Page 23 of Tempting Frey
“Huh. I’d never thought of it that way. When the guys mentioned developers, I imagined concrete hotels and ski lifts. But you’re right.”
“Of course I am! I had my dad on my side, and Monty looked like he got it, but then Hughes sold the forest, and we’re back to ‘I’m defending my town from sleazy money grabbers.’”
Calvin blinked. “Because of Hughes selling?”
“Yeah. You’ve heard? It was why Frey and I argued. They all think the new landowners must be developers because who else would have a law firm acting in their name? Nobody knows whothe new owners are and what they want, but they’re planning how they’re going to chase them out of town in fur. The first building contractor to enter Beauville will face an army of snarling alpha bears.”
My friend went pale, his hand on his mouth. “Oh shit.”
“Yeah. They’re all puffed-up chests and clenched fists. And I feel like the only adult in a room of hormonal alpha teens when I ask if we could please sit down and talk to these people first.”
I expected Calvin to agree with me, but he rubbed his face with both hands. “Shit,” he repeated.
I observed him, confused. “I’m sorry. I was exaggerating. They won’t fight or anything. You don’t have to worry about Barclay.”
“No. That’s not… Shit.” He groaned and looked at the ceiling. His reaction seemed off.
“What’s going on?”
“I know who bought the land,” he blurted.
I gaped. “You do?”
Calvin came from an absurdly rich family, but he and his father were merely civil to each other. They’d barely seen each other since Calvin moved to Beauville. Could any of his father’s contacts be behind the trust?
My friend gave me a pleading look. “It was supposed to be a secret.”
“This is Beauville. A secret of this magnitude could cause an uprising. Who is it?”
Calvin winced. “It’s Laurel. But you can’t tell anyone.”
This was getting more surreal by the second. “Laurel Riley?”
The famous singer had visited Calvin in Beauville a couple of times, and it had been the talk of the town. I’d never met him because I was at college.
“Oliver, please, I promised him I wouldn’t tell. You can’t tell.”
“But why did you tellme, then?”
“You asked me! I panicked!” Calvin cried, exasperated. “I’m a wimp under pressure.”
I let out a small laugh. “Sorry, Cal. So, Laurel Riley bought the land. I’ll be damned. He’s not planning to build a ski resort, is he?”
“Lord, no. He likes it here. He wants something small and inconspicuous. A cabin.”
I shook my head. Celebrities. Wow. “Are you seriously telling me he bought thirty acres of forest for half a million bucks to build a cabin?”
“Well, yeah. He just wants privacy, you know?”
“I need to process this.” My mind went to the plans and ideas I’d had for working with the new landowners, then through the argument with Frey. It was my turn to rub my face and groan. “So this has all been for nothing. He’s not going to do anything with the land. Just build a cabin, a big-ass gate, and a long winding driveway.”
“Um. I don’t know,” Calvin piped up. “He’ll probably need staff. It might become more like a chalet? A few cottages around for visitors and his security. He only talked to me about it once or twice. He doesn’t have any specific plans yet.”
“Could I talk to him?”
“I… don’t know. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. He’ll be mad at me. He just wants to be left alone when he’s on vacation, you know? Everywhere he goes, people want a piece of him. He has gotten it in his head that in Beauville, the bears will leave him in peace because they themselves want to be left in peace.”
“Not if they’re afraid he might destroy what they think of as their forest.”
