Mama was gone. The bench was gone. In a few months, she’d be gone. But this inn? It had to remain.
“Ben?” She fixed on a smile, swallowed her feelings, and turned to Ben. “Let me show you my offer.”
Ben was starting to loathe folders. He settled onto the couch in the lobby of the inn and stared at the folder. This one from Cami was worth a look. She’d morphed from the girl he used to know into a hardened businesswoman.
“The offer is more than fair. I can email you a copy if you give me your card.” Cami’s professional smile splashed across her face like a million-watt light.
As she held out the blue folder, he hesitated. Did he want to know? Was he ready to sell? Despite the pressure to return to Sydney, he wanted to do right by his grandparents’ legacy. His legacy.
Then there was this woman, Cami Jackson, pricking his curiosity. She’d been his first major crush. His first kiss. He had a memory of her loose hair glinting in the sun as she sat on the lawn painting with her mother.
Now her dark curls were slicked back into a sleek ponytail, her business suit looked tailor-made, and she carried the same case as the European director of VJR had in Italy last year. And she never did anything cheap.
Life and death had changed her. Just like it was changing him.
She was beautiful, with her eyes the color of coffee—the good stuff, not Walt’s mud—and a charming smile she worked with expertise. Bet she won a lot of deals for Akron.
If he opened this folder, would she turn all of her charm on him? He might not survive.
“Ben?” She waved the folder, then set it on the table in front of him. “Nine hundred thousand. All cash. We close in a week.”
He snapped up the folder. Take that, Frank Hardy. “Cash?”
“Is that a yes?” Yep, there was that smile.
“No, not yet.” He closed his eyes and braced for her best pitch. But he needed to think. Close in a week? Why the rush? “What do you want to do with this place?”
“Fair question. Akron is not in the restoration business, but I’ve been wanting to acquire some different projects. The inn could be my test project.”
She hesitated like she wanted to say something, and for a moment her professional persona waned and he could see the girl he remembered.
“What are you not saying? Do you doubt your idea?” If he was going to sell, he had to make sure he sold to the right person. Even if that person was Cami Jackson. He set the folder on the table, not ready to hold on to it.
“Nothing. I was going to say no—” She laughed softly. “I’d never vocalized my idea to acquire small projects for Akron. Felt good to say it. Ben, I know this place means a lot to you. Me too. But more than our sentiment, the inn is a good property and has a lot of potential.”
He considered her confession. Then, “But Akron has a reputation of tearing things down. You know, pave paradise, put up a parking lot.” He’d gotten an earful from Granny when Akron bid on the Wedding Shop downtown. They’d wanted that corner for a parking lot. She’d been hopping mad.
That Brant Jackson is going to knock it to the ground. Why, I bought my wedding dress from Cora in ’56.
“You can’t just tear down history,” he added.
“You’re right, Akron does tend to tear old buildings down to make room for new development projects. But not always. This will be my acquisition, and I don’t intend to tear it down.” Her hesitation was gone, and her professionalism was locked back into place. “If you keep the inn, what are you going to do with it? What do you do for a living, by the way?”
“I work for Viridian Jewel Resorts. I open hotels for them around the world. I’m supposed to be in Sydney right now setting up to open our South Pacific marquee hotel. The Emerald. Got a great view of the Opera House. If all goes well, I’ll be opening a second resort in Hong Kong next year.”
“Viridian.” She arched her brow. “Very nice.”
Ah, so he’d impressed her. The VJR had a reputation of five-star quality. Jobs with them were as coveted as a night in one of the resorts.
“How long have you been with them? Dad tried to acquire one of their older hotels, but they refused to negotiate.”
“Their properties never depreciate, if you can believe it. I’ve been with them seven years. Started not long after college. I’ve opened marquee hotels in Budapest, London, Manhattan.”
“But you should be in Sydney?”
“My director gave me the summer to take care of Granny’s estate. But I’m answering emails and texts all night long.”
She grinned. “I bet. You can’t open a marquee hotel for Viridian when you’re halfway around the world.” She picked up her folder and offered it to him again. “It’s a good offer, Ben. Accept it and you’re on a plane back to Australia by the end of the week. You don’t have any other worthy offers.”
