Page 15 of Meet Me at the Grand

“Dani Sullivan.”

“The director of tourism?”

“Were you expecting someone else? A man, perhaps?”

“What?” Liam coughed, caught off guard. “Not at all.” Then he flashed her a smile. “With all the great things Seb told my dad about you, I thought you must be older.”

She looked him up and down. “I could say the same about you. This is a pretty big project. I guess I expected your father to come.”

“He’s needed back at the office. But don’t worry, Ms. Sullivan. He sent the best.” Then he winked at her.

She frowned, clearly not impressed. “I hope that’s the case. There’s a lot riding on this.”

That’s what every hotel owner thought—and Liam had proven his worth to them all. “I know I’ve got a baby face.” Liam patted his cheeks. “But trust me. I’ve worked on hundreds of hotels, and every single one of my clients has been thrilled with the results. In fact, even though I just learned of this project yesterday, I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours drawing up some preliminary plans for the Grand.”

Dani blinked at him. “Maybe you should actually see the hotel first. And the town. They kind of go hand in hand.”

“Of course, of course. Don’t worry. Really. I’ve got this.”

She smiled, but it didn’t appear to reach her eyes. “All right, then. Well, we need to scoot if you want to see the hotel before sunset.” Dani thumbed over her shoulder toward the golf cart. “You can throw your suitcase in back.”

“Great.” Liam stuck the suitcase on the back bench and climbed in beside Dani. “Will Seb be joining us?”

“He planned on it, but something came up. He’s a busy man.”

Now that, he understood. “Of course.” He hung on to the grab bar while Dani pealed out like it was a NASCAR race. Then she came to a sudden halt. Started again. Mumbled something under her breath as she stared at the controls.

“Everything okay?”

She grunted. “This is Uncle Seb’s. I just don’t drive that often.”

UncleSeb, huh? Interesting. “We could always walk. It’s only, what, a mile or so?”

“In those shoes?” She eyed his loafers, her lips twitching. “It’s paved, but early spring in the Midwest means more mud than usual as things are drying up. Though we’ve had warmer temps than normal this year, there have still been a few storms. Just had one a few days ago.” She got the golf cart going again. “The point is, I wouldn’t want you ruining your fancy shoes.” Then she gave him some serious side-eye. “And sorry in advance, but you might be kind of cold on the drive if you aren’t used to this climate.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” Liam laughed. “Pete already razzed me about my choice of clothing and lack of a coat.”

“Yes, well, the weather here can change on a dime in the spring, so I hope you packed something a bit warmer just in case.” Dani adjusted her rearview mirror, though why she felt the need was beyond Liam. They were literally the only “vehicle” on the road, which was now quickly moving from open airfield to forested land.

“Don’t worry about me, Ms. Sullivan,” Liam teased. “I’m used to being in a variety of climates. Just call me Mr. Flexible. And this suit coat provides more warmth than you’d think.”

“Hmm.” Dani’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Guess we’ll see.”

The cart bumped a bit as it descended down the hill. Sunlight glinted through the canopies of the tall oaks and firs, spotlighting the ground. The lush smell of wet earth mingled with that of cedar bark, and over the hum of the golf cart, birds chanted a merry tune.

It almost made Liam forget how cold he was. Would it be too obvious if he sat on his hands? “So Sullivan, huh? I think I saw your pumpkin farm during my flyover.”

A flicker of a frown, gone so quickly he maybe had imagined it. “Yes, it used to be run by my uncle and aunt.”

“Pete said it was no longer open?”

Dani’s fists rotated on the wheel. “Unfortunately.”

Hmm. Not overly chatty, this one. Or maybe he’d hit upon a sore subject.

A cyclist worked his way up the hill, a toolbox affixed to the back of his bike. “Hey, Dani,” he called as he pulled to a stop.

“Hi, Cody!” Dani idled beside him. “You headed to fix the toilet at the airport office?”

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