Page 50 of No Good Deed

Troy laughed. “You don’t have aliens living in the back of the property, Stan. Marcus checked it out last week. It’s probably someone exploring those old cabins or some trash picking up reflections.”

This time it was Stan who did the eye roll, making Piper laugh. She was getting an insight into how Troy would be in a few decades. It was a good look.

CHAPTER 18

Too Good To Be True

A few days later, Piper set up her laptop in the saloon. The building was old and needed renovation, but they’d cleaned the bathrooms and the main room. It was a good size for her to present her ideas to the whole town and get their input.

She loved the old-time look of the building. The top of the bar was crafted from a single piece of wood. An old-fashioned brass rail ran along the bottom, where she imagined pioneers once rested their boots. Behind the bar, glass shelves covered a mirrored wall that was only cracked along one edge. The main room held at least a dozen tables. Stairs to the right led up to a small balcony overlooking the space with doors leading to rooms off the back.

She could easily imagine an old western movie being filmed in the space. She could also see it working as a modern-day restaurant. The details like the scrollwork on the window frames gave it character. She hoped Troy’s plans for it included using the bar and kitchen. A restaurant would be a huge benefit to Phail.

Piper’s stomach bounced with nerves. Presentations made her anxious. She hoped this one would be easier once she got started. She knew almost all of these people and liked them. A lot.

She was in love with one of them.

Piper hadn’t eaten any breakfast in case the nerves got the better of her. Troy had promised her it would be fine, and that he would be right there with her. He’d been so concerned when she wouldn’t eat he wanted to cancel the event or do it himself. She’d convinced him this was normal, and that she would be fine once she got going. The beginning was the most difficult. Once she became caught up in the excitement of the developing plan, it would be fine. At least, it always had been before.

They’d set up a portable screen near the bar and arranged chairs in the rest of the space so everyone could see it. Ginny had set up a small table to the side with coffee and tea selections, along with her incredible cinnamon buns. At least no one would waste the treats by throwing them at her.

Not that she actually thought anyone would throw anything. Her nerves were simply getting the best of her. This presentation mattered a lot. She set up the slideshow on the laptop and made sure her clicker worked. Then Troy stopped beside her chair and leaned down to kiss her hair. “Everything working okay? You ready?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes. Maybe.”

He laughed and tugged her to stand, then pulled her in for a hug. “These people like you. They’re excited to see what ideas you have. I’ll be right here with you. It’s going to be like a giant brainstorming session. We’ve got this.”

He took her hand, and they moved to the front of the room. He’d set up a couple of the bar stools to the side of the screen and he helped her sit on the first, then took the second.

Everyone understood the cue, and moved to fill the seats. When Piper blew out a nervous breath and nodded, Troy grinned, and turned to the crowd. “Thanks for coming, everyone. As you know, I invited Piper to Phail to see if she could help us figure out cheap ways to build the town. She’s come up with some great ideas for us, and I’m hoping we can count on you for some brainstorming to help refine it all.”

He turned to her and she smiled at the group. “Thanks for coming. I have to say, when I first saw the town’s name was Phail, I thought it was a joke.”

Everyone chuckled, and a few of the Midnight Lake crew called out. “Me too.”

The laughter had her starting to relax. “As we all know, it’s not a joke, but the town does an amazing job seeing the humor in the name and playing off that. That’s something that should definitely continue. Unless, of course, you’d agree to change the name.”

More laughter, and Troy nudged her with his shoulder. “No way, Piper. That’s off the table.”

“So, seeing as we’re stuck with it, we play it up.” She clicked her remote so that her laptop shared its screen with the big screen. The town website she’d designed popped up. The blue and green tartan with the crest dominated the screen.

She’d tweaked the Welcome to Phail banner to read Welcome to Phail, where we succeed.

Several people murmured in the crowd. The positive noises and smiles helped her relax further. “A town website is a pretty cheap venture, and it’s a good place to showcase all the great things about the town.”

She clicked on the tab showcasing the food options, highlighting the diner, Phail Phoods, and the B&B. Then, the housing option which currently held the B&B.

Jim laughed. “We’re the best choice in town, Carl. Our girl’s made us look good.”

Piper grinned. “You didn’t need any help for that. Your B&B is perfect.”

She moved to the next tab, which showcased the local artisans. Nimii and her paintings, Josie Ellis’s sculptures and paintings, and Aisling Gallagher’s hand-crafted furniture. An idea had been niggling at her, and she hadn’t even voiced it with Troy, but she found it blurting out of her mouth. “I was wondering about opening a small shop in one of the empty storefronts. Showcasing the incredible artisan work. There could be information packages about the town and local businesses. A true Visitor’s Center. It wouldn’t be open all the time, but if we can create a tourist atmosphere here, it would be a great asset.”

“And what’s going to bring in the tourists? Why would they come here?”

Piper didn’t know the man who spoke up, but his tone was curious and not hostile. “Good question. I have a few ideas, some more expensive than others. Let’s start with the cheaper ones first.”

She clicked on the Phail Fun tab on the website. “I hear you already have a county fair in the summer. An easy tweak is to change the name to Phail Fair. I’d also ask the artisans who come to open booths at the fair if they’d like to be on the website and showcase their work in the local storefront.”

---