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She laughs.“Is it that easy to tell?”
“I know everyone in Bearclaw Ridge, Hannah.You’re either visiting or new in town, but you aren’t a local.”
Sloane puts Hannah’s order of a burger and fries down on the bar.“Enjoy, you two.”
“Two?I’m not sharing my food.Sorry, Grizz,” Hannah says, but then she winks and pushes her plate toward me.
I pick up a fry and catch her gaze, which makes her blush.Despite her feisty demeanor, the warmth in her eyes resonates with something inside me.It’s like she’s pulling on heartstrings I didn’t even know I had.
“So, what are you?”I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“New in town or visiting?”
She dips three of her fries in a dollop of ketchup on her plate and munches on them before answering.“I’m visiting.”
“Someone in particular?”
For some fucked up reason, I feel a pang of jealousy course through my veins.It’s nothing short of ridiculous and probably nothing more than a reaction to my not having been with a woman in I can’t remember how many years.
“I met with Maddie earlier.”
I frown.“The realtor?Why?Are you planning on moving here?”
“Tempting as that sounds, I’m not.It’s for my boss.”
She offers me another fry and I gladly take it.I need some food in my stomach before this whiskey goes to my head.Or is it Hannah who’s making me feel lightheaded?
“Your boss wants to move to Bearclaw Ridge?”
She tosses her hair over her shoulder and laughs.“No, he lives in some big mansion in the Hollywood Hills.I work for Mountain Majesty Resorts.Ever heard of them?”
My stomach twists, and not in a good way.Those fuckers are notorious for ruining small towns and scaring the local wildlife away with their luxury resorts.“I know them.”
“Well, they’re looking at buying a plot of land here to build a luxury lodge,” she states casually, as if it’s not a big deal.
“Over my dead body,” I say, slamming my drink down on the bar.
Hannah arches an eyebrow.“Not a fan of lodges?”
“What I’m not a fan of are million-dollar companies thinking that money is more important than preserving the delicate balance of wildlife, fauna, and flora that thrives in places like this town.How many more places do they want to destroy before enough is enough?”
I realize my words are sharp, but they’re fueled by years of investing my time and energy into preserving Bearclaw Ridge’s untouched beauty and wildlife.I work at The Ridge Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for good reasons, and I won’t let a company like Hannah’s boss jeopardize the work we’ve been doing here.
Hannah nods as if she understands, but I can tell that my passion for preserving the local wildlife is nothing but a roadblock in her path.
“I get it, Grizz,” she starts, a diplomatic hint to her voice, “Preserving nature is important, but progress is inevitable.Mountain Majesty Resorts can bring prosperity to this town.Just think about the possibilities.Jobs, increased revenue for all local businesses—”
“Prosperity?It’s always the same with you businesspeople,” I interrupt, not giving a hoot about other people hearing our argument.Everyone in Bearclaw Ridge knows how passionate I am about this topic.“Money shouldn’t trump animals.Increasing revenue shouldn’t come at the expense of nature’s delicate balance.You do realize that when that balance is disrupted, it’s gone, right?Forever.”
“I do realize that,” she says, her voice softening.“But my boss will go ahead with his plans.If not here, somewhere else.If not with my help, then with someone else’s.He and his business partners want only one thing, and that’s—”
“Money,” I bite back as I shove my barstool backward.“There are better ways to earn a buck.Ways that don’t entail leaving behind a trail of destruction.”
“Grizz, come on.You’re shooting the messenger here.Can’t you see my side of things?”
I grit my teeth.“No.You’re part of the problem, Hannah.I’m sorry, but I can’t sit here and chat as if everything’s okay.I’m leaving.”
