Page 46 of Fake-Off with Fate
Not at all, but I don’t say that. “To answer your question,” I tell her, “I’m planning to buy so I’m going to need you. Want me to come in and get you?”
“That would be great. If anyone asks what you’re doing here, tell them you have an appointment with the mayor.”
“Anyone other than Phillip giving you a hard time about your dad’s disappearance?”
“Not yet. I either tell people they just missed him, or I send them on a wild goose chase to the coffee room. So far, so good.”
I reach for my jacket and put it on. “Sneaky. I’ll see you soon.”
Peering out the front door, I look to see if I have any company. Sure enough, I spot the male bear standing to the left of the porch. It’s like he’s on constant sentry duty and that’s his assigned post. Well, shoot, I can’t leave now.
Going into the kitchen, I search the cabinets for something I can throw to divert him. I know Ashlyn said not to feed the bears, but food is the only thing I can think of that might buy me a few moments of safety to get to my car. I grab the first thing I see which is a box of granola.
Once I’m on the porch, I chuck the whole thing into the trees behind the bear. As soon as he turns, I run to my car and get in. Ireally need to find a house today. One that’s far enough removed from any wildlife that’s bigger than I am.
After parking on the street, I go into Town Hall and follow the signs to the mayor’s office. There’s no one in the waiting room, so I call out, “Ashlyn, are you there?”
“Coming!” I hear in the distance. Moments later, she walks out of the back room. “Hello, boyfriend,” she greets. She’s got the cutest little smirk on her face.
“How’s my girlfriend today?” I ask. Ashlyn looks positively stunning in her silky burgundy shirt and form-fitting slacks.
“Frazzled.” She puts a finger in front of her lips before adding, “I’ll tell you in the car.”
We pass a woman in the hallway as we head toward the elevator. To help Ashlyn keep up her ruse, I loudly announce, “That was so nice of the mayor to meet with me.”
Her mouth quirks into a faint smile. “My dad is nothing if not happy to talk to the citizens of Maple Falls.” Once we’re in the elevator and the doors close, she starts to laugh. “I almost missed my cue and asked you what you were talking about when you said you’d just met with my dad.”
Shrugging, I tell her, “Just doing my part.”
Once we’re in my car, I ask her, “So, what’s going on?”
“I talked to Jeremy Hunt this morning.”
“Alexander MacDonald’s lawyer, right?”
“Yeah. I asked if Mr. MacDonald might be willing to let Maple Falls buy the property back from him.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that out of a sense of familial devotion, Mr. MacDonald wants to connect to his ancestor’s land in some way.”
“So, that’s a no to selling it to Maple Falls?” I ask nervously. Now that I’m settled here, I really don’t want to have to move to another town before the season starts. And if I don’t move, that would mean a commute. I’m no longer sure I should bother looking at houses.
Ashlyn shakes her head. “He wouldn’t come right out and say either way.”
“So, all we can do is try to raise the money and hope for the best.”
“But without an assurance that it will be accepted.” She does not sound encouraged.
Trying to soothe her nerves, I tell her, “The guy didn’t even know he was related to one of your town’s founders until recently. How muchfamily devotioncould he possibly feel?” Instead of waiting for her to answer, I add, “I have a suspicion the almighty dollar is what he’s really after.”
She exhales loudly. “I don’t know. I looked the guy up on the internet and he’s already got mad stacks of cash. He certainly doesn’t need our money.”
“Don’t give up,” I tell her while I pull out on the street and follow the directions the realtor gave me to the first property. It's on a street called Maple Trail. As I search for the house number, I tell Ashlyn, “There are a lot of streets with the name Maple in them.”
She snorts before itemizing, “There’s Maple Farm Road, Maple Falls Road, Maple Harvest Lane, Maple Leaf Drive, and Maple Orchard Place …”
“It’s like the town’s whole identity is built around the maple tree.”
