She chuckles. “Don’t I know it.”
The car drives like a dream, and soon we’re at our destination, the Regency Grace. It’s a three-story structure along the beach with a history that goes back to the Gilded Age.
The owners meet us at the door, Lucy McLaren, who inherited the hotel from her father, and her husband, Dave. They’re both in their seventies but still active enough to oversee the daily running of the hotel.
The older woman gushes over Rachel. “What a lovely thing you are!” she exclaims. “Isn’t she, Dave?”
Dave, who looks like a charmer, takes Rachel’s hand. “Without a doubt.” If he wasn’t pushing eighty, I’d have to challenge him to arm wrestle or something.
The hotel is undeniably well-managed. Most of the guests are families with children. Rachel goes on a tour of the property with Dave while I follow Lucy to her office to talk terms. I’m still on the fence about going into business with them, not because I don’t think it will be profitable, but becaus
e of how attached they are to the property. I always want to have the final say in managing my hotels, and I’m not quite convinced I should put my money somewhere I would have to take a step back.
Even my people are divided on the purchase. Alex likes it, but others on my team do not.
I listen to Lucy’s proposal again, giving no commitment, and then we all have lunch on the deck.
On the drive back, I put on soft music, and Rachel is quiet, reclining on her seat with her eyes closed, her hair lying around her shoulders like a curtain made of the sunset. I resist the urge to stretch an arm out and touch the strands.
“What did you think?” I ask.
Her eyes open as she considers her response. “It has a lot of potential, but it feels so old…like they’ve tried their best, but they don’t really know how to bring it up to date.”
It’s almost as if she read my thoughts. “You’re right. That’s the impression I got too.”
“So…what will you do? Will you invest in it?”
“Not if they want to keep running the place. It’s admirable that they’ve held on for so long because corporations own everything else out there. That’s why I decided to see for myself, even though my team had already put up a red flag.”
“Oh.” She looks sad, and I know she’s thinking about the hope on the McLarens’ faces.
“If I’m going to put the Swanson Court name on the hotel and inject my money into it, they’re going to need new management, new ideas, and thorough refurbishment to make it less ancient and more…”
“Classic.”
I smile. “Exactly.”
“It’s going to need more than a popular restaurant to get people interested. The décor needs changing, and we could tie in sponsorship of local events. Add a more upscale restaurant?” The more plans I consider, the more exciting it becomes. “A few private cabins along the beach…I could make something out of it.”
Rachel is gazing at me. “You’re so sexy when you talk shop.”
I’m not sure if I should be flattered or amused. “Who knew? I’ll have to do more of that when I’m with you.” I squeeze her hand. “Thanks for coming today.”
“I didn’t mind.”
“But I’m glad you were there, and that I can talk about my work with you.”
She sticks out her tongue, making me laugh. “I’m glad you’re glad.”
“I’m going to make you dinner,” I offer. “What would you like?”
“I’d eat anything you prepare,” she says with a smile.
I surprise her by stopping at a popular chain store to buy groceries. Inside, she follows me around, teasing me mercilessly from the moment I park the car.
Back at the house, I make dinner and we eat out on the rear deck with the ocean just a few feet away. Later, I find a blanket and we lie on the porch swing, looking up at the stars. I try to show her the patterns of the constellations, but she insists she can’t see anything, only random stars. She soon falls asleep, and I wait until she’s breathing deeply before carrying her inside the house.
Chapter 23