Page 12 of Billionaire's Coastal Haven

Archer glares at him and takes a long sip of his beer.

Collin and Archer have been my friends since we were babies. Our moms were best friends, so naturally we spent our toddling years together. Then when our middle school merged with Pine Ridge, we would hang out at Eclipsed Moon Café for hot chocolate after school. This tourist town is almost as much of a home to me as Rainwater Bay. Pine Ridge would benefit from a resort like the one Lucky wants Mr. Prince to build in Rainwater Bay. Their tourism would give bored billionaires something to do with themselves besides counting their cash.

Rainwater Bay doesn’t have anything to entertain them. We prefer it that way. How will the renovations Lucky is pushing for change the character of our town?

I’m worried we’ll find out too late.

“You’re here because of the old estate?” Collin dusts the end of his cue stick and surveys the table for his next shot.

“Archer missed the impromptu town council meeting yesterday.” There’s no delicate way to approach what I came here to ask for, but I hate being blunt. It’s rude and unkind.

These guys are my friends.

They shouldn’t feel used, like I don’t have time for them unless I need their help.

But I’m on a deadline. An invisible deadline, since I have no idea what Landon has planned or when he’ll start construction. This entire endeavor may be for nothing if he’s bringing in outside contractors and legal teams to complete the job.

But it doesn’t hurt to try, does it?

I comb my fingers through my hair. “I need your help. A billionaire named Landon Prince bought the estate.”

Archer pauses mid-shot. “And?”

“And I need you to be the team he hires to do the construction and make sure he doesn’t destroy the house. Any of the property. We need to make sure he repairs everything according to the Historical Preservation Society’s guidelines. The council wants him to incorporate the house into a resort to grow Rainwater Bay’s economy.”

“What makes you think he’ll hire us?” Collin asks.

“Your name is on the front gate. You have a vested interest in the project going well. And your resumés speak for themselves. Besides, he’s a narcissistic jerk who won’t talk to me, so having you guys there will make everything go a lot smoother when I tell him I’m his babysitter for the foreseeable future.” I tell them about the town council’s ultimatum: make sure Landon Prince does everything they want him to or kiss my eventual mayorship goodbye.

They share a heavy glance. “Not that we don’t want to help, but that doesn’t sound like a situation we want to participate in.”

“You’ll be rebuilding your legacy.”

Archer chuckles. “Grandpa ruined our legacy a long time ago.”

“You remember listening to your grandma’s stories about the Reeves family. The house. The Siren’s Call and the mystery around how she sank? The Reeves name used to be important around here. Things haven’t been great lately, but if you guys help revive the estate, maybe the animosity will die. The town won’t blame you for what your grandfather did. They’ll remember how you helped fix everything.”

Archer nods to Collin. “She makes a good point. It would be nice to see the house the way it was when great-grandad built it. Do you still have your mom’s research?”

“All of it,” I say.

Mom collected every blueprint, structural drawing, and piece of art related to the Reeves estate when she worked with the Webbers to renovate the house. It’s tucked away in Dad’s basement, waiting for the right person to bring the house back to life.

If nothing else, Collin and Archer’s participation will make it easier to convince Dad that the town council’s plan is a good one.

Collin rubs his hand around the back of his neck. “I’m not sure I have room in my schedule for such a big project.”

I grip his sleeve. “If you don’t do it, who will? No one around here can match your team’s quality work.”

Collin narrows his eyes. “Now you’re just sucking up.” He sinks the eight ball and curses.

“I am.” I bat my eyelashes and pour as much sappy sentimentality as I can into my expression. “You’re the best, and the estate needs your expertise. Can I count on you? Is it working?”

Collin chuckles low in his throat. “I’ll reach out to Mr. Prince and get back to you. My guess is he already has his own people lined up.” He moves around the table, grabbing the balls from the pockets to rerack them.

I snag Archer’s cue stick. “I have a better idea.”

Landon