Page 32 of The Magical Bed & Breakfast

He’d been reaching out as if to shake her hand on a deal. How presumptuous! Scowling, he dropped his arm to his side.

Immediately, Kate’s manners and training sought to alleviate the awkwardness. “Listen. I’m enjoying the process of the remodel. I have plans for the inn. I’m not interested in your offer. I prefer to finish what I start.”

He stood straighter, as if getting ready for the next volley in his attempt to acquire her inn. Clearly he wasn’t used to being told no, but bullies were like that.

Kate, however, refused to be bowled over by a tyrant. She had faced many and vanquished them. Usually with money, which was how it worked when she was employed by her father, smoothing paths for his rich clients. This man’s techniques were familiar. She had used them herself, minus the aggression. But for her, money was in short supply. And he knew it, which is why he thought he could buy her out. In that moment, she missed the power her father’s company funds had given her. Any problem could be solved with money. Well, most, anyway. This man understood that. He wielded his wealth like a weapon, like a chisel he could use to wear down a stone-faced opponent.

Not her, though, not today.

When he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off. “No.”

The ingratiating smile reappeared. “You don’t know what I was about to say.”

Kate shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Still no.”

Derrick Cross glowered and moved to the side. Kate brushed past him to enter her inn. She’d just unlocked her door when he said, “Your thirty days are running out. After that, I’ll move on to a different piece of property.”

Kate pivoted to watch as he spun on his heel in the direction of the For-A-Song Realty offices.

Kate really hoped Sally would send him on his way. He did seem determined to buy property in Hazard. Odd, really. I mean, she loved the charm of the community, but he didn’t seem the type to settle here. This property was ideal for an inn. It would be a crime to turn it into offices. Hazard needed this inn. It made Kate proud to know she would meet a need in the community she’d chosen to make her home.

*

Rory answered acall from his band’s lead singer, Kyler. “Hey, how’d the podcast go?”

“You didn’t listen?”

“Not yet.”

“I’m so insulted.”

“You should be. No doubt you were awful. It’s me the fans want.”

“Nah, I was amazing. And Marco wasn’t all stoic either. You’da been proud. He actually spoke up and joined in, but it was me who had them lapping up every hint about the new great songs being recorded.” Kyler paused, and his voice took on a warning note. “Youarewriting us some new songs, right? The fans want new stuff. I lied and told them we’re already recording them.”

Rory hated to admit he hadn’t even started on a new song. Usually, he couldn’t wait to get to it, but something held him back. He hadn’t gotten to the place where he felt creative. The summer months had been a drain, what with his stalker-fan problem. He needed time to recharge. Hazard might not be the best place for it, though. And being dumped at the inn, well, that brought back lousy memories of abandonment, the angst of being trapped, and just plain weirdness with the past foisting itself into his mind.

“Great. It’s going great,” he lied.

“It’d better be. We got some sucky press for a while there with your obsessed stalker.”

Rory rolled his shoulders to cut back on the tension creeping in. “That barely made the news.” Rory had made sure of it. He hadn’t told Nolan, but he’d spent his own funds, hired a reputation management company. Because one obsessive fan might give other obsessive fans ideas.

“You dodged your stalker, right? She didn’t trail you to Hazmat, or wherever you are.”

“That’s right, Hazmat, Rhode Island. Everybody here wears bunny suits. You’d love it.”

“Bunny suits? Like playgirl swimsuits. I thought it was up north.”

“It’s not even a dot on the map. No one, but no one, comes here. Not if they can help it. This place is on no one’s radar, believe me. Stalker bunny couldn’t find me if she tried. I’m invisible. No one here recognizes me.”

It wasn’t quite true. Ivy had recognized him right off and Whitney, soon to be mayor, had recognized him after about a minute and a half. “I’m growing a beard to be incognito.” Rory rubbed a hand over the new growth on his chin. Hopefully, some facial hair would be enough to make him unrecognizable. He didn’t need the Hazard Gazette picking up on his return visit.

“You all holed up at your granddad’s?”

Rory started to speak and stopped. Kyler must have heard his hesitation.

“You are staying with your grandfather, right, not living it up and giving the gossip rags more fodder?”

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