At my words, Kate’s frown turns upside down. “Exactly. Don’t focus on this run-down building. Imagine the land bare.”
“It would be overgrown.”
“It will be manicured. Stop thinking like a bean counter and start thinking like a vacationer who’s ready to trade in the everyday hustle and bustle for peace and quiet. This is oceanfront property. The beach is a little rocky, but we can truck in sand or work with it in other ways. I’ll have to do some research. But Hilo Bay, Coconut Island, Lili’uokalani Gardens, and Banyan Drive—renowned for the giant banyan trees planted by famous people in the 1930s—are all within walking distance. We could give people something completely unlike the big-city vibe of Honolulu or the commercial tourism of Maui. It would be a return to nature and tranquility with a small-town atmosphere. Did you see the farmer’s market as we rolled past the bus stop?”
I was too busy realizing how remote this location is and running the financials of breaking even in my head to notice. Well, that and being distracted by the sight of Kate’s legs below her modest little skirt.
“You like that kind of thing?” Marcus asks.
“You don’t?”
He shrugs. “Never thought about it. I’m a city guy.”
“I grew up in the city, too. But I’ve never seen anything like this place in my life. I love it.”
“How do you know about the banyan trees and the gardens?”
“I researched before we flew out. Now that we’re here, it’s obvious Savannah persuaded Mr. Force and the investors to home in on this property because it has the potential to give people like you and me the chance to truly slow down and appreciate life. To experience a vacation unlike any we’ve ever had. Honeymoons would be amazing. I could have used the quiet reflection at a place like this after my divorce.”
Marcus’s shock matches mine. He scowls. “How long ago was that?”
She grimaces, waving the question away. “That’s not important. This isn’t about me. I’m simply saying this place could be a real oasis for a lot of people.”
The fact she was once married to another man is most definitely important. Is that what made her decide it was “time” to move to Boston? I’ll bet. Just like I’ll bet the past has likely shaped her current outlook on sex and romance. I’ll grill her about that when she’s not in work mode, maybe over dinner and wine when she’s more inclined to talk. I want to know when her marriage ended, why, and how open her heart is. That will inform how I approach her. Well, we—if I can get Marcus on board.
The three of us spend the last forty minutes of sunlight walking the rest of the perimeter, Kate furiously making notes, before we find ourselves in front again, our luggage untouched. “It’s almost dark. We better check into the hotel.”
Kate sighs like she’s reluctant but retrieves her things from beside the derelict ice maker. “I guess so. My thorough site investigation will have to wait until tomorrow. The place will still be here.”
“So will the disaster,” Marcus mutters.
She whirls to him, hand on her hip. “By the time I’m done, I’m going to make you love what this place could be.”
He snorts. “Good luck with that.”
“I don’t need it. I have skill. That’s why I was hired.”
After her sassy proclamation, she slings her purse over her shoulder, grips her bag, and heads for the hotel next door. As we drove by earlier, it looked like a half-forgotten relic. The once-white building has yellowed. Besides being run-down, it’s plagued by an ugly satellite tower on the roof, an uninspiring rectangle of a swimming pool visible from the main road, and no hint of water sports along its unpredictable, lava-like shore.
Inside, the lobby looks like someone vomited beige—walls, furniture, and tile floors. The windows out back offer admittedly nice glimpses of swaying palms, but the hotel erected too many walls between the entry and the view. And they haven’t updated this dump in nearly two decades. It shows.
As we amble into the line at the front desk to wait for the lone clerk, I lean into Kate. “The island is beautiful, but if this area doesn’t have the influx of visitors to flourish, would we be wasting money trying to rebuild this?”
“Exactly what I was wondering, but the question in my head wasn’t phrased quite as politely,” Marcus drawls. “No amount of island beauty will make me rush to a dumpster fire of a hotel.”
“That’s why we create something better. A destination. An oasis for everyone needing to get away, who wants to be closer to nature, who’s dying to slow down and appreciate life. Of course there would be activities for active vacationers, too. Hiking, parasailing, surfing…”
“I don’t see it.” Marcus is blunt.
“There’s a lot of that in Hawaii already. How are we going to be different enough?” I question.
While the desk clerk finishes with the family in front of us, Kate scrambles into her bag and flips to a page in her notebook. “I think this is a place to start. We build from here.”
The drawing she holds up is stunning. A long, tree-lined drive solves the problem of our odd-shaped property, transforming it into a grand entrance, while making use of the peninsula we’re situated on. On one side leading up to the structure are park-like areas, like a yoga lawn and a tea garden. On the other, shopping and restaurants, a children’s playground, and a meeting area for business retreats. The main structure is a pentagon and gives every room on three sides a view of either the gorgeous grounds or the sweeping ocean views. The style is traditional and will stand the test of time, but I note an Asian flare in the slope of the roof and the ornateness of the door.
“That’s beautiful. You just sketched that?”
“As I walked the property. I saw the place, and this just…popped into my head.” She shrugs, then flips to another page full of neat rows of words. “But I made notes, too.”