“Trying to come up with a plan. I don’t think the motel’s condition is as bad as we thought. See here.” Maddie pointed to the wide front porch. “We just need to do some scraping and painting and replace a few spindles. That’s easy and doesn’t cost a lot.”
“And the rest of it?” Jules glanced down the long line of motel room doors and tried to calculate how much it would cost to update the rooms.
“That might take a bit more money,” Maddie admitted. She didn’t mention that there could also be hidden damage that might require costly repairs—things like old wiring, outdated plumbing, and the roof. For the time being, the cosmetic changes were all they could tackle.
“Maybe we can do the rooms a few at a time. That way we can start booking a few guests sooner to get some money flowing. Speaking of which, Rose mentioned something about a town meeting to discuss bringing tourists back to the town,” Jules said. “We’re invited.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Maddie glanced at the ocean. “We have a lot to talk about, and we haven’t even checked out the beach yet. Let’s drop the forms in the kitchen and see if Gina wants to go for a walk so we can talk about our strategy.”
Gina was sitting at the table, her head bent over her phone, which she abruptly put away as soon as they walked in. She looked a little guilty, but Maddie couldn’t imagine about what.
“We’re going to walk the beach and talk about the plan for the motel,” Maddie said.
Gina looked less than enthused but went along with them anyway.
On the beach, they slipped off their shoes. Maddie dug her toes into the warm sand and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I haven’t been down here yet!”
“I know, right? It’s amazing.” Jules shaded her eyes, gazing out into the ocean.
The low tide had created a wide strip of wet sand between them and the waves. One end of the beach had an outcropping of rocks, which Maddie imagined housed starfish, snails, crabs, and maybe even a sea urchin. She made a mental note to check that out later. In the other direction, the beach stretched for miles.
The sound of the surf was soothing, the sun glinting off the cobalt water mesmerizing, and the scent of the sea air therapeutic. Even Gina had a smile on her face.
“Let’s go down by the water. I bet it’s refreshingly cold.” Jules ran toward the water’s edge, and Maddie and Gina followed.
Even on the hottest summer day, the Atlantic Ocean in Maine was frigid. That day was no exception. Jules rushed right in up to midcalf, but Maddie dipped her toes in an inch at a time, finally letting the waves rush over her feet. Her toes were numb after a minute, but it still felt good.
They started walking, their feet splashing in the foamy edge of the water as they followed a group of sandpipers down the beach.
“Remember all the times Gram took us to the beach?” Maddie had fond memories of family beach days with Jules, Gina, and several of their other cousins. Though Gina was a bit older and usually wanted to lie on the beach towel and work on her tan, Maddie remembered making sandcastles and splashing in the water with Jules. She hoped the memories would remind Jules and Gina about what was really important and help bring them closer.
“Those were good times,” Jules said. “I don’t spend nearly as much time at the beach anymore. Even when I lived in Lobster Bay. I guess I was too busy working.”
“Ditto. Guess we need to remember to make time to enjoy things.” Maddie turned to Gina. “What about you, Gina?”
Gina frowned. “I didn’t live near the beach.”
It sounded like that was the extent of Gina’s small talk, so Maddie steered the conversation toward business. “Jules brought home the application from the bank.”
“Oh, great,” Gina said.
“The guy there, Nick, asked about a business entity,” Jules said. “I’m not sure if Gram had one or if we need to create something.”
“Oh, good thinking!” Maddie couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of that. “I’ll talk to Steve and find out what the best thing is. We’re running a business now and have to act as such. We can still move ahead with some projects, though.”
Maddie told them about the projects she thought they should do first—sprucing up the exterior of the motel, scraping, painting, landscaping, and redoing the rooms a few at a time, as Jules had suggested. “The best part is we can do most of this ourselves. It won’t cost a lot and will make a big impact. Remember, the goal is to get tourists to book rooms right away.”
Gina’s frown deepened. “What tourists? I don’t think there are any.”
Jules sighed. She was walking on Maddie’s right, and Gina was on Maddie’s left, as if the two were using Maddie as some sort of buffer. Jules leaned over to look across Maddie at her cousin. “You don’t need to be so negative. The town is working on getting tourists.”
Gina’s eyes flashed. “I wasn’t being negative. I was being practical. And besides, what great plan does the town have now, and why haven’t they used it to bring in tourists before?”
“We’ll have to wait and see what the plan is. I get the impression they were waiting for the Beachcomber to open up before doing anything.” Jules told Gina about the town meeting and potluck. “We’re expected to bring a signature dish. Do either of you have one?”
Gina snorted. “You mean like cook something?”
Maddie could sense the tension starting to simmer between her cousins. She would have to tamp it down with her positive attitude. “I think it would be great if they have some ideas. We need tourists in town to make this work. As for the signature dish… well… I guess we can come up with something.”
