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"Is yourokay?"
She nodded "She's fine She copes, stays busy-- into my business, like I said"
He laughed "Does she help you here at the motel?"
"Sometimes But this is my baby Dad left the place to me in his will He kne much I always loved this part of the fa business and he's set with that Me, I was always down here working the lance out theat the ocean "Dad built this place from scratch It's not much, but it's all I have left of him He loved it, I loved it, and now it's mine"
Oh, shit Noas going to have to take a different approach entirely He hadn't known Greta would attach a sentilass of tea on the coffee table "Did your dad ever talk about doing anyimprovements to the place?"
She nodded and put her feet on the table "Yeah, we talked about it, but we're not exactly a h to pay the bills With the house being attached to the property, I can live here and h to see to the upkeep of the facility That's about it There's never really enough to do h, so maybe someday"
Then her eyes widened and she turned to him
"Hey, you're a bigwig in the hotel business"
Come on, Greta, make the connection Ask me to buy you out Make this easy on both of us
"Maybe you could give me some pointers on inexpensive ways I could freshen this place up,in more visitors"
Not exactly the opening he was looking for, but he'd take it "Well, now that you mentioned it"
She leaned forward, her eyes glittering "Yeah?"
"I have an idea that I think will really excite you"
She wriggled on the sofa "Come on, tell me"
He took her hands in his "Greta, Magruder Enterprises would like to buy the Crystal Sands Motel property Our intention is to build a resort right here on this spot"
She looked at him for a moment, then her smile died She jerked her hands away fro in anger
"Are you out of your goddamned mind?"
Chapter Two
Greta stared down at Mitch, who she'd been so excited to find at hershe hated Big business, those corporate jocks who thought just because they could build monster hotels they could raze her beloved fa
It was everything to her, to her children, to their future
It was all she had left of her father Didn't Mitch understand that?
"I'ht this would make you happy"
He was so gorgeous Seeing hiain had made her stomach do flip flops She had been madly in love with him when she elve years old in the way that only a first crush could irl's toes curl He'd been nineteen, a beautiful boy with dark hair and a surfer's lean body He'd taught her to surf, to love the ocean waves as oing for it
She'd had a dream once Until one man had killed all her dreams
Never again would she allow that to happen Noto take away her dreams
"That's why you're here, isn't it? That's why you came back to Ft Lincoln Beach? When I received that offer on the motel from some" She waved her hand in the air "So, I didn't make the connection"
"They're ruder Enterprises"
"Whatever It's all big business and big ht you could come here and sweet talk ht and had a history together that I'd be eager to offload this old run down piece of shit motel, take the money and run?"
She watched his gaze wander around her little house and knehat he saw--the dis, the blinds that didn't quite center on the s, the ancient nineteen-inch television, the mismatched furniture, the house that she had never been embarrassed about--until now
"Honestly? Yeah It's an incredible opportunity for you and your children A solid future for them"
"My children's future looks just fine They go to a great school They live right on the beach They're happy"
He stood "I'e educations,they could ever dream of You could make your own dreams come true"
"My drea just fine I have my father's motel I have my children I don't need more than that"
Mitch blew out a breath "You did understand the offer roup made?"
She rolled her eyes "I'm not stupid, Mitch I can do simple math"
His lips lifted "There was nothing simple about those numbers, Greta"
Noas being insulting She went into the kitchen, grabbed the yellow pad of lined paper and tore off the top sheet that Zoey had scribbled on, then brought out the pad and a pen and handed it to him "Here"
He took them and looked up at her "What's this
for?"
"You seem to labor under the rasp basic accounting So go ahead and write up the offer again I'll wait" She crossed her ar childish, but she didn't care She was pissed
"I think you already saw the number, Greta" He laid the pad and paper down on the coffee table "What I don't understand is why you said no"
"I think I already made my reasons clear I'm perfectly happy with my little motel on the beach"
"The one with three current guests? This is priht before Christmas You should be full"
Damn him "I have three more reservations for the weekend"
"You barely et by"
"I do just fine I don't need your money"
"So you're denying your children a corowth for your town? Why, Greta?"
Last straw "Get out, Mitch"
"Let's talk about this I can lay out options, show you--"
"I'm not interested in what you have to show et back to work" She moved to the front door and opened it, then waited at the entry until he moved toward it
"We'll talk again"
She shook her head "No, on't"
He walked out and she shut the door, leaned her back against it and exhaled, realizing her hands were shaking
She was right about this Dad loved this place She loved it, too
Destroying it would destroy her, her memories of him The kids loved it, too
Da on to it
It was all she had left and no one was going to take it away from her
Okay, that ell
Mitch stared at the littlethe ocean What a beautiful view this would make from a penthouse suite
Good thing he wasn't the type to give up easily
Greta was holding on to the past, on to memories
Once he convinced her to see reason, she'd sell
He just needed soo for those Then he'd do a little sweet talking,She worked too hard, she was myopic, her eye only on the motel She needed to see what life was like on the other side Then he could convince her a different kind of lifestyle could be hers, if only she'd sell the motel