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Aidy Jones accidentally falls into Max Durrell’s arms in the lobby of the hotel she manages for her parents. She had a crush on him in high school, but he was popular and she was practically invisible. He mistakes Aidy for the head of housekeeping.
Max and his brothers Jock and Ronan intend to purchase The Grand Hotel. Max’s job is to assess the condition of the property without letting anyone know of his interest.
Rumors are already flying about a big hotel chain looking to open a site on the island but Aidy doesn’t believe the gossip. There is barely enough business to keep The Grand open, partly because the hotel is badly in need of renovations. The plumbing is ancient, mice run free in the halls and the roof leaks. Finding enough habitable rooms to host the annual Choral Convention has been a challenge.
Aidy is concerned about her growing attraction to Max and she doesn’t want her heart broken twice, so she joins an online dating service. She has specific criteria. She wants a man who will parent children with her but who won’t be appealing enough to fall in love with. Ideally, he would know something about roofing. But her dates are dismal failures.
Meanwhile, Max discovers Aidy is the daughter of the eccentric hotel owners. The ongoing purchase negotiations with her parents are in a delicate phase and he doesn’t want her to learn about them until the deal is done. So he pursues her romantically as a way to both distract her and keep tabs on her. It’s no hardship from his perspective. He finds her enticing. But he was jilted once and he refuses to consider a long term relationship.
To both Max and Aidy’s surprise, their casual friendship deepens. Max is deeply conflicted. The plan to purchase the hotel was based on the brothers’ desire to make a permanent mark on the island as a way to redress the wrongs they suffered in their youth. He hadn’t intended to hurt Aidy in the process. He decides to tell her the truth about his plans but is interrupted by fire alarms.
The fire damages the hotel, but when Aidy calls her parents to break the news to them, she learns her parents have sold the hotel to Sanderson Hospitality. In their typical fashion, they are thrilled with their own good fortune and oblivious to Aidy’s concerns. Their daughter is now homeless, jobless and without prospects.
Aidy feels both abandoned and betrayed by Max’s deception. She plans to leave the island but a fierce rainstorm forces her to take refuge in her childhood hiding place, a woodland cabin. Max finds her there, begs her forgiveness, and confesses his love for her. Frustrated, Aidy admits she tried her hardest to avoid falling for him to no avail.
The epilogue takes place several months later. Aidy and Max are married and living in the first structure of what will be her retreat center. Aidy is studying for her degree in hospitality management. Max and his brothers are rehabbing The Grand and intend to change its name to The Durrell. Aidy explains she has been involved in a construction project of her own and places Max’s hand on her belly. They agree they will love each other always and forever.
