“Not joking. I’m having dinner with him Friday night.” Tori kept her voice low. No reason everyone and their sister needed to hear this conversation.
Allaire demanded, “Why ask for trouble?”
“Because I kind of like him. He can be really charming when he’s not terrified something’s happened to his son.”
“He’s a shark. He’s trying to take over the resort.”
“It’s just a rumor. You said so yourself.”
“Watch. Wait. You’ll see it’s more that a rumor.”
“Doesn’t matter. I like him and I’m going out with him—and will you stop? It’s only a date. Not a lifetime commitment.”
Allaire pursed her lips in an expression of serious distaste. “You like him a lot. I can see it in your eyes.”
“In my eyes? Oh, please.”
Allaire leaned even closer. “Yep. Right there.” She aimed her index and middle fingers directly at Tori and sighted down them. “I can see it. You’ve got a thing for Mr. Bigshot McFarlane.”
Tori waved a hand. “Stop worrying. I’ll have a nice dinner and some good conversation. That’s all, nothing more.”
Allaire made a scoffing sound, but had to quell the rest of the lecture because Haley Anderson came in. In her mid-twenties, Haley went to college part-time and worked at the Hitching Post down the street, a local bar and also a town landmark. She spotted them and Tori waved her over.
“Good news.” Haley was beaming. As a rule, she wasn’t the beaming type. She’d had a rough time of it, raising her two younger siblings after their parents died. But today, her smile lit up the whole restaurant.
Allaire guessed, “You found a place.”
Haley beamed wider. “The price is right and it’s just down the street.”
Tori thought she knew where. “That vacant storefront down the block from the Hitching Post? “
“That’s the one. I met with the property manager, made an offer that’s a little lower than what they’re asking.”
“And?”
“The owner’s not in town. The property manager will consult with him and I should get my answer in the next few weeks.” Haley hugged herself. “I can just feel it, you know? This is it.”
Haley Anderson had a dream. Her dream was called ROOTS. It was to be a sort of Outward Bound/Big Brother organization to help troubled teens. Getting the storefront would mean she had a home base from which to launch the program.
She asked Allaire, “Did you talk with the principal?” She meant at the high school.
Allaire nodded. “He said to bring him a proposal when you’re all set up. He really can’t do much until then. You should definitely be able to put up flyers around the school, though. I mean, once you’re up and running and can show what you’re offering.”
“Of course. I understand.” Haley gave a nervous laugh. “I guess I’m kind of getting ahead of myself.”
Tori reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s good to think ahead. And it’s a fine project, an important one.”
“We’ll help all we can,” Allaire promised.
Haley went on beaming. “I knew I could count on you two.”
The little bell over the door chimed again. It was Melanie Chilton. Ignoring Tori’s warning look, Allaire waved her over.
“Join us.” Allaire gave Connor’s sister a big, sweet smile.
“Only for a minute.” Melanie slid in next to Tori. “I’ve got to get back to the Hopping H.” The waitress appeared. They all ordered, with Melanie asking for hers to go. When the waitress left, Melanie asked Allaire, “So how was the weekend reunion?”
“The mini reunion,” Allaire corrected. “Just the local Traubs and Corey and Dillon. It went great. Both of DJ’s cousins say they’ll be back in town soon.”
“Tell DJ we loved the barbecue. We had a wonderful time.”
“So I heard,” said Allaire, sending a meaningful look Tori’s way.
Melanie glanced at Tori and then back at Allaire. “Okay. What am I not picking up on here?”
Allaire gave an airy wave of her hand. “Oh, nothing.”
Tori glared at her, mostly in fun. “You are impossible.”
Now Allaire was grinning. “So I’ve been told.”
“What’s going on?” Haley demanded. Tori realized it was kind of silly to try to keep the date with Connor to herself. Everyone in town would know anyway, after she showed up at the resort with him on Friday night. “Connor asked me out to dinner. I said yes. It’s not a big deal, but Allaire is trying to make it one.”
Melanie blinked. And then she grinned. “I thought there was something going on with you two.”
Tori frowned. Everyone seemed to know something she didn’t. “You did?”
Haley asked Melanie, “Connor. That’s your brother, right?”
Melanie nodded and told Haley what Tori and Allaire already knew. “He’s in town for the summer.” And then she lowered her voice so only their table could hear. “He’s always been … difficult to get along with, at least, for me. He and my father looked down on me. No matter how hard I worked, I was never good enough, never man enough, to be an equal partner in McFarlane House Hotels. But Connor’s been surprising me lately. He’s different, since his divorce, since he and our father had to sell a couple of failing locations, including the new Atlanta hotel, just to stay afloat.”
“You’re saying you believe Connor’s changed?” asked Allaire, sounding annoyingly doubtful.
“I do,” said Melanie. “Or at least, he’s not nearly as overbearing as he used to be. Now and then, in the past few days, I even get the feeling he’s actually listening to me. And to Russ.” And then she chuckled wryly. “My father, though. Donovan McFarlane is a man who’ll never change.”
“Thunder Canyon, Montana,” Donovan McFarlane growled in disgust. “It’s a black hole, Connor, and you know it.”
Connor reminded himself to breathe slowly and evenly. He ordered his fingers to hold the phone more loosely. “I can get a good deal on the resort. But I need a little time to work on Caleb Douglas, to show him how the best decision for him is to sell.”
“McFarlane House does not need a resort in some tiny Montana town. I’ve seen the numbers on that location. They’re not good, trending down.”
“Everything’s trending down lately.” Even McFarlane House, Connor thought. “Once we’re in charge, we’ll start making the necessary changes to get the resort in the black again. We’ll cut back, at first, focus on the strongest services, get rid of any staff that isn’t ready to—”
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I don’t like it. First your sister, and now you. Throwing over your life work, your heritage.”
“Dad. I’m not throwing anything over.”
As usual, Donovan wasn’t listening “—your sister with her ridiculous dude ranch, you with your sudden burning need to buy that failing resort.”
“The Hopping H is doing very well, thanks, Dad. And we agreed that the resort could work for us.”
“I