Page 9 of Love is a Game

If only he had known she was there about the Cypress. For weeks he’d been trying to find volunteers to help him, but no one had been interested in doing more than signing their name in support of the landmark application. It figured that when someone finally did come along, he ruined any chance of getting her help. Help that probably would have been pretty valuable, considering she worked in the industry.

He should have been prepared for a run-in with her. Tyson and Julie Monroe were the two people he spent the most time with outside of work. Granted, he didn’t spend a lot of time with them, but it was enough that he should have known this could happen. Sadie’s mom usually told everyone when her daughter was coming to town though. Maybe he’d thought he would get some warning. When Camille was there the day before for the book club, she’d spent ten minutes telling him about a problem with her car but hadn’t once mentioned Sadie.

He let out an exasperated breath and stood. He couldn’t keep sitting there replaying the encounter over and over in his mind. He had to find something to do. The reshelving cart was empty, so he walked through the stacks looking for anything out of place. There was nothing. He’d gotten everything done the night before. Rather than go home to an empty house, he’d stayed at the library until almost nine o’clock. How could he have known his efficiency would come back to bite him?

With nothing to do, and still no patrons to help, he retreated to his office, which was now full of boxes. When he’d presented Robby with the idea of preserving the hotel as a historic site, Robby hadn’t been very enthusiastic about it but had agreed to support his efforts. Since he lived out of state, that mostly meant he’d granted Andrew access to any and all records he could find inside the hotel. Since Andrew spent most of his time at the library, he’d brought as much of it to work with him as he could and went through it when things were quiet, which was most of the time. Plenty of people had signed his petition, which was the first step, but now he had to prove to the Washington State Historic Preservation Committee that the hotel had historical significance, and the proof was in these boxes.

Andrew sighed at the sight. There were guest ledgers dating back over a hundred years, newspaper clippings, photographs, and files and files of tax, licensing, employment, and maintenance records. He’d only been sorting through it for a couple of weeks, and there was still so much to do. He was overwhelmed, to say the least.

He sat down at his desk and picked up the photograph he’d found the day before in a file folder of receipts. It had the slightly blurred look that was so common with those old disposable cameras, and ink from one of the receipts had stained the corner of it, but the three smiling faces were still clear. In it, Arthur Gregson, owner of the Cypress Hotel for almost forty years, stood behind the front desk, leaning forward with his hand extended as if he was gesturing to the person taking the photo. His wife, Carol, was in front of the desk with her arms around a dark-haired young woman in a T-shirt and jeans: Andrew’s mother.

It wasn’t the kind of thing the state would be interested in, but to Andrew there was nothing of more historical significance. It was a photo of the three people who meant the most to him, three people who deserved to have their legacy protected.

Robby Gregson was prepared to sell the Cypress to the highest bidder, which could mean a developer, ready to bulldoze the whole place. Andrew couldn’t let that happen. He winced, remembering the disappointed look in Sadie’s eyes as she assessed him. It didn’t matter that she was just as irritating as he remembered. If she was interested in preserving the hotel, he had to convince her to help him. After their interaction that morning, he knew it wouldn’t be easy, but somehow he would make it right. He would beg if that was what it took. To save the hotel, he was willing to do whatever he had to.

Chapter Three

Sadie sat at her computer, punishing the keys as she typed out an email to Archer. Why did it have to be Andrew? Of all the people in the world, how could it be that the one person she needed help from was the last person she ever wanted to see again. It didn’t matter. She’d find another way to contact Robby. Her mom was practically a Briar Cove encyclopedia. She knew someone who knew someone; she always did.

She sent off the email, and when her phone rang a moment later, she jumped up to answer it. Archer didn’t usually respond that quickly.

But it wasn’t Archer.

“I’m not speaking to you,” she answered flatly.

“Ha!” Her sister’s laugh burst through the phone. “You stopped by the library, I take it?”

Sadie hummed angrily. “You know, I expect this kind of thing from Dad, but you? Honestly, it hurts.”

“Oh, come on, Sadie. It was funny.”

“I didn’t think so. Why didn’t anyone tell me Andrew was back in town?”

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t realize you would care.”

“I don’t care,” Sadie snapped. “I just . . . I would have appreciated some warning.”

Julie was still laughing. “Fine, next time one of your high school rivals moves home, I’ll be sure to tell you right away. Anyway, I’m bored,” she whined. “What are you up to?”

“Well, it’s the middle of the day, so I’m working. What are you up to?”

“Nothing. I thought I could come by. Keep you company.” Before Sadie could protest, Julie added, “Quiet, undisruptive company.”

Sadie shook her head and smiled. “Fine.”

“Yay!”

Sadie winced at the loud outburst in her ear. “I have a lot to do, though,” she warned, “so I’m going to be boring.”

Julie wasn’t listening. “I’ll see you soon!” she cried before hanging up.

Sadie brought her laptop and paperwork down to the living room, settling into her seat just as the front door opened. She was relieved to see that her sister had brought her sketch pad. Maybe she would be quiet company.

“I’m so glad you were here,” Julie said, sitting on the couch and crossing her legs beneath her. “I figured you would be in Port Angeles already.”

“I’m meeting with the manager there tomorrow, but I have a lot of paperwork to get in order before then, so I’ll let you get to your drawing.” Sadie turned back to her emails, hoping her sister would take the hint.

Julie watched her for a moment before leaning forward and asking with a coy smile, “He’s looking pretty good, isn’t he?”