Brad’s Jeep was sitting on the lot at the furthest point from the road when Hattie pulled off the highway. She rolled slowly across the acreage and stopped beside it.
He was sitting on his front bumper. “Hey, Tigger. We meet again at the top.”
“Very funny.” She was in no mood for levity, but couldn’t help smiling. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find you up here.”
“Nope. I come up here when I want to think clearly.”
She glanced at the foliage, already turning brighter since Monday. “I can see why. The colors are more gorgeous than ever.”
“What brings you up here today, Hattie?”
“Sheila said you’d gone off somewhere and I had a hunch this is where you’d be. I need to ask you something about this file.” She held the folder out so he could see it.
“What’s that?”
“This was in Dad‘s bottom drawer. It looks like he’d already planned everything for rebuilding the store up here.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Her eyes locked on his. “Down to the last detail. He was ready to go forward with it.”
She got out of the car and stood, facing him squarely. “Did you know anything about this?”
“I didn’t know he had a file.”
“But you knew he fully intended to rebuild, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I knew that.” Brad tried to smile. He’d known this moment was inevitable but regretted it was here already. He should have leveled with her, but it had been so much fun watching her fume. Now he was in for it.
“For crying out loud, Brad! Why didn’t you tell me instead of giving me that stupid song and dance about deserting downtown? Why?”
“Easy, girl. Now, just stay cool.”
She glared at him, hands on hips and eyes flashing. She knew he loved it when she was angry, but even more when her anger wasn’t directed at him. Well, this time it was and she wasn’t holding back.
“I don’t know, Henrietta. Maybe it was because I get so tongue-tied every time I try to talk to you.”
“I’d appreciate it right now if you’d untie your tongue long enough to tell me what else you know concerning Dad’s plans.”
“Actually I don’t know that much.”
He looked down at the file and the single Project word on it. He remembered. Oh yeah, he remembered all right.
“That’s it!”
“That was what?”
“What he meant.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The last word he tried to say when they chased me out of his hospital room. He said, ‘Tell Hattie,’ then tried to say one more word but started choking and couldn’t finish.”
“You were there when Dad—when he...”
“Yes. He’d been trying to talk to me.”
She gazed into his guarded eyes, finally grasping the full meaning of what he was telling her. “You and Dad really were very close, weren’t you?”
“Very close.” Something changed in his eyes at that moment, his expression suddenly clear. “Harry was something of a father-figure to me during the past few years. The only real father I ev...” He choked off what he’d been about to say.
Hattie didn’t want to hear this. Harry was the only real father she had, too, but she had stayed away, for years. She’d let him down, big-time. “Your father left you guys when you were a baby, didn’t he?”
“Yes. John Trimble apparently couldn’t face the prospect of a baby taking attention away from him. At least, that’s what Mom always said.
“So, my dad took you under his wing.” She paused to think. “Then he must have told you what he was doing.”
“Most of it, I guess. But he didn’t tell me anything about the timing.”
“Maybe this will help.” She handed him the folder. “I found it in his office. It certainly clears things up.”
Relieved that she seemed to have gotten over her mad, he opened the folder and glanced through the contents. His eyes widened. “Clears things up, I guess. Hattie, this changes everything.”
“Not quite.”
“Why not?”
“If I’d known about this, we’d already have the work under way. Wilson would have to find another place to build.”
“Maybe it’s not too late.”
“I’m afraid it is. Gerald came to me this afternoon and told me there’s a rumor floating around town already that I’m going to sell out. Someone’s trying to light a fire under me.”
“I’ll bet I know who that someone is. Our esteemed mayor, Chuck ‘the rat’ Manley. He’s the kind who’d stoop to that.”
“I’m sure you’re right. But what can I do about it?”
“You have to decide right now what it is you really, really, want. Then you have to go after it with everything you’ve got. I mean everything. No holding back this time.”
Is he talking about the store? Or my wanting him? Will I ever be able to trust him again? “That’s why I came up here. I know I have to make a decision now. Finding Dad’s plans makes me want to go ahead and build the new store. He’d worked out the details, down to the last penny.”
, “Now that we know Wilson is going to come in around here, I’m not sure it would be a wise thing to do,” Brad felt compelled to caution her.
“You may be right.”
“But you don’t have to tell those guys your feelings. If they think you might build on your own and face them down, they’ll probably go out of their way to buy you out.”
“Do you think so?”
“It’s worth finding out, isn’t it?”
“But what will happen to my employees if they do? I told Gerald I wouldn’t let them down or sell them out without taking care of them.”
“Good girl. And we’ll make sure you keep your promise.”
“We?”
“Yes. That is, if you don’t mind letting me help you.”
“Like you were going to help Dad?”
“Exactly. Well, not exactly. You know what I mean.”
His attention was captured by the afternoon sun playing on her auburn curls, setting them afire. Copper sparks glinted when she smiled. For crying out loud, she’s so beautiful I want to grab her and hug the breath right out of her!
“Brad Trimble, you’re a true work of art. You just about had me convinced you were in cahoots with the mayor and those guys. And now you say you want to help me. So you really think the best thing would be to forget about the old store?”
“That’s what Harry decided. He said it wasn’t worth the cost to refurbish an old building in a decaying obsolete downtown that would never rise from the ashes of its past.”
“Why didn’t you just say that when I first asked you?”
“I know I should have.”
“Yes, you should. So, why did you hesitate?”
“I knew what your dad wanted. I had no idea how dedicated you would be to the kind of project Harry had in mind. This isn’t something for the faint of heart."
“You think you know me well enough now? You’re not worried about how faint my heart might be?” She waited for his answer, a twinkle in her eye and a warm glow in her chest.
“I know a whole lot more about you now than I did three days ago, Hattie. More than I ever did when we were kids.”
“And we’re certainly not kids any more, are we?”
“Not by a long shot.” He took in the mature woman in front of him. It was more than just her beauty. He really liked the person she’d become.
“Too long, maybe?”
“I don’t know about that.”
The conversation was at a point that made him uncomfortable. There would be a time he could pursue their relationship. But, for now, as much as he wanted to share his feelings, he desperately needed to change the subject.
“I do know something that’s been waiting too long. Mom admires you too, you know, but she’s seen nothing of you since you’ve been back. Could you come see her? She’d really like that.”
“Amelia,” she whispered, smiling placidly as her thoughts turned to the petite older woman she'd once hoped would be her second mother. “How is your mom?”
“Not too well, I’m afraid. She won’t talk about it and I can’t get her to go to the doctor, but I think her heart is giving her trouble.”
“Has she been sick?”
“Not sick, exactly. She just gets really tired sometimes and says her chest hurts.”
“My mom was like that. She just kept going until the day her heart stopped. She ran out of gas.”
“Mom’s that way, too. Will you come and see her?”
“Sure. I’d love to. She’s always been one of my favorite people.”
“That’s great. Seeing you will make her really happy. Maybe we can all go to church again. Like we used to.”
“Like we used to,” she whispered. “Maybe.”
She hadn’t missed his hint of their being together again. An electric thrill ran through her. Just as she fantasized a very pleasant what-if, the icy reality of his next words shattered her reverie.
“We need to talk about what we’re going to do about Manley and those rumors, Hattie.”
“Well, you’re the editor of the paper. Can’t you write an editorial or something?”
“I can. I already wrote one, but you were right about that. It sounded good, but didn’t have any real meat to it. It’s already out, though.”
“There’s always next week.”
“Right. But what about your Friday decision?”
“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ve told Goodnow I might be able to have a decision for him next Friday. We have another week.”
“Maybe and maybe not. Somehow, I don’t think they’re the kind who’ll sit still and be put off. They’re up to something and they won’t wait long before acting.”
“Do you think I shouldn’t wait until next week?”
“Well, you have them thinking you’re not ready to act. It would be good to keep them off-balance. What do you think?”
“I could ask them to give me a specific proposal.”
“Right. You can’t make a decision if you don’t know what figure they have in mind. Then what?”
“I turn them down, of course. No matter what they offer.”
“Good strategy. Make them up the ante. Then you keep it up. Keep demanding more until they stand firm.”
“I think that’s the only way I’ll ever know just how much they truly are prepared to pay for my land.”
“I agree. Well, if I can help in any way, you know I’m backing you. Don’t you?”
“Yes. I do—now.” She gave him a warm smile. “That means a lot to me.”
“About Mom? Could you come to dinner tomorrow evening?”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
“Great. Well, I’d better get back to the office. Sheila will probably be gone already.”
“Brad, do you ever take Sheila home to see your mother?”
“No. Why?”
“I just wondered.”
He leaned down, kissed her on the cheek, then climbed into his Jeep and drove off with an enigmatic smile on his face.
* * *
She watched him drive slowly back onto the highway. The thought of seeing Amelia again after all these years was exciting. And a little unnerving, but it was good to know he didn’t take Sheila to see his mom.
Hattie looked at her watch. Five-thirty. Time for dinner. Her appetite was back for the first time all week. A slow drive past the Townhouse revealed the limousine in the parking lot. Good.
With any luck, she’d find Goodnow stuffing his superior face in the dining room. She could go in and make the first of her newly determined series of demands and then enjoy a nice meal.
Sure enough, Goodnow was seated at the center table with his underlings. From the looks of it, Manley wasn’t with them. That was good, too. She marched deliberately to the opposite side of the table from Goodnow and smiled at him.
“Evening, Mr. Goodnow. Gentlemen,” she acknowledged the others. “I’ve been thinking about our situation and I need to know exactly what you’re prepared to offer me.”
Goodnow smiled broadly and rose to his feet. “That’s very good news, Miss McCall. Would you care to join us?”
“No. Thanks, anyway. I only want to set an appointment for this Friday morning if that is suitable.”
“Oh, yes. Very suitable. What time would be convenient?”
“Shall we say nine o’clock?”
“Nine it is. Excellent. Should we meet in my suite?”
Hattie batted her eyes rapidly and pulled back a step. “I think not. That would hardly be proper for a lady.”
“Oh! Of course not. Please forgive me, Miss McCall. I’m so used to dealing with men, I didn’t think.”
“No problem, Mr. Goodnow. I’m sure you are. But, after all, I am a lady and this is a small town. A very small town. Rumors spread at the drop of a hat. I do hope you gentlemen understand.”
She watched their faces, but could see no hint they knew what was being rumored down the hill. That probably meant Manley was freelancing again. She shouldn’t have been surprised.
“We do, indeed. Forgive me, Miss McCall. Where should we meet, then?”
“I see no reason why we can’t meet right here in the dining room. This room is actually quite open, but we should be able to communicate with some degree of confidentiality.”
He smiled, his demeanor restored. “Excellent. Then I’ll look forward to seeing you on Friday morning at nine. And thank you, Miss McCall, for being so reasonable.”
She gave the man an enigmatic smile. “You may not think me reasonable after we enter negotiations, Mr. Goodnow.” His eyes wavered a split second before he nodded.
Again, she acknowledged the others. “Mr. Prince. Mr. Durgeon. Please forgive me for interrupting your dinner.”
Both men rose awkwardly to their feet as she sauntered away. Hattie found a table for one in the side room and sat where she could see the men through one of the decorative mirrors on the wall. They were talking excitedly among themselves. Good.
She ordered her meal, as relaxed as she’d been in ages. This would be a very good time to enjoy her food. Lording it over these self-aggrandizing buffoons was becoming a rather pleasant pastime.