They didn't touch on anything personal, and he guessed that was because Newman was here, and he was thankful for it. With luck, he could leave Howling without opening another vein of emotion.
“So before I left D.C., I heard a rumor that I've been sitting on until after the event of the decade,” Newman said, looking from Ethan to Annabelle.
“It was, wasn't it?” Annabelle preened. “Better than any society wedding you've been to is my guess, Newman.”
“No comparison.”
“What society wedding have you ever attended?” Ethan asked his friend.
“Plenty. One in particular had a champagne fountain and handmade chocolates in the shape of each guest’s initials.”
“Get out.”
“True.”
“Champagne fountains are so last month.” Annabelle faked a yawn. “So what's the rumor?”
Brad watched the smile fall from Newman's lips.
“A developer is looking into buying the Buchanan land, and several other locations around this lake.”
“What?” Annabelle's shriek was loud enough to make her husband wince. “Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan wanted it to remain in the family, untouched, and until now I thought that had happened. It's got some of the oldest Redwoods in the area.”
“I know that, Annabelle, but before I left D.C. a friend of mine told me he was involved in a large property transaction and he thought I'd be interested because it was close to Howling.”
“But what does a developer want with it? With any of it?”
Brad knew Annabelle wasn't going to be happy with her friend's answer to that question, because his face showed his reluctance to speak.
“Well shit, Annabelle, don't shoot the messenger, and remember I'm friend not foe.”
“Just spit it out, Newman.”
Ethan was taking the passive route and waiting for Newman to answer, face calm, unlike his wife’s.
“Seems they want to build several boutique resorts, and the Buchanan land is their first purchase. It will be exclusive and for the rich and famous.”
“What!” Annabelle leapt to her feet. “We don't have that shit here! The Buchanan land is literally only a three-day walk from Howling. We'd be swamped with tourists year round if that was the case. Helicopters would be buzzing overhead from dawn till dusk. This is the work of that Nadine Buchanan. She's the sole heir, and a nasty bitch.”
“I don't want you to hold back, honey.”
“It's true, Ethan, she and Macy were tight, but unlike Macy, she didn't have the nice inside her just waiting to come out.”
“How much land is it?” Brad asked, refusing to acknowledge that he wanted to ask questions about Macy and what had happened to bring out her nice.
“Two hundred acres, give or take,” Newman said.
“That land has some really cool trees and rivers. This can't be allowed to happen.”
“Nadine Buchanan can do whatever the hell she wants to it, if her folks didn't stipulate otherwise, Annabelle.” Newman frowned. “We would have heard if it was for sale, so my guess is whoever wants it came looking.”
“But why here, and why now? And how will we know if the will stated that the Buchanans wanted it left untouched, Newman?”
“It would have been filed for probate, so you'd need to request to take a look at it,” Brad said. “It's not that hard, you just need to find out which county it's filed in. Again not hard, as it should be this one.”
Brad felt his brother's eyes on him. He knew what Ethan thought, knew he believed him a man who once had little to offer but drinking and being a bully.
“Do you know who's behind it, Newman?” Brad asked, then told himself to stay out of this. He didn't need to get involved; he was leaving, and this was his brother's town, not his.
