Page 25 of Dare Me

Grinning, Ryleigh took another sip of her wine. “First, I need to know that you’re serious about this because…well…I will not throw myself on the grenade if you’re going to up and move three hours away and all my hard work will be for nothing.”

“Now who’s being dramatic?”

“Which do you want more, Arianna? Will or moving?”

“I really wish I could have both,” she said miserably.

“From what I’ve heard, Laurel Bay is exactly the kind of place he’s been looking for to settle down. Didn’t you guys talk about that last year?”

She nodded. “We did, but…I don’t know. I guess I thought if we were serious, he’d go where I wanted to go.”

“Wow. Selfish much?”

“What? How is that selfish?”

“Because you just want what you want and you’re not even thinking about him. Shouldn’t it be something you both talk about and maybe compromise?”

“Um…”

“And honestly, what is it that you hate so much about this town? I know it’s small, but new businesses are moving here all the time, all your friends and family are here, you have a good job…I mean, what’s the deal?”

“Ry, you more than anyone know what my deal is. If I thought I could live here and be free to live the way I wanted to, I wouldn’t even think about moving. Travel, yes. Moving, no. But after Dad’s little outburst at dinner on Sunday, I don’t want to keep fighting over basic things.”

“You know it’s just because he loves you…”

“Yeah, I’d be fine if that was it. Love doesn’t mean controlling my every move. Love doesn’t mean they get a say in who I date or where I live.” Sighing loudly, Arianna collapsed back against the cushions. “And now that Liam’s back? He’s just going to agree with them on everything and now I’ll have three parents harping on everything I do. It’s too much!”

“Ari…”

“Patrick and Jamie don’t buy into all that crap. At least not seriously. I mean, Jamie’s been trying to set us up with his friends, but not in a judgy way. We all know neither of us is going to date anyone he picks.”

“You got that right,” her sister agreed. “And Patrick couldn’t care less about our personal lives just as long as it doesn’t disrupt his quest for world domination.”

“Not world. Just Laurel Bay. Which is weird.”

“Everyone’s got to start somewhere.”

“I guess.” Turning her head, she looked at Ryleigh. “What do I do?”

A slow smiled crossed her face. “I think I’ve got the perfect plan. I just need you to hear me out with no interruptions. Deal?”

It wasn’t like she had anything better to do, and now she was genuinely curious. “Okay. Lay it on me.”

Friday night, Will found himself at Donovan’s Pub with Liam. They were eating at the bar and talking to his father, Jamie, Patrick, and his Uncle Ronan. They’d done this most nights this week and he had to admit, it beat eating alone.

“I’m telling you,” Patrick was explaining to all of them. “The property is perfect for the fishing resort project. The tiny houses are a brilliant touch along with an area for campsites.”

“Yeah, but if we went with the other project,” Liam interjected, “the property over off of Elm would be better.” He took a swig of beer and looked at Will. “Which one are you leaning toward?”

They had narrowed their ideas down to two—either the fishing resort or a fifty-five and over community. Both would include the tiny houses and a fairly contained community. “Honestly, I want to say the fifty-five and over community, but maybe we should get our feet wet on the resort first.”

“How come?”

“Because that one will continue to generate income once it’s built. With Patrick managing the property with his team, there will be a constant flow of renters and I just feel like we can go a little lighter on amenities there and the cabins—or tiny houses—don’t have to be as high-end with the finishes. We want them rustic. But with the fifty-five and over, we’re going to want to go with something more high-end, with more landscaping and upkeep. Plus, once those houses sell, we’re done.” He shrugged.

“I see what you’re saying,” Liam said. “The resort would definitely be a bit of an easier design and build.”

“Exactly.”

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