Page 39 of Bloom and Burn
His half-joke pulls a chuckle out of me. We both know he’ll have to step in or this is doomed, but I am willing to lead the charge. And to prove that, I try to call his mom, only to get straight to voice mail.
“I think she saved my number and blocked me.”
He scrunches his forehead. “Yep. Sounds about right.” His expression clouds as he puckers his lips in thinking. “You know, she’s probably already talked dad into being on her side. It will be a tough sell even if you ambush him.”
I expected that already, but Ryan just confirmed it. “Yes, but he’s not talked to me yet. I’m a lot more charming in person. I’m sure that if I had just ten minutes with your mom, she’d turn into a fan in no time.”
A chuckle bubbles out of Ryan as he swats my leg. “Eww, no. You are only allowed to use your charm on me.”
The conversation dials down a bit as our mains arrive, but somehow Ryan looks a lot less appreciative of the food than usual. He’s clearly got something on his mind, but I decide not to probe unless he volunteers whatever is bugging him.
I don’t have to wait long.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” he says around a sip of his milkshake. He and Emily got the giga size, while I opted for the regular. “About how to make the facility you want to build more appealing to my parents.”
Oh. I angle my body his way, intrigued by his lead-in. “And?”
“Well, I mean, obviously it will open up a lot of jobs, right? With decent career prospects, too.” This is one of my main arguments, along with the good that we want to do. “I imagine we’ll also start getting a lot more visitors from other states, which means they will be spending money here.”
“That’s true,” Emily agrees, humming around the straw of her shake.
“The thing is, Estacada doesn’t necessarily have the infrastructure for it. Like hotels, restaurants or fancy shops.”
Ah, I think I can see where he’s going with this. And I think I like it. “Are you suggesting we should sponsor local businesses and help them grow?”
He beams up at me. “Yes! Maybe you can offer interest-free loans? A couple of grants would do the town good, too. One of the main pillars of my dad’s campaign was developing our town and its businesses. But it’s been difficult, and he hasn’t had much tangible success so far. There’s no way he wouldn’t think twice before turning down such an enticing offer.”
I like this. It seems a little underhanded, but in the end, it helps his office and it’s also for the good of the town. We both win. “Em, do you think we can redirect a portion of our charity fund toward supporting Estacada’s community?”
We plan to live here anyway, so what better way to give to the town than helping it grow and prosper? Surely something like that would be enough to show Ryan’s parents that we aren’t trying to screw anyone over.
Emily holds my gaze, tapping her free hand against the dining table as the gears of her brain turn. “It’s doable. I’ll speak to the Board and our Finance Department, so I can get you some numbers. In the meantime, I’ll draft a preliminary proposal, so you can show Ryan’s dad we are willing to invest in the community.”
We slip into a brainstorming session about other ways we can help improve Estacada as we head to my and Emily’s house. The evening is nice and warm, so we take a walk in the garden, which is in a bit of a work-in-progress state as the back portion of it hasn’t been made as easily accessible yet. While my sister retreats to her room, I introduce Ryan to the magnolia and Japanese maple saplings.
“I’m so dying to meet your friend Josh. He’s done an amazing job with the house and the garden,” he muses as I escort him back to his pickup after I’ve showed off my row of autumn cabbages.
“He and Alistair are attending some event in Barcelona. Networking, I think. But they should be back this weekend, so maybe we can go on a double date sometime next week?”
He giggles, waggling those lush eyebrows at me. “I’ve never been on a double date.”
Me neither. “Even better then. They are the best and you’ll love it.”
Barking out a lovely laugh, he punches me playfully in the arm. “You are so full of shit. You’ve never been on one either.”
“Was it so obvious?” I pull him into my arms and kiss his left cheek. Then the right. And then his nose.
“Mhm.” He stands on tiptoes and captures my lips.
It’s a slow, passionate kiss and I wish it could go on forever. Our tongues seek out each other, hungry and eager. No matter how much we kiss, it seems I can never get enough. His taste is addictive, his heat, the feel of his body, the way he fits so perfectly into my arms as if he was made for me.
“After your meeting with dad tomorrow, there’s something I want to tell you,” he says cryptically, pulling away and not looking me in the eye.
“Oh? Have you been keeping secrets from me, Ryan?”
He presses his lips in a line and taps his forefinger against them. “Maybe. But only a little one. I promise it’s nothing super important.”
My curiosity rises. What is it that Ryan wants to talk about? And why is he being so fidgety? To be honest, I’d be worried if it was anyone else, but I find myself more excited than anything.
