“That’s—” She cut herself off, her head tipping to the side. Before saying anything else, she pulled out her phone, her thumbs a blur on her screen as she mouthed whatever note she was writing herself. “That’s actually not a bad idea…” she murmured.
“What’snot a bad idea?” Beck snapped. “Jesus, woman, I’m going to cut off your morning coffee if you can’t focus during these meetings.”
“Don’t threaten the person with the contacts to get you your beloved blackberry vanilla bourbon jam.” She glared at Beck, who looked like he wanted to strangle her but finally settled back in his seat with nothing more than a grunt.
“As I was saying…” She raised her eyebrows at us, as if daring us to talk back. When none of us did, she continued, “Right now, I’m more worried about what’s going on at the boundary of the resort. Luna’s latest stunt is drawing negative attention.”
“The development of the land,” Aiden clarified, sorting through his stack of papers before he found what he was looking for and tossing it to the middle of the table.
The glossy, trifold brochure boasted a company called Holton Real Estate Group. Showcased on the front of the pamphlet was a variety of buildings they’d done, all big-box stores. Unlike the house flippers who’d swooped in, made their changes, and fucked over the town without so much as a peep, this company had held a meeting in town hall and informed everyone about their plans. From what they’d shown, this new store would bring more jobs into Starlight Cove—something we could definitely use—and provide a shopping experience we’d usually have to drive an hour-plus for. It would breathe some much-needed life back into the town, which would bring more revenue, which would be a good thing for all the residents and businesses, us included.
“More accurately, her protesting it,” Aiden said. “Brady took her to the station yesterday for it, but she swore she’d be back.”
I grunted in the affirmative. “The she-devil doesn’t know when to quit.”
“Okay, so what does this have to do with the resort and the article?” Ford asked, brows drawn.
“Any stink that’s raised around town could be a sign to the magazine that Starlight Cove is too volatile of a destination to promote,” Addison said. “Their whole vibe is rest and relaxation, and driving past a protester chained to a tree with sirens flashing just to get to the resort doesn’t exactly scream peaceful.”
“I hardly think that old bat Mabel and her Facebook Lives will draw enough negative attention to warrant concern,” Beck muttered dryly.
“Maybe not. But if this journalist shows up and catches wind of it, or if Luna refuses to back down without a fight, that coulddraw enough attention to be a detriment to us,” Addison said.
I scrubbed a frustrated hand over my short beard and sighed. With all the work that needed to be done on the resort, the last thing any of them needed to worry about was this thorn of a woman who was hell-bent on making our lives as difficult as possible. “You guys just focus on getting the resort spruced up as quickly as possible. I’ll handle Luna. Besides, maybe she’ll surprise us and give up.”
My radio crackled to life, and my deputy’s voice rang out. “Sheriff, we’ve got a trespasser down at the old Williamson property. Reports claim she’s chained herself to a tree. Again.”
“Well, so much for that.” Beck stood and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “But maybe swing by the diner on your way out. I’ll send you with something to sweeten the deal since your approach can be a bit…brusque.”
That was something, at least, because I didn’t think Luna would be inclined to agree to help us after I’d read her her rights and tossed her, handcuffed, into the back of my patrol car for the second day in a row.
CHAPTERTWO
LUNA
When I’d first setfoot in Starlight Cove a month ago, I hadn’t come here intending to chain myself to a tree. Obviously. But like my parents always taught me, I needed to take the opportunities life presented. So who was I to ignore it when information landed in my lap—like the times the soulless assholes arrived at this site in the morning, or just exactly when they planned to start tearing up this beautiful, untouched land? And if the hardware store in town just so happened to carry my preferred lock and chains, and I just so happened to be released from yesterday’s…incident…with plenty of time to get over here? Well, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Sitting cross-legged at the base of the mammoth tree that would be my companion for the second day in a row, I rested my palms on my knees and closed my eyes, centering myself. If I listened carefully, I could almost hear the crashing waves of the ocean like I’d grown accustomed to greeting me each morning from my converted van parked along the shore in the forest preserve.
In the time I’d been in this sleepy little town, I’d taken to completing my morning Vinyasa just across the boundary of the preserve, a short walk from where I was parked. I loved nature and I loved the trees, but I didn’t want them blocking the view of my soul sister, the ocean. And yeah,technically,the boundary I crossed was the private property of Starlight Cove Resort, andtechnically,one of the owners of that resort was an ass with a penchant for arresting me, but the land was open and airy, much more so than the site I’d parked my van.
Who was I hurting anyway? I was just one petite woman. If people felt compelled to join me during my routine and then pay me for guiding them, well. What was I going to tell them?No?
Despite my less than pleasant reception from Starlight Cove’s sheriff, I’d fallen in love with this place. It was a postage-stamp-sized pocket of paradise, right along the rocky Maine coast, a lush crown of forest to one side and a charming downtown only seen in movies to the other. I’d stumbled across it on my way home to Maryland for a quick visit, but I’d been so enamored of it and the people, I just…hadn’t yet left. There was something so peaceful about it here. As soon as I’d arrived, it’d felt like my soul had settled. And, because I wasn’t one to question the proclivities of my soul, I’d decided to stay put until the urge to leave cropped up again.
And it would. It always did.
Knowing I wouldn’t have long until the cavalry arrived, I sank into a quick meditation. I breathed in deeply to a count of four, held for four, then released it in a slow, controlled exhale of eight. I liked to start my mornings as relaxed as possible, believing my beginning emotions held all the power to control my day. And I refused to let the intentions of the money-hungry corporation dead set on razing this land derail me.
I was calm. I was peaceful. I was—
“You again,” a male voice boomed from somewhere off to my left. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The sound of quick footfalls echoed around me, warning me of his imminent arrival, but I didn’t open my eyes. At least not until his shadow fell over me and I felt him looming above me.
I cracked open one eye and glanced up at the foreman I’d had the displeasure of meeting yesterday. He was in his late forties or early fifties, bald, with a beak nose and a protruding belly. He looked like my high school geometry teacher, Mr. Carson. I hadn’t liked him much, either, though the worst he’d ever done was force me to find the volume of a trapezoid and not the deforestation of twenty acres of lush land inhabited by dozens of species of plants and animals.
“Morning.” I smiled up at him, squinting into the sun peeking over his shoulder.
