Page 6 of Holding Ground

“Last week. Forgot to mention it. Just found the sticky note with the details.” He holds up a pink Post-it Note that’s crumpled and has a coffee stain on it.

“When are they going to arrive, and how long are they staying again?”

He glances at the note and picks his glasses up off the counter, sliding them onto his face. “They’re gonna be here today around seven p.m. and for the three months, like I texted you.”

“Seven?” I glance at my watch. It’s already coming up on five thirty. “All right. I’ll work as fast as I can over at the shop and swing back here to get Baylor. See ya.”

Though I’m happy for the rental income, I wish my uncle wouldn’t have such a lackadaisical way of handling the bookings. I guess with this guest, I won’t have to worry about it for three months.

I send Baylor in to see her granddad, then I climb into my uncle’s work truck. Battered, spotted with rust and chipped paint, I wouldn’t dare suggest he replace it. His love for his truck might be more than my siblings and I all put together.

When I pull up to the Crow & Clover, every spot out front is taken. A sleek black Mercedes with Massachusetts plates sits at the curb—conspicuous, since no one in Echo Lake drives a Mercedes or carries out-of-state plates.

But it doesn’t take a genius to know who does. The fucking investor.

CHAPTER

THREE

Emelia

Glancing at the map on my Mercedes’s screen, I have about twenty minutes before I arrive in Echo Lake. It’s only about a four-hour drive from Boston, but I’m getting restless after being stuck in my car for so long. I’m used to being on the go, not sitting still.

The audiobook I was listening to just finished, so I call my cousin Trey. He left a message a few days ago that I haven’t returned.

“Hey Siri, call Trey Greene.”

My Bluetooth makes a tonal noise, then a woman’s voice sounds through the speakers. “Calling Trey Greene.”

The phone rings twice before he picks up.

“Oh, so you aren’t avoiding me.”

I chuckle. “Why would I be avoiding you?”

“Wasn’t sure, but it’s been three days.”

I cringe, keeping my eyes on the road. “I know, I’m sorry. I was finishing up a deal that took all my time and attention. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just hadn’t heard from you in a while, so I wanted to check in. I figured you were probably knee-deep in zoning applications or council meetings, but I’ll be honest, I was secretly hoping you were having some torrid love affair you were keeping from the family.”

I laugh. Not because a torrid love affair doesn’t sound amazing, but because Trey thinks I’d actually have time for one. “No love affair. Maybe in a couple of years.”

Now is my time to prove myself.

“All work and no play makes you boring, Emelia.”

“I’ve been in this job less than a year.”

“You have to make time for yourself. You’re only young once. Live by Great-Grandma Ethel’s rules.”

I huff and turn on my blinker to change lanes. “I will, and there will be time, but right now, I have to focus on securing the best deals and moving up in the company. Make a name for myself. I want this one to stick.”

He makes a yawning noise. “Always the go-getter.”

“You’re one to talk. Last I checked, you weren’t setting the dating world on fire.”

“I’m in Sunrise Bay. Options are limited.”