Page 29 of Meet Me at the Grand

Liam waited a beat before responding. “That must be nice. To have a home.”

Oh? She glanced at him again. “Isn’t California home for you?”

“Sure, it’s where my driver’s license says I’m from.” Liam tapped the tabletop with his knuckles. “But it’s hard to really have a home when you’re on the road constantly for work.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“It’s part of the job. Though I’m trying to find a way to change things up a bit.” Without explaining, he plowed on. “Does your family visit you often? It’s probably hard to get them all in one place, huh?”

“That hasn’t happened in years, unfortunately.” Did she tell him the rest? She may have just met Liam a few days ago, but in this moment, he felt like somewhere safe to land. Like maybe he was trustworthy. At the very least, knowing why this mattered to her might persuade him to do his very best on the hotel plans—though from what he’d told her, he already felt that way. “That’s why I feel this aching need, deep down, to preserve this place—our home—not just for my family but for future generations. Who knows? Maybe if things go back to the way they once were…”

“They’ll have a reason to come back.”

She gave the barest of nods. “I know it’s probably a ridiculous dream, but I have to try.”

“It’s not ridiculous. And Dani?”

Her heart tapped double time at the earnestness in his voice. In his gaze. “Yeah?”

“Everything is going to work out.”

Something in her chest loosened at those words. At the prospect that maybe she wasn’t alone in this after all. That Liam had understood her ramblings and that they really were working toward the same goal. “Promise?”

“You have my word.”

And if she couldn’t get a peek at Liam’s plans, then maybe his reassurance was good enough.

* * *

His head throbbed, his neck ached, and his fingers were sore, but the plans were done.

Liam sat back from his spot at the small table in his hotel room and heaved a sigh. Sunlight filtered in through the window onto the mylar drafting paper where he’d sketched the final lines.

After he’d caught Dani snooping around last night, he’d thought it safest to move here, but he really did miss the space afforded by the conference room table. No matter though.

After tomorrow morning’s meeting, he’d be on the next ferry out of town and back to his posh L.A. office.

There was a knock on the door and Liam stood and stretched before making his way over. Who’d be visiting on Sunday afternoon?

But when he opened the door, he found Cody there, holding a wrench that he wiggled in the air. “You rang about a radiator?”

Liam snorted a laugh. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. It started clanging the other day, and I think I mentioned it to Sarah this morning on my way out to breakfast.” He waved Cody in.

“Hope it didn’t keep you from working.” Cody caught a glimpse of Liam’s plans and whistled. “Looks like it didn’t. This for the hotel?”

Liam rushed to roll up the paper. “Thought that was supposed to be a secret.”

Cody snorted. “A secret in Jonathon Island? Impossible.” He kneeled by the radiator, which abutted the chair where Liam had been sitting. Holding his hand in front of it, he smiled. “Good, it’s cool.”

“Yeah, with the weather heating up this week, I haven’t even needed my overcoat.” Liam grabbed his laptop off his side table and settled on the bed, which squeaked when he sat.

Cody turned. “Has it been doing that all week?”

“What, squawking like a baby bird that needs its mom? Yeah. Why?”

“I’ll look at that next. Probably just a bolt needs tightening.”

“Can you fix the loose bathroom door handle while you’re at it? Oh, and the closet keeps getting jammed.” Liam chuckled as he opened the computer on his lap and booted it up. “They call this place charming, but I think that’s just another word for old.”

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