like my reasonable concerns about basic structural integrity are somehow amusing. "Some of those windows are held together with caulk."
"Oh, well, caulk. That changes everything.
Clearly this is a completely reasonable solution to our venue crisis.
" I lean back against the couch cushions, trying to process the magnitude of what they're suggesting.
"Let me get this straight. You want to renovate a building that's been abandoned for eight years into a functional wedding venue. In seven weeks."
“Six weeks, actually," Griff corrects with the enthusiasm of someone who's clearly never watched a home renovation show where everything goes wrong in spectacular and expensive ways. "We need around ten days for decorating and final preparations."
Just under two months. They want to turn a building that currently qualifies as a public health hazard into a venue suitable for almost a thousand people.
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees and rubbing my temples where a headache is starting to form like a tiny construction crew of pain is setting up shop behind my eyeballs.
"Are you having a collective breakdown? Because this sounds like the kind of plan people come up with when they've been breathing too much construction dust and have lost touch with the basic laws of reality. "
"It's completely feasible," Xavier says, pulling out his phone and scrolling through what appears to be actual documentation.
"I spent the afternoon reviewing structural reports, permit requirements, and renovation timelines.
The main lodge is structurally sound, the commercial kitchen just needs basic restoration, and the event space can accommodate twelve hundred guests with room to spare. "
He hands me his phone, and I find myself staring at what appears to be actual architectural drawings, complete with measurements and notes in Xavier's precise handwriting. This isn't some half-baked scheme they came up with over beer. This is actual planning.
"You spent the afternoon researching this," I say, scrolling through photos of the interior that somehow manage to look both promising and terrifying. "How long have you been planning this rescue operation?"
Xavier's cheeks color slightly, which is about as close to embarrassed as I've ever seen him get.
It's actually kind of endearing, seeing Mr. Perfect lose his composure over getting caught being thoughtful.
"I may have been exploring alternative options for the past week.
Just in case our traditional venue search didn't pan out. "
"Which it didn't," Griff adds helpfully, settling back in his chair with obvious amusement. "Because apparently Pine Hollow doesn't believe in venues that can accommodate almost a thousand people on short notice. Who knew?"
"So while I've been slowly losing my mind calling every available space in the region," I continue, looking up from the phone to study their faces, searching for any sign that this is an elaborate joke, "you three have been secretly planning an elaborate construction project to save Emma's wedding. "
The silence that follows suggests I've hit the nail on the head.
"We had a meeting," Logan says, settling back against the couch with obvious satisfaction. "With Dax's pack. Everyone's on board. We've got contractors lined up, permits expedited, equipment rentals arranged. The whole thing."
I hand Xavier's phone back to him. "You organized both packs for a construction project meeting without mentioning it to the actual wedding planner."
"Xavier wanted to make sure it was possible before getting your hopes up," Griff explains, running a hand through his sandy hair and leaving it sticking up at odd angles. "No point in presenting a plan that couldn't actually work."
I stare at them, these three impossible men who've somehow managed to turn "venue crisis" into "let's start a construction company and renovate a ski resort in record time.
" The logical part of my brain is screaming about permits and timelines and all the ways this could go catastrophically wrong.
But there's another part, a part that's been slowly drowning in venue rejections and impossible guest lists, that's whispering maybe, just maybe, this could actually work.
"This is nuts," I say, though my voice lacks conviction because my brain is already spinning with possibilities.
The main lodge with its soaring ceilings and massive stone fireplace that could be absolutely stunning with the right lighting.
The outdoor terraces that could be transformed into ceremony spaces.
The potential for something truly spectacular if we can somehow manage to defy the laws of time, physics, and basic common sense.
Xavier paces nearby, his usual calm replaced by a restless energy.
The man who organizes his socks by color now fidgets with the edge of his scrubs, clearly rattled by the chaos unfolding around us.
He stops suddenly, takes a deep breath, and leans forward in his chair with the kind of controlled intensity that says he's about to lay down a perfectly logical plan for something that feels completely impossible.
"Completely insane," he admits, "but also completely doable if we approach it systematically."
"We've got the contractors, the permits are in process, and I've already drawn up preliminary renovation plans," Griff says, pulling out his phone to show me what appears to be actual blueprints. "Day-by-day timeline, resource allocation, the works."
I take his phone and scroll through sketches that look suspiciously professional for something supposedly thrown together in an afternoon.
These aren't napkin doodles. These are actual architectural plans, complete with measurements and material specifications and the kind of detail that comes from someone who knows what they're doing.
"You drew these up today?" I ask, looking up at Griff with raised eyebrows.
"Started them last week," Griff admits with a sheepish grin that makes him look about fifteen years younger. "Xavier mentioned the resort as a possibility, and I may have gotten a little carried away with the planning."
"A little carried away," Logan snorts, and I can hear the affection in his voice. "He's been designing renovation plans like it's his new hobby."
"Because it could be," Xavier says quietly, his mint scent carrying notes of something that might be hope mixed with barely contained excitement. "Not just a venue for Emma's wedding, but a permanent business. Something we could build together."
And there it is. The real reason behind this elaborate plan that goes way beyond solving Emma's venue crisis.
"Something that proves we can be the pack you deserve," Griff adds, his warm brown eyes holding mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch and my heart do something acrobatic in my chest.
"Instead of the disasters you've been managing," Logan concludes, his voice carrying weight that has nothing to do with construction timelines and everything to do with the careful way they're all watching my reaction.
They're not just offering to solve Emma's venue problem. They're offering to build something permanent, something that belongs to all of us. A future where we work together instead of just surviving whatever crisis comes next.
"You did all this for me," I say, my voice coming out smaller than intended because suddenly this conversation isn't about wedding venues anymore. It's about the three of them deciding I'm worth moving mountains for.
"We did it for us," Xavier says gently, adjusting his glasses with movements that seem a little less precise than usual. "For Emma, for you, to prove we can work together instead of just getting through the next crisis."
Griff leans forward with a seriousness that stirs something warm and dangerous in my chest. "To give you everything you deserve."
Logan's storm-gray eyes lock with mine. "To build something worth staying for," he says, making my heart skip a beat.