Jessica’s mouth dropped, displaying her obvious surprise, and for once, Whitney ignored her phone chiming constantly with new messages on the table as she lifted her sunglasses over her head and stared at Sarah. “For real? You want to run a B&B?”

“Honestly, no. Not in the traditional sense anyway. I was thinking more of turning it into an event center for special occasion rental and corporate retreats…that sort of thing.” Sarah didn’t love the idea of different guests checking in and out at different times and having to keep the place fully occupational year round, but hosting events once or twice a month wouldn’t be so bad.

Whitney nodded. “That could work,” she said slowly. “The property is amazing, and the structure of the inn is unlike any others we have here. The main dining room could hold at least a hundred people—perfect for smaller weddings, corporate events, especially with the twelve guest rooms. The Seaview Inn only has half the space you have. Your backyard is big enough for outdoor events, and the kitchen could easily accommodate large dining requests.”

Her friend was already designing the event venue brochure in her mind, Sarah was sure.

“But do you think I could generate enough business? Is Blue Moon Bay a place people will want to host events and retreats?” Sarah said.

Whitney shuffled her chair closer. She pulled out her phone and opened her Outlook planner for city events. “Look. Four businesses this month will be hosting corporate retreats here—at Seaview Inn.” She scrolled. “Another three in October… Two in November… And then the Christmas season blows up. I won’t even show you the calendar because quite honestly, it gives me heart palpitations thinking about the work I have to do.”

“Things are starting to pick up around here,” Jessica said. “Young and Trendy magazine listed Blue Moon Bay as a dream destination for hipsters because of the surf conditions and laid-back environment.”

Whitney pointed to herself. “That was me. I did that. A half-day photoshoot with some local wave stars and a press release.” She dropped an imaginary mic.

Sarah laughed. “We’ve already established that you’re a rock star.” She turned to Jessica. “What do you think?”

Jessica beamed at her. “I love the idea,” she said, then paused. “But I want you to be happy in whatever you decide. What about your career?”

“I think I’m going to go out on my own. Finally start designing my own apps. I can do that from here, and the B&B business could keep me afloat financially.” Without her steady income in the city, her apartment would be far too expensive anyway.

This made sense. This gave her an opportunity to take a chance on herself.

“Really?” Whitney asked. “You truly want to stay?”

She really did. Sarah nodded. “Yeah, I truly want to stay.”