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“They need them, and I’m being a lot nicer than I want.”
He’s basically chomping a whole store of bits right there. Lawson’s a good guy, and I like teasing him about being pussy-whipped, but the truth is he’s beyond happy and Dakota’s a great girl. I know he wants to be nastier than he’s being.
“Anyway,” he says, “since we all showed them that door and you made it beyond clear they’ve no way to snatch her inheritance from her.”
I shrug, a little smug inside. “The law’s the law and that will’s ironclad.”
Doesn’t stop me poking at it, just to make sure.
“Thing is, it’s been quiet until this morning. She got a letter from Alpine.”
“Interesting . . .” I eye the unopened email on the screen.
He leans forward. “Sounds like you know something.”
“I don’t know jack, Lawson.” Blowing out a breath, I look at the screen and click it open. “Just that I got this here email.”
There’s nothing much there, just someone will be coming to visit the area, the CEO. “What did Dakota’s letter say?”
He gives me a dark look. “An offer of more money than they think she’s heard of, but I know it’s not what that land is worth,or worth to her. And about how someone will be coming by at some time.”
“Email doesn’t mention anything about money,” I say. “But the same about the visit.”
“They’re vampires,” he mutters. “They wanna fuck up the area and get the land my woman’s resort is on.”
I raise a brow. “Dakota’s a Downs. They’re a stubborn bunch.” Or were, she’s the last of the true Downs. It’s in her blood, thick and viscous. “And they’d have to pry it from her cold, dead fingers.”
“That’s what worries me. You think I should arrest them immediately, or wait until they take a step?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Don’t go coming up with false allegations, Burns. Your fiancée won’t like it and anyone from the company isn’t about to be a dumbass or the same breed of greedy moron like her family. They’re going to play it by the book. Just as long as there’s no threats or anything else, it’s going to be an inconvenience until they get it and nothing more.”
“If you say so.” He stands and nabs his hat from the other corner of my desk. “For the record, she’s not my fiancée yet. Well, not officially, that is.”
“Yeah, right, forgot, sorry about that,” I say and nod. “Holiday Cabins Resort is going to be fine.”
He grunts and heads to the door. The man’s in love so he’s turned into some kind of protective mama bear with a sore foot and evil disposition to those who even think about her young.
Lawson stops. “You coming for drinks later?”
“Sure.” But my mind’s already back on the email. “See you there.”
After he leaves, I stare at it, something about it is bugging me but I don’t know what.
It’s polite and it’s smart to let me know after the trouble Dakota’s greedy not-Downs side of the family caused. Andthere’s zero in it other than the implicit message they won’t be letting this go until they get the land.
Same-old. These companies don’t give a shit about the land and the ecosystem. They don’t care about the people, either. Just making more money.
There’s no mention of who this CEO is and who might be coming.
But I intend to find out.
Norhill Brews is already packed when I finally arrive. The town’s too small to have a hospital, but hey, bars and the like? You bet. This is our haunt, and after the day I’ve had, I’m looking forward to it.
Mack Burns, Lawson’s twin—who looks just like him, yet is worlds apart in some indefinable way, maybe because I know them both so well—is shooting the breeze with some chick he’s been knocking boots with. Nothing serious, that’s all Lawson nowadays, but scanning the room like he’s after something, a sure sign that little arrangement will soon be coming to an end.
I don’t tend to fuck around too much in town. Been there, done that, and for me there are slim pickings in who I’d want to go another round with. But I’m out of town enough that it isn’t a problem.
Philip, the fire chief, is playing pool and downing beers with Forrest, who’s so aptly named for his job, it’s hysterical—he’s the park ranger.
