Page 158 of The Newcomer
“I’ve got an idea I want to run past you. But you have to promise you’ll tell me your honest opinion, okay?”
“Okay.”
Letty laid out the plan for him as the truck sped south. She’d discussed it with Sammi, who’d discussed it with Demetria, the executor of Tanya’s estate, and with a real estate attorney Sammi had brought in for a consultation.
Joe hadn’t bought into the idea immediately. But shortly after they’d crossed the Florida state line, a slow grin spread across his face. Letty closed her eyes and dozed off, dreaming of palm trees and jasmine blossoms, white sand and turquoise waves.
She awoke as they were crossing the bridge over Tampa Bay. He’d rolled the window down, and the sound of traffic startled her.
“Sorry,” Joe said. “I was getting kind of drowsy and needed some fresh air.”
“It’s okay. We’re almost there, right?”
“Another twenty minutes. I’ve been thinking about your idea.”
“And?”
He nodded his head. “I like it. Okay, I love it. But only if it’s what you really want.”
“It is.”
Joe reached over, took her hand, and kissed the back of it.
Lightsclicked on in the Murmuring Surf office and the front door opened.
“Looks like the welcoming committee knows we’re here,” Joe said.
Avalooked down at the file folder Letty had presented to her. “I’m speechless. Are you seriously saying you want to buy the Murmuring Surf? And keep on running it?”
“No,” Letty said firmly. “I want to helpyourun it. Unless and until you decide you want to retire. Or take up knitting or crosswords or whatever it is people do when they don’t have to work anymore.”
“Did you know about this?” she asked her son, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout Letty’s presentation.
“Not until today. Or was that last night? It was definitely after we crossed that long damn bridge in Maryland. And I swear, it was all Letty’s idea.”
“And you’re on board? I thought you hated living in a motel.”
“I was a kid, what did I know? Anyway, the idea is, we wouldn’t live here. You would, until you don’t want to, that is. But you still haven’t told us what you think.”
“Be honest,” Letty urged. She glanced over at Joe. “We’ll understand if you don’t want to sell. And there won’t be any hard feelings, I swear.”
Joe grinned. “I made her promise to marry me, no matter what your answer is.”
Ava’s eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. “Really? You’re getting married?”
“Yeah,” Joe said. He held out his left hand and wiggled his ring finger, which sported a band of silver foil from braided chewing gum wrappers. “How do you like my engagement ring?”
Ava blinked back tears, then swept Joe and Letty into a group hug. “I can’t believe it. When? Where? Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re finally getting married.”
“Me neither,” Joe said, wriggling out of her embrace. “We’ll get to the wedding details in a minute. But in the meantime, you still haven’t answered the question. Do you want to sell the Murmuring Surf to Letty?”
“Actually, she’d be selling it to Maya,” Letty said. “It’ll be held in trust for her until she’s twenty-one. I’ve run the numbers and it seems like buying the Surf would be a sound investment for her future. But only if the deal seems fair to you, Ava.”
“And you wouldn’t tear it down? And build condos or a hotel?” Ava asked, looking from Letty to Joe.
“No. That’s not my intention at all. I have been thinking of ways we could improve and expand the property, like putting a second story on both the north and south wings,” Letty said. “But that’s for the long-range.”
Ava ran her fingers down the column of numbers Letty and her lawyer had presented.
