Second Chances (Nugget Romance 3) (31 page)

“He’s coming next week to tour the grounds.”

“Be sure to show him the millpond in Graeagle. And don’t forget about the rodeo. You have that box, remember? Call Grace over at the Nugget Farm Supply to get the schedule. It might be something he’d be interested in.” Maddy waved her hand in the air. “But you already know all this stuff.”

“Nate’s having Tracy from corporate handle it,” Sam said, and tried not to sound peeved.

“What? She’s never been to the inn. As far as I know she’s never been to Plumas County.”

Sam wondered if Nate was still next door and could hear every word they said. It wouldn’t help their already tenuous relationship if he thought she was going around him. Although she got the sense that while Maddy was in charge of the Lumber Baron, Nate held ultimate veto power. Breyer Hotels was his, after all. The inn was the only property the siblings held together.

“She has a lot of experience and I’m pretty new at this,” Sam said.

“Is that what Nate said? Because that’s just bull.” Sam tried to shush her, but Maddy wouldn’t have it. “No. He’s wrong. You love this place and that’s what we want our guests to see. Tracy is an excellent event planner—for big luxury hotels, not small country inns. I’ll talk to Nate.”

“Don’t get me in trouble, Maddy. He already doesn’t like me.” “Detest” was closer to the mark.

“Of course he likes you. Nate’s just very brusque—and driven. When we were kids, my sister and I had to book appointments with his secretary, i.e., our housekeeper, when we wanted to talk to him.” Maddy laughed. “But he’s mostly bluster.”

Sam must’ve looked doubtful, because Maddy said, “I don’t know if you know this, but he bought this place to get me back on my feet after I went through a nasty divorce. And Sophie and Mariah . . . Well, look what he did for them. He’s a good guy, Sam.”

Everyone knew that Nate had fathered Lilly, Sophie and Mariah’s child. Which even Sam had to admit was going above and beyond, even for a best friend. Truthfully, she never would’ve expected Nate to be so progressive. The man seemed more conservative than any person she’d met in California so far. And he was wound tighter than a spool of thread. Although, to be honest, he seemed fairly loose when he was around anyone besides her. For the life of her she didn’t know what she had done to make him dislike her so much.

She was punctual, positive, and professional. But from day one he’d given her the cold shoulder.

The man’s ears must’ve been burning, because he pushed the door open—he didn’t even bother to knock—and stepped in.

“I heard a rumor you were here,” he said to Maddy, and lifted Emma out of her arms and muttered something about her getting big.

“She’s in the ninetieth percentile for length,” Maddy said. “She must get it from her daddy.”

Maddy’s husband, Rhys, the police chief, was tall, even taller than Nate. In Sam’s opinion, though, not as handsome.

“What brings you in?” Nate asked his sister. “I thought that husband of yours wanted you home, barefoot and pregnant.”

Maddy took back Emma and punched him in the arm. “I’m meeting Emily and Pam, but wanted to drop in for a visit. I miss the place.”

“Come back, then.” Nate said.

“I don’t miss it that much. Plus, you’ve got Sam. I heard she bagged you Landon Lowery.”

Oh boy, here we go
. “We haven’t bagged him yet,” he said. “But I’m confident Tracy’ll reel him in.” Clearly the comment had been for Sam’s benefit.

“I don’t think that’s such a hot idea, Nate.” Maddy swayed and bounced a fussing Emma.

“You want to come back to handle Lowery?” he asked.

“I think Sam should do it.”

“Maddy”—Nate’s voice dripped with annoyance—“you really want to do this now?” He looked at Sam pointedly.

“I was just leaving,” Sam said, grabbing her pashmina off the chair and making a beeline for the porch.

She sat on one of Colin Burke’s rocking chairs. The man had made half the furniture in her house. Before coming to Nugget, his rustic pine pieces never would’ve appealed to her. But now she wouldn’t part with them for anything. She gazed out over the square and pondered the wisdom of getting a cup of coffee at the Bun Boy—her third one today and it wasn’t even noon. She could see Donna’s new employee, a local kid trying to earn college money, manning the window at the takeout stand, and waved. Carl Rudd had redone the windows of his sporting goods store with Tour de Manure bicycle jerseys. The race, a sixty-two-mile loop through the Sierra Valley’s ranchlands and historic townships, brought cyclists from all over. The inn was already booked solid for the ride.

Yes, she thought, it was a nice town. No one here seemed to care about a person’s net worth, portfolio, or bloodline. And while the townsfolk had been leery of her, as they seemed to be of any newcomer—she knew they called her the runaway bride behind her back—they’d accepted her into their fold. Especially Maddy.

She continued to survey her new home, thinking about how she’d chosen her own course for the first time in her life. And while she sat there reveling in that decision, her father sent her a text with his latest ultimatum.

And this time it was a doozy.