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“You saidif. Does that mean there’s a way to stop it?”
“I’m not sure I feel comfortable answering that question.” Dan finished off his beer, and Maisie assumed the conversation was over, until he added, “You might want to remind Drew about that water contract she has with Whetstone Ranch.”
“What kind of contract?” Maisie asked, fearing the worst. Yet another thing to worry about was one too many drops in the bucket. “If a developer is planning to come in and take away our water, the Lazy C would be done for.”
“It would,” Dan agreed. “If the water belonged to Whetstone. As it happens, the water I’m referencing is on Drew’s land—yours and Drew’s, that is. I’ve been telling her and Andy for years that Bob had a sweetheart deal. They refused to change things, because that’s how the Campbells are with the folks in these parts. They might not be able to sell property for market value, but there’s nothing stopping them from getting market rate on water.” He cleared his throat in a deliberate manner and gave Maisie an unmistakable look that urged her to connect the last few dots on her own.
Maisie’s lips curled slyly. “Exactly how much is the market rate?”
“Like most things, as much as you can get.”
“Or maybemorethan you can get.” Maisie’s eyes widened as a possibility struck her. “That’s the solution, isn’t it?”
“How’s that?” Dan offered a less than convincing look of surprise, making it obvious this was where he’d been leading her all along.
“We have water the developer needs. They’re counting on a low price, but nothing says we have to sell it to them at all. We could ask such a high price they’d walk away from the deal before the sale went through.” Maisie mind was really humming now. “No one else would touch the land after that.”
A smile spread across Dan’s face as he processed Maisie’s suggestion. “A very interesting proposition. And very cutthroat.”
“What can I say? We city girls fight dirty.”
“I’ll bet.” Dan’s smiling eyes shifted away from Maisie. “Hi, Drew.”
“Hi, Dan.” There was an edge in Drew’s tone that could slice through granite.
Dan seemed to pick up on it the same as Maisie did, hopping to his feet. “I better check on my missus. Maisie, it was nice talking to you.”
“It was. I’ll follow up with you soon.”
When Dan was out of earshot, Drew asked, “Follow up on what?”
“It’s just business-related,” Maisie answered quickly. She knew how poorly Drew reacted to surprises lately, and she didn’t want to get into an argument before she had all the facts to share. “I have to say after seeing you out on the dance floor, I will never question your dance skills again. Did you break Todd’s heart?”
“I set him up with a girl his age.” Drew yawned.
Maisie rested a hand on Drew’s arm. “Looks like it might be time to put this cowgirl to bed.”
* * *
The house wasdark when they arrived, not a peep coming from inside as they opened the front door. It had been a fun and informative evening, but now that it was over, melancholy settled over Maisie.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Maisie said to Drew. She tried to stifle a yawn, failing miserably. “You certainly delivered on your promise of a proper date night. You’ve worn me out.”
“Did I?” Drew smiled, looking pleased with herself. “Have I earned a goodnight kiss?”
Maisie’s eyes swept the dark entryway of the house. “I suppose no one would see.”
“It does seem pretty quiet,” Drew agreed. “I think we’re in the clear.”
“You sure your dad isn’t waiting in the living room to make sure we behave?” Maisie teased.
“If this was Hannah we were talking about, he’d be in there with a shotgun,” Drew said. “And I’d be right next to him. But I don’t think we have to worry.”
“In that case…” Maisie stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around Drew’s neck, planting a sweet, chaste kiss on Drew’s lips. When she pulled away, there was a noticeable look of disappointment on Drew’s face. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m pretty sure you can do better than that.”
Maisie batted her lashes. “What makes you think so?”
