Rescuing Her Ranch, page 3
Macey hugged her friend, then looked down at Allison’s oversize sweater stretched over her rounded stomach. “How are you feeling? How’s this little one doing?”
Allison smiled and cradled her belly. “We’re both healthy and strong. No morning sickness. Apparently, third time’s a charm.”
At twenty-eight, Macey wasn’t even close to being married, let alone pregnant with her third child. But Allison had been more than happy to settle in Aspen Ridge after marrying her high school sweetheart.
Allison jerked her head toward the closed door to the right of her desk. “I’m assuming you’re here to be with your family?”
Macey tightened her hand on her oversize purse. “I was hoping to join them, if possible.”
“Sure, I don’t see why not.” She moved to the door and tapped before sticking her head inside. “Excuse me, but there’s someone else to join your meeting.”
Macey stepped into the office filled with heavy, wooden furniture and books on the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The room smelled of paper, lemon oil and a faint lingering scent of the pipe tobacco that Mr. Fowler favored when no one was around.
Macey’s mother turned in her chair and waved her into the office. She patted the empty seat next to hers. “Macey, come in. We’re just about to get started.”
She sat and a strong arm slid around her shoulders. Macey looked into the blue eyes of her younger brother, Wyatt. He grinned, looking so much like their dad. “Hey, sis.”
He’d been a lanky teen, but six years in the Marine Corps filled out his shoulders. Even though he had been discharged two years ago after his wife died in childbirth, his hair was still cut to military regulation.
She gave him a one-armed side hug, the side of her head brushing against his blue-and-black plaid flannel shirt. “Hey, baby brother. It’s so great to see again. Bear said you guys were here. I came to see what was going on.”
Mr. Fowler cleared his throat. Dressed in a dark blue suit, his balding white hair neatly trimmed, he stood behind his desk, fingertips pressed against the polished wood. His eyebrows lifted, wrinkling his forehead. “Ms. Stone, it’s been a while. You look well.”
Macey lifted her chin and gave the man a nod. “Thank you, Mr. Fowler. As do you.”
Behind her, the hardwood floor creaked, and Macey turned. Her eyes widened. “Cole? What are you doing here?”
Instead of wearing jeans and the olive-colored hoodie from that morning, Cole was now dressed in a light gray suit that fit him well, polished black cowboy boots and a red-patterned tie.
He pocketed his hands as his lips thinned. “I’m the project manager, working with the city council and Crawford Developments, overseeing this process.”
“Crawford Developments as in the company your uncle owns?” At his nod, Macey glanced between her mother, brother and Cole. “What process are you referring to?”
Mr. Fowler cleared his throat and tugged on the sleeves of his suit jacket. “Maybe we should return to our conversation and fill Macey in on the details.”
Macey’s stomach tightened again.
Mr. Fowler explained the letter of intent from the city council outlining their desire to buy the southern portion of the ranch to build a strip mall.
Even though Bear had warned her, Macey still felt her face paling as she turned to her mother and Wyatt. “Please tell me this is some sort of joke. You’re not going to allow this, are you?”
Wyatt reached for Macey’s fisted hands. “Mace, we may not have a choice.”
“Of course, we have a choice. They can’t just take our property.”
Mr. Fowler cleared his throat once again, the sound grating on Macey’s fatigued nerves. “Macey, are you aware of eminent domain?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Bear mentioned it, but I don’t understand the details.”
“If your family chooses not to sell, then the local government is claiming eminent domain to access your family’s property for the strip mall. They will purchase the land at a fair market value.”
“But what does that mean, exactly?”
“The local government has the power to take private land for public use. In this case, the Aspen Ridge City Council will be working with Crawford Developments. They are willing to pursue partial taking, meaning they don’t want the whole ranch—just a portion of property from your family. Both parties have the right to obtain their own appraisals of the property in question. Once those appraisals have been exchanged, we’ll enter negotiations. If the two parties can’t reach an agreement, then the city council will send out a final offer. If your family refuses that offer, then the local government will go through the courts to take the property. Your family will still receive just compensation.”
Macey’s eyes darted between her family, Cole and Mr. Fowler. “But that property has been in our family for over two hundred years. And now we’re supposed to sit back and say yes?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned to her mother. “What did Dad say about this?”
“He doesn’t know yet.” Mom picked up the pen on the table in front of her and twisted it between her fingers. “Once we have all the facts, I’ll talk to your father.”
Wyatt stood and rounded the table, putting his large hands on her shoulders. “Macey, Dad’s not doing so well right now.”
Macey swiveled in her seat and looked up at him. Her fingers tightened on the back of the chair. “I thought he had pneumonia. You mean it could be more than that?”
He nodded, lines deepening in his forehead. “They’re still trying to find the cause of his high fever, but now his organs are shutting down.”
“Shutting down? Why didn’t you say something sooner? We should be at the hospital, not at the attorney’s office trying to protect our property.” She cradled her forehead, then lifted her chin and directed her attention to Cole. “Does your uncle know my father is in the hospital and unable to fight this? Or was that part of his plan? And did you know about this when I agreed to care for your daughter?”
Cole’s jaw tightened as he held up a hand. “Macey, I know what this looks like, but I promise you—I did not know about this when you offered to care for Lexi. This is business. The city council isn’t trying to take your family’s entire ranch. They’re offering to buy a small portion. And your family will be paid fair market value for it.”
“So I’ve heard about three times now. But you know what? To you, it may be business, but to me—” she waved a finger between her mother, her brother and herself “—to us, it’s personal. And we will do whatever we can to prevent you, your uncle, the city council, or anyone else from taking what is ours.”
Head pounding and eyes gritty, Macey wanted nothing more than to find a bed and a pillow, but she couldn’t rest right now. They needed to come up with a plan. To rally together and protect what was theirs.
Still feeling the sting from being unfairly terminated, Macey wasn’t about to let someone else take advantage of any of them, even if it meant losing another job.
* * *
How was he going to get out of this mess and still meet Lexi’s needs?
Somehow, Cole needed to convince the Stone family to sell their property to the council.
Not only would the strip mall offer more jobs and economic opportunities to Aspen Ridge, but the success of the sale would enable Cole to provide better opportunities for his daughter. With the incentives Wallace dangled in front of him, Cole needed to do whatever it took to ensure his daughter received the best care possible.
Then money wouldn’t be a constant issue.
No way would he allow history to repeat itself.
Growing up as the only child of a widowed, overworked single mother who’d preached they were responsible for themselves and charity wasn’t an option, Cole had fought hard to make his own way in the world. The last thing he wanted was for Lexi to know the gnaw of hunger in her belly or the shame of seeing her toes sticking out of worn shoes.
His cell phone buzzed with an incoming text. He reached for it and read the words from his cousin Piper: On our way up.
Cole glanced at his smart watch. How was it six o’clock already?
When Cole learned about the Stones’ meeting with Norman Fowler, he’d left work early and asked Piper to care for Lexi until his meeting with the Stones was over.
He’d been naive to think Macey wouldn’t have shown up at Fowler’s office. The Stones stuck together. Like a real family should.
Her accusations from earlier still echoed in his head, but he needed to put that out of his mind. At least for now.
Even though he could work for another three hours, Cole forced himself to shut down his laptop. The rest would have to wait until tomorrow. He needed to go home and spend the evening with Lexi. If he had time and a shred of mental energy, maybe he’d do more work after tucking her into bed.
His office door opened as he slipped his laptop and the rest of his paperwork in his backpack.
“Daddy!” His daughter flew across the room and into his arms. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, peanut.” He wrapped her in a hug and planted a kiss on top of her curly blond head.
She cupped his cheeks and stared at him with those bright blue eyes inherited from her mother. “Can we get pancakes now?”
“Sure thing. Let me gather my stuff, and we’ll get out of here.” With her gathered in his arms, Cole pocketed his phone, then flung the strap of his backpack over his shoulder, knocking his worn Colorado Rockies ball cap off the corner of his desk that his dad had bought him after they’d gone to a baseball game together. Cole put it back where it belonged. Assured his work area was spotless, he turned to his cousin who waited patiently near the door.
“Thanks for keeping her, Piper. I appreciate the last-minute fill-in while I attended that meeting.”
“Hey, when you own your business, you can make your own hours.” She linked her arm through his. “Even though Macey’s helping you out, you need to make time to find a full-time nanny or consider enrolling Lexi in a preschool program now that she’s four.”
“She’s on the list for Stepping Stones Learning Center’s fall program.”
“Good. You can pay me by taking Avery and me to dinner.”
He admired his cousin’s drive. Pregnant at seventeen and forced out on her own, Piper had cleaned houses to support herself. Once she turned eighteen, she and Ryland Healy had gotten married and welcomed their daughter, Avery, a week later. After Ry’s tragic death, Piper put herself through college, earning her degree in business administration, while still running her housecleaning business, The Clean Bee, and caring for her daughter.
Now her thriving business had a handful of employees, and she was the most sought-after housecleaning and organizational business in the area.
How could Cole not admire her spunk and tenacity?
“Sounds good. Let’s eat at the diner. Lexi loves Lynetta’s pancakes.”
“Sure thing. I need to pick up Avery from dance class, then we’ll meet you there.”
They stepped outside, and Cole sucked in a breath as the brisk winds pinched their cheeks. He drew Lexi closer to his chest and hurried to his truck parked behind the office. He put Lexi down, then transferred Lexi’s car seat from Piper’s car into his. He set his backpack on the floor, locked the door and pocketed his keys. Cole reached for Lexi’s hand. “Come on, squirt. Let’s go grab a booth at Netta’s where it’s warm.”
They crossed the street. Cole opened the door of the diner and followed his daughter inside. The warmth of the room reheated their cheeks as he inhaled the scents of burgers and fries hanging in the air. Dishes clattering in the kitchen behind the breakfast counter competed with the conversations buzzing in the full dining room.
They slid into a red booth near the front. He set his phone facedown on the table, then pulled Lexi’s coloring book and crayons from her backpack. He shrugged out of his wool overcoat and helped Lexi out of her pink puffy jacket and matching hat.
The door opened again, and Cole looked up, expecting to see Piper and Avery. Instead, Macey Stone stepped inside.
She rubbed her mittened hands together. A gray knitted hat covered her dark hair and a matching scarf wound around her neck. Her red wool coat parted, giving a hint of a light blue sweater she wore.
Her gaze connected with his, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
Lynetta Spencer, the diner owner and Macey’s aunt, rounded the counter with outstretched arms. She engulfed Macey in a tight hug. “Girl, it is so good to see you. When your mama said you were back home for good, I about fell off my stool.”
“Hey, Aunt Lynetta. It’s so great to see you.” As Macey stepped out of her embrace, she shifted her eyes to Cole’s, then muttered something to her aunt.
Lynetta raised an eyebrow and fisted a hand on her rounded hip as she seared him with a look. Then she headed to his table. An apron covered her full figure. Her dark hair, the same shade as Macey’s, was twisted on top of her head in some sort of messy bun held in place by a yellow pencil.
Great. Would he need to find a new place to eat?
Lynetta cupped Lexi’s cheek. “Hey, darlin’.”
Lexi leaned into her touch, then held up her coloring book. “Hi, Miss Netta. Like my picture?”
Lynetta dropped on the bench next to her and slid an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Sugar, that’s the prettiest purple turtle I’ve ever seen.”
Lexi tore it out and handed it to her. “Here, you can have it.”
“Aww, thanks, precious. I’ll hang it up behind the counter.” She slid out from behind the table and stood. She pressed a gentle hand on Cole’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. One eyebrow lifted, but her eyes softened. “I understand business, but that’s my parents’ property up for grabs. Your mom was like a sister to me, which makes you family too. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Got it?”
Cole looked up at the woman who had been his mother’s best friend since elementary school. The same woman who promised to look after Cole if anything should happen to her.
“Yes, ma’am. That wasn’t my intention.”
“My daddy’s nice. He won’t hurt nobody.” Then Lexi’s eyes lit up as she stood on the red vinyl bench and pointed. “Look, Daddy, there’s Macey.” She waved, her voice raising. “Hi, Macey.”
All eyes in the diner turned to them, including Macey’s. The reddened color of her face matched the round stools lining the counter. She smiled tightly and gave a little wave.
Lexi scrambled under the table and raced over to her, flinging her arms around Macey’s legs. “Wanna sit with us?”
Without responding, Macey lifted Lexi in her arms and returned the hug. Then she set her down and took her hand, returning her to where Cole sat.
Lynetta eyed them. “Have you two kept in touch over the years?”
Cole scoffed. “Not exactly. Everly was offered a long-term subbing position at the elementary school, so Macey agreed to care for Lexi until I can find a more permanent solution.”
Lynetta slid an arm around Macey’s shoulder. “That’s my girl. Always thinking of others. She’s the best nanny a family could want.”
“Lexi’s been talking about her all afternoon, so I believe it.”
Macey jerked her head toward the street. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Cole shifted his gaze to Lexi. Lynetta slid into the booth and picked up a crayon. “You two go. I’ll keep an eye on this little one for a moment.”
Cole hesitated. “If you’re sure...”
Lynetta waved them way. “Go. Talk. The sooner you do, the better it’ll be. For everyone.”
He didn’t know about that. But he followed Macey outside and stood on the sidewalk near the window so he could keep an eye on his daughter. He shoved his bare hands in his pockets to keep them warm. “What did you want to talk about?”
Macey rewrapped her scarf around her neck. “I want to know what you think you’re doing.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’m planning to eat dinner with Lexi, my cousin Piper, and her daughter Avery.”
Macey gave him an exasperated look. “I’m not talking about now. I’m talking about earlier in Fowler’s office. What was that all about?”
Cole scrubbed a hand over his face. How many times were they going to rehash this? “We explained everything in Fowler’s office. What else would you like to know?”
“Why my family’s property? Why not property on the other side of town or even in a different area? Aspen Ridge isn’t big enough for a strip mall.”
“The property in question is near the highway and closest to Aspen Ridge. It makes more sense since it would bring more traffic into the community. Your family will be paid a fair market value.”
“I’m so tired of hearing that phrase. You can’t put a price on history. That section of the land was the original homestead when my great-great-grandparents settled the town. After Mom and Dad got married, my grandparents moved back to South Bend and restored the original house. Besides, all the traffic and noise from the strip mall will disturb the cattle. And Stone River cuts through our property. How will the construction affect the waterway? What about contaminants ruining the soil?”
“All of those issues will be addressed. We won’t do anything to jeopardize the water supply, soil, or even the cattle. Besides, from the research I’ve done, it looks like your family could use the money.”
Macey’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Instead of talking to me, maybe you need to be talking to your family. There’s more to this whole situation than you know. I understand wanting to protect family. I will do anything for my daughter. Crawford Developments will do everything to protect your family’s property.”
“If only I could believe you.” She looked over his shoulder, a shadow filming her eyes.
