Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble

kind of plans could he have?”
    Zach slouched into his chair. “Forget it.”
    Suppressing a sigh, Alec touched Libby’s elbow. “Tom should be there any minute.”
    She resisted the pull on her arm. “I’d really like to hear what Zach has to say,” she said. “You probably already know this, Zach, but I didn’t even know I had a brother and sister until yesterday.”
    His head came up and his eyes widened. “No kidding? Brent didn’t say anything about that in the ice-cream shop. Just that some woman he’d never met was going to have the property. Said it was his sister.”
    â€œDid he know about me before our father died?”
    Zach shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    â€œI’d like to meet him. And Vanessa. Do they know I’m here?”
    â€œI don’t think so. He figures you’ll sell the place. There’s an investor after it hot and heavy.”
    â€œOh?” There was interest in her voice.
    Alec had heard the rumors. Now that the land was out of Ray’s hands, everything was liable to change. He didn’t know if that was good or bad.

S IX
    S and drifted across the pavement in places. The island was unlike any place Libby had ever seen. Wild, remote, and unbelievably beautiful with whitecaps rolling to dunes on one side and tangled maritime forest on the other.
    She leaned forward as Alec’s truck crested the hill. She caught her breath when she saw the inn standing guard over the empty beach that stretched in both directions. A small but inviting dock jutted over the water. Her chest was so tight she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do more than take in the lovely Georgian mansion overlooking the Atlantic. Large trees sheltered it, and it looked as if it had been in that place forever. In a moment, she felt she knew the spot as if it had always been a part of her.
    She could almost hear the voices of previous owners in her head. Pioneers, business owners, statesmen. The inn was alive with the history of its past. She couldn’t wait to explore, to touch the woodwork and plaster walls.
    â€œTh-This is mine?” she asked, getting out the truck when it rolled to a stop.
    â€œSo I hear.”
    The place clearly needed work, but she didn’t care. She stared at the front of the building. “You said it was an inn.” She eyed its elegant lines. “It looks like a mansion. It’s Georgian. Built in the late seventeen hundreds or early eighteen hundreds.”
    â€œIt’s an inn now. Small, I know. About fifteen suites, I think.”
    There were two curving staircases up to the porch, one on each side. There had to be two thousand square feet of balconies and porches. Great arched windows looked out on the waves. The place was in serious need of paint, but her mind’s eye could see it restored to its earlier glory. How could she bear to sell it? But she had to. For her stepbrother. For Holladay Renovations.
    He took her elbow and guided her up the nearest steps. “It used to be a single-family home. There should be some stuff about it in the attic.”
    No wonder Nicole had said she would love it. Libby took in every angle, every graceful line. “It’s so large. Who would build such a magnificent place clear out here?”
    â€œI don’t remember all the history, but the builder had some kind of role in early government, and I guess he wanted to impress everyone. Though there weren’t many to impress out here but Hatteras Indians. This place is really the beginning of our history as we know it, so it’s in the school book about our island.”
    The porch was expansive, but the floor needed paint. Now that she was closer, Libby saw the signs of decay in the peeling shutters and rotting fretwork. It would take a lot of money to restore this place. Money she didn’t have. But oh, how she wanted to keep it.
    Alec opened the oversized front entrance.