Page 9 of Unexpected Entanglement

Blood isn’t always thicker.

“Thank you for doing this for me,” Rae said.

“I’d do anything for you and Dean. You need to take care of yourself first. What did your doctor say?”

“She wants me to take things easy for a couple more weeks until I get into my second trimester, but I feel great,” Rae explained. “Dean didn’t have to rope you into my problem, Chris.”

Dean Rowland, Rae’s husband, was Chris’ best friend. He’d reached out to Chris, telling him that Rae had inherited an over two-hundred-acre estate that included a working farm and an inn. Dean was concerned, as any husband would be, about how this inheritance and having siblings she’d never met before would impact his pregnant wife’s well-being.

On top of that, Dean was a very wealthy man. Being born into privilege himself, Chris was no stranger to people trying to be in his circle because of his last name. It was convenient that Rae’s estranged family suddenly contacted her now that she was married to a billionaire. Chris thought it wouldn’t hurt for him to poke around a bit.

Brandon Rossi, Rae’s best friend, and Chris had joined forces a few years back to reunite Dean and Rae. If it weren’t for their intervention, the stubborn couple might’ve not been married for over three years with a one-year-old daughter and another baby on the way.

Rae laughed. “Brandon keeps asking me for updates when he should be enjoying his time with Callie and Ella.”

The recently married Brandon was in Paris for the summer after spending the last six months stateside. Chris could see Brandon worrying about Rae. Barring Dean, nobody else knew Rae and her tough upbringing better than Brandon did.

“Let him know I got this handled,” Chris said.

“We could’ve gone through the lawyers and not bothered you,” Rae still worried.

“It isn’t a bother, Rae. I was going to the Cape to see my dad anyway. This is merely a scenic detour. Besides, I’m the best person for this job. I’ll assess the estate, the farm, and the inn and tell you what I learn from the ground. I’ll gauge Kieran and Rowan Kelly for you and see what they’re up to.”

Chris was wired for this kind of work as a born-and-bred hotelier. He traveled worldwide, looking for the next picturesque spot for his series of resorts. Sometimes, spots that were quite remote had the best potential. One had to have the right eye to see them.

He’d be able to tell if Bright Head Farm & Inn was worth investing in or would cost Rae a financial and emotional drain. He just needed to see it for himself.

“Are you still planning to drop in on them unannounced?” Rae asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Chris had told Rae he wanted to see the property in its natural state, just like she would prefer a hotel or B&B’s staff not knowing she was reviewing their establishment. It’d give them a more honest view of the property, the business, and the proprietors. To his thinking, why should he treat Bright Head any differently?

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” Chris assured. “I just want to see the place as it is.”

“Tread lightly, please. Sooner or later, I will have to face my half-siblings.”

“I understand. I just want to see what type of people they are.”

“I trust your judgment. You have a good gauge of people. Thank you, Chris,” Rae ended the call.

Chris disposed of his trash and stared across the harbor toward the small town center. He put away his concern for Rae and got his scouting head on. To do this favor for his friend, he’d better put any bias aside.

Okay, Vinalhaven. Show me what you got.

Chris continued his short ride into town and noted a pizza parlor, convenience store, boat yard, fire department, bank, and small businesses. He spotted a contemporary-looking restaurant, a coffee shop, some stores, and a food market in downtown proper. There was also a hotel where he had a reservation for the night.

A parked red truck caught his eye. The wordsBright Head Farm & Innwere painted white on the doors. He wondered if the driver was nearby. Maybe he could get insights from the Bright Head Farm & Inn staff before he made his way there.

From what he’d found through a basic web search, Bright Head was north of town, in Long Cove. He’d studied the island map and found the location would be ideal if he were to build one of his resorts here. It was isolated enough for privacy, with calmer and shallower water perfect for recreation. And it was only twenty minutes from town if guests wanted to check out the restaurants and stores.

The place would need to offer top-notch amenities to keep guests happy. Good food would be essential. Water sports and other outdoor activities would be a given. A great spa would be a plus. But on this island, transportation would be necessary because most tourists wouldn’t have their own cars.

He’d assess those matters when he got to Bright Head. But now he was in town. He found a spot to park his bike and started to stroll the short length of the Vinalhaven downtown strip.

Less than a half hour later, Chris sat on one of the few seats in the small coffee shop he’d seen earlier. He’d walked the entire rows of businesses, gone into every store, checked the menu of every food establishment.

---