Page 22 of Saving it with My Best Friend's Brother

My free hand clenched into a fist. “Send me everything.”

“Already did. But Hunter?” Derek’s voice turned serious—the same tone he’d used to warn me about hostile takeovers years ago. “Be careful. These people play dirty. The last resort owner who tried to fight them had a mysterious accident on the ski slopes.”

The implications turned my blood cold. Through the window, I watched Amelia laugh at something a guest said, unaware of the danger circling her beloved resort. Her genuine warmth with guests was exactly what Crystal Ridge would destroy.

“Thanks, Derek. I’ll handle it from here.”

After hanging up, I stood at my window, mind racing. The town meeting was this afternoon, a perfect opportunity for Wheeler to stir up more trouble. But it could also be our chance to expose him if we played it right.

A knock at my door made me turn. Amelia stood there, looking professional and put-together, though I noticed the slightshadows under her eyes. Had she slept at all after our encounter in the lounge?

“Ready for the town meeting?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral.

“Almost.” I gestured to the papers on my desk, hoping they covered the damning evidence about Wheeler. “Just reviewing some numbers.”

She stepped into my office, and suddenly the room felt too small. The memory of last night surged between us—the firelight, her soft confession of exhaustion, the way she’d swayed toward me just before my phone rang...

“About last night,” she started.

“Amelia—”

“No, let me finish.” She squared her shoulders, every inch the capable businesswoman, though her fingers fidgeted with her bracelet—a tell I was learning meant she was nervous. “What almost happened... it can’t happen again. We need to focus on saving Pine Haven.”

The words felt rehearsed like she’d practiced them. But I caught the slight tremor in her voice and saw how her eyes couldn’t quite meet mine. She was protecting herself, just like she protected everyone at Pine Haven.

“Is that what you want?” I asked gently, moving closer. “Or what you think you should want?”

Her breath hitched. “Hunter...”

Another knock saved her from answering. Sophie appeared, looking apologetic. “Sorry to interrupt, but the mayor’s office called. They want to move the town meeting up by an hour.”

“We’ll be there,” Amelia said quickly, backing toward the door. “I should go prepare...”

I watched her leave, frustration warring with the need to protect her. I should tell her about Wheeler and thegenuine threat to Pine Haven. But Derek’s warning echoed:“A mysterious accident on the ski slopes.”

No. Better to handle this myself than put her at risk.

***

When we arrived, we found the town hall already packed. I spotted Wheeler near the front, looking smug in an expensive suit that probably cost more than his annual salary. Beside him sat Alexis Smith, the travel blogger whose hit piece had started this mess. They looked like predators waiting to strike.

Amelia tensed beside me as she noticed them. Without thinking, I placed my hand on the small of her back, guiding her to our seats. She didn’t pull away. That small trust sent a wave of emotion coursing through me, making it hard to steady my breath.

“Don’t let them rattle you,” I murmured close to her ear. “We’ve got this.”

She glanced up at me, trust warring with something else in her green eyes. “Do we?”

Before I could answer, the mayor called the meeting to order. What followed was a carefully orchestrated attack on Pine Haven’s reputation. Wheeler led the charge, citing ‘community concerns’ about the resort’s decline. Alexis Smith spoke about her “disappointing experience.” Other speakers—likely plants—questioned the property values and tourist revenue.

Amelia sat straight-backed and proud through it all, though I felt her trembling slightly under my hand, still resting on her back. Each attack hit her like a physical blow, but she never flinched.

When it was her turn to speak, she rose with quiet dignity. Her presentation was perfect. She acknowledged concerns whileoutlining improvement plans and emphasized Pine Haven’s community roots while promising innovation.

I barely heard her words, too focused on Wheeler’s expression as he typed something on his phone. A moment later, my phone buzzed.

The text was from an unknown number:Back off, Miller. This isn’t your fight. Remember what happened to your father’s company?

Ice flooded my veins. Only a handful of people knew the truth about my father’s death and the company’s collapse.

---