“Who had the report?”
“I’m not certain. Just warn Blake and Jenna not to sell the land off dirt cheap. I see their accounts at the bank, and I know the park is teetering on the verge of failure. They might be tempted to sell it off for a ridiculously low offer, but they need to hold steady. Someone is trying to ruin the park’s reputation so they can swoop in and grab it cheap.”
It made perfect sense. Ever since she’d gotten here, the rumors had spread about the park. None of them were true, and all along it had been an organized campaign. It wasn’t anything to do with a developer. “I’ll make sure Blake and Jenna know.”
“I don’t think the attacks on you are related to the rare earth thing. The park doesn’t belong to you, and you have no control over what happens there. I’m scared for you. Maybe it’s a vendetta by Adams. His reputation was ruined.”
Paradise hugged herself against the breeze. “I talked it over with Blake, and we think someone is afraid I might remember more of the night my parents were murdered.”
Abby bit her lip. “I don’t like this, Paradise. Maybe you should leave town for now.”
“I would never leave Blake and Jenna to face this alone. With so much at stake, whoever is behind the attacks must be very rich and powerful.”
Abby fiddled with the sunglasses in her hands. “That’s a fair statement.”
“Would your dad know more about it? I could talk with him. There isn’t much that goes on around here that he’s unaware of.”
“Dad’s had a lot on his plate lately. Getting him involved might not be the best thing. I’ve been worried he’s sick, like seriously ill.”
“I hate to hear that.”
Where had Abby learned all this? At the bank? It would make sense she didn’t want to reveal information she’d overheard there.
Chapter 20
Blake closed the book he’d been reading to the boys and tiptoed out of the bedroom. He paused to switch off the light, then closed the door behind him. He’d been on edge ever since Paradise got back and he’d heard her whispered comment about putting off the discussion until the boys were in bed. Her amber eyes were shadowed and her mouth drawn, so whatever she’d learned from Abby had been troubling.
He went down the hall and found both of the women in his life in the living room. Mom had lit a fire, and the warm glow and smoky scent made the home feel welcoming. They all loved this little shotgun cottage with its quirky hiding places and cramped rooms. It was home, and the thought of having to leave it hurt. Mom had given him the bad news that paying their employees would be a challenge this month. They might have to take out a loan.
He needed wisdom for what to do.
A cinnamon-scented candle flickered on the stand at the end of the sofa by Paradise. He settled beside her and took herhand. “I could tell you got troubling news from Abby today. Spill it.”
“Adams is part of some plot to pick up the park for a song.”
His gut clenched as he listened to what Abby had told her. “I wonder if PI Nicole Iverson was checking for rare earth and not gas or oil deposits all along. The smear campaign against the park started with Danielle Mason’s body found in the horse trailer the day you arrived here.”
“And it hasn’t stopped yet.” His mother ran her hand through her dark brown bob. Her blue eyes were shadowed and damp.
He’d been unable to stop events from shoving them into this tight spot. Seeing his mother so broken was almost more than he could bear. What could he do? How could he fix this?
“She said to hold firm and not sell.”
“I’m not sure how we can do that when we’re teetering on the edge here.” His mother’s voice wobbled.
Paradise laced her fingers with his. “At least we know about the rare earth. If you’re ever forced to sell, you could advertise that value to prospective buyers.”
Blake squeezed her hand gently. “It sounds like extracting the rare earth elements is a big challenge. We may not have many takers.”
“Someone is taking steps to keep it quiet, so I think there’s likely to be more interest than we realize.”
His mother rose and paced the floor. “I admit I was a tiny bit tempted when I heard how valuable the rare earth elements were, especially when I did the books late last night and realized how dire things are. But I don’t want to leave here. This is home for us. It would be more than the boys could handle to yank them away from here. We have to get on top of these rumors and innuendoscirculating about us.” She swiped tears from her eyes. “I just don’t know what to do.”
Everything Blake had worked for was disintegrating in his hands, and a sense of failure crushed his shoulders. “I’ll talk to Hez. Maybe we could sell just the rare earth rights to the unimproved land, and it would give us running capital.”
“It would have us landlocked though, with no room for expansion.” His mom sank back into her chair. “There aren’t any easy answers.”
A tear slipped down Paradise’s cheek, and she leaned her head against Blake’s shoulder. The enormity of what lay before them was an unexpected blow. Until today he’d been optimistic about the chances of turning things around. Now he wasn’t so sure. How would they meet payroll?
