Page 25 of Return to Rosewood Beach

“Well, it’s a great spot. The land is good, right on the lake, and the location is ideally central. You’ve had a great run here, Mrs. Owens, but things must be rough for you because of your husband’s passing. I’d be only too happy to go through with the deal that I’ve proposed to your husband many times over the years.”

Vivian swallowed. She had to admit to herself that she was in a vulnerable position, considering what Julia had recentlydiscovered about the pub’s precarious financial situation. Perhaps that was why she had been so anxious to avoid talking to Judd, since she knew that talking to him might convince her that she should consider his offer, now that her perception of her circumstances had changed.

She hesitated before replying to him. She knew that in theory, considering his offer was the wise thing to do, but her heart rebelled against the idea. She hated the idea of selling the pub’s land to Judd McCormick and his sons for many reasons. Not only did she dislike him and how persistent he’d been in trying to buy the land, but she knew that he would tear down the pub if he bought it. She couldn’t bear the thought of their beloved building being razed to the ground, disappearing forever.

At that moment, Julia walked inside the pub. Vivian glanced at her, and saw her daughter frown the moment she laid eyes on Judd. She didn’t know if Julia had ever met Judd before, but she guessed that Julia knew a businessman when she saw one. There was something about Judd’s overly-confident demeanor that screamed, “I think I have all the power here.”

“What’s going on?” Julia asked, stepping up beside Vivian, almost protectively. She fixed her eyes coolly on Judd. “Is this guy bothering you, Mom?”

“No, not at all, not at all.” Judd flashed his toothy smile again, but his eyes glittered coldly as if he was sizing Julia up. “Your mother and I were just having a pleasant conversation. I’ve had my eye on this land for years, and I was renewing my generous offer to take it off your hands.”

“What?” Julia’s eyes flashed. “We’re not interested.”

“Come on now, sweetheart.” His smile became wider, but not any more sincere. “I’m giving you the best option that you have right now, and on a silver platter at that. Your other options are to keep on struggling with this place until it falls apart, orto sell it to someone who isn’t going to give you as good of an offer. I want the land—someone else will just try to buy the building, and let’s be honest, the building isn’t worth that much. Especially when word gets out that the pub isn’t doing so well financially. People won’t realize that the finances aren’t due to any lack of quality in the restaurant itself, but due to—well, how shall I put this? Lack of quality in the management, perhaps. Frank always meant well, though. I don’t mean any offense there. He was a visionary—always looking ahead to a bright future. Sometimes that made him forget about the present a little too much.”

Vivian’s heart felt hot and then cold for a moment. Did Judd know about how Frank had damaged the finances of the pub? Her head spun. She didn’t know how he possibly could have, since he and Frank had been far from friendly, but his words and the knowing glint in his eyes made it seem as though he knew all about what had been going on.

She looked at Judd’s face, and the calm, plastic smile he was wearing. She wondered if he actually knew about Frank’s gambling somehow, or if he had just somehow found out that Frank wasn’t good with money. Whatever he seemed to know, the fact that he knew it made her feel flushed with embarrassment.

Beside her, Julia stepped forward confrontationally. Her eyes flashed angrily at Judd.

“Our finances are entirely under control. Frank Owens made this pub the most popular place in Rosewood Beach, and you have no right to come here the day after his funeral and throw shade onto his legacy. You clearly have no respect for those in mourning.”

“Now, Miss, I?—”

“No.” She tapped her heel on the floor for emphasis. “Please leave.”

For a moment, he hesitated, as if he was considering saying more, but then he smiled again and took a few steps toward the door. Before going through it, he turned and said, “You’re right. My timing was off. I apologize. Maybe we can find more to agree on soon.”

Julia opened her mouth, looking ready to retort, but he slipped through the front door of The Lighthouse Grill before she had a chance to respond.

“Oh, that man.” Julia glared at the doorway. “How dare he—and I’m sure that he—ugh!”

“Don’t fret, sweetheart.” Vivian wrapped an arm around her daughter and laid her head down on her shoulder for a moment. “He’s out of our hair.”

“For now! He made it perfectly clear he wants to come back. It’s like he won’t take no for an answer.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Vivian sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“Come with me to the office. I’ll show you something.”

They made their way along a back hallway to Vivian’s office, where they sat down on either side of the desk. It was quiet there, and Vivian took a deep breath, grateful to be away from the hustle and bustle for a moment.

“What do you have to show me, Mom? Has he tried to buy the pub before?”

“Not once but many times.” Vivian sighed as she opened a drawer and took out all of Judd’s offers to buy the pub. She laid them down in a stack in front of Julia, who frowned and started to read them. “I was going to throw them away, but then when I heard your news about the debt, I—well, I thought better of it.”

Julia shook her head emphatically. “You’re not thinking of selling to that man?”

“Oh, no, I—it just seemed foolish to throw them out. Just in case. Perhaps as a last resort.” Her heart felt heavy as she saidthe words, even though her impulse to keep the papers had been only a half-formed idea. She hadn’t spent any time seriously considering Judd’s offer, and she still loathed the idea of selling the pub’s land to him. But she knew that she was in trouble. She had never run the pub without Frank before, and never tried to take care of the finances all by herself. She wasn’t sure she could do it, especially now that they were in trouble.

Julia shook her head at her mother, but the look in her eyes was gentle. She looked down and finished perusing the letters. Her frown became deeper and deeper the more she read. Finally, she tossed the stack to the side with a huff of dismay.

“He really wants this land, that’s clear.” Vivian sighed. “And the price is fair.”

“No.” Julia’s voice was firm. “He wouldn’t be paying for the way we would all feel if we lost this place. If you lost this place. He’s pushy, but don’t give into him. There’s no reason to. I told you I would help you with all this, and I will.”

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