Hayleigh shrugged off his hand and spun, pointing a finger in his face. “You’re right—I am. I’m confused that your son is running around with one ofthem.Did you bring us all the way here to tell us the deal’s off?”
“Of course not,” blustered Dennis. “Especially with that new pitch you brought me. I can’t see how this partnership is anything but a win for Elk Ridge.”
“Wait, what new pitch?” said Gavin.
Hayleigh crossed her arms and smiled, sharklike in the glittering lights of the Christmas tree.
“I was telling your father about my newest proposal—ElkRidge Every Season. We aren’t going to build all this just to do business six weeks a year. How silly would that be? We’ll have people here coming to celebrate Easter, the Fourth of July, Harvest Fest—all your good old-fashioned, family favorites, right here in Elk Ridge.”
The pit in Rowan’s stomach bottomed out. That wastheirpitch but twisted.
She had let this woman, who apparently worked for Goshen Group, and whom she should have recognized, steal their idea. How had she let this happen?
A Spell to Forget.The only possible explanation.
She’d done it again.
She’d messed it all up.
Dennis smiled at the Goshen Group representatives in a conciliatory way. “This is what we needed—the missing piece. As far as I’m concerned, the meeting’s a formality. It’s only a matter of signing the papers.”
The spinning of the room intensified, and Rowan’s vision grew spotty. She wobbled, grasping for Gavin, but he had taken a few steps closer to his father, and she clutched the banister instead.
“Dad,” said Gavin, “we need to talk.”
“There’s nothing more to discuss, son,” said Dennis, in a practiced tone that he had clearly employed to shut down hundreds of arguments.
Gavin pushed on. “Yes, there is. We have an alternate proposal. Though it’s actually very similar to that one.” His eyes narrowed at Hayleigh. “…somehow. But with some key differences. And it’ll keep everything local.”
Dennis shook his head. “We’ve been over this—there aren’t the resources locally.”
Gavin waved toward the Goshen Group reps. “And if we sell to them, there never will be. Everything Elk Ridge has left will end up in bank accounts somewhere else.”
“They’re bringing in jobs this town desperately needs.”
Gavin locked eyes with his father. “They are going toreplacejobs. They are going to push people out of small businesses where people know each other, care about each other, into minimum-wage positions where they’re numbers on an Excel sheet.”
Dennis shook his head. “I can tell you’ve given this idea of yours a lot of thought, and I appreciate your passion. But this is the right call. It’ll be a painful transition, but it’ll let the town survive. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best deal we’ve got.”
He turned away, signaling that the conversation was over. Frustration and disappointment dueled on Gavin’s features, but he said nothing else.
Rowan stared at him, eyes wide. That was it? He was dropping it there?
While it had been clear that he had difficulties saying no to his father, she had always assumed, hoped, that when it came down to it, when it was really important, he’d come through.
But he wasn’t. He could plot, and bargain, and reason, but when it came time to draw a line, he couldn’t do it.
He won’t stand up to him. Not even for this. Not even for us.
Rowan spat, “That’s bullshit.”
Dennis turned back, eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“This is all about Elk Ridge, huh? It’s got nothing to do with the millions of dollars you’ll walk away with.”
His face reddened. “Money I’ll reinvest in the community.”
Rowan laughed. “Elk Ridge will get a gymnasium, and you’ll get, what, a third home in the Alps? Where you can hide out and ignore the consequences—”
