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Minutes later, Alexis eased the SUV into the town square, which had one-way traffic circling the park. Naturally, all of the parking spaces were taken in front of the bakery. She sighed and looped around again. She’d pulled into a nearby parking spot when the train whistle blew. She glanced at the clock. Ten a.m. Perfect. She was right on time.
She got out of the SUV and glanced around at the empty storefronts. The windows were dusty, and the for-sale signs were sun-bleached. But beneath it all, she could easily imagine that once upon a time this town had been a hubbub of activity. And it would be again if she had anything to say about it.
As she grew closer to the bakery, the aroma of fresh dough and sugary goodness filled the air. Then again, agreeing to meet here for coffee might not have been one of her better decisions, but Piper did make some of the best coffee she’d ever tasted.
Alexis opened the glass door and noticed Piper busy at the counter, helping some customers. They waved to each other before Alexis glanced around for Mr. Santos. She’d never met the man before, so this would be a little tricky. There was a cowboy at one table, leafing through the Whistle Stop Telegraph, a weekly paper. Today must be its publishing day, as she’d found a copy outside her motel door that morning. She looked forward to glancing through it when she returned to her room.
The next table had a man in a pressed blue dress shirt with a bolo tie. Clean-shaven and with every dark strand of hair in place, he looked ready to do business. His gaze caught hers, and he smiled as he got to his feet. “Ms. Greer?”
“Yes.” She moved to his table and shook the tall man’s hand. “Thanks so much for meeting me.”
“No problem. Please call me Ray.”
“And call me Alexis.” They both sat down. She lowered her voice. “I really appreciate you squeezing me into your busy schedule. This project is extremely important.”
Piper approached their table. “Would either of you care for some coffee?”
They were both agreeable to coffee and a couple of blueberry muffins fresh from the oven. This place was impossible to enter without sampling something delectable. It was a good thing Alexis intended to keep up with her running.
Ray leaned back. “I was pleased to get your call. I’m looking forward to working with you. I have some ideas to run past you.”
Alexis smiled. She liked a man who didn’t beat around the bush. She had the feeling they’d work well together. “I like what I’ve seen so far of the Southwest.”
“Is this your first time out West?”
“Yes. But it won’t be my last.” Turning the conversation back to business, she said, “When we move ahead with the construction, I’d like to disturb as little of the landscape as possible.”
The Realtor ran his hand over his chin. “I like your attitude. Not enough people worry about preserving the natural landscape.”
Piper dropped off their order and quietly slipped away.
Alexis stirred sweetener into her coffee. “I want this resort to look like a genuine part of the Southwest, including its surroundings.”
Mr. Santos nodded. “I’ve identified a few properties on the market with ready access to a highway and enough acreage to accommodate a resort.”
“Sounds good. Tell me more.”
Ray withdrew a map from his briefcase. “These properties I’m about to show you don’t have a ghost town, but that doesn’t mean you can’t erect a replica.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That won’t work. We want a place rich in history and structures that have withstood the test of time.”
“I hear you, but these properties I’m pointing out are a great steal. It might be worth sacrificing the genuine ghost town—”
“The ghost town is non-negotiable.” She had no interest in anything fake. HSG’s investors would never go for it. “We plan to use the authenticity and history of the town as the main thrust of our PR campaign.”
“If I may be so bold as to ask, what’s the problem with the Haggerty property?” Mr. Santos crossed his arms.
“Nothing as far as the land itself and the location, but the owner is hesitant to sell.”
Mr. Santos nodded. “Then let me show you what I’ve uncovered since our phone conversation. Ghost towns in New Mexico are quite limited, so I took the liberty of expanding my search to include Arizona.”
They spent the better part of the next hour enjoying two more coffees while pouring over maps of both states. By the end of their meeting, Alexis felt reassured that she’d chosen the right man for the job. This project would go through somehow.
???
Cord strode into the house, slamming the door behind him. There was no way he was going to conduct business with a land developer—no matter how good she looked—coming…and going.
He halted his line of thought. He couldn’t believe he’d let himself become attracted to another woman whose only interest in him was how much his land was worth. A sour taste filled his mouth. Hadn’t Susan already taught him that lesson the hard way?
