by Tania Joyce
Colleagues had told her previously Toru was ruthless in negotiations and often won; she’d hate to see this beautiful vineyard destroyed for their development. But what could she do? She had to go along with her company’s plans. She wasn’t in a position to do anything else. She lowered her eyes and stared at her coffee cup to hide her disappointment. Days like this, she absolutely hated her job.
“Gumtrees is not for sale.” Both men said in unison.
“We have our own expansion plans in place that are already approved by council.” Nick looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “There’s no amount of money on this planet you could offer us to make us sell. Thank you, but no thank you.”
“Money talks, Mr. Hill.” Toru looked smug in his seat, even had a glint in his eye. “The offer would be very substantial. You potentially could retire and never have to work another hard day in your life.”
“Gumtrees is not for sale.” Troy repeated. Kelleigh shied away from the hatred radiating off his skin. She didn’t know what to say or do to ease the growing tension between the men; she herself was still in shock.
Toru delved into his folder and pulled out some papers. “I have a document here for you outlining our proposed plans, and a confidentially agreement for you to sign if you wish to enter negotiations.”
“Won’t be necessary.” Nick didn’t even touch the file when Toru placed it on the desk and Troy folded his arms defensively across in front of him.
“We’re not for sale. That’s final,” Troy leaned back in his chair. “We don’t want some ghastly accommodation complex creating an eyesore in our Valley.”
“I can assure you it won’t be an eyesore.” Kelleigh tried to put them at ease. “I’ve worked on this project with the architects and can assure you it will be a five-star eco-friendly design.”
Troy leaned forward, his piercing blue eyes narrowed into sharp dagger-like slits. “We’ll do everything in our power to stop this from proceeding. This is outrageous. There are enough resorts and golf courses in this area already. We don’t need another one.”
“We don’t see any issues with our application being approved by council.” Toru remained nonchalant, steepling his fingertips in front of his chest. “This development will proceed with or without our acquisition of your property.”
Troy and Nick’s shoulders sagged, as if burdened with heavy weight.
“We’ll see about that,” Troy said through his strained jaw.
Nick stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the sandstone-tiled floor. “I think we’re done here.”
“Thank you for your time, gentlemen,” Toru stood up and offered his hand, which the men reluctantly shook.
Troy’s eyes, filled with disappointment and hurt, flicked her way before he departed from the office without a word. Nick was left standing there with her and Toru. So much for friendly farewells.
“Before we depart, Mr. Hill, may I please use your restroom?” Toru asked as he gathered his folders.
“Sure, it’s down the hallway, third door on the left.”
Kelleigh agreed to wait for Toru at the car before he excused himself. Nick led her back out through the reception area and bid her goodbye. As she walked outside, the searing hot sunshine hitting her face was a welcome relief; so much better than the icy-cold glares and tension that had filled the room during the meeting.
That had been the worst meeting in her life. What Toru did was very unprofessional. She was embarrassed not knowing the full meeting’s agenda. If she had the nerve she’d give him a piece of her mind. She shook herself free of the negative vibe as she walked toward the car, but her head spun back around toward the doorway when she heard her name being called.
Great. This was not what she needed.
“Kelleigh. Wait!” Troy jammed his Akubra hat onto his head, looking very much like Tom Burlinson in The Man From Snowy River. But anger flared in his eyes and his jaw was clenched as he stormed toward. Her dreamy image of him dissipated in a puff of smoke. “What the hell was that? You knew about this and didn’t tell me.”
Her mouth opened in shock at his accusation. “Tell you what? About the development? I couldn’t say anything because there was a confidentiality agreement in place.”
“What a load of hogwash. Was this part of some sick plan? Did you think that by sleeping with me I’d willingly give you Gumtrees?”
She took a step back at his harsh words. “Never! I’d never do such a thing. I didn’t know you worked here. You never told me where you worked.”
His eyes flickered, maybe trying to recall their conversations. “Are you sure about that?”
“Positive. You never mentioned you worked at Gumtrees. And what Toru said came as a surprise to me as well. He mentioned there’d been some changes but wouldn’t elaborate on the details even when I asked. I swear I had no idea JLR wanted to buy this place. That was not part of the original plan.” Her voice trembled as she spoke. She didn’t want him to be angry with her and couldn’t have him thinking she was deceptive.
“That sounds hard to believe,” he said through tightened lips, the veins on the side of his neck bulged. “Regardless of what happened between us last week, it will not sway my decision in any way. You will not get your hands on this place. Understand?”
Kelleigh glared, momentarily lost for words. If this was the way he reacted to things that upset him, she wondered about his true nature. “And you must understand I had no idea who you were and didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” her voice assertive in her defense.
“Well, surprise, here I am.”
“Look, I’m here to do my job. I’m not involved with acquisitions.” How had she landed in the middle of all this stressful mess?
“Fine.” His sapphire eyes flared beneath the rim of his hat and his fists clenched by his sides. “I give you fair warning, you’ll be hearing from our lawyers. We will be doing everything possible to ensure that this development doesn’t proceed.”
As she held her ground, she gave him a comprehending nod.
“Good day then, Miss Johnstone.” He dipped his head before he turned on the heel of his boots and headed in the direction of the work sheds.
She let out a deep breath, it seemed like she’d been holding on to for an eternity. Her hands trembled as she ran her fingers through her hair and fought back the sting in her eyes. Troy had looked at her with such contempt. No longer heated desire. One of the best nights of just-for-the fun-of-it, let-off-some-steam, fuck-everything-in-the-world, crazy, fun sex now made her feel terrible. She dropped her head back and stared at the vast expanse of blue sky above. “Haven’t I got enough crap to deal with?”
Then she thought of Fran and Jamie. Jamie was still trying to find work every day and their baby due in a short number of weeks. Okay, Kelleigh had her debts, her problems; a horrid boss, but this job would pay her bills. That’s right, she had to think of the positives. As limited as they may be.
“Kelleigh? Come on, it’s time for our next meeting.” Toru skipped down the stairs and opened his car door. “Let’s go.”
She forced a smile, reluctantly slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. Her own frustration rippled through her veins. She hated Troy being upset with her, but Toru’s behavior irked her even more. She twisted her hands into knots. She was not one to question management’s decisions, but going into an important meeting without all the facts was not fair. “Why didn’t you tell me on the way out here that the plans had changed? That was embarrassing, not knowing the big picture.”
“It was irrelevant. You only needed to show the plans for the feasibility studies.”
She crossed her arms and stared out the passenger window. Any respectable person would have informed her of such changes and not lead her into a meeting blind. What was he playing at? Trying to make her look incompetent? That infuriated her even further. She couldn’t wait to get this job over and done with, get her bags packed and leave this town once and for all.
The next morning Troy pulled his Cruiser up outside Larry’s old farmhouse, grabbed the paper bag full of pastries off the seat next to him and headed up the stairs. Maria’s cooking smelled delicious and he started to salivate, eager to have a taste. But checking up on Larry was not the only reason for his visit, Troy wanted to get to the bottom of this deal he had with JLR. Why would Larry sell without mentioning it?
“Hello,” he called out, and knocked on the screen door.
“Troy, that you?” Larry’s voice came from within the depths of the house. “Come on in, the door is unlocked. You’re just in time for a cuppa.”
The screen door creaked open and shut with a bang behind him. He walked into the kitchen, placed the bag on the table and threw his hat down beside it.
“Sounds good. I stole some of Maria’s pastries. I know how much of a sweet tooth you have.”
“That I do, young man. That I do. They’ll go well with the pot of tea I was about to make.”
“Here, you take a seat and I’ll make the tea.” Troy pulled back a chair from the table and insisted Larry take a seat.
“I guess I know the reason for your visit.” Larry mumbled. “You’ve finally heard about me wanting to sell the place.”
Troy paused momentarily before scooping more tealeaves into the kettle and poured boiling water on top.
“Why didn’t you tell us? You should have talked to Nick and me. There’s maybe something we could have done.”
Larry’s sunken cheeks drew into a sullen smile. “Maybe. Maybe not. You don’t need to worry yourselves with my problems. But when I was sick this past winter and needed to get my affairs into order, my lawyer suggested this development to me. His firm represents JLR here in Australia and it sounded like an easy option. Not having to deal with scumbag real estate agents or pay the bastards all that commission for no work. Nope. This resort mob offered me a great price on the proviso that the application is approved. They seem very confident or they wouldn’t be here, right?”
“Right.” Troy’s voice trailed off while he poured the tea and stirred in milk. Seeing this place turned into a resort would be such a waste of prime farmland. He could understand why JLR wanted it so badly. The rolling foothills, the endless green pastures, rich soil and running creek was a definite drawcard.
“They visited us yesterday and proposed to buy Gumtrees as well. Nick and I, of course, wouldn’t have a bar of it. I think they’ll have the same, if not more colorful opposition from Brian up the road. They went to see him after us.” Troy placed the tea down in front of Larry and sat down opposite him.
“What? It’s only supposed to be my place.” Larry shook his head. “I’m sorry, kid. This is wrong. I didn’t know they had bigger plans.”
“They won’t if I have anything to do with it.” Troy held the cup to his lips over the rim to cool the contents down. “So what are you going to do with yourself, old man?”
“Retire. I’m eighty years old and still working the land. I can’t do it anymore. My bones aren’t as young as yours. I’m going to move to Coffs Harbour to be near my kids and grandkids.”
“You’re moving away? But this is your home.” Larry was a good friend and it would be sad to see him leave the district.
“If this sale goes through, it won’t be for much longer. Jett’s upset, but he’s young and will find another job. He’s a good kid and I hated having to tell him. He’s agreed to stay on until the development plan is approved. Maybe one thing you could do after all this is finalized is offer him a job. I know Nick’s been talking about hiring more hands, especially coming up to harvest.”
“Geez, I don’t know, Larry.” Jett was a great farmhand, but he didn’t think he could afford two full-time staff. During harvest, yes. But long-term was a different story. “I’ll have to wait and see. You remember my son, Conner, I offered him a job and I’m waiting to see what he wants to do.”
Larry slowly nodded his head. “I understand.”
“Nick and I really don’t want this development to go ahead. I can’t see Brian agreeing to this and I don’t know about Bill on the other side of you, but is there any way we can stop this? Is there anything in the contract that gives you an out? I’m sorry if it’s not going to be what you want, but I have to think of the surrounding farmland and the effect it will have on us around here.”
Larry’s shoulders slouched. “I thought as much. I hoped this was going to be an easy process, but I guess that’s not going to happen. You young things have so much fight in you; I wish I had it in me. I see now that I should have talked to you first.”
“Are you sure there’s no clause in your agreement?”
“Hold on a sec.” Larry slowly pushed back from his chair and walked out into the other room. Troy heard the floorboards creak under his footsteps, the drawer of a filing cabinet sliding in and out and the rustling of paper before he returned with a pile of documents and red A4-sized books.
“What’s all this?” Troy asked as Larry placed the pile down in front of him.
“This is a copy of the agreement.” The old man’s gnarled-knuckled finger pointed to the document on the top. “And these are all my account books for the past three years. Maybe you can take a look at them for me and tell me what you think the place is worth, because if by some slim chance this development doesn’t proceed, I’m still going to have to sell up. I’d hate to see some city slicker buy the place for their weekend getaway and let the land go to waste.”
“A golf course is worse. They’ll sculpt the land, knock down the trees, change the waterways and build ugly villas everywhere. I know which one I’d prefer.” Troy grunted as he bit into a pastry.
Larry groaned as he sat slowly back down on his chair. “This was supposed to be an easy solution. A quick way out so I can move on. You do what you must and I’ll help you out with anything I know. It’s good to see you have the spirit to fight.”
“And I’ll do everything possible to ensure I win.” This land meant a lot to him; it was in his blood. He wasn’t going to see it developed into some hideous golf course without putting up his best efforts to stop them. “Thanks for all this, Larry, but I better get going now. The council meeting is on tonight and I need to finish off the spraying before I clean up and head into Harrigan’s. You want to come?”
“Nope. I’m going to stay well away from the firing squad. You can tell me all about it later.” Larry winked at him as he slurped on his hot cup of tea. “Have you met the young lass, Kelleigh? She is one tough lass, heading up the team of boys here on-site.”
“Humph! Yes, I’ve met her.” Troy gathered the plates and rinsed them off at the sink to avoid Larry seeing the heat rise up his neck at the mention of her name. “She came to the meeting at Gumtrees yesterday. Wouldn't have picked her as a project leader.” Kelleigh consumed his mind for most of his waking hours since he’d met her on the side of the road and spending the night with her last week. But everything changed now he knew who she was. She’d lied to him and deceived him. When she walked into the office, he nearly tripped over himself. He’d been toying with the idea of going to Harrigan’s again and hopefully … accidentally … run into her again, but instead, she ended up on his doorstep. For the first half of the meeting he couldn’t believe his luck at seeing her again and having the chance to maybe hook up again while she was in town. But now, that notion had truly disappeared. It was his mission in life to see her and her company sent on their way, out of the Hunter Valley for good.
“Pity we don’t get fine lasses like that coming to live around this town anymore.”
“She won’t be here for long if I have anything to do with it.” He noticed a twinge of disappointment in the depths of his chest as he spoke those words. That instant attraction he felt for Kelleigh when he saw her stranded by the road; that intense chemistry he felt when he flirted with her over drinks and the insane, hot passion between them when in her bedroom was something he hadn’t felt in a lo
ng time. Pity it was so short-lived.
Now he knew who Kelleigh was and things were put into perspective, there’d be no more crazy, lustful thoughts about her. Enough was enough. Returning to Larry’s table, he gathered up all the documents, notebooks and his hat. He had to think about Gumtrees. He glanced at the clock; time was getting away from him yet again. “I have to get going. Those vines aren’t going to spray themselves.” He hooked the load of books under his arm. “Thanks for this. It means a lot. I’ll let you know if I find anything and will have a chat with our lawyers. We’ll chat soon.”
Troy tipped the rim of his hat, scooted down the hallway, jumped in his Cruiser and headed back to Gumtrees. He wasn’t a lawyer, he wasn’t an accountant but he was good at math. First thing he’d do before heading out in the field was call Maxine, Jessica’s best friend, who was a corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer. At least, she might be able to give him some points in the right direction on how the hell he could stop this development from proceeding.
Chapter 11
Harrigan’s was overflowing with locals waiting for the council meeting to commence at five o’clock in the afternoon. Conversations filled the air around Troy, who sat at the bar talking to Brian and a couple of other men about the JLR project. No point in keeping it secret any longer. Brian, the grumpy ol’ bugger, was about as impressed as Troy and Nick had been when he heard the plans from Kelleigh and Toru.
“Threatened to get my shotgun out if they didn’t get off my property quick smart,” Brian smirked.
Troy hesitated, eyeing off the man wondering if he would carry out such a serious threat. In fact, the more he thought about, Brian probably would.
As Troy listened intently and more people joined in his discussion, his confidence grew quietly as support gathered to stop the project. But he couldn’t ignore the disappointment at his conduct toward Kelleigh after the meeting yesterday. She wasn’t the one to blame. He was not like that. He rarely lost his temper, but the threat made against his home and livelihood had sent rage shooting through his veins like a dragster thundering down the track.
