by Heidi Hormel
Chapter Twelve
After the meeting with Melvin, Danny couldn’t speak with Clover. He couldn’t ignore she was in competition with him for his town—even though that sounded pompous and asinine. He didn’t have a problem with the company presenting its vision to the council. That was fair. But now her father was using cash to get his way. Danny had seen how much Melvin had been offered—twice the value of the property with extra for resettlement. Losing the ranch, though, would be losing a part of Angel Crossing’s heritage. Lavonda’s husband would prove that. He’d already poked around and found archaeological evidence of pre-Spanish settlement.
Today he and Clover were supposed to have met potential adopters for Hulk. Clover had texted him twenty minutes before the meeting that she couldn’t come. She hadn’t even given him an excuse. Even if he didn’t want to see her or speak with her, he’d thought she’d cared about the little puppy. Apparently, she’d just been passing the time until she and her father threw around their millions. They’d even been after Pepper to sell them the old theater so it could be torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art IMAX theater that would take people on virtual tours of the Grand Canyon. They were in Arizona. Just go to the blasted Grand Canyon, if you wanted to see it.
What a day. Hulk’s adopters hadn’t worked out, he had a lull in his business and his plan was ready to go belly-up. He went to the diner, hoping for a little food but, more important, hoping that he’d see people who had some influence over other Angelites and even the council. It was a long shot that he’d see anyone like that or that they’d want to talk with him. Everyone was getting a little tired of the discussion.
“You just missed your girlfriend,” Marlena, the waitress, said as he walked in. Others nodded hello to him.
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Could have fooled me, considering I saw her coming out of your apartment in the morning.”
No use denying it. Plus, he had a greater purpose, as they say. “Just here for coffee and pie.”
“No pie. Got some of those doughnuts that get delivered.”
The doughnuts were awful. “Just coffee.” He looked around for someone he could persuade to join his cause.
“Why aren’t you at the Hendersons’?” his sister Lavonda asked from behind him, giving him a start.
“Waiting for a tile shipment. Where did you come from?”
Lavonda opened, then closed her mouth, then opened it again. “We’re in the back room.”
He’d heard about the room and the women, aka the Devil’s Food Diner Back Room Mafia. A group of ladies who spun yarn, knit and ran the town (according to them). “Who are you trying to match up now?” The group had convinced Pepper that she should take on AJ and his daughter months ago.
“We’re not a matchmaker club. We’re working on a business plan for Sylvia. She’s looking at starting an apiary in the community garden. Honey and beeswax are hot items right now.”
“Won’t have that if Clover and her daddy get their way.” They wanted Wild West modern, which Danny imagined was like plopping Phoenix down into Angel Crossing.
“Is Clover there with you now?” he asked.
“Don’t act like lions and puppies are lying down together. She’s got ideas for the town. We wanted to hear them firsthand before the meeting. Plus, we heard about Melvin and his place. We wanted to ask her about that, too. You know Jones has explored there for his... Let’s just say the place might be related to his research.”
Danny couldn’t puzzle out what his sister was not saying because of the angry roaring in his ears. How dare Clover come in here and act like she was the savior? He would go in there and set her and the Back Room Mafia straight.
“She’s going to destroy the town,” he said as he wrenched open a door. It would have made more of an impression if it hadn’t led to the storage closet. “Damn it.”
Lavonda said, “The next door on the right.” He didn’t turn. He didn’t need to to know she was laughing at him. His neck burned with embarrassment. He yanked open the next door over and said, “Clover Van Camp is here to destroy Angel Crossing.”
“Wow,” said Marie, her round, wrinkled face grinning. “I didn’t know she had so much power. We’ll start calling her Clover-zilla. Wait. Wasn’t there a monster movie called Cloverfield?”
“Not much of a movie,” another woman said as she clacked away with two needles. “I like Clover-zilla. Now, that would be a movie. What do you think, Doris?”
Another woman with one flashing hooked needle nodded. “There are a couple of places I’d like to see blown up. Wait. Is that her superpower?”
“They’ll get rid of the diner and charge you to have your meetings,” he said, guessing that would be true under VCW. The plan was about making money, not a community. He looked around the table, making sure his gaze didn’t land on Clover.
“The diner’s nearly killed half the town at one time or another. Now they don’t even have pie,” Marie said. “The man making the desserts quit, or Chief Rudy suggested he move on. Something about counterfeit something or other.”
“Danny,” Clover said loudly enough that it cut through the “remember who used to live where” conversation around the table. “I’m just here to visit and answer questions.”
“Do they know that your company plans to tear down most of the town, including Melvin’s place, and put up condos?”
“We’ve talked about the housing. Not having to care for a yard sounds good to some residents,” she said.
She just didn’t get it. He knew what she and her father were planning. No matter what kind of lipstick you put on that porcupine, it would still stick it to you. “What about the cost? Did you tell them about that?”
“I’m answering questions. Not making a presentation. We’ll do that at the meeting.”
“Will it be everything you have mapped out? That you’re going to make this an exclusive community, put a gate up?”
“It’s going to be just what I talked about. If you think that’s exclusive, then okay.”
“That’s enough, Danny,” his sister said. “We all know you’re mayor and you have your own plan. We’ve heard about it from you often enough.”
“She’s lying to you,” he said, not willing to let this go. “She and her father are selling everyone a bill of goods.”
“I am not lying,” Clover said, standing. “I don’t lie. Unlike you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You act like a stand-up cowboy. You act like what you’re doing is best for Angel Crossing. It’s not. It’ll put money in your pocket so you can leave. Isn’t that what you really want to do? Leave here and go back on the road. Isn’t that what SAC is all about? Aren’t you going to invite everyone to see you ride again so you can get sponsors?”
As he’d been working the bulls and training, he realized that having one gimpy arm wasn’t as much of a handicap as he’d imagined. Recently, with VCW putting a wrench in his future, he figured he could still have a rehab business in Angel Crossing or Tucson, while he went back on the riding circuit. He’d hire a crew to do the work, checking on them between shows.
“Have you told Mama you want to ride again?” Lavonda asked, treating him like he was twelve.
“I don’t need her permission or yours. In fact, I don’t need anyone’s permission to make decisions about my life.”
“Right. Just walk away,” Clover said, leaning forward. “What do you care? You’ll get what you want. You’ll smile and shake hands and walk away. You never cared anyway. This was all for fun. Or wait. Not for fun—it stroked your ego, and God knows you’ve got a big one of those.”
“You didn’t seem to mind ‘stroking my ego.’”
A gasp went through the room and Clover stepped back like she’d been slapped.
�
��Danforth Clayton Leigh—” Lavonda said.
Before she could say she was disappointed in him, he went on. “I want to tell the truth. Isn’t that what we’re doing here? We had a good time but it’s over. Just like that summer. I was some dumb cowboy that was available. I’m not so dumb anymore. I’ve learned a lot, including when to walk away.”
* * *
CLOVER CHECKED HER suit one last time in the mirror over the bathroom sink in Dead Man’s Cottage. She’d be out of here soon and back to New York with CFO as her title. If she said it often enough, it would be true. There wasn’t an iota of the Texas beauty queen or the cowgirl who’d fallen for a bull rider with a bad arm. In the mirror was Clover Van Camp, an executive ready to break balls and build empires. Tonight at the town-council meeting of Angel Crossing, Arizona, her real career would begin. Her mother had called today, the first she’d heard from her since Clover had walked away from fashion and from the life her mother had dreamed would make Clover happy. She’d been so wrong.
Apparently, her mother had heard about the meeting. She’d also known about Rico Pueblo. She couldn’t imagine her parents speaking about anything other than how horrible the other was. In any case, she’d told her mother she’d found her true calling, making the numbers and projects work for VCW.
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry” rang out from her phone. Lavonda was calling. Clover hesitated, then picked up. The other woman had been friendly and sympathetic enough earlier.
“Are you ready?” she asked. “Jones is going to wear a kilt.”
The non sequitur threw Clover for a moment. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ve got my presentation memorized and I’m out the door right now.”
“Pepper’s mother is coming, too. Have you met Faye? She’s a hoot and a half. She says Danny is a Taurus just like AJ. I’m not sure what that has to do with his plans, but that’s Faye.”
“Is the whole town coming out?”
“Nearly. Anita and Rita are even closing Jim’s. Everyone, me included, wants to hear the whole plan again and see how council votes.”
Clover got in the car, reminding herself that presenting to the council was no more intimidating than walking across a stage in a bathing suit. “I’ve got to go. I don’t want to get pulled over for driving and talking.”
* * *
CLOVER SAW HER father outside the town hall. He was on his phone and waved her away. She’d meet him inside. She knew what she had to do. He was here just to observe, despite what had happened at Melvin’s. She went over the numbers in her head and quickly reviewed the bullet points. She’d blow the council and Danny out of the water with her grasp of the numbers. There would be no way for them to say no. She’d counter every possible argument. Having the time to stay in Angel Crossing had been a big help. She’d begun to understand the town and that had made the tweaks to her presentation even more compelling.
She was sorry that her success meant Danny would lose out, but that was the way of life. There were always winners and losers. She was going to be on the winning side this time. Plus, he was going back to the rodeo—that had become obvious. She didn’t care what he did. He’d been a blip in her life, like he’d been that summer. Good to look back on as a fond memory and nothing more.
She walked into the packed room and saw two empty seats at the front. Those were for her and her father, she guessed. She kept her head up to match her confident strides. Tonight she’d be a winner in more ways than one. She’d finally get the job she should have had and she’d be moving on from Angel Crossing. After tonight, her life would really start. Everything that she’d been doing up until now had just been a prelude to her real work and life.
She pulled out the newly printed materials for the council and put one package at each of the places, including the mayor’s. None of the members had been seated. That was unusual. And where was her father? They had exactly seven minutes until the start of the meeting.
“Oh, my,” she heard a woman whisper, and she turned to look for Danny arriving. Instead, it was a tall man with auburn hair, wearing a kilt. On his right was Lavonda, looking tiny and happy. She waved at Clover as they took two of the few remaining seats. Pepper was there along with AJ and a woman who must be Pepper’s mother.
Clover refused to check her watch again. She sat quietly, waiting. Waiting for the rest of her life to start.
Where was everyone?
As soon as she landed in New York, she’d look for a bigger apartment. With her salary as CFO, she could find a nice place, one that took dogs—which her current place didn’t—because she thought she’d need a canine. It would be good for her health. There’d been studies—
Crack. “I call the meeting to order,” Bobby Ames said, slamming down his gavel a second time.
When and how had the entire council, including Danny, come into the room without her noticing? Crap. She had to get her head back in the game. One more time through the bullet points as Bobby Ames explained the agenda for the meeting.
Where was her father? He should be here to see this. It was a project that would open new opportunities for VCW, usher in a new era. That was the speech she planned for the company’s board when she got back to New York.
“We’re ready for the vote,” Bobby Ames said.
Before Clover could protest, Danny and a quarter of the audience shouted out.
Bobby pounded his gavel until there was quiet. “We had an executive session before the meeting to review new information. It seems Van Camp has expanded the scope of its work and will be assuring the town double its current property taxes as well as a substantial donation to the library and recreation funds. There is also talk of a fund for the garden.”
Clover didn’t allow herself to smile in triumph. So what if her father swooped in and took over the project. It sounded like he’d gotten the council to agree to what they were proposing and better for Angel Crossing. She was a little...hurt—that was probably the best word—that he hadn’t included her on the negotiations. Did it really matter if they got the go-ahead?
“We can’t be bought,” Danny said, and two or three people, including his sister, agreed from the audience.
“We were elected to do what was best for the town. This is the best,” said Irvin Miller.
“What about maintaining our independence? You know that money’s got to have strings,” Danny said. “Van Camp thinks we’re just a bunch of dumb hicks.”
“Mayor,” Bobby said, “this is a good plan and your opinion might be a bit biased considering your property will no longer be eligible for residential development.”
“Sounds like hooey to me,” Anita said. “What about me? I’ve been paying taxes for years and what am I going to get out of the deal?”
“Yeah,” said Rita. “Remember the mayor got us that money for the market and to save the theater? Will they keep that and all of the farm plots in town?”
More people from the audience spoke up now about what was working with the town. Clover needed to step in. Somehow the tide was beginning to shift despite Bobby’s liberal use of the gavel.
“I’d like to address your concerns, if I may, Mr. President.” She smiled brightly at Bobby Ames. “I’ve been in Angel Crossing for a few months now, speaking with residents, business owners and anyone who will listen. What I’ve discovered is a town with a lot of heart and creativity. You’ve all worked hard to keep your town from dying. You’ve helped each other and lent a hand. Now it’s time for you to benefit from all of that work. Van Camp Worldwide can be the partner to bring prosperity and jobs. To make sure your sons and daughters want to call Rico Pueblo home, too. I know the mayor has been one of your town’s greatest advocates and his ideas had merit. But now you can see that VCW will make your town more than just a place to survive but one where you’ll thrive.” She saw heads nodding. She’d gotten the crowd back on her side.
“You think you know what’s best for us, Clover Van Camp. You and your New York daddy? You’re just a rodeo beauty queen who’s lost her crown.”
“Danny—” Lavonda started.
Clover didn’t turn. Her gaze stayed on Danny. If he was prepared to fight dirty, so was she. “Those are big words from a bull rider who gave up because he was scared.”
“I gave up bull riding because I became mayor.”
“No, you didn’t. You gave it up because you were afraid that a little damage to your arm was the end of your glory days and that you might actually have to work at winning those purses.” The air was sucked out of the room and Danny’s gaze went dark with an emotion she couldn’t name. “I may not be a beauty queen anymore but I don’t rely on people remembering that I once had a crown to make myself feel good. I don’t come up with a plan to make a town feel grateful to me for just being there. And I certainly don’t make anyone feel guilty for having a dream beyond the dust and dirt of a bull-riding arena. Angel Crossing doesn’t need you as much as you need it, Danny. They’ll be proving it by accepting VCW’s offer.”
Clover didn’t move her gaze from Danny’s and didn’t acknowledge the glare she could feel from his sister. In the end, VCW’s request was accepted and her father showed up just as she was having her picture taken for a business blog.
“Good job,” he said. “I’ve got the demolition crews set up for next week, and the lawyers have the eviction notices all drawn up.”
Chapter Thirteen
Danny watched everyone file out of the meeting and saw that his sister and brother-in-law hadn’t left. He wanted them to leave. He didn’t want to speak with anyone. He didn’t want to be a pathetic mess, punching a wall or wailing like a baby. Between losing his chance at changing Angel Crossing for the better and Clover’s revealing his secret to the town and his family—the same thing, really—he wanted to crawl under a rock. He wished he was a hard-drinking, drown-his-sorrows-in-a-beer cowboy. He’d just never had many sorrows. He was making up for that now. He glared at Lavonda, telling her telepathically to get the hell out. She just gave him an indulgent smile—that was the trouble with being the youngest.
