Bed, Breakfast & You

by Maddie James

  Suzie rushed into the room and fell into an empty back row seat. Glancing about the filled and busy room, she spied to see who was there. Jim and Lilly sat several seats down and to her right; Martin McClain, a local real estate agent to her left. Jane Smith who owned the bookstore was in front of her along with old Mr. and Mrs. Wilson whom she needed to avoid like the plague if possible, and...a warm body sat down right next to her.

  A too warm body.

  She started to look at the late comer when Mayor Jack Crenshaw hammered the gavel on a wooden podium, on which a poster was tacked and stated, Support Local Merchants. Save Legend’s Trees and Forests! She caught a hint of familiar cologne, however, and turned to an eyeful of a sexy black t-shirt.

  Brad leaned close. “Promises to be an interesting evening, huh?”

  Taken aback, she nodded. “Could be. I suppose. I’m just here for the info.”

  Brad cocked his head. “I hear there could be a hot topic on the agenda.”

  Her interest piqued, she looked at him. “Oh? And how would you know that? You’ve been in town all of,” she glanced at her watch, “twenty-one hours?”

  He shrugged and smiled. “I get around.”

  I bet. Suzie turned toward Jack Crenshaw who introduced the Council’s recently hired town planner consultant. He seemed like a slimy fellow, and she didn’t like the looks of him at all. With a narrow chicken face, his round-rimmed glasses tilted on the end of his nose as he looked down at everyone. She’d seen the man around town. Poking in and out of stores. Asking questions. Even came to see her once. She wasn’t quite sure what his role or task was. Guess she’d find out tonight.

  He droned on about local economy and the employment rate. He mentioned the necessity to capitalize on Legend’s natural resources, its people, and their talents. He stressed the needs of the community. He ranted about positive growth, keeping Legend green, and the strong revitalization of downtown. All things they’d heard before.

  Brad leaned closer, listening intently. She glanced sideways at him, catching a new-found sparkle in his eye. For a moment, she studied his profile, and then the droning dragged her away.

  The chicken-beaked consultant continued, this time with dire news. New threats to the economy. The drop-out rate. Unemployment. Loss of population in the town. Young people moving to the cities for jobs. No commerce to support college graduates. No local industry to support entry-level workers.

  Bottom line: arts and crafts, mom and pop, home-spun and home-grown, and Mother Nature just wouldn’t cut it anymore. Legend needed more.

  Huh?

  Suzie screwed up her face and glanced around her. She was “mom and pop” er, well, “mom” and was doing okay. Right? What was this man saying? By the looks on the faces around her, she wasn’t the only one concerned.

  Jim cleared his throat and stood up; as a former NFL football player and the local high school football coach, he made a commanding presence and demanded attention when he wanted it. Jack acknowledged him.

  “So let me make sure I understand you,” he nodded toward the consultant, “you’re saying that Legend needs to make changes? That the downtown isn’t going to make it? That we need more?”

  The older man nodded. “Your economy is gradually dwindling. To be honest, it needs a swift kick in the butt. Your young people need to work and there are no jobs. If jobs don’t come here within the next five years, your beautiful little town could become a ghost town.”

  Small gasps went up in the crowd.

  Jim countered. “But our downtown is booming. My wife recently opened a store that outdid itself this past month. Business is getting better all the time. She just hired a new part-time worker yesterday.”

  The consultant stepped around the podium and looked toward Lilly. “Yes, I understand. I’ve spoken at length with your wife, Mr. Hood. The fact of the matter is, as successful as her new business appears to be today, she’ll likely close shop within two years. I predict she won’t make it.”

  He paused to glance about the room. Suzie registered the scowl on Lilly’s face. Uh-oh. That was not a happy face.

  “In fact,” he continued, “as I look out into this crowd, I see a number of small business owners here. I’ve interviewed most of you. Each of you will be hard-pressed to make a profit in the next three-to-five years.” The consultant’s gaze landed on her.

  “That’s ridiculous!” Suzie jumped up and shouted the words before she’d realized it.

  “How dare you come in here and tell us we are doomed!” she continued. “We Legendarians aren’t like that, Mr...Consultant. We persevere. We work hard. We live our dreams. And we don’t give up!”

  Slow and sporadic applause erupted throughout the town hall. Suzie jerked her shoulders back and stood a little taller. It felt darn good to stand up for something she believed in.

  “That may be well and good; however, perseverance doesn’t pay the bills….”

  “Wait a minute.” Suzie glanced around the room. “Most of us are small business owners. We’re not struggling, are we?”

  A cone of silence fell over the crowd as realization set in.

  “My daughter went off to college and never came back.” The response edged up from someone to her right.

  “Tired of living from check-to-check, wondering each month which bill I might have to wait to pay,” squeaked out another.

  “The kids say there is nothing here for them,” came one more.

  Suzie crossed her arms. “I don’t get it.” She set her gaze on several faces. “Legend is beautiful! We have so much to offer. Nothing for the kids? We have a beautiful mountain and a lake and….”

  “That’s great for recreation, Suzie,” Jack interjected. “The kids want real jobs. He’s right. They go away to college and get their degrees, see the world, and don’t want to come back and work in a craft shop, stock shelves at the Piggly Wiggly, or wait tables at Soda Jerk’s.”

  Suddenly, a cacophony burst forth in the room. Heads all around bobbed back and forth discussing the situation with their neighbors.

  “We don’t need a damn factory to ruin our beautiful landscape!”

  “My kid wants a job at Valu-Mart. Why can’t we have a Valu-Mart?”

  Jane Smith shot to her feet. “Because those of us who love downtown Legend will lose our businesses. That is why we don’t need a Valu-Mart! My bookstore would be doomed with a Valu-Mart.”

  “But we’ve worked so hard to rebuild our downtown. We got that grant money. And people shop here. It’s on the tourist route. Why…didn’t we have a bus load of senior citizens here last week from Ohio?”

  Oh, hell. What was happening?

  Suzie searched the room. Where was her friend, Midnight? “Midnight!” she pointed to the owner of the Emporium. “Tell them about Market Legend. What a success that was this past winter. The website. The marketing strategy. We are not doomed.”

  Midnight stood halfway up when Jack Crenshaw cracked his gavel on the podium. She sat back down with a frown.

  He pounded the gavel again with a rat-a-tat-tat. “If I could have your attention. Attention please!”

  The rampant discord in the crowd abruptly stopped and everyone turned the mayor’s way. How was old Jack going to handle this one? The primary was around the corner and if he stepped too much one way or the other, he could either lose his job or be set for another term.

  “Folks, let’s be reasonable here,” he said slowly. “There may be a solution, so let’s hear some alternatives. We’re not finished yet. Martin?”

  The crowd turned to Martin McClain. Brad shifted in the seat beside her. She’d been so caught up in all of the action she’d almost forgotten he was there. Nooo… How could she forget the smell of his after-shave wafting toward her and the heat of his thigh searing hers?

  Leaning over, she resisted the urge to lay her hand on his thigh. She whispered, “Wonder what this is all about?”

  Brad shifted again, angling toward her. Good. If he hadn’t moved
she would have gotten a stupid crook in her neck. What was it that turned her on about him? That he just spilled over with decadent sex appeal? So much so that she was drawn to him like flies on cider whether she wanted to be or not?

  None of it was good. Neither the attraction she was feeling nor the fact that he had definitely staked his claim on her last night. She was having difficulty reconciling all of it.

  Martin cleared his throat and rose. Reluctantly, she skid her gaze away from Brad.

  “I know all of this is a touchy subject,” Martin said, “but I think there are alternatives. I’ve been working with our consultant and others, and perhaps we can come to an agreement about the kind of development that could benefit Legend’s economy. Suzie is right about one thing, our natural resources are a draw. The lake. The mountains. The tourists do come to buy local crafts and the like.”

  An angry male voice bubbled up from the back of the room. “Ah, hell, Martin. You just want to sell land. You don’t care about the economy.”

  Martin’s face turned all but purple. “I want what is good for our town and the people who live in it. I think we can invest in projects that can do just that. For example, we have done a great job revitalizing downtown and I differ slightly in opinion from what our consultant says.” He glanced to his right at Midnight Shelby.

  Suzie smiled. She’d known when Midnight had stayed at the B&B while she was finding a home in Legend that something was up between her and Martin. The way he looked at her now confirmed that. Midnight’s Emporium was taking off; business was good. And Suzie would bet nickels that Midnight would be hard-pressed to admit her new business wasn’t a good thing.

  “So, I’d like to introduce someone to you who can explain a new project. I think you will like this. It will bring jobs and support the local economy, as well as revitalize a bit of our past. Mr. Matthews has a plan. Legendarians, meet Brad Matthews.”

  Suzie’s breath caught in her throat. What the hell?

  “Thanks, Martin.” Brad rose and shoved his hands in his tight jean pockets, then tossed a nervous glance at Suzie. He looked…uncertain. And that was an anomaly for Brad Matthews, the most self-assured man she’d ever met. He turned and faced the crowd.

  “I’ll be brief. One solution, it appears to me, is to capitalize on what you already have. The downtown is great. Tourists ride in here every week on buses. They stay for a couple of hours, buy lunch, a few souvenirs, and then leave. I think one way to boost the economy is to provide quality lodging services so tourists will stay longer.”

  Suzie sat straighter in her chair, her back ramrod stiff. Her attention was definitely at high-pique with his statement. Legend has quality lodging services. Her!

  He didn’t look at her. Coward.

  “Old Lake Lodge was a boon in its heyday. People came in droves to experience the mountains, stay the week, and unwind. Since the bankruptcy of its owners more than thirty-five years ago, and the subsequent condemnation of the Lodge itself, it has sat abandoned, empty and virtually unused.”

  Suzie scooted to the edge of her seat, her face growing warm. What-in-the-hell was he proposing? The room was silent.

  “I know I am an outsider, you don’t know me from Adam, but I’ve been studying your town for a while and I’ve decided to move here.”

  Abruptly, Suzie broke into a choking fit, casting most all eyes in the room her way. Someone in the row behind her reached over to pat her hard on the back. She glanced to her rear through watery eyes and nodded her thanks to old Geraldine and then swung her gaze around to Brad.

  “Sorry, please go on. I find this extremely, uh...interesting.” She glared at him, not entirely certain she understood the look that he shot back.

  Brad returned to the crowd. “I’ve purchased Old Lake Lodge,” a twitter of conversation broke in the room then, “…and the surrounding sixty-two acres. I’ve been meeting with local contractors, zoning, utilities, and the town council. I am prepared to put a lot of money into the local economy in two ways. One, by providing jobs for locals in the construction of a new mega-hotel, restaurant and spa on the old Lake Lodge site. Two, once it is finished, providing a hefty number of jobs required to run the business, in the areas of hotel management, culinary arts, recreation and relaxation, housekeeping, maintenance and such. I believe, and your Town Council agrees, that this is a viable compromise to the situation. The ‘kick in the butt’ as the consultant so eloquently put it.”

  A pregnant pause floated about the still room. Suzie didn’t know what to think or say. A thud landed in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to stand but wasn’t sure her legs worked.

  “You’re going to tear down Old Lake Lodge?” Mr. Wilson feebly raised his hand and uttered the words. “My wife and I were married there sixty years ago last month.”

  Suzie’s heart fell. The lodge was old and decrepit but it was a part of their history. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were old and decrepit, too. Did that mean you just got rid of them?

  “Unfortunately, the lodge will have to go.” Brad took a deep breath, his face as hard as stone. “And part of the mountain. Not much, because we want to preserve what we can but we need more level land.”

  Finally, she found her land legs and rose. Her jaw was tight and her fists clenched. “You’re going to level our lodge and blow up our mountain? Do you want to suck the lake dry, too?”

  Brad fixed his questioning gaze on her.

  Yes, she was angry. Damn angry.

  Not only was Brad Matthews ruining part of Legend’s history, but he single-handedly was out to destroy her little business as well. How in the hell would Legend’s Landing Bed and Breakfast size up against the likes of a mega-hotel and spa?

  Likely, it wouldn’t. In the matter of a few minutes, he had managed to kill everything she’d worked so hard for the past year and longer.

  She wasn’t going to sit around and let that happen. Not for one moment.

  Chapter Six

  “So, I’ll ask again. Are you planning to blow up our mountain?”

  Brad took in Suzie’s frantic, wide-eyed gaze, her stiff-armed stance, and suddenly got gut-punched. He had some explaining to do. And quick.

  He turned toward her and lowered his voice.

  “What I said was that we needed to level more land. Most likely we’ll clear off a few acres of trees and yes, we will need to dynamite to make way for….”

  Suzie stepped forward, shaking her head. “So, you’re going to blow away part of the side of our mountain, kill several hundred trees, level a piece of local history, and ruin the view from my home and business? A small “mom and pop” business, I might add, that according to our consultant here,” she swept her arm toward the front of the room, “is doomed in a couple of years, anyway? Is that what you are thinking?”

  “Suzette...”

  She put up her hand. “No. Stop, Brad. Stop right where you are. I think it’s time for you to go. Time for you to cut your losses and get out of town. You are not wanted here. We don’t need your super, mega-hotel slash five-star-restaurant slash spa. We’ve survived on what we have for many, many years and we’ll do quite nicely after you and your ideas are gone.

  “So...leave, Mr. Matthews. Please.”

  That please did him in more than anything, particularly when he registered the ache in her eyes as she said it. Brad watched the woman who lambasted him—the same woman who held the key to his heart, unfortunately.

  “Suzie….”

  A male voice boomed up from across the room. The man in the cooking class. Hood, Brad thought his name was.

  “Suzie,” the man continued, “his idea is not a bad one.”

  Surprised, Brad watched her swivel toward the man. “You can’t be serious, Jim. What good would this idea do for Legend?”

  “Think about it,” he urged. “There are a lot of jobs connected to a project like this and it sounds as though he has considered what is important to our town. It’s not a discount department store or a factory. If we have to inv
est in something, to keep our downtown the way it is, this could be the better option.”

  “For whom?” Her nostrils flared when she glanced from face to expectant face. “What about keeping all of our businesses the same? I’m not downtown but I’m still Legend and I still count!”

  She turned, leveling her gaze firmly on him. “Mr. Matthews,” she continued through clenched teeth, “is only considering one thing…himself. And I can’t believe all of you have fallen for it.”

  In a flash, she jerked her gaze. He thought her eyes looked a little misty. With a deep scowl, she stumbled out of the back row and headed for the door. She made an ungraceful getaway by shuffling over empty, metal folding chairs as well as a few Legendarians’ feet.

  He guessed he’d pissed her off.

  No. That wasn’t a pissed look. That was hurt. Pure and simple.

  Brad released a loud, long pent up breath. Dammit.

  ****

  I am not going to lose everything I have worked so hard for.

  Perched in the Adirondack chair, Suzie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, and hugged her knees a little tighter under her chin. She looked over the lake and sighed. She hated crying; didn’t do it often. And had felt damn proud that she’d held her tears in all the way home and for a full five minutes while sitting there.

  Then little by little, they started falling.

  Daylight Savings Time hadn’t kicked in yet and darkness fell early these days. The full moon sat low over the water, casting a mellow glow over the scene before her. Quiet. Peaceful. Waves gently lapped against the old dock pilings where she tied her small motor boat, soothing both her soul and her demeanor.

  Another reason why she loved this place.

  Large motors weren’t allowed on the lake but her trolling motor was great for tooling around and doing a little fishing. A few miles down the lakeshore at the park, paddleboats were the thing. Everybody loved those, kids and oldsters alike.