“Okay, you like being in charge of stuff, so you can be in charge of the signature dish, Mads,” Jules said.
Maddie smiled at the use of her childhood nickname. The three of them had been close back then, and she felt that the use of the name was a sign that they were slowly getting back to that. It hadn’t even been two days yet, but so far, she’d been pleasantly surprised that neither Jules nor Gina had shown animosity toward her.
Of course it made sense because neither of them had really been that mad at her when they’d parted ways after the Surfstone, but she’d expected a colder reception. She still had her work cut out for her when it came to Jules and Gina, but she was starting to see signs that she could accomplish that and make good on her promise to Gram.
“Rose said that Gram always brought pies,” Jules said.
“That’s interesting. Gina found a rolling pin in the kitchen.” Maddie glanced at Gina.
She had a thoughtful look on her face.
“Didn’t you say you used to make pies with Gram?”
Gina’s expression snapped back into a scowl. “I said she tried to teach me when I was a kid. I was no good at it then, and I’m sure as heck not going to be any better at it now.”
Chapter Ten
Nick stood in the lobby looking down the street after Jules left. The boarded-up shops really bothered him. Those were family businesses, hopes and dreams. But if Jules brought the motel back to life, maybe those businesses could open again. He had a feeling they were on the verge of something hopeful and positive. And not just for the town. Maybe for himself too.
Gramps came up beside him. “Who was that girl?”
“Jules Whittier.”
Gramps’s normal scowl deepened. “Whittier? What did she want?”
“A loan. I guess she and her cousins inherited the Beachcomber, and they want to fix it up.”
“A loan for a motel here in this town?” Gramps barked out a laugh. “That doesn’t sound like a good investment for the bank.”
Nick’s gut tightened. “What do you mean? We need to service more loans. You said so yourself.”
“Yeah, but this one is too risky. Who is going to stay at that old, broken-down motel?”
Gramps had raised his voice a bit, and Josie, the teller, glanced over at them. Nick took his arm and led him a few feet down the private hallway where Gramps’s office was.
“That’s the point of the loan, to renovate it so people will want to go there.”
“Ack! You believe that girl?” Gramps looked like he’d eaten a lemon.
Did he know something about Jules? “Why wouldn’t I believe her? Do you know her?”
“I know her kind. Knew her grandmother. Those Whittiers are bad news, and I don’t want anything to do with them.” Gramps jerked his arm away and continued toward his office, his feet shuffling on the red carpet runner that covered the marble floor.
Nick’s heart grew heavy as he watched Gramps walk away. Until recently, Gramps had had a spring in his step, but the past few years he’d aged so much. It took him longer to get around anymore, and Nick heard him wincing with pain sometimes. Nick couldn’t imagine life without Gramps. The thought was too horrible. He’d idolized the man since he was a small child, and Gramps had been very good to him. The two had been almost inseparable since Nick was old enough to walk.
But still, Gramps was wrong about it. Nick knew it in his gut.
Nick followed him down the hall. “What do you mean? You’re not going to approve the loan just because of who she is?”
“Nope, that’s only part of it. The other part is that it’s a bad investment for the bank.”
“But the property itself must be worth millions. It’s right on the ocean,” Nick argued.
Gramps gave him a look, and Nick remembered how run-down the motel was.
“Okay, maybe hundreds of thousands. Much more than what we would lend.”
“What is the bank going to do with a motel on the ocean?” Gramps stopped at his office door and turned to Nick. “We’re in the business of money, not real estate.”
