“Hello to you, too, Sophie.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “How can I help you?” she asked, fighting for a polite tone, but failing. All she could see was the man who had played a part in wrecking Joe’s marriage.
“We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. And if you’re not here to buy flowers, you can show yourself out.” On second thought, she wasn’t sure if she would sell him so much as an empty stem after finding out about him and Jenna.
The perfect expression slid from Landon’s face, changing to anger. “I’m not leaving until we have this conversation.”
A chill ran down Sophie’s spine. “I’m not going out with you again, Landon,” she said firmly.
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t be asking.”
“Then we have nothing to talk about.”
“Except your business. I have a proposition for you.”
Against her will, Sophie listened as Landon launched into a lengthy explanation about how beneficial it would be for her to sell Petals and Posies.
“I have a buyer already lined up. He’s willing to pay you more than this place is worth.”
“Why?” Sophie crossed her arms again. “What’s so valuable about my property?”
“That’s not for me to disclose.”
She lifted her chin. “I’m not interested.”
“You haven’t heard the off—”
“I don’t care what the offer is. This is my shop, and I will never sell it.” When she saw him flinch, she added, “Did you really think you could wine and dine me a few times and I would fold and sell my business? Do you have any idea how long and hard I’ve worked to make it successful?”
“I’m sure I can convince you that selling is in your best interest,” he said, regaining his composure, clearly not caring that she had put her heart and soul into her shop. “Listen, I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I know I can trust you. My client isveryinterested in revitalizing Maple Falls.”
“By buying up all the businesses?”
“Most of them are hanging by a thread anyway.”
She squared her shoulders and leveled her gaze. “Not mine.”
“With what my client is willing to pay, you can buy a shop twice as large in Hot Springs if you want. Just think how successful you would be if you had a larger shop in a well-populated city.”
Although she couldn’t dispute his point, she still wasn’t interested. “I suppose you’ll get a nice bonus if you convince me to sell.”
Landon held out his hands, palms up. “Hey. I’ve got to make a living. Just like you.” He leaned forward again, faux charm oozing from every pore.What a snake.“C’mon, Sophie. Think about your future. Maple Falls is like every other small town around here. It’s been swirling the drain for years. It’s only a matter of time before you go down with it.”
He might be right about the town having gone through some rough years, but that was changing. Price’s Hardware down the street and Knots and Tangles, the yarn shop across from her store, were legacy businesses that were doing well. Just like her shop.
“Does your client want to buy all the businesses on Main Street?”
A pause. “If he can.”
“Then I’m definitely not selling.” The thought of some rich venture capitalist taking over the Main Street properties and razing the old buildings that had existed since the late nineteenth century infuriated her. She couldn’t let that happen. “You can tell your client where to shove it.”
Landon’s calm facade disintegrated. “For crying out loud, Sophie, if you’ll just listen to me—”
The chime sounded over the door, and Sophie almost sank with relief when she saw Joe walk in.
“Not again,” Landon muttered.
