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“Sure they can. They’ll get them at a few generic bed and breakfasts around the world, but they wouldn’t find the dining room stacked with treats from the local bakeries and coffee shops. They wouldn’t find the custom teas that Ellie sells at the Raven’s Nest. They wouldn’t find fresh flowers in every room from our local florist. They wouldn’t find the lake only a short walk away, the nature trails that run all through these woods. They wouldn’t find the heart that Lockwood has, anywhere else.”
They—all three—sat back, smiles brightening their faces. It was like I had just said the magic words to them. I knew I had them hook, line, and sinker.
I meant everything I said. This place was special, and I wanted it to become something amazing.
“If you could step out and let us have just a moment,” Callie said.
“Of course,” I promised, standing up, closing my portfolio, and heading outside the room. The moment the door closed behind me, I took several breaths, filling my lungs with fresh air like I hadn’t had a breath the entire time.
Instead of waiting by the door, I rushed down the hall toward the lobby and gestured for my guys to come with me.
“Will you guys come in now? They’re behind closed doors considering my deal. I’m waiting for an answer.”
“Of course,” Felix said. “Do you think it went well?”
“From that smile, I know she does,” Easton said. The way he looked at me was almost unnerving now, there was a softness to it like he saw right through me, right into my very soul.
It filled me with warmth and a little bit of weariness, like I was just waiting for him to go back to his old ways.
The doors were opening again before the others could chime in, and Callie was stepping out to greet me.
“Oh,” she said as her eyes took our group in. “You brought the whole pack. Perfect, come on in.”
We all filed inside, and I took my seat. The guys just fanned out around me, not bothering to sit as they waited for the Historical Society to speak.
“You gave a very compelling argument, my dear,” Charlie said. Now that, that part of it was over, they all seemed to soften a bit around the edges. Their eyes were no longer shrewd and calculating but warm.
“We think this is exactly what Lockwood could use, and we want to help make it happen.”
“Really?” I asked. It might have been unprofessional, but the blinding smile on my face and the small, excited squeal that escaped had everyone in the room cracking up.
“Really,” Callie said, shaking her head. “You have no idea. This is the kind of thing that we thrive on. So, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to talk to my contacts at the city council, and we’re going to find a way to get that road reinstated. That’s going to be our first step, because you can’t get deliveries out there until that happens. And I happen to be on the funding board and know for a fact that we can get you an insanely low price for that place, along with quite a few grants to help it grow.”
They kept going, talking about all the ways they’d be able to assist us as the words tried to sink into my broken mind. I was stunned. I’d never expected an outcome like this. They were so willing to help and make my dream happen.
When they finished I had to take a breath and remind myself that I deserved this. We all did.
“That sounds amazing, and I can’t thank you enough for offering all this help. I’ll talk to my lawyer right away.”
“Leave us your lawyer’s contact information in case he has questions, I’ll send him over an email and let him know who we are and what our plan is,” Lewis offered.
“That would be really great,” I said, shuffling in my purse for the business card I kept there and handing it over. I didn’t need his number. It was already saved in my phone. They could have it.
I barely remembered saying our goodbyes and giving our thanks again before my pack was ushering me outside.
We stood in the parking lot, and I blinked up at them.
“Did that really just happen?”
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Tori
When things went so well with the society, I should have known that it couldn’t last. The moment I walked onto our floor at the apartment building, I felt my stomach sink. The splinters of wood on the ground told me that this wasn’t going to be pretty.
“My door.” The words were quiet but Easton, Jordan, and Theo were already moving. Warren and Felix pulled me back towards them, sandwiching me between them to keep me safe. Easton popped his head out a few moments later and pointed at them.
