Page 56 of Pity Parade

Heath finally joins the conversation. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t?” I ask, doing my best to act surprised.

“Not with you dating Daniel.”

“Who’s Daniel?” Prim’s posture relaxes slightly.

“He’s my ex,” I tell her. “He’s spending a week in Elk Lake. He won some kind of contest.”

“Yes,” Heath says. “Trina is hosting a contest to bring eligible men to Elk Lake. Daniel was the first winner.”

Prim looks thoroughly confused. “Why are you doing that?”

“I’m a matchmaker,” I tell her. “You might know me from the television show Midwestern Matchmaker?”

Her expression shifts from confusion to enlightenment. “Right! You did your last season here in Elk Lake.”

“I did.”

“Are you auditioning singles for your next season?” she wants to know.

“No,” I tell her. “I’m working on a secret project that I’m not at liberty to discuss yet.” I glance at Heath who looks nothing short of amused.

Prim’s eyebrows furrow in obvious confusion. “So, you’re not dating Heath?”

Heath interjects, “I would love nothing more than to date Trina, but I’m afraid she and I are currently looking for different things in a relationship.”

Primrose stares at me like I’m off my rocker for wanting something different than Heath. “What in the world are you looking for? I mean, hello …” She motions toward him like he’s the biggest catch in the world.

With my eyes on Heath, I reply, “I’m looking for someone who wants to get married someday and have a family with me.”

Her head swings comically in Heath’s direction. “And you don’t want that?”

“I don’t,” he says firmly.

Prim looks at him with new eyes—informed eyes. “What are you looking for?”

“Someone to spend time with without a commitment,” he tells her.

“Good luck with that,” she says. “That kind of thing might be common in Chicago, but I assure you most Wisconsin women have their eye on something better.” Sing it, Primrose! I’m liking her more by the minute.

“Yes, well …” Heath sounds uncomfortable. “I’m not here to pursue a social life. I’m more interested in hearing what you think I should do with my new land.”

Prim jolts back to the reason for the meeting. “What kind of involvement are you looking for? I mean, are you going to be in town after your property is developed or are you simply looking for an investment?”

“Does that make a difference?” Heath wants to know.

“It might,” Prim says. “I mean, if you’re into it for an investment alone, I’d suggest partnering with an existing zip-lining company. Not only could they maintain the runs, but they could oversee that whole side of operations.”

“And if I’m going to be around?”

“Then you could be more hands on and keep more of the profit for yourself.”

Tim interjects, “Do you think the land could be used for other things?”

Prim pulls a laptop out of her purse and puts it on the table. Opening it, she says, “I’ve put together a small PowerPoint to show you.” She clicks a file and opens it. The first picture is of a couple zip-lining. “With the size of your property, you’re definitely going to want to have a lot of outdoor activities.”

She clicks the next button and a picture of a group of cross-country skiers pops up. “If you add winter sports like skiing and snowmobiling, you’ll become a winter destination as well as a summer one. You can even offer horse-drawn sleigh rides through the snow.”

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