Page 16 of His Cowboy Heart

“I’m looking for your summary of the Salishan community,” Kyle said, walking by my desk. “We’ve got a few hold outs who don’t see the value in the work we do. Any insider information on what makes people tick would be helpful. We need to build a relationship if you know what I mean.”

“You got it,” I said, thinking Kyle’s version of relationship included tricking little old women into selling below market value. I did not want to participate in this project but I also wanted to help Shea’s family if I could. Maybe there was a way to get involved and not break my promise to Abigail.

“End of day tomorrow then?” Kyle said, pointing two fingers at me as he backed away.

“You got it.”

I closed my eyes and breathed for a moment. What was my next move here? Miguel’s desk stood empty beside me. I wanted to talk to him, but instead, I stood in our open office feeling guilty.

If I did some digging into the Salishan project that wasn’t breaking my promise was it? In fact, this felt like the best compromise. I could do recon and make sure that Shea’s family was in a solid position to turn down the offer or at least negotiate. If they were doing fine, I would feel relieved and it might even help me let go, and if they weren’t?

The question stumped me.

I’d cross that bridge later.

I opened up my laptop and clicked on the team file share quickly locating the Salishan directories.

Vision. Marketing. Strategy. Operations. I scanned through the files clicking through the marketing materials quickly. There was a brochure in progress showing an affluent couple drinking wine on a patio overlooking a lake. It looked nothing like Lake Salishan. I wondered if the ad firm had even bothered to do a site visit before putting together these materials.

There was nothing useful in the directory called “Vision” outside of a working list of slogans.

“Salishan, your home away from home.”

“Salishan a European escape right next door.”

They were garbage.

I hit the payload in “Operations.”

There were maps and financial data on a number of the properties in the area. I needed to work through these numbers in more detail if I was going to understand where we were with the project and how it might impact the O’Toole orchards.

I printed up a series of maps on the plotter and took a seat in one of the conference rooms laying the map out on the table.

Ardent Ventures had already purchased about 75 percent of the targeted properties along the lake. They had done a remarkable job with keeping the acquisitions hush-hush until there was real momentum for the resort and vineyards. Most of the purchases were on the other side of the lake across from Aunt Mayra’s empty house.

This was the working side of Salishan where the houses were more affordable and people might be a little more desperate to sell.

There were about four major purchases that were still incomplete; three of the purchases had already entered the negotiation phase and smack dab in the middle of the development sat the O’Toole acreage.

I wondered whether Shea was still living in town. Had she gotten married? It was possible she had a ring on her finger just like Abigail’s. And did it matter anyway?

I wasn’t still in love with her was I? She was the true love that got away. So she broke my heart. Life had moved on for us both. It was normal for me to wonder about her family’s land as a friend. There was no harm in learning more about what was going on, was there?

I drew a big circle around the O’Toole property lines and put a question mark right in the middle.

“You are spot on,” Kyle said, walking up behind me. “Good eye Van Rossum. That property is at the heart of our problem. We are doing some risk assessment work on it right now.”

“So they aren’t playing ball?” I said, not at all surprised to hear that William O’Toole wanted no part of the type of change we were offering.

“No, they are not,” Kyle sighed. “You know this property?”

I tried not to jump and instead took a breath hoping to reveal nothing.

“I’m familiar with it.”

“Great. we need all the help we can get here.” Kyle took a seat beside me rubbing his hands together. “Forget about the summary Van Rossum. I need you right here,” he said, pointing to the map. “Boots on the ground.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible; I’m getting married.”

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