Page 3 of Keeping it Local

But as soon as it began, it ended.

“Hey man, we gotta go.” His buddy came up and patted him on the back. “Sorry to cut this short, but Greg needs us.”

“Shit. Are you serious?” He held me close as they seemed to have a whole conversation with their eyes.

Then my dance partner leaned down, whispering in my ear, “Sorry beautiful, looks like we won’t be able to make the most of it. Enjoy your time in Port St. Clair…” He paused, waiting for my name.

“Beth,” I said with a weary smile.

“I’m Johnny.” He winked at me, squeezing my waist. “Now don’t have too much fun while you’re here.”

The guys took off without another word and left me standing there still feeling the nerves of before, but now also incredibly turned on. Meanwhile, Megan was in another booth across the bar, making out with one of the bachelor party guys. She had missed the whole thing.

Chapter 2

Johnny

Trudging through the deep grass, I finally made it to the clearing, my golden retriever, Oberon, leading the way in front of me. He was in heaven. The sun was just coming up over the pine trees, bouncing off the windows of the worn-down cabins. The old resort had been empty for the last twenty years or so, and it showed. There were twelve small cabins, each identical in their structure—brown shingles, old wooden exteriors, single-pane windows, and matching stoops. They all lined up along the northern side of the property. Opposite, there was a large building that might have once been a community hall or game room. All the landscaping—which at one time had been immaculate and undoubtedly cost a lot of money—was overgrown with weeds in it. On the eastern end, there was a small beach, and scattered throughout were broken picnic tables, fire pits, and hammocks falling apart.

Perfect.

My phone rang. I looked down and saw my brother Ryan’s face on my screen, holding his little girl, both of them in matching elf costumes from last Christmas. The photo always made me chuckle. I answered, and after a few pleasantries, he asked how it was going with the rentals.

“We’ve got most of June rented out. July and August are a bit sporadic with bookings, but it’ll pick up now that we’re past Memorial Day,” I said.

“Hopefully it’s a good year for you. Seemed like last year you got some good traction. I know you can just ride that wave. I can feel it.” I heard the smile in his voice.

A few years ago, I’d sold off all my single-family homes and headed to Port St. Clair for a fresh start. At the time, I thought it’d be a straightforward change, but really, I had no idea. Long-term rentals in a populated city like Detroit and short-term rentals in a beach town were not at all the same thing. I had been struggling the last few years to hit my stride. It was much more challenging to get renters than I’d thought it would be. I had to learn all the new rental websites, figure out marketing, and spread the word. But by the end of last summer, we were pretty consistent with bookings. I felt like this could be the year things really turned around.

“Yeah, I’m feeling it too. I think I found a place that could be a big turning point for me though. I’m actually there now,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Oberon splashing in the water.

“Oh, what’s the place?”

“It’s an old abandoned resort. Hasn’t been touched in decades.” I looked around, spotting the shutters hanging off one of the cabins and winced. “An agent friend told me the owner might be interested in selling, so it’s possibly good timing. This could really move the needle.”

“That’s awesome. What kind of resort?”

“Nothing too special other than it’s on the water, but it’s north enough out of town that it’s a bit quieter here. And since it needs so much work, I’m hoping to get a decent deal on it. I’ll send you a few photos.”

“That’s really great,” he said.

There was some dead air, and I wasn’t sure if I’d lost him with the reception, but he jumped back in after a few seconds.

“So, the reason I’m calling is that Felicia wants to bring Kinsley up to see you this summer, and maybe we could rent out one of your places,” he said. “Would you have room for us?”

He seemed unsure about asking. Probably because I’ve been more protective of my new life since moving. Even though we talked almost weekly and I saw him at out-of-town family events, I had yet to invite him up to check out Port St. Clair since I’d put down roots. It’d been a tougher last three years than expected, and having some distance between my new life and my old life had been helpful. Even though I was close with Ryan, it would feel real once I had him come up—almost merging the two worlds. I loved him and his family, but seeing him still brought back old memories that I hadn’t confronted yet. It was easier for me to drive down there, and he knew that.

I’d been trying to let some of the old angst go after Anne left me three years ago, but things were still hard. Everything felt different now. Since I moved here, he’d gotten married, had a new baby, and seemed to be moving into his new phase of life. I was trying to be happy for him, even though a small part of me felt left behind. I couldn’t think about the past though. I wanted—no, I needed to focus on the future and making something of myself, and one way to do that was share with Ryan what I was building here.

“Absolutely,” I said finally. “I know you guys haven’t had the chance to come check everything out since Kinsley was born. I’ll find you a spot, on the house.”

“We’re absolutely paying,” he argued, more lighthearted now that I was agreeing to host him. “We’re not coming in during your busiest time to get a free ride.”

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Got it. I’ll look at the books and put you down. I’ll figure out some cool touristy things for us to do too.”

As I ended the call, I felt nerves in the pit of my stomach but ignored the feeling and carried on with the rest of my work.

It was already a busy morning. I loved what I did, but in owning the rental houses, I was the housekeeper, maintenance man, and landlord all rolled into one. I slammed my truck door behind me as I made my way toward the Seagull Café to grab a coffee before heading out on my rounds to turn over the rentals. My buddy Lane had bought the restaurant from his parents a few years ago.