Joanna gave him a sharp glance and clicked off her device. “I’m not sure what anyone would want with old greenhouses and a house that must have been built in the forties.”
“That’s where Granddad started Akers Garden Center. My father expanded the business and moved it to the outskirts of town twenty-five years ago.”
She drummed her fingers, drawing his attention to the large sapphire ring on her right hand. It had been hard to miss earlier, even down the length of the boardroom table, catching the light every time she gestured. Right hand. That didn’t mean anything, did it?
“Leaving the old property to fall into disrepair.”
She was starting to get under his skin. “Granddad started seedlings for the garden center for years afterward. My sister and I helped out after school to earn spending money.”
“How nice.”
Grady’s temper flared. “Look, I don’t know why you hate me so much. We are on the same team here, trying to find a way to fulfill the terms of Granddad’s living trust to the benefit of all parties involved.”
“I don’t hate you.”
The server set down two bowls of soup and a basket with fragrant sourdough biscuits.
“Hate might be too strong a word.” It didn’t feel too strong. “But you seem to avidly dislike me and be opposed to everything I say.”
Joanna’s brown eyes narrowed, staring at him through her glasses as she bit her lip. Finally, she nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Is it something I said?”
“I said I’m sorry.”
Okay then. Grady broke a steaming biscuit in half and slathered it with butter. No sense letting good food go cold.
She took a tentative bite of the chowder.
Maybe she was the sort whose blood sugar got out of whack if she hadn’t eaten. Maybe a good meal would flip her world right-side-up.
After a few minutes, Joanna set her spoon down. “So tell me what people use greenhouses for besides growing plants.”
Besides plants? Grady tilted his head.
“And who grows plants if they’re not selling them?” she pressed on. “I’m sure your grandfather doesn’t expect the church to go into competition with the family business.”
“Uh...”
“Exactly. There isn’t any practical reason to keep the greenhouses.”
“Just because I don’t have a quick answer doesn’t mean there isn’t one. That’s why the church hired you. To come up with creative ideas.”
“Low-income housing—”
“No. Ideas for the property as it is now.”
Joanna shook her head and smeared a tiny dab of butter across a biscuit. “I think we’ve established that the greenhouses aren’t viable. A number of panes are broken and the whole set-up is in disrepair. I imagine there would be a significant cost to revitalizing them, and to what purpose, if the site isn’t being used for business?”
She had a point, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Grady couldn’t imagine up and telling Granddad they were bulldozing the lot. “There must be something.”
“The house at least could be rented out.” Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “When was it last updated? Is everything up to code, or would the church be liable if, say, an electrical fire broke out?”
He could do without the hostility, but at least she was talking. “The house was rewired about twenty years ago. My grandmother became wheelchair bound, so some upgrades to the kitchen and bathroom were required then.”
“I see.” She pushed her bowl aside, still with some soup in it. “So it likely wouldn’t attract a high-caliber renter.”
“It’s not about money.”
Joanna met his gaze with her eyebrows raised. “It’s always about money.”
“Actually, it isn’t.” He didn’t really want to explain the family finances to her. It wasn’t any of her business. “Renting out the house might be a short-term fix, but it doesn’t create a solution for the entire property.”
“What else do people do with a house besides live in it?” She took a deep breath and let it out audibly. “You want solutions, but you want them on very specific terms. I’m not sure I can help.”
“The church is paying you to think outside the box.”
“While making sure the box stays intact.”
“There has to be something.”
“So you say.” Joanna checked her watch. “How long a drive is it to the nursing home? Will your grandfather be up yet?”
Why did it bug him so much that she didn’t see him as more than an obstacle to pushing through her own agenda? Most unattached women he met at least pretended to be interested and kicked that up a notch once they got an idea what the family business was worth. Though he should be glad she wasn’t like Vanessa.
Maybe Joanna had a serious boyfriend. Maybe she’d get a giant diamond for her other hand any day now.
It couldn’t be because he’d lost his charm.
Could it?
Chapter 2
Joanna followed Grady’s white van emblazoned with the Akers Garden Center logo past the church, past the property in discussion, and through a residential area. She hadn’t been out this direction since she’d arrived in Arcadia Valley two weeks before. She’d had no idea the town stretched this far southeast.
She parked beside the van in the visitor parking area at Retro Village. Somehow Grady was beside her door, opening it, before she’d gathered her purse and laptop. A gentleman. Maybe not much like Pierce Bennet after all. Not that it mattered. She’d needed a place to go after Salt Lake City, and her brother’s wistful request had brought her to Arcadia Valley. Being a single dad was a rough go for Cameron. Joanna hadn’t moved here to meet a man. She was over dating.
Two magnolia trees flanked the front door of the sprawling seniors’ home, their sweet aroma filling the air.
She became aware of Grady’s intense eyes watching her as they strode toward the doors of Retro Village. “Tell me a bit about your grandfather.” She should have probably done this research before starting the project, but she’d made notes in between packing boxes for her move.
“He’s a born-and-bred Arcadian. Lived here every one of his eighty-nine years.”
“Really? That’s unusual.”
“It happens.” He beckoned her to precede him as the glass door slid open.
Joanna glanced around the small lobby. This wasn’t like any nursing home she’d ever been in. Granted, those had been few and far between, but where were all the old people dozing in wheelchairs?
The young woman behind the desk stood, her eyes lighting up as they approached. “Grady! Good to see you. I assume you’re here to see your grandfather? I’ll buzz ahead and let them know you’re coming.”
“Thanks.” He rested his hand on the small of Joanna’s back and pointed toward a door on the left. He smelled tantalizingly of cologne.
For half a second she relaxed against him. No! What was she thinking? No dating. No men. Especially not men who’d hired her as a consultant. She angled away, but there was nowhere to go as Grady leaned to press a button beside a glass door, which opened to a brightly lit communal area.
“Welcome to Frank Sinatra Pod,” Grady murmured in her ear.
“Frank — what?”
“Frank Sinatra.” His blue eyes crinkled. “Famous singer back in the day. Ever heard of him?”
“Uh, yeah. But he wasn’t from Arcadia Valley. Was he?”
Grady chuckled. “New Jersey. But what does it matter? He’s American retro.” He leaned closer and pointed to a table where three old men sat around a jigsaw puzzle. “There’s my grandfather. Come on.”
There was no guessing which of the three was an Akers. The tall frame, the shock of white hair, and the twinkling eyes as he looked up gave him away. “Grady! Good to see you.” His gaze twitched to Joanna and back. “Who have we here? If you’re looking for my approval, my boy, you’ve got it.” He winked at Joanna.
Heat rolled
up her cheeks. She stretched her hand toward him. “I’m Joanna Kraus, Mr. Akers. I’m here from Kraus Consulting to talk about the property you’ve entrusted to Grace Fellowship.”
His handshake was surprisingly strong. “Joanna, eh?” He appraised her, his lips pursing, then nodded at Grady. “She’ll do. She has the conformation to carry another generation of Akers babies. Not like that blond wispy thing you brought here the other day. What was her name... Vanity?”
“Vanessa, Granddad. That was three years ago, though it doesn’t matter one way or the other. Joanna is here on business.”
Good. So long as he kept that in mind, all would be well.
“She reminds me a lot of your grandmother when she was young.” The old man reached for Joanna’s hands again. “Does she love the Lord?”
“Granddad—”
“I do, Mr. Akers, but that’s not why I’m here with Grady. We’re here to talk about the living trust on your property.”
His eyes brightened. “You kids could live in that house. Good location. Big yard. Great for a family.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Mr. Akers. You’ve already signed the property over to the church. May we speak with you for a little while about what you’d like to see done with it?”
He fumbled for the walker near his chair. Grady straightened the contraption then tucked his hand behind his grandfather’s elbow, helping him to stand. He murmured something Joanna couldn’t quite hear and kept a hand ready as he followed the old man toward a bedroom off the commons.
Joanna trailed behind them. Any man who had this much respect for his grandfather couldn’t be all bad. And she couldn’t fault Clarence for sizing her up as a prospective mate. He probably was dreaming of attending a wedding and cradling some great-grandchildren before he passed on.
Not that she was Clarence’s dream come true. Or Grady’s for that matter, no matter the twinkle in either man’s blue eyes when they looked at her. Established families with money only hired people like her. There would be no welcome once they had what they wanted.
No matter. She’d fill her life with her brother’s twins. They’d be enough for her.
* * *
Granddad would bring up Vanessa in front of Joanna. Half the time the old man couldn’t remember what he’d had for lunch, but he couldn’t forget Grady’s error in judgment from three years earlier.
Grady settled his grandfather against the pillows on the bed, aware of Joanna leaning against the doorjamb. He flashed her a quick smile. “Come on in and have a seat.”
Joanna wasn’t anything like Vanessa. Was she? Besides, it didn’t matter. He might be attracted to her, but the feeling was obviously not mutual.
She crossed the room and took a seat by the window that overlooked the garden then set her laptop on the small table.
Business. All business. He’d do well to remember. Once the old man had a sip of ice water, Grady sat opposite Joanna. “Granddad, can you tell Ms. Kraus more of what you’d like to see done with the property?”
He didn’t miss the sharp glance Joanna sent him, but maybe the degree of formality would keep Granddad focused.
“Didn’t I tell you?” The old man’s bushy brows pulled downward. “To help the community. To make a difference.”
Joanna leaned closer. “Mr. Akers, I was thinking of a row of low-income housing. Here, let me show you what I’ve drawn up.”
“Low what?” Granddad shook his head.
“The zoning is multi-use, so it would be perf—”
“You’d have to tear down everything.”
Joanna found the file on her laptop. “Well, yes. But it’s a big lot. There are two options here. One is for three duplexes and the other shows a row of eight connected homes.” She tilted the screen toward Granddad.
The old man frowned at the laptop.
“Think of all the families who would love a beautiful home like this. We might even be able to do something through Habitat for Humanity.” She tapped into her phone. “I’ll look into that aspect.”
Granddad gave Grady a helpless look.
Grady understood the feeling. He grinned at his grandfather. “Ms. Kraus has some good ideas there. Single-parent families, maybe. Or down-on-their-luck in other ways. We could set up a screening process for applicants.”
Joanna straightened and stared at him.
Hey, he could play devil’s advocate. He didn’t want her to have grounds for believing he’d pushed the old man’s decision.
Granddad scowled. “But the greenhouses. All that land.”
“How do you propose utilizing those greenhouses, Mr. Akers?”
The old man’s hands rolled into a tumbling motion. “To grow things. What else are they good for?”
Joanna leaned forward, adjusting her glasses. “I can’t think of anything. Do you want to see a small business developed there growing seedlings for sale?”
Grady bit his tongue as his grandfather looked between him and Joanna.
“That doesn’t sound right,” Granddad said at last.
Inwardly, Grady cheered.
“A community group?”
Joanna tapped her fingers against the table. “Like what? A gardening club?”
Granddad’s head shook slowly.
“Getting closer, I think,” put in Grady.
“Is there a gardening club?”
“Yes.” Grady lowered his voice. “But Mrs. Haskell is in charge, and she has always been a thorn in Granddad’s side, so I don’t think that will be a good solution.”
Her eyebrows rose in challenge.
“That woman!” exploded Granddad. “Why can’t they get someone with a green thumb to run that club? She is forever killing plants—”
“Forty years ago,” whispered Grady.
“—And claiming warranty on them. Rosebushes need sunshine and water and fertilizer. Three things! You’d think—”
“Don’t worry, Granddad. We won’t let Mrs. Haskell in the greenhouse.”
“A black thumb, that’s what she’s got. Useless woman.”
“Okay.” Joanna held up both hands. “Not the gardening club.”
It had seemed a logical thought. Were there any other community groups who might find a use for the space? “Can you bring up a list of Arcadia Valley clubs?”
Joanna stared at him for a moment, obviously deep in thought, before she nodded. Her fingers darted across the keyboard. “Let’s see. Rotary. Lions. 4-H. Friends of the Library...” Her voice drifted away as she scrolled and scanned. She shook her head. “I’m not seeing anything that jumps out as a good match.”
He sighed. Not that he’d remembered any, but there could have been an obscure group or two he’d never heard of.
We could start our own club.
It took supreme effort not to roll his eyes at his own thoughts. Like he needed to prove to Joanna that he was unhinged. What kind of group was his hindbrain dreaming up with him and Joanna in it? A singles club that met in a greenhouse? Yeah, nice try, Grady. Logic was written all over that one. She could barely stand to be in the same room as him.
Maybe he didn’t want to find a solution anytime soon, after all. The longer the search took for the perfect idea, the more time he’d spend with the intriguing Joanna Kraus. Maybe he should focus on drawing out the process, not expediting it.
“Those people who you said need housing...” Granddad mused. “Don’t they need food, too?”
Joanna’s head took a swift turn toward the bed. “I’m sure they do.”
Chapter 3
Joanna parked between the old greenhouses and Grady’s company van. “Okay, boys. Unbuckle and come with me.” She opened the backdoor for her young charges.
Grady jumped out of the van and grinned at her and the twins. “Here I wondered if you might be pretending to have nephews just to stand me up.”
Not that she hadn’t thought about ditching him, but the boys would keep her focused on the project and take her mind off how crazy good-l
ooking Grady was. How he couldn’t possibly be playing her like Pierce had. “Boys, this is Mr. Akers.” She wrapped her arms around both twins’ shoulders and nudged one forward at a time. “This is Oliver, and this is Evan.” Not that it would make a difference, most likely. Though the twins weren’t identical, it seemed no one could remember which name went with which face.
The man crouched in front of her and looked from one boy to the other. “How old are you, buddy?”
“Five,” announced Evan.
“We go to kindergarten,” added Oliver.
“Sounds good. I went to kindergarten when I was five, too.”
Oliver peered at him. “You were five?”
“Yeah. It was a long time ago, but it really happened.” Grady tousled Oliver’s head and rose. He looked at Joanna and brandished a ring of keys. “Ready to see inside?”
“Lead the way.”
He unlocked an antique door on the low building connecting the two greenhouses. “Be careful, now. I cleaned up broken glass last week, but I can’t guarantee there isn’t more.”
“Don’t touch anything,” warned Joanna as the twins peered past her.
“We won’t,” sang out Evan.
“We’re always good,” added Oliver.
Grady chuckled as they dashed off. “Your brother is lucky to have you helping out.”
Joanna cast him a glance. “You know Cameron?”
“Sure, from church. He’s been coming to the men’s group for two years or so.”
About the time Lisa decided she didn’t want to be a mother anymore. She’d walked out and never come back, but divorce papers had arrived on Cameron’s doorstep a few weeks later. “He’s been having a rough time,” Joanna said as the boys disappeared around a corner. “He had decent daycare before they went to school, but finding someone around half-day kindergarten has been brutal. They’ve been through four caregivers so far this school year.”
“And it isn’t even the end of March.”
Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley (Arcadia Valley Romance Book 0) Page 31
