Sometimes, life didn’t show you what you were supposed to see until you took the first step. He needed to do that. She knew how hard it was to do it without knowing what the path ahead would reveal. But she believed in him. His siblings and niece would as well. He just needed to be ready to do it himself. If she could help him see that his own dreams were worth the risk, she’d leave knowing she made an impact. Left an impression. That, maybe, they—he—wouldn’t forget her.
Thirty-One
Beckett’s jaw dropped like a cartoon character’s. He couldn’t form words. Not only had Mr. Dayton bought in, paying Grayson current market value for the cabin, agreeing to all of the terms and conditions, he’d loaned him enough money to make things a success. Or at least to give it their best damn try.
“I can’t believe you accepted a loan,” Jill said.
Those were the words running through Beck’s head.
Mr. D laughed, pointed a finger at Grayson. “He didn’t want to. That’s for certain. Now, everything isn’t signed by a lawyer, but the money is there, and I know he’ll pay me back.”
“With interest,” Grayson said, his expression somewhere between happy and uncomfortable.
“This is fantastic.” Presley reached over and squeezed Mr. D’s hand. “I’m so happy you get a piece of your past in your future.”
He patted Presley’s hand with a look of fondness Beckett completely understood. “Me, too, dear. I plan to spend a lot of time here. You kids might get sick of me.”
“No chance of that,” Jill said, tears in her eyes.
“We’re going to winterize all but two of the cabins for now. Three if we include Mr. Dayton’s. It’ll mean we don’t have as much vacancy—hopefully—but what we do have will be in good shape.” Gray’s voice was lit with an excitement Beckett hadn’t heard in far too long.
“You kids are spreading yourselves too thin. Condensing this place will allow you, Beckett, and you, Jill, to have more of your own lives, and it will give Grayson a breather as well. Quality over quantity,” Mr. D said.
Presley turned her chin in Beckett’s direction. It scared him, just a little, to interpret her look as easily as if he could read her mind. Yes, he could tell his siblings about the bike rental idea. If they were smart, got some advice, his brother wouldn’t need any of the seed money Beckett had earmarked for his own venture.
She gave him the most imperceptible nod and it infused him with strength. Courage.Faith.In him.
“I have some news as well, while we’re sharing,” Beckett said, the words feeling sticky in his throat.
Jilly picked up her water glass, gave him a bratty-sister wink. “You and Presley are the real deal? No more pretending just to guard your virtue?”
The words “real deal” would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t been sitting. Jesus. Had anything felt more real in his life than her? When he looked at Presley, her cheeks were pink, her gaze a little wild. He tried to smile, pretend he wasn’t affected by Jill’s words.
Gray didn’t often use his oldest-sibling look, but he gave it to Jilly now. “Knock it off. She’s still a guest.”
Jill bit her lip and Beckett knew her well enough to know it was because she was trying not to laugh.
Presley’s thigh pressed against his. He needed to move or he’d never get the words out. Squeezing her hand, he hoped the gesture expressed his gratitude for her encouragement. Grayson gave him a strange look when he chose to pace the room rather than sit in front of them.
“What’s going on, Beck? Is everything all right?”
When he turned to face them, he caught the immediate note of worry in Jill’s gaze.
“Everything is great. I’ve been thinking about something for quite a while, working toward it, actually, but unsure if I’d be able to pull it off.”
They said nothing. His stomach spun like a coin on a tabletop. Presley smiled at him, her eyes shining with pride that rippled through his chest. He took a deep breath.
“Brian offered me my own store a couple hours from MackinawCity. I considered it, but I’ve realized I don’t want to be that far away from you guys. But I’m tired of being a store manager and I’ve had an idea in my head for way too long. Now seems like the best time to finally see it through. I want to be part of the growing tourist industry in Smile, and one of the things this town is lacking is recreational biking. We’ve got boats, kayaks, and Sea-Doos over by Tourist Lane, but no one is capitalizing on the easiest way to get through Smile and see it all. I want to rent or buy the lot beside the marina and open up a bike rental shop. I’ll have tandems, singles, and, if I can find good prices, a couple of quadracycles.”
His lungs tightened in his chest. “I’ve got several bikes. I just need to talk to Gramps about the rental lot.”
“A bike rental?” Gray asked, his words slow.
“It’s actually really smart. We could use something like that in town,” Jill said, nodding.
He gave a rough laugh. “Thanks. Sometimes my ideas are good.”
“Your ideas are fantastic, and a bike rental could actually complement the lodge in a very real and profitable way,” Presley said.
