Page 15 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

She pressed the water glass to her forehead, enjoying the feel of the cool condensation against her warm skin. As she set the empty glass in the dishwasher, her eyes landed on a stack of letters pushed to the corner of the island.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she picked up the stack. Riffling through it, she found a couple of utility bills, along with a handful of postcards and letters from Realtors offering to buy theinn. She flipped a postcard over, and she gasped when she found a suggested listing price of more than seven figures—almost three million dollars!

Her hands trembled slightly as her brain grappled with the numbers.

Even though she and Cade would have to split that amount, they would each walk away with well over a million dollars.

A million dollars.

The business plan she and Alana had been working on filled her mind. She’d applied for grants and tried to find backers for Helping Angels, but she’d come up empty-handed over and over. Since the plan had begun to feel more impossible than ever, Everleigh hadn’t even told her family about it.

But if they could sell the inn...

An angel always finds its way to you.

Excitement whipped through her, and the postcard vibrated in her hand. Was this the miracle she’d been looking for? Was this why Alana had left her half the inn?

She felt someone watching her and flicked her eyes upward. Cade was leaning against the doorway, a small frown on his face. Everleigh wondered if this was his “concerned face.” She’d have to start making a list if she was going to crack the code and figure out his various grumpy expressions.

She stood up straight and flashed a winning smile. “Hi.” She hopped onto a stool. “Want to talk now?”

“Sure.” He started toward her.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Cade gestured around the B&B. “Everything.”

She held up a postcard. “Have you spoken to any of the Realtors?”

“No.” He scoffed.

“Why not?”

He cleared his throat. “Because I’m not selling the inn.”

She nodded slowly.

“You want to?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

“Well, this is a tempting price.” She pointed to the postcard.

His face seemed to flash with something like anger. “This is about money?”

“No.” She shook her head and considered what to tell him. The nonprofit idea still felt too personal. “I just think we should consider the option of a sale.” She worked to keep her expression bright. “I love my job, and I can’t imagine giving it up.”

“Good. You can be a silent partner.”

She hesitated. “But have you seen what the inn is worth?”

He shrugged. “I’m not selling. I’ll keep it running, and you don’t have to be here for me to do that,” he said. “Let’s discuss reopening. I’ve heard from several regulars who want to come back before the weather gets cold.”

Everleigh worked hard to keep her smile from faltering. “But we both own it, so we have to agree on our plan going forward.”

Those radiant eyes studied her as his entire face twisted with a glower. She shifted uncomfortably on the stool. This wasnotan “are you okay?” kind of frown.

“Right. We’reequalpartners,” he said. “That means my opinion matters just as much as yours.”

They stared at each other, and the tension tightened between them. The exact opposite of what Everleigh wanted.

---