Page 25 of Meet Me at the Grand

She stepped closer. “So you haven’t done any work on it since then?”

“No, I have. I found our tour…inspiring.” Being on that long porch, with that view, had him immediately picturing an add-on to the side with swim-out rooms on the first floor. And when Dani had shown him the interior, he’d imagined one large, fluid, open space instead of the ten-foot ceilings and small concierge desk shoved into the corner that currently existed. And the hotel rooms themselves—they simply had to have floor-to-ceiling windows that were sure to use the view to best advantage. “Trust me. You’re going to love what I’ve come up with.”

“Prove it.” Her eyebrows drew together underneath the lip of her beanie. “Show them to me now.”

“Call me superstitious, but I don’t show anyone my designs until they’re complete.” He stepped onto the sidewalk and pointed toward town. Other than a few cyclists who rode by and waved at Dani, the street was deserted. “Hey, have you eaten? I was about to head into town and scrounge up some food.”

“Well, no, not yet, but I really think?—”

“Perfect. Let’s go.” He snagged her elbow and turned her down a small path that led to the marina and boardwalk, the latter of which ran from the place where Blueberry Boulevard ended at Fort Jonathon all the way along the southern tip of the island—past the harbor and the ferry landing, running just south of downtown until it ended where Main Street became Lake Shore Drive right in front of the Grand Sullivan. He’d explored just a bit last night in the dark, but it was much easier to get his bearings now.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. Both of us had different expectations of the project and the person we would be meeting with, yeah?”

“I guess.” Pausing at the edge of the harbor, she eyed him warily.

“Let’s start over. I’m Liam Stone.” He stuck out his hand, waiting patiently until she begrudgingly shook it. “I’ve got a bachelor’s in architecture, an MBA, and I’ve worked at Stone Development for a decade. During my tenure there, I’ve helped bring almost one hundred properties up to date, have helped my team win two International Architecture Awards, and have worked hand in hand with hotel managers and owners to bring their visions to life.”

“I’ll admit—on paper, you sound impressive.”

He leaned in. “Don’t be too impressed. I didn’t even shower this morning.”

That got a lip quirk out of her, and her shoulders dropped just a bit from their anxious perch near her earlobes as she stared out across the marina. It wasn’t overly large, with five or six floating wooden decks attached to a rocky quay just beside the boardwalk running along the water. Each deck hosted five to ten boats of varying sizes that bobbed in the lake. In the wind, colorful flags fluttered out from the boat masts, which cut confidently against the blue horizon. A lone brick building sat behind the marina. Maybe a yacht club of some sort. If so, maybe it had gone defunct too, because the boats here looked anything but fancy.

It was strange to be standing so close to what appeared to be the ocean but to smell no brine in the air.

“What about you?”

She turned, eyebrow quirked. “What about me?”

“Well, I introduced myself to you. It’s your turn now.”

“Not much to tell.”

“Humor me.”

“Fine. I’ve worked at the Tourism Bureau since high school and was recently promoted to the director position when my longtime boss retired. You already know that I’ve lived here my whole life, but what you don’t know is that Jonathon Island means everything to me. The people here, they’re my family. And I want my family to be okay.”

That was a strange way of putting things, but to each their own. “I love hearing your passion for this place. It’ll serve you well in your position and on this project. We’ve got a chance to do something great here, don’t you think?”

“Of course I think so. Do you?”

“I just said I did.”

“But I’m the one with the most at stake.”

Likely she didn’t understand just how risky his dad’s involvement was. “I take pride in my work. It means something to me too, okay?”

“Yeah? And why is that?”

“I believe that giving people the vacation of their lives canchangelives. Rest, relaxation, yes, but also memories. Memories they can take with them back to their busyness, back to their brokenness at home. Memories to last when the hard times come.”

There was a softening in her eyes, and that’s when he knew—a trumped-up list of qualifications wasn’t what would build trust with Dani Sullivan. But maybe something true, something personal, would. “When I was nine, my parents took me to this amazing resort in Arizona. It had a waterpark and Mom, Dad, and I spent hours and hours in the lazy river. We sipped on fun drinks with those umbrellas in them and got to watch the sun set from our amazing balconies right up against the mountains. It was just such a great time. And I held on to that memory in the years later, after she died.”

“Oh.” Dani looked away, pressing her lips together. “I’m sorry.”

Liam stuck his hands in his pockets, swallowing past the unexpected thickness in his throat. “The point is, I care about each one of my projects, all right? We’re going to tackle this together, and when I present the plans to the council on Monday, there’s going to be a resounding victory.”

“That sounds good. It’s just…” Dani sighed. “You know what’s at stake, right? We’ve got to get this right the first time. Because every season we don’t have a hotel is a season our economy suffers. And we have a whole plan built around bringing this hotel back to life.”

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