Page 5 of Meet Me at the Grand

“All right, cool. Because Monica is really excited about the prospect of me staying in town full time. Can you imagine? No more travel for weeks on end.”

“I reallycan’timagine it.” But Liam wanted to. He needed to. Dad would never consider retiring unless Liam was in California more often. But most of their home-based projects went to their senior site managers and those with families. “But I get it. This life definitely isn’t for everybody.”

“Admit it—even you’re tired of all the travel. Sure, at first, jet-setting around the world was fun and exciting. But once you have something to come home to, it’s just not the same.”

Something to come home to. Now wouldn’t that be something?

A deep ache wound through Liam and squeezed.

“Mr. Stone?”

He glanced up to find Pamela there with a white cup of coffee, steam rising from the top. “Oh, hi. Thanks.” He moved his laptop aside, making room for it.

“I’m so sorry it took so long, but I wanted to brew you a fresh cup.” She placed it in the empty spot, along with a napkin. “Only the best for our most distinguished guests.” With another smile, she moved to the next aisle to help another guest.

“Who was that?” Travis asked.

“What? Oh, just the flight attendant.”

“Is she hot?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Does it matter?”

“You should get her number.”

“You know I don’t date when I’m working.” Raising his coffee to his lips, he took a sip of the brew, the warmth trailing down his throat and whooshing energy into his veins.

“You’re always working.”

“Yeah, well.” He took another sip. Ah. “Maybe once we get this proposal off the ground and I’m in California full time, I can actually settle down. Become boring like you.”

Travis snorted. “Monica and I are anything but boring. Just the other night, we?—”

“Dude, I really don’t want to know.”

Travis’s maniacal laughter nearly drowned out whatever the captain was saying now.

“Shoot, man, I think I have to hang up in a sec.”

“All right, well, I’m going to move forward with the Bertram viewing tomorrow then.”

“Good. If it’s as good in person as on paper, I think it would go to the top of our list of potential properties. As far as the rest of the proposal goes, you might have to keep working on anything we need to be on site for, and I’ll keep working on the rest in the evenings.” Liam finished off his coffee. “We’ll get this thing done, and hopefully it’ll be ready to present at the end of the month when I’m back.”

Like a magician, Pamela appeared again ready to collect his trash. He smiled his thanks, and she beamed back at him. Then, pulling his laptop off the tray, he tucked it away before putting the tray back into position for takeoff.

“You think your old man is really going to go for this?” Travis asked. “It’s not what we usually do.”

It was true. They’d never purchased their own hotel to revitalize. But Liam’s projections didn’t lie. If this thing succeeded, it could set Stone Development up for the future. Dad’s retirement could become a reality—if Liam could convince Dad to actually give up the reins. “He’ll see the potential.”

“I hope so, man. Monica and I are really counting on it. But I know how reticent Chaz is to take risks.”

“I can convince him. You do your part, and I’ll do mine.”

“Deal. Have a good flight.”

“Will do.” Liam hung up with Travis, buckled up, and prayed he wasn’t in over his head on this thing.

Because the idea of finally making a life in California full time—for Dad’s sake, if not for his own—was almost more than he dared hope for.

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