Page 2 of The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary
Hopefully, he wasn’t intruding, but this place spoke to him. Hunter couldn’t put a finger on why, but it felt like home to him. He could see a future with a wife and kids. Not that he thought he was ready for all that, but it didn’t shake the idea of what could be.
That’s if he could somehow convince the stubborn owner to sell it to him. Maybe if he shared his vision with Reagan, she’d be more amiable to letting it go. He didn’t want to tear it down and build a strip mall. His plan was to just update it a little. Maybe put a porch swing up so he could drink his coffee and watch the sunrise of a morning.
He got out of his pickup, slowly making his way to the bottom of the steps. “I could do so much with you.” He laid his hand on the worn step railing. With a little love, he could bring the old home back to its former glory.
Of course, the only response was a soft breeze. In the distance, he could hear the waves crashing and the whisper-like foam soaking into the sand.
He sighed and continued up the steps. He was hoping for the best and preparing for a firm no. With luck, that’s all he’d get. Then again, he was at least a foot taller than Reagan. Unless she was pretty flexible, his backside was safe from her small foot.
Chapter 2
For the first time all day, Reagan Loveless parked herself in the office chair as the sun slipped below the horizon. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned over her desk, weariness seeping deep into her bones. Words like tired and exhausted came to mind along with ten other adjectives to describe how she felt. Not the typical attributes of a thirty-year-old woman, but that’s what happened when the real world called…collect. Could she continue going? Maybe, but right then, sitting alone in the tiny office in the back of the bed and breakfast, she wasn’t so sure.
It didn’t really matter if she could or not. Even if she did have a choice, giving up wasn’t an option. She had reservations, however meager, that she had to honor. That meant her rinse-and-repeat life would continue the same way it had since she’d taken over The Sandy Pelican two years ago. It wasn’t like the tower of bills would magically pay themselves.
No, Reagan’s only choice was to do whatever it took to keep the bed and breakfast afloat. No matter how hopeless she felt. She sighed and picked up the envelope with her bank’s return address. The one that held her loan. Even without opening it, she knew it wasn’t good news.
Before she could tear open the envelope, her phone rang, breaking the eerie silence and startling her. She held in a groan. Her little sister, Carlin. She quickly pulled her short hair back and tucked it into a clip before answering. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey.” It wasn’t the word as much as how it was said. Not really condescending, but not exactly thrilled either.
Her sister ran a high-end clothing boutique in Atlanta. It wasn’t that Carlin tried to be better at everything she did; it just came naturally. For once, Reagan wanted to be good at something too. She was tired of being the failure of the family.
“What’s going on?” Reagan asked.
“I was about to ask you that.” Carlin paused. “Mom and Dad said something about you struggling.”
At least Reagan hadn’t opened the bank’s letter yet. This way she wouldn’t be lying. “I’m struggling, but this is the slow season. There aren’t a lot of people who plan beach getaways when the water is so cold the waves are made of ice cubes.”
Carlin sighed. “I know, but if you’re struggling now, how will you make it to tourist season?”
Reagan set her elbow on the desk and her chin in her hand. “The same way Mom and Dad made it each year. A wing and a prayer.”
Her parents had signed over The Sandy Pelican when they retired. At the time, Reagan hadn’t even considered that anything would change. The first couple of years were pretty good. Tourism was up, the island was seeing explosive growth, and it was a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons. One article had called it a charming Southern slice of life.
The most her parents had ever encountered were a couple of bad storms, but they’d fixed the place afterward. It wasn’t until the property was hers that she realized they’d been seeing a downturn in reservations. According to some guests, they liked the bed and breakfast, but it needed updating.
“Sounds like you need a flock of wings and more than a few prayers.”
“This is how things are. It’ll bounce back. I just need to ride it out.” Reagan worked to keep any emotion out of her voice.
Then the last hurricane had roared onto shore, and nothing had gone right since. The entire house was a money pit at this point. She’d taken out a large equity loan to fix the damage done by the storm, but there’d been even bigger issues with the roof than a few missing shingles. Then they’d found an issue with the pipes under the house. She’d bled green, even going so far as to max out her credit cards. It was as if she were cursed by an evil leprechaun. Instead of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the little jerk was digging in her pockets and kicking her in the shins when he didn’t find anything.
“Do you really think you’ll be able to do that?” Carlin asked.
“I think so.” This time Reagan couldn’t keep the small tremble out of her voice. “I’m really trying.”
Carlin sighed. “I know you are, and I’m not trying to be a bearer of bad news or beat you up. I know how you get, though. You’re stubborn, and you don’t know when to call it quits.”
Reagan sat back in her chair, running a piece of thread sticking out from her shirt through her fingers. She picked up the bank letter again and ripped it open. She needed to face the piper while her sister was on the phone. Her entire body sagged. “It’s a foreclosure notice.”
Carlin gasped. “Oh, Reagan. Maybe it’s time to—”
“No. These things take time, and I will find a way to come up with the money. I’m not giving up on this place. I’ll chain myself to something before I let them take it.” Boy, it sounded so good that even Reagan believed the short burst of bravado.
“Do you think you can? Where are you going to get enough money to make the loan current and keep up the payments? Mom and Dad said the place still needs a ton of work.”
“I know it does.”
