Page 74 of Meet Me at the Grand

Because he didn’t like the frowns on several of the faces before him. The only one whose lips weren’t turned down was Seb, and that could have merely been support for his niece.

“That’s right,” Liam continued. “And you may have noticed the balcony situation?—”

“I hate that you took away the upper community deck.” Tara Chamberlain fiddled with a pen as she studied the slide pulled up on the screen. “Not only is that a great space for guests to gather, but it provides such a wonderful view of the harbor.”

Dani nodded. “I had the same concern, but we made sure to keep the community feel alive by maintaining the long lower deck. And the view from there is plenty gorgeous.” She looked at Liam again, smiled. “We also agreed that having private balconies with a stellar view would provide the opportunity to have premium suites available for those who don’t mind paying more.”

We. Liam couldn’t help but notice Dani’s repeated use of the word. And what a fabulouswethey made. All the dinners together, late nights spent perfecting their plans and this presentation. And yes, maybe snuggling and kissing too. Making plans.

He still hadn’t asked his father about being the lead on this project after the council signed off. He wanted it to be a done deal before he broached the subject. Besides, any time he’d tried to contact his dad this week, Marianne had been surreptitiously vague about his whereabouts.

Liam cleared his throat and his mind. He needed to focus, or they’d never get this pitch signed and sealed.

Turning on his inner charming businessman, he continued. “Janine, I know one of your biggest concerns was losing the historical integrity of the hotel. So we’ve done our best to keep the Colonial Revival and Queen Anne-inspired architectural elements, especially on the outside. From there, other than a few tweaks like the upper terraces, it will look like a replica of the original.”

“Well, that’s definitely an improvement.” She folded her arms over her chest. “But how can you justify that miles-high lobby?”

Liam chuckled. “Just a few stories high, and I assure you, we plan to keep the decor—even there—in the style of Dorothy Draper, just like the most recent design of the hotel before the fire. We want to combine the elegance of the past with the modern amenities—like a working elevator, a gorgeous water feature, a baby grand piano—in order to impress those looking for a little step into the past as well as those looking for luxury.”

“And what about the grounds?” Patrick asked. “The last thing we need is something overcrowded. The place needs room to breathe.”

“I’m so glad you asked that, Patrick.” Liam flipped to the next slide, showcasing the proposed grounds, including their “grand finale”—the thing they’d show them at the end of the presentation. “Dani convinced me that less is more, and that the real amenity here is the setting. So, while we will be upgrading the golf course to an eighteen-holer and putting in a small set of pickleball courts, we nixed the idea for a movie theater, basketball court, and villas. Oh, and”—he smiled at Dani—“the gazebo stays where it currently is.”

The brilliant grin she flashed him was a shot of confidence right to his veins.

Together, they really had created something great.

By the end of the presentation, he had Patrick and Seb nodding. Tara drummed her fingers along the tabletop but was no longer frowning, which was progress. Janine still sat back in her chair, arms still over her chest. Maybe she really was a lost cause. But Liam couldn’t charm them all—and he was okay with that.

So long as Dani still found him charming.

He smiled at the thought.

And then there was Martha, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the duration of the presentation but finally spoke up. “I like where you’re going with this, but I’m having a hard time picturing this supposed marriage of the true-to-history and modern approaches.”

“I’m glad you asked, Martha.” Dani clapped her hands. “Might we propose a little field trip?”

Martha opened her mouth to protest, but Liam swooped in and offered her a hand up. “Would you accompany me in my fine chariot, milady?”

The older woman rolled her eyes, but a good-natured smile filtered through. “If you mean Seb’s golf cart, then fine.”

His lips twitched. Behind him, Seb bellowed with laughter.

They all walked out of the Tourism Bureau onto Main Street and divided between Seb’s six-passenger cart and Patrick’s four-seater, which were both parked in back.

Liam got behind the wheel of Seb’s, and Martha climbed in beside him. “Don’t drive too quickly now.”

“Yes, ma’am. Everyone good?” He pulled his sunglasses off the dash and set them on his face. The sun shimmered bright, and Liam prayed it was a foreshadowing of their success today.

Martha gripped the grab handle with white knuckles—did the woman ever give up control without protest?—and the rest of the passengers called their readiness, so Liam started up the cart and headed west on Main toward the Grand, Patrick and his passengers following behind, toward the gazebo.

Their grand finale.

When they arrived, Liam parked and rounded the cart to help Martha while the others got out. The moment of truth had arrived.

Dani met him at the front of the vehicle. “Ready?”

Her bright eyes chased away any doubts he had. He wished he could drop his head and kiss her like he’d gotten used to doing, but right now was time for professionalism. “Ready.” Then he turned to the group, who looked at them both with interest, and nodded toward the gazebo. “We obviously couldn’t show you what the hotel would look like with our two visions blended together.”

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