“If it makes you feel better, I checked it out. The owner is legit, and the sectional is in good shape. Joe got a great deal.”
“Maybe we should jog without talking,” she said, and set off down the road.
He slowed his pace to hers. Her jog was more of a walk for him. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but the judge pitched in on both the TV and sectional, Ellie.”
He figured she’d eventually find out, but more than that, she’d let it slip the other day that she was burning through her savings to pay for the guest rooms’ redesign. And it wasn’t as if the inn was bringing in much revenue while it was temporarily closed.
She stopped in the middle of the road. “I can’t believe Grandpa let the judge do that.”
“Jonathan was pretty insistent. He’s loaded, Ellie. It’s not like it’s going to break him.”
“I know, but that’s not the point. He’s a paying guest. He shouldn’t feel obligated to furnish the entertainment room.”
“A guest who you treat like a member of your family. He feels the same way about you and Joe, in case you hadn’t noticed.” He nudged her. “Come on. Let everything go for now. You can worry about it later. There’s nothing better for clearing your head than a good run. Jog,” he corrected with a smile at her sidelong glance. “Besides, it’s a beautiful day.”
“You’re right. It is.”
They’d jogged for twenty minutes in silence when he noticed her lagging behind. “You okay back there?”
“Very funny. I’m just taking in the scenery.”
He slowed to a walk, waiting for her to catch up. “I’ve run in a lot of places, but this is by far the most beautiful.” So was his current jogging partner.
“The scenery here is one of the reasons I couldn’t go back to New York.” She inhaled deeply. “Thanks for suggesting this. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get outside. The last couple of days have been brutal. For you too. The room looks great, by the way.”
“A lot better than if I had done it on my own. Hunter does amazing work. Using the reclaimed wood”—a glint of light from across the lake caught his eye—“on the walls was inspired.”
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.” He drew his gaze from the stand of trees. He’d noticed lights last Saturday when he and Ellie were eating on the balcony, but he’d figured it was a couple of teenagers looking for a place to make out undisturbed. “There’s a trail around the lake if you’re up for it.” He’d have a clearer view of the spot to the left of the cabins where he’d seen the flash of light. If he was right, someone was scoping out the inn with a long-range lens. Then again, these days he was more hypervigilant than usual. So it might be nothing at all.
“Sure. I used to take the path to the cabins when I was younger. It’s not exactly conducive to running or jogging though, especially now. We’re liable to slip and fall into the lake.”
“Now I know why you agreed so quickly.” He winked, placing a hand lightly on the small of her back to guide her off the road and into the woods.
“You just wait. Once I get in shape, I’ll challenge you to a race.”
“You’re on.” He lowered his hand when they reached the trail. “You go ahead of me. The path’s too narrow for the both of us along here.” They could manage, but he wanted to scope out the area without Ellie being aware of what he was doing.
“Sure it is. You just want me to act as your early wildlife warning system. Don’t you?”
He laughed. “You’re mistaking me for Chase. The guy is a wuss. At least when it comes to snakes. Wait a sec, you’re not afraid of them, are you?”
“No, and thanks to Sadie, I know which ones to stay far away from. We have a lot of wildlife other than snakes around here, you know.”
“I saw a fox the other morning and a couple of deer. No bears though,” he said, retrieving his phone from the pocket of his shorts. He brought up his camera, enlarging the screen. He’d been right after all. A green truck was parked among the trees, and a guy was aiming a long-range lens at the inn. There was a sign on the truck’s side panel, but the vehicle was angled in such a way that Nate couldn’t make it out. He couldn’t see the license plate either. He took a couple photos anyway. If he had to guess, whoever Ellie’s mother had signed the sale agreement with had someone surveying the inn.
Ellie was talking away to him, oblivious to the fact that he’d fallen behind. He lengthened his stride, tuning back into the conversation. “Skunks, racoon, deer, and rabbits are a common sight at the inn. Last fall, we had a visit from a black bear and an elk, which was pretty exciting.”
“Does Joe own all this land too? Or just the inn and the cabins across the lake?”
“All of it. Years ago, he sold off a few parcels of land at the far end of Mirror Lake. The only reason he did was because he knew the families and they planned to live there year-round. Hunter and his brother each bought a parcel. Hunter sold his, but his brother built a beautiful home there a few years back.”
Nate bet whoever was interested in buying the property would develop the entire area. He thought that was a real shame, and one more reason to ensure the sale was stopped.
“Whoa, what was that?” Ellie stopped to look down at her top. She laughed. “I forgot I brought my phone. It’s on vibrate.”
He really didn’t need to know that. Keep your eyes on the trees, he told himself when she dipped her hand into her T-shirt and pulled out her phone.
“Hi, Abby.” She nodded while listening to the other woman. Seconds later, her shoulders drooped. “Are you sure?” She blew out a breath and then shook her head. “No. No way. I can’t do that. I know. I know how important it is. Okay, I’ll think about it. Thanks. Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What’s up?” he asked when she disconnected. She looked about ten times more stressed than when they’d started out.
“That was Abby. She called to give me the awesome news that my ex-fiancé owns majority shares in Happy Ever After Entertainment. He’s part of the contingent arriving on Tuesday to decide whether Highland Falls is the most romantic small town in America.”
“So I’m guessing by your reaction that you guys didn’t part on the best of terms.” He shouldn’t be relieved by that, but he was.
“That’s an understatement. He cheated on me with his costar a few days before our wedding. I didn’t take it well. I covered for him in the press, but I shared how I really felt with Spencer. I haven’t talked to him since. He reached out a few months ago, and I blocked him.”
“He’s lucky you covered for him. The guy’s an idiot.” Nate called him a lot worse in his head. He couldn’t believe a man who’d been fortunate enough to be loved by Ellie would throw it all away for a roll in the hay. “But I don’t think you have to worry about him not casting a vote in Highland Falls’ favor because of your past. He’s the guilty party. I’d think it’s more likely that he’ll vote for Highland Falls rather than against it. You could always remind him that he owes you.”