Page 43 of Unexpected Entanglement

Chris chuckled. “My father didn’t. He feels The Sullens are doing well in its current trajectory. I don’t disagree with his strategy. But I think after all these years, he forgets The Sullens’ essence."

“My mother was the heart of it,” Chris continued with a regretful smile. “I don’t see her anymore in the newer builds. They all become more generic without a soul. That’s why I branched off on my own with The Eve, as an homage to my mother, Evelyn.”

Rowan's eyes gleamed with understanding. “That’s a beautiful tribute, Chris. I don’t know your mother, but I'm sure she would’ve been proud of what you’ve done.”

“I hope so.” Chris had a feeling Rowan would get it.

“I have the same hope for this place. I want to bring Bright Head back to its glory for my dad, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents. I think it’s the right time for Bright Head to shine again.”

“Absolutely,” Chris agreed. “Bright Head has a lot to offer, Rowan.”

“It may just take me longer than expected.”

“What is it holding you back? Funds?” Chris probed. “Is that why your father sold some land to Gibbes?”

Rowan’s expression turned at the mention of her father. She stayed silent for a few beats, and Chris thought maybe he’d pushed too far, too fast.

“It was a necessary move,” Rowan finally said. “We needed the money for the rebuild. He sold eighty acres to Connor Gibbes who has always eyed our land.”

“Why won’t you consider selling some more if you need additional funds?” Chris asked. “You have plenty to spare.”

“Once we do that, we might never stop,” Rowan said. “We promised our father we’ll keep this land in the family and pass it down to the next generation. And I keep my promises.”

Chris nodded, understanding her stance.

“We’re fine,” Rowan said. “We’re just behind, and a few kinks need straightening out. One of them is figuring out an arrangement with Rae.”

“You know Rae can bring people to Bright Head in hordes when you’re ready,” Chris pointed out.

“We appreciate a little exposure. But if a horde swarmed Vinalhaven, it’d probably jeopardize the delicate balance wehave here on the island,” she explained. “You see, not everyone is thrilled the inn is reopening.”

fourteen

Rowan watched lines emerge on Chris’ forehead after hearing about the opposition against the inn reopening.

“Why not?” he asked. “It’ll bring in more business to the local community and perhaps new investors, too.”

Rowan didn’t expect Chris to understand. He wasn’t from the island. Some islanders even considered her an outsider since she had been more of a summer visitor before moving here permanently this spring.

“That’s exactly what some people don’t want to happen,” Rowan explained. “They don’t want mainlanders to take over the island. What you call investing, they’d call invading.”

“I see.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I ran into the same issue at the beginning of each resort project.”

“Did you?”

“This island is similar to the places where I built my resorts on—secluded, with a tiny population that'd be impacted by what some would call a huge shake-up. And businesses like ours do bring in changes.”

“How did you convince the local community to accept you? Money?” Rowan asked.

“Money is part of it since we had to purchase the land we wanted to build the resort, but we usually started with a dialogue with the local leaders. It takes a lot of discussions and listening. I needed to listen to their concerns and respect their boundaries. It took a lot of time and diplomacy.”

“You didn’t deal with the local people yourself, did you?” Rowan asked skeptically.

“I did. With local help, of course. I try to stay involved with the negotiation with the community. It usually helps when they see I respect them enough to come myself.”

Rowan studied the man finishing his lunch in front of her. Alex was right: she could learn a lot from Chris Sullens. Unlike him, she had avoided the local Chamber of Commerce meetings, where people like Connor Gibbes had a great deal of sway and had cast doubts on the value of reopening the Bright Head Inn.

“What reason might some people have against the Bright Head Inn reopening?” Chris asked. “It isn’t like a huge resort that would bring hundreds of people each day. You have a capacity of forty guests max.”

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