Page 100 of Guilty as Sin
Lily took a breath, clearly working up her courage, and said, “I don’t want to sell my land to you, and I don’t want to exchange it. I don’t want a lodge on it, either. But I do want what’s best for the town. I thought of another option. You mainly want the land for trails, right? Because it’s the best terrain for what you want to do, and it connects the pieces?”
“Yes,” Hunter said. Not looking excited. Looking neutral. The man had a poker face second to none.
“I’d like to know,” Lily said, “whether you’d be interested in purchasing an easement from me for your trails only. I don’t mind cross-county skiers and hikers moving across my land, as long as it’s not too close to my house, and as long as you post it ‘No Hunting’ and are willing to enforce that. And if the price is right, of course. If you’re interested, I’d be open to discussing it and going through the next steps. But you need to express your commitment today. No going away and talking it over with your board and getting back to me next week. Jace is in danger, and my… I’m in danger, too. This is a one-day opportunity only. If it’s going to happen, it needs to be a good enough offer, or I’m straight back to ‘no.’ Please don’t say ‘yes’ unless you’re prepared to get serious with your price.”
Hunter was smiling at last. “Yes. I’m interested. And may I say… you’re a surprising woman. I’m continually taken aback.”
“Oh,” Lily said, “you have no idea how many sides I have.” She stood up. “Would you like a cup of tea? And Jace—let’s get you a chair. This could take a while.”
Jace wasn’t even going to have to be the bad cop. Hunter might not be the only one who was surprised.
By the time her phone rang, Paige may have been jumping out of her skin. It was possible. She asked Hailey, “Could you take over, please?” left her customer to fend for herself, and lunged for her phone.
“What,” she said to Lily. “Wait. Hang on.” She headed into the back room. “OK. What?”
Lily laughed. Sounding keyed up. “So I solved my problem. Our problem.Oneproblem. But not until it goes through the lawyers and things. We can leak it over the weekend, as long as Brett comes through.”
“Wait.Brett?You guys are buddies? You didn’t sell the land, did you? You don’t have to sell it. Itoldyou. That was thepoint.”
“I know I don’t, and I didn’t. I’m selling him an easement for the trails, if we can agree on a price once we get an outside opinion on its value, and he’ll be making annual payments. Which will give me a lot more security, too. You have no idea how scary it can be to run a retail business during the slow months. Win-win.”
“Wait. What? Is that a thing? An… easement? Did Jace help you with the negotiation part? Is that why you wanted him?”
“Well, no. As Idorun a business and you guys don’t, I did it all by myself. I had the idea last night when I couldn’t sleep, and I researched it, too. I don’t care if I have trails on my land, as long as they don’t have motorcycles or snowmobiles on them. I’ll get to use them, too, after all, and I won’t even have to do the maintenance. And that’s why you have an outside assessor, to give you a reasonable range for the negotiation. I needed Jace in case I was wrong about Brett, but I wasn’t. He was just fine. He’s actually a very nice man.”
“A very nice man? I thought he was pressuring you.”
“He was,” Lily said, at her most moonbeam-serene. “And I pressured back. We’re all good. And before you say anything, I won’t sign anything I’m not happy with. I’m grateful to you for giving me breathing room, time to think. But I’ve got this.”
“Oh. Well.” Paige struggled for something better to say. “Well, that’s great.”
“And by the way?” Lily said. “In case you didn’t know—Jace is great, too. He sure was scary when Brett showed up. I think he had his gun out, the whole works. I’m not sure, because he made me hide. After that, though, he just stood there looking big and menacing and let me handle it. He’s averyreassuring man to have around. You did good. I mean,Iwouldn’t want him, because for one thing, I don’t want anybody, and for another, he’s too intimidating for me. But I can sure see why you do. Does he ever turn off that intense thing?”
“Yes. No. Sort of. I don’t know how to describe it. He focuses on me, but in a good way. Wait. Why are we talking about Jace?”
“Because I’m all figured out, so now it’s time to help you. Where exactly are you guys going with this?”
Paige had somehow started flipping through a shipment of bras on the work table. They were nice. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I would have said ‘nowhere.’ But I don’t know. I’m waiting to go back. You know I am.”
“I do. But, sweetie—a man who’ll drop everything to help your sister, and somebody who’ll stand back and be your moral support—I don’t think you should throw him away like a Kleenex. There aren’t necessarily more like that in the box.”
“I know.” There was a sort of deep cherry-colored one of those bras in here. With some very nice matching underwear. That was pretty. “But you’re not romantic anymore.”
“I’m not. But you are.”
“I am not.”
“Paige. Yes. You are. You’re a whole lot more idealistic than I am. That’s why you try so hard not to put yourself in a spot to be disappointed. I don’t think he’s going to disappoint you, though.”
“I know. Thanks. I need to go. You’re going to have to give Hailey a raise, with all this extra effort she’s had to make. Congratulations on figuring your land thing out, though. That’s great.”
“Paige—”
“No, really. I’m fine. And Jace said we were going out for dinner tonight. I’m letting him be romantic, even though I still feel like I’m being you when I do it. So don’t worry.”
“I’m not worrying about him being romantic. I know he can do it. I’m telling you to letyourselfdo it. For once, sweetie—just go with it. What do you have to lose?”
“I know. Got to go.” Paige hung up, wiped her hand on her purple shirt, looked at the box of lingerie without really seeing it, shoved the panic back down, and went out to help Hailey again.
