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Alexis hesitated. Mrs. Sanchez was friendly, but she was also very astute. Alexis didn’t want to give away her plans before she was ready. But she wasn’t about to outright lie—that wasn’t her style.
“Actually, I am considering it. From what I’ve seen so far, the Southwest is beautiful.”
Mrs. Sanchez beamed as though Alexis had directly complimented her. “It really does have its charms. And we’d love to have you as a resident of Whistle Stop. I’ll have to introduce you to the girls in town. Let’s see, there’s Ana, the girl who owns the Green Chile Cantina. She’s about your age.” Mrs. Sanchez placed a red-painted fingernail against her chin as she got lost in thought.
“Thanks. But you don’t have to bother.” Alexis didn’t want the whole town to get the wrong impression.
“Why in the world not?” The woman gave her the strangest look. “If you’re shy, don’t worry. Everyone will make you feel welcome—”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that—well, nothing is definite.”
“Oh. I understand. I won’t say a word until the deal is official. The holdup, it’s Cord, isn’t it? Is he being disagreeable?”
Now she was the one who was confused. “What?”
Mrs. Sanchez frowned. “He’s the reason you haven’t bought the land.”
What exactly did this woman know? Something told Alexis that it was more than she was letting on. She was certain that Cord wouldn’t have said anything to her, but that didn’t mean Cord’s Realtor hadn’t let something slip after she’d run her idea for the resort past him to get an idea if the town would support her plan. Mr. Forbes definitely thought that would be the case. She sure hoped he was right.
“Cord and I are talking, but nothing is definite.”
Mrs. Sanchez leaned back on the stool that sat behind the counter. Her eyes glittered as though she were about to burst if she didn’t share a secret. “I have it from a very good source that he isn’t the easiest man to deal with. It’s been said that he’s unreasonable and has a temper with a short fuse.”
“Cord? Really?” Alexis felt compelled to come to the man’s defense. Just because he didn’t want to sell his land to a developer didn’t mean he was a bad man. “That’s surprising. I’ve found him to be quite the opposite.”
“Really?” Mrs. Sanchez leaned forward on the counter as though they were about to share a confidence, even though they were the only two in the office. “He’s not mean or rude?”
“He’s been a perfect gentleman to me. In fact, he’s been quite friendly.” She thought of the way he’d taken the time to show her his horse and to get her something to drink. “Whoever told you that about Cord was wrong.”
“Perhaps.” Mrs. Sanchez’s forehead wrinkled as though she carefully considered Alexis’s words. “Perhaps. So you like him?”
Something told Alexis no matter what she said now, this conversation would be around town in no time. But if she could help Cord, why not do it? It wasn’t like she’d be here much longer.
“I think he’s a very nice man who enjoys his privacy.”
“Interesting.” Looking into the woman’s eyes, Alexis could practically see the wheels of her mind spinning. “Very interesting.”
“It can be easy to misjudge a person. Maybe people should give him another chance.”
Mrs. Sanchez’s penciled brows rose. “You two must be hitting it off. Hopefully, he won’t hold out on selling you the land. Seems as though this might just be the perfect match.”
Alexis wasn’t sure how to take her last comment. But the little voice in her head told her to just let it go. This conversation had the potential to go in the completely wrong direction. And the last thing she needed was Mrs. Sanchez playing matchmaker. After all, Alexis might find Cord amazingly attractive, but they were business adversaries. Anything beyond business negotiations was off-limits.
Anxious to wrap up this conversation, Alexis said, “I just stopped by to let you know that I spoke with the airline, and they should be dropping off my suitcase later today.”
“Thank goodness they found it. I’ll make sure and put it in your room when it arrives. Can I do anything else for you?”
She smiled, liking Mrs. Sanchez. The woman was the curious sort, but she had a good heart. “Actually, there is one other thing. Do you know where I can find the mayor?”
“Why certainly, dear. In fact, why don’t I take you to see Mayor Ortiz?”
Alexis hadn’t planned to talk to him just yet. She’d intended to make Haggerty her first stop of the day. She was eager to see her very first genuine ghost town. And now that she’d bought the right clothing and necessary supplies with the help of Sam at the Hitchin’ Post, she was ready to go.
“Thanks, but I know you have work to do here.” Though Alexis didn’t have a clue what that work might consist of since she appeared to be the motel’s only guest. “If you can just point me in the right direction, I’ll find my way.”
“Nonsense. I could use a mid-morning coffee.”
Alexis couldn’t think of a tactful way to tell the woman that she didn’t want her overhearing her conversation with the mayor. And since the woman hadn’t volunteered the mayor’s location, Alexis didn’t have much choice but to smile and follow her. As Mrs. Sanchez rounded the counter, Alexis took in her black dress with big fuchsia flowers. The woman was nothing if not flamboyant. She flipped a sign on the door so that it read: Be Back Soon.
