Page 46 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I don't remember that."

Marie ignored him, her gaze moving to Lizzie. "And you and I will chat later about some other ideas I have."

"Of course," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to let our chef know that she can start bringing out the food."

As she left the Blackwoods, she ran into Keira and an older, silver-haired woman dressed in a slim-fitting navy-blue sheath dress.

"Hi, Lizzie," Keira said, giving her a quick hug. "This is Paula Wickmayer."

"Nice to meet you. Welcome to my margarita party."

"Thank you so much. You have a lovely inn. It's a bit warm tonight."

"We had a heating problem, but it's being fixed as we speak. In the meantime, we have cold, blended margaritas and plenty of food," she added as Naomi and Victor brought two large trays out to the patio.

"It looks good," Keira said. "But Paula wants to speak to you for a minute in private. Would that be all right?"

"Uh, sure." She was surprised by the question and by the way Keira was avoiding her gaze. "We can just go around the corner into the garden. It's still a little too warm inside the building." She led them around the back of the inn and into the garden.

"This is beautiful," Paula said, her gaze sweeping the beautiful landscaped grounds that included an herb and vegetable garden as well as a colorful array of flowers.

"We grow our own herbs and vegetables," she said.

"That's a lot of work, but well worth it, I'm sure."

"Yes. We plan to open the inn for dinners in the upcoming months." She paused. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I work for Falcon Properties," Paula said. "I don't know if you've heard of the chain."

"Of course. Falcon is a luxury brand started by Maximo Corinthos, a Greek shipping billionaire, and his wife Athena. I studied the entire branding history in college."

Paula smiled. "The Corinthos family has built an amazing hotel chain, and we are now in the business of acquiring small, charming inns, and adding them to our very extensive portfolio."

"Really? But most of the Falcon hotels are huge properties with executive suites and five-star restaurants."

"We're expanding our portfolio. Our mission this year is to provide our guests with luxury and intimacy, a feeling of home away from home. From what I understand, you provide a very personal experience for your guests. I also read about your innovations inMountain West Magazine. The photos didn't do it justice. Anyway, I happened to be speaking to Keira at a real-estate conference last week, and when I found out she knew you personally, I asked if she could introduce us."

"Why?" she asked, feeling a tightening in her gut. "I mean, I'm happy to meet you, but why did you want her to introduce us?"

"Because Falcon Properties is interested in buying the inn," Paula replied, quickly adding, "and before you say no, I'd ask that you hear me out. Most of the owners we've approached in the past are reluctant to give up ownership, but we've been able to show them how they can make money and also still be part of their inn's success. We have a great case study that you can review with an inn in Maine."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested in selling the inn. It's always been my dream to run a place like this."

"You'd still be running it, but you'd have someone to help with the background financials, the marketing and the repairs."

She frowned, knowing it would be difficult to argue that point with her heat on high. As her gaze moved to Keira, she saw the guilt in her friend's eyes and wondered why Keira hadn't given her the heads-up that this offer was coming. She felt blindsided and a little betrayed. "I don't know what to say. I'm in the middle of a party."

"Would it be all right if I gave you some information?" Paula asked. "There's no pressure, Ms. Cole. You don't have to make any decisions immediately. It's just something to think about."

Paula pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to her. She reluctantly took it.

"I'll give it a look, but I wouldn't hold your breath," she said.

"I never do," Paula replied, with a confident smile. "But I also know the value of what we offer and the challenges facing small inns these days. I used to run one with my husband. We were innkeepers for ten years. We saw it all—the ups, the downs, the good times, the bad times, and while we loved every second of it, it took a toll on us. When we finally realized that we could have our dream in a slightly different way, it changed our world. We sold out. My husband retired, and I got a second career in real estate. Two years ago, I moved on to Falcon Properties, because it gave me the opportunity to get back into the business of hospitality. I have a lot of experience, Ms. Cole. I hope you'll give me a chance to talk to you about this offer once you've had a little time to think about it."

"I'm doing fine," she lied, wishing it were true. "But thanks for your interest. I will look through this. In the meantime, please feel free to have drinks, appetizers, mingle, and enjoy yourselves." She turned and headed through the side door of the inn, needing a minute to drop off the packet and take a breath.

She'd no sooner entered her office when Keira came through the door behind her.

---