Triple a ridiculous number? Sure, yeah, that was reasonable, J.J. thought and put her hands on her hips. She shook her head as the strangest visitor the house had ever entertained walked out with Libby to his janky Range Rover.
When Libby returned, she stared J.J. down.
“Do you believe that guy?” J.J. blurted. “Expecting me to work with him after all the total horse pucky he put this town through? What a joke!”
“It’s not a joke, it’s a great gig.”
“Libby, of all people, why in the world would you be here, helping him? It was an act, right? What’s the play? You just wanted to see me shoot him down, like for fun?”
“No, I want you to take the job.”
“What?”
“Look, I didn’t have much choice. Turns out he’s holding a lot over my head.”
Libby explained the situation. Stone Stirling could make or break the town, once again, by pulling his insurance coverage. “He claims he did the insurance thing to help and that he bought the grocery store to help.”
“And now this salon thing? All to help? Come on!”
Libby, the invincible, plopped herself down on J.J.’s couch. “Look, I’m at fault. I should have looked deeper into the insurance company. I should have known it was too good to be true. This is on me. All the work we did to fight this guy, and he’s right in the center of everything.”
“I do have to admit, that grocery storeisnice,” J.J. conceded and sat down next to Libby.
“So, here’s what I’m hoping,” Libby said after taking a moment to regroup. “I’m hoping that he is telling the truth, that his investments are because, like he says, he wants Irish Hills to thrive. Not because he is trying to take over. He seems to want to be a part of things. That’s something.”
“Yeah, so why do you want me to help? He surely can hire a fancy schmancy consultant from any big city salon?”
“I want good businesses downtown. If you help, it’ll be a good salon, but you’ll also be able to judge better than me if he’s full of it.”
“Oooh, you want me to spy?”
“I guess that’s it, yes. I want someone on the inside of Stone’s operations here, and so I suggested a salon, and I sold you as the only person to set it up for him.”
“Libby, you know I wasn’t going to stay, youknowthat.”
“I know, but, well…I need you. I understand you needed space; I miss Dean, it was awful what happened. It’s still awful. But I need eyes on Stone Stirling, and he may have weaseled his way into town, but at least, if you’re there, close by him, I’ll have a heads up on whatever the heck else he’s planning. If he is planning to take over or tear us down somehow…I don’t know. What I do know, J.J., is that you just have to do this.”
Libby was usually in the driver’s seat. She was assured. She was cool. She had it all together most of the time. But J.J. could hear genuine distress in her voice, and the fear that she could lose all they’d worked for was real.
“You know, I do have some cash,” J.J. pointed out all the same. “Dean’s life insurance, the sale of the house. That guy can’t buy me.”
“He can buy just about anything, but I get it. I know. It’s not the money for you. But I need you to keep your eyes on him so I can finish the reno with D.J., okay?”
Now, she’s bringing D.J. into it.“What do you mean?”
“Just if I’ve got Stone over here, on our completed stuff, I can keep him from hovering over the stuff that is very much still completely unfinished. I can keep the pressure off D.J. a bit. He needs less pressure. I can see that.”
“You’re probably right on that.”
“One thing is certain: I do have to have insurance, and if the project isn’t done soon, I’ll be begging Stone to let us stay on the policy. Let me get that other side of the street done with D.J. You keep Stone occupied and get me a good salon for this mess.”
“I’m not staying. I need to see the world or whatever. I’m thinking I might wander over to the west coast.” J.J. had thought she’d travel to California once Haven Beach in Florida got too hot.
“You can still do that, just after, like…get me through this summer with Stone Stirling, okay?”
J.J. readjusted her near-term plans. She thought about staying. Her house was about to be someone else’s house. “Just this summer?”
“Yes. You can let me know your take, your thoughts. If Stone is on the up and up, you’ll be able to see. Plus, he just backed a truck full of money up to the house and dumped it in your driveway. I know you can’t be bought, but...”
