The Inn at Eagle Point by Sherryl Woods Page B

Mick had tried to
build Chesapeake Shores responsibly, but even with all of his best efforts, he
hadn't been able to meet his brother's high standards. And neither of them had
been much good at compromise, though eventually they'd hammered out a plan they
could both live with.

He'd left more open spaces than he'd initially planned, steered well away from
the wetlands and tried not to remove any trees that didn't absolutely have to
go. He'd landscaped with plants from a very specific list his brother had
compiled for him. If Tom had had his way, not a single tree would have been
felled and the dilapidated general store once owned by some O'Brien ancestor or
another would have become the centerpiece of downtown. Mick had agreed to
renovate the family's original farmhouse and to save an old structure that had
doubled as a school and church, but that's where he'd drawn the line.

He was still thinking of the lively shouting matches they'd had over all that
when he rounded the final curve in the road and saw the inn for the first time
since Jess had bought it. He was taken aback by how good it looked. She'd
brought back its inviting facade, almost as if she remembered how welcoming it
had originally looked when he and Jeff had first built it. But Jess had only
been a baby back then. How had she remembered it so clearly? The Pattersons
certainly hadn't kept it looking like that in years. The yard was shaded by
ancient oaks, and there were even a few weeping willows far enough from the
house that they wouldn't mess with the water pipes. The inn had gotten its name
from a lone eagle that his brother had spotted during construction. Since then,
there were more in the region, including a pair that took up residence in the
highest branches overlooking the bay and the inn.

"Dad!"

He heard the surprise in Jess's voice, then spotted her sitting on the porch
with a glass of iced tea, her bare feet propped up on the railing. "Hey,
Jess," he greeted her, trying to keep his tone casual. "I was out for
a walk after lunch and found myself heading in this direction."

"Why?" she asked, radiating suspicion.

"I just wanted to see what you've done with the place," he admitted,
sitting down next to her. He glanced sideways, saw the tension in her shoulders
and inquired, "Any more of that tea?"

She hesitated, looking as if she weren't all that happy about the prospect of
spending time with him. Then she stood, ingrained hospitality winning out over
her reservations. "Sure. I'll be right back with some."

Mick sighed after she'd gone. She wasn't going to make this easy for him, he
concluded. Then, again, why should she? Ma was right about one thing. He'd
always criticized her. Early on, he'd excused it, thinking he'd been as tough
on all his kids. But then, when they'd found out that Jess had a relatively
mild case of ADD, he hadn't been able to stop himself from continuing with the
same pattern, as if he'd thought she could change her behavior if she wanted to
badly enough, even without the medication that doctors thought she probably
didn't need. Mick sighed, wondering if they shouldn't have revisited that.
Maybe she had needed it.

Because he'd recognized that his attitude wasn't helping, he'd always assumed
she was probably happier when he was away, but maybe that hadn't been true.
Maybe she'd felt abandoned, just as his mother had suggested. He vowed to try a
different approach.

When Jess returned with his glass of tea, he lifted it in a toast.
"Congratulations, Jess! You've done a fine job here. It hasn't looked this
good since the day Jeff and I sold it to the Pattersons."

"They really did let it fall apart," she said. "But thanks to
you, it had good bones. Most of what I've had to do is cosmetic."

"I'd like to see what you've done inside, if you have time to show me
around."

She looked surprised by that. "Really?"

"Why not? I'm here. Unless you don't have time."

"No, come on," she said, though she seemed to be struggling to
balance