Gram had liked to decorate motels in motifs. One had been rustic with all-natural wood and stone. Another had been Paris-chic with lots of crystals and luxurious furnishings. Jules loved that aspect of Gram’s motels. She’d always said she wanted to decorate in some sort of vintage motif, and the Beachcomber came ready with a variety of retro decor.
“It is rather charming.” Jules peeked under the corner of one of the drop cloths that covered a big lump of furniture. “Look at all this wicker.” She folded the cloth over the top to reveal a set of pristine wicker rocking chairs complete with thick cushions.
“They look comfortable,” Maddie said.
“And in great condition.” Jules pulled the rest of the tarp off and bent down, her chocolate curls falling over her face as she inspected the chairs.
Maddie tucked her own stick-straight hair behind her ears. What she wouldn’t give for perfect curls like Jules.
Jules looked over her shoulder at them, a spark of excitement in her doe-brown eyes. “They’re vintage cottage chic if I ever did see it.”
“Gram left us a lot to work with,” Maddie said. “I know you like to decorate in themes like you did with the other motel we ran.”
Jules glanced at her sharply, the spark of excitement replaced with a look of hurt. Ooops, maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned the Surfstone Motel.
The Surfstone had been a cute one-story motel with turquoise shutters. Gram had entrusted the operations of the Surfstone to the three of them when they were in their twenties. They’d messed up though. Maybe they were too young or too inexperienced or too stubborn, but they’d gone bankrupt. All three of them had been equal to blame, but Jules had taken it the hardest.
That had been what caused the rift between the three of them. They hadn’t spoken, other than a few nods in passing at various family gatherings, in ten years. But then they were all there. And even if Jules and Gina kept shooting angry looks at each other, Maddie felt fairly confident she could heal that rift. After all, she’d promised Gram she would, and she never went back on her promises.
A bittersweet smile crossed her lips as she thought about that last day with Gram a week before she died. Gram’s health had deteriorated, but that day, the look in her eyes was clear, her voice steady, and her grip strong as she took Maddie’s hand and made her promise to bring the three cousins back together.
“You’re the only one who can do it, Mads.” Gram had used the childhood nickname she’d give Maddie. “You always see the best in people and never give up on anything or anyone. Besides, with your sunny attitude, no one can stay mad at you for long.”
Gram’s faith in Maddie made her sure she could bring them together, and she was excited to make good on her promise. But there was something else. She had a funny feeling that Gram had another reason for wanting her to come to Shell Cove. She just wasn’t sure exactly what that was.
“The chairs are nice, but clearly this can’t work.” Gina gestured around the room. “It’s going to take a lot of money to bring this place up to speed, and as far as I know, Gram didn’t leave any. Not to mention that town is a ghost town. How are we going to get anyone interested in renting a room?”
Jules and Maddie both stared at Gina for a few beats. Gina had a lot of money, didn’t she? Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to expect her to foot the bill. Maddie certainly didn’t have any, and from what she knew about Jules, she didn’t either.
Jules and Gina both looked pretty glum.
Maddie had to do something to turn it around pretty quick. She knew just the thing. Focus on the positive. That always worked. “Everything is clean and in mint condition, so we won’t need to do much to get up and running.” Maddie held her breath as she flipped the light switch. The lights came on. “Even the lights work. I bet everything works. That eliminates a lot of expense.”
The place wasn’t that bad. The furniture looked sturdy and clean. The lobby was serviceable. Even the bell over the door had worked when they’d entered. The interior was fine, if a bit outdated, and if they were lucky, they might find that the building itself only needed cosmetic repairs. It was as if Gram had wanted the place to be ready to get up and running right away.
Jules sighed. “I guess that does help. Besides, you heard Mr. Rollens. We’re in it now, whether we like it or not. Either we revive it or lose it. And I don’t want to lose it. It would be an insult to Gram.”
Good. Jules was getting on board. Gina remained silent, her expression indicating she wasn’t quite as optimistic. That was okay, though. Maddie was sure she could get her to come around, given time.
“Jules is right. We owe it to Gram to give this a try.” Maddie headed toward the door to the right of the check-in desk. “Now let’s go check the rest of this place out.”
Chapter Three
The longer they poked around in the motel, the more encouraged Jules became. The spacious lobby with its ocean view would be the perfect place to put out fresh-baked muffins or cookies for the guests, giving it the feel of a cozy B and B as opposed to an impersonal roadside motel.
A seating area with couches and chairs was carefully preserved under the tarps. A TV sat on a table along one wall. That would need to be replaced with a newer model, but the overstuffed comfy furniture was timeless. A new, trendy linen slipcover and some colorful pillows would revive it.
Several of the windows had small tables set under them with chairs on either side. Jules could picture people sitting at them to sip coffee or wine and gaze at the ocean or spread out one of the many puzzles that sat in boxes on the bookshelf in the corner.
The lobby would be great for guests to socialize in on rainy days, but she was sure that if the weather was nice, the large porch would be the place to be. Once she decorated that with the cozy wicker furniture Gram had left and some hanging plants, it would be an amazing space. And, since it was just steps from the beach, she was sure it had once been a favorite spot for guests and, hopefully, would be again soon.
As they moved through the space, Jules was already picturing the enhancements she could make to turn it into a retro cottage chic style that would rival those she’d seen in magazines. She had the vision, but how could she pull it off? Somehow they needed to get some money to work with.
The door to the left of the check-in desk led to a small kitchen. It was cute and cozy, and it looked like it belonged back in the 1940s even though Jules was sure the motel wasn’t quite that old.
“How old is this place?” Maddie opened a cabinet to reveal it was fully stocked with white ceramic mugs similar to those found in an old diner.
“I’m not sure. Gram had it a long time ago, though. Now that we’re walking around, I vaguely remember coming here once when I was really little.” Gina trailed her hand along the stainless steel counter, stirring up a bit of dust but nothing that couldn’t be cleaned easily. “I think I was about nine or ten.”
