Page 24 of Meet Me at the Grand

“And what of the Bertram project?”

“Dad reassured me last night that if I can do my best for his buddy, for this town, then he’s still on board to listen to our pitch.”

“That’s awesome, dude. You know I’ll be prepping while you’re away. But how are you going to convince this woman that you’re not an idiot? That might be harder than you think.”

“Ha ha, thanks for that.” Liam sat down in the wicker chair. “I guess all I can do is try to build trust with her. Tell her about the past projects I’ve done, how I’ve helped create spaces that other hotel owners can be proud of. And you know, Idothink I can help her do the same. As soon as we were on the hotel property, I got all kinds of ideas about ways to keep some of the original design but update it with new innovations, a new look.”

“And that’s what she wants?”

“Isn’t that what all hotel owners want? They’re always looking to be a step ahead of the rest, to offer their guests modern amenities that will help them relax within seconds of arrival. This hotel already has a gorgeous location going for it. Now it just needs a breath of fresh life. I just have to convince her I’m the man to do that.”

“With the way you wrangled Isaiah Beem’s property into shape? And oh, how about how you and I transformed the Bentley property in Maine from a trash heap into a Top Ten Diamond Destination? Yeah, if anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“Thanks, man. Now I just gotta convince Dani of that.”

“The sooner you do, the sooner you can get those plans approved and get your sorry butt back here to work on our project.”

Yep, and the sooner he could try to convince Dad to retire. “That’s the plan.” A knock sounded on the door. “Hey, gotta go. Keep me posted on any updates to our plan.”

“Will do. And you keep me posted on any updates to your love life.”

The guy wouldn’t lay off. Liam groaned. “Goodbye, Travis.”

Tossing the phone back onto the table, Liam stood and strode across the room, opening the door to find a well-built guy with brown hair, a friendly smile, and a tool belt buckled around his waist—the same guy who had chatted with Dani from his bike yesterday. “Oh, hey. Cody, right?”

“Yep, Cody Hart. I don’t think I caught your name.” Cody held out his hand, and Liam shook it.

“Liam Stone.”

“Good to see you again. Sarah said something about a shower problem?”

“Yeah, the showerhead came off when the water wouldn’t start, and I fiddled a little too hard with it.” Liam went into the bathroom and emerged with the part. “I know embarrassingly little about home repair stuff.” He’d never needed to, not since he and Dad had moved into the hotel penthouse of one of Dad’s friends after Mom died. What had started as a temporary arrangement had stuck, and Dad had never bothered moving them.

Cody chuckled and rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt. “I can relate. I fell into this work a few years ago after…” His smile faltered for the barest of seconds but then was back. “Let’s take a look.” He headed for the bathroom and whistled. “Yeah, all right. This is fixable, but I’ll need a few hours.” Cody re-emerged. “I don’t think the hotel is full by any means. In fact, you might be the only guest at the moment. Sarah could get you moved to another room.”

“She said that, but I don’t want to trouble the staff. A few hours, you said?”

“Two, maybe three tops.”

“Perfect. I’ll just get out of your way and go grab some breakfast. Where is there to eat around here?”

“Depends on what you’re in the mood for.” Cody scratched at the stubble on his tan skin. “I know Sarah’s got some granola bars and fruit at the front desk for guests if you want something light. Then there’s Martha’s on Main, which is the closest thing to a sit-down restaurant we’ve got right now, or Good Day Coffee, which is more like breakfast sandwiches and pastries, that kind of thing. The bar and grill doesn’t open till lunch, but it stays open till ten during the week and midnight on the weekends.”

“Sweet. Thanks, man.” Liam grabbed his hotel key card and wallet and threw on his overcoat before slipping out into the hallway, through the lobby—with a wave to Sarah—and out the front door of the inn.

The air was crisp and clean, such a change from the city, and other than the lake lapping the rocky shore and the clang of metal on masts from the marina beyond, it was quiet too.

Until a familiar voice spoke from the bottom of the steps. “Hey!”

His eyes moved and focused on Dani, who looked—okay, yeah—cute in a pale-blue beanie with a white pom, her blonde hair in two braids that fell down the front of her familiar white jacket. The fact she also wore a scowl somehow didn’t detract from her cuteness.

“Have you already started on the plans for the hotel?” she asked.

Liam flashed her a smile. “Good morning to you too.” He tilted his head and descended the front steps. “I thought we didn’t have another meeting until tomorrow. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I just told you. I need to see those plans—the ones you said you started. Or whatever plans you’ve come up with between then and now.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I thought you told me I couldn’t use those plans since I hadn’t yet seen the hotel or the town when I made them.” Which ended up being a wise remark, since there was so much more to the project than he’d originally thought.

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