Turning her in his arms until she faced him, he looked down at her. “Who says I want to get rid of you?” His heart pounded so hard and he knew this was important. She was making light of it, but he knew there was some truth behind her words. She was worried about where they were going and this was her way of bringing it up.
But…in typical Scarlett fashion, she changed the subject. “Ever make love on the beach?”
He studied her for a moment and seriously considered pushing the subject. “Scarlett…”
In the blink of an eye her top was whipped up over her head and she was standing there in the circle of his arms under the moonlight in her shorts and a lacy white bra. She was all bronzed skin and lush curves and–not for the first time–he stared in awe at her choice of lingerie. For a woman who claimed to be a bit of a tomboy, she had the best taste in undergarments. He knew from earlier there was a matching white thong under her shorts and suddenly talking about local businesses was the last thing on his mind.
“Nice distraction tactic,” he murmured, reaching up to cup her breasts.
She shrugged and gave him a sexy grin. “I do what I can.”
And rather than continue with their flirty banter, he decided they could do that later.
Much, much later.
Seven
“I don’t understand how this happened,” Mason said, raking a hand through his hair. The phone call from his great-grandfather’s attorney had interrupted his day and it looked like it was also going to interrupt his life. “You said everything was fine staying the way it was.”
“Mason, I’m just as surprised as you are,” Richard McClellan stated. “It turns out the payroll taxes haven’t been paid and neither has the property tax. I think it’s safe to say it’s only going to get worse. The agreement your great-grandfather had was as long as the business was running properly, and the loan being repaid, he wouldn’t interfere.”
“Wait…the loan’s not being repaid either?”
“I’m afraid not. You really don’t have a choice but to step in.” He paused. “I haven’t wanted to push on this, but have you thought about what you’re going to do? Are you going to keep it? Or do you plan on selling? Because if you do, it’s going to be hard to find a buyer willing to take on a floundering business.”
Groaning, Mason stood and began to pace his small office. His plan had been to shut the bar down, clear the property, and then sell. The location was prime. Okay, not at this moment it wasn’t, but if his plan for the park he wanted to propose to the town worked, owning the adjacent lot would make it such. He hadn’t been keen on sharing that information with anyone because he didn’t want to reveal his hand just yet.
“I…I’m still not sure,” he said vaguely. Richard was an old family friend and even though Mason knew he could trust him, for some reason he just didn’t want to speak his plans out loud.
“Well, you’re out of time. I would suggest going down and meeting with Tommy Flynn as soon as possible. Today, if possible. I can meet you there if you’d like.”
There was no way he could put this off, no matter how much he wanted to. With a weary sigh, he agreed. “Yeah, okay. Let’s…let’s just get it over with. Maybe we can figure something out.”
It was almost lunchtime and they agreed to meet down at The Mystic Magnolia at noon. It wasn’t ideal, but he wasn’t prepared to take any extra time off just quite yet. With any luck they’d talk to Mr. Flynn and figure out how to get him back on track–at least temporarily. Or…until Mason was ready to close him down permanently.
Hanging up the phone, he sank back down in his chair and wondered what he was waiting for. If the old guy was in this much financial trouble, wouldn’t he be doing him a favor by shutting him down?
Feeling a little better about his decision, he quickly finished up the report he had been working on before Richard’s call and sent it to his boss before gathering his things and heading out. Hopefully this wouldn’t take more than an hour and he’d have time to grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to work.
The drive across town didn’t take long and as he pulled into the parking lot, he couldn’t hide a hint of distaste. It wasn’t that he was a snob or thought he was too good for a place like this, but…the entire building looked like it needed to be power washed with bleach.
Then he laughed at himself because he’d gone to more than a handful of bars like this when he was in college and had a lot of fun. Mason was sure that The Mystic Magnolia was a great place to hang out in its heyday. But for as long as Mason knew of its existence, it wasn’t a place for college kids or even those in their twenties or thirties. It was always an older crowd who frequented the place. He was sure the location didn’t help, either. Just on the right side of the town limits, it was a lone-standing building with only a handful of businesses nearby. Most of the thriving bars were in the heart of downtown. It was a wonder this place lasted as long as it did.
Climbing from his Jeep, Mason looked up at the sky and frowned. “What the hell were you thinking, Pops? Why would you leave this place to me?” Unfortunately, there were no answers and he stood beside his vehicle and waited for Richard to show up. He thought about texting Scarlett just to say hello, but no sooner had he thought it than Richard was pulling in beside him.
“You ready for this?” Richard asked when he climbed from his car. He was an older gentleman and with his suit on, he looked completely out of place. Mason had to hide a grin at his thoughts. Together they looked like the least likely duo to walk into The Mystic Magnolia.
“Not really, but we might as well get it over with, right?”
They walked in and Mason had to admit, it was exactly as he imagined–dark wood, dim lighting, stale air, and in desperate need of…hell, he didn’t think there was enough to help this place other than knocking it down and starting over.
Beside him, Richard casually pointed toward the man behind the bar. “That’s Mr. Flynn.” The man in question was easily in his sixties with a full head of silver hair and both arms covered in tattoos. He wasn’t particularly tall or intimidating, but Mason learned–especially lately–that looks could be deceiving.
They approached the bar and Tommy Flynn barely spared them a glance. There were a few other men sitting at the bar–some as old as the bartender, some didn’t look to be that much older than Mason–but other than that, the place was empty.
“What brings you here today, McClellan?” Tommy’s gravelly voice said as he wiped down the worn-down bar top.
“Got a few minutes so we can talk?” Richard asked, his posture stiff and uncomfortable. Mason knew how he felt because he was feeling the same way.
Flynn looked over at Mason. “Who’s the kid?”
Richard grinned. “This is Zeke’s great-grandson, Mason Bishop.”
With a scowl, Tommy motioned for them to follow him. Mason noted the looks on the faces of all the guys at the bar and felt more than a little intimidated. With a curt nod, he followed Flynn into what he guessed to be his office.
“I don’t suppose I really have to guess why you’re here,” he said, taking a seat behind an old metal desk.
Once they were all seated, he waited for Richard to explain the reason for their visit. “As you know, Tommy, per your agreement with Zeke…”
The older man held up a hand to stop him. “Yeah, I know. I’ve let a few things slip and I’m behind. It happens. I just need a little more time.”
Mason was about to speak, but Richard beat him to it. “Tommy, Zeke’s been gone now for almost nine months. You knew if the loan wasn’t paid in full his heir would get the business. Now Mason’s been kind enough to give you those additional nine months and you’ve used that time to get further into debt.”
Tommy glared hard over at Mason. “What’s this kid going to do with a bar, huh? I’ll tell you what he’s going to do–he’s going to come in here like a vulture and pick the place apart and turn it into one of those prissy little wine bars like they have down on
Main Street! He won’t even care about my customers!”
Again, he was about to speak when Richard spoke up again. “It’s his right to do what he wants with the place, Tom. You know that. You agreed to all of this with Zeke. You knew it was a long-shot for you to get out of the hole you were in. Sometimes you have to just…let things go.”
There was an uncomfortable silence and Mason found himself almost squirming in his seat. He realized it was probably for the best if he didn’t say anything just yet because it was obvious Mr. Flynn wasn’t feeling too kindly toward him. So he’d sit quietly and see where this all went.
“If I can get the money to pay off the rest of the loan…” Tommy began, but Richard quickly cut him off.
“Be realistic, Tom. If you had the capability, you would have done it already.”
And damn, Mason hated seeing the look on the old guy’s face the moment the reality of the situation really hit.
The truth was Mason could probably work with the guy, but to what end? If there was one thing his great-grandfather had taught him, it was to know when to cut your losses. Part of his current feeling was because he knew what he wanted to do with this property and by letting Tommy Flynn stay in business, his own dream was going to be compromised. Owning this land when the property next door was going to be developed would give him some financial security. He’d lived off of his parents and had a trust from his paternal grandfather, but it would be nice if he could do this for himself. Maybe that’s why Pops had left this to him–so he could break free from living under his parents’ thumbs!
A sigh of relief at having finally figured out that mystery was out before he could stop and both men looked over at him–one with annoyance, the other with curiosity.
“You got something to say?” Tommy demanded, the scowl on his face deepening.
It took him a solid minute before he could make himself speak and then figured he had nothing to lose–the man already didn’t like him so…
Clearing his throat, Mason straightened in his chair. “Mr. Flynn, I’m sorry things worked out the way they did. If my great-grandfather stepped in to help, it was because he believed in you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like business has been easy for you and decisions have to be made.” He paused and saw Richard relaxing a bit beside him. That told him he was saying the right things.
“I don’t know anything about owning a bar, and, to be honest, I don’t want to. It’s not my intention to take over or change The Mystic Magnolia into something else,” he continued. “This bar has been an institution in this town for a long time and I know you have some loyal clientele. But, unfortunately, they aren’t paying the bills.”
“You don’t know a damn thing about my customers,” Tommy snapped.
“Maybe not,” Mason countered, “but I do know you owe a lot of money to a lot of people and you waited a little too long to let us know there was a problem. Last time Richard and I talked, I was told everything was running smoothly and the bills were being paid. I tried to stand back and see what you could do with the place while I was trying to figure out what it was I wanted to do, but no matter what either of us wants, our time is up.”
“So you’re not even willing to let me try to get the money,” Tommy replied, teeth clenched. His face had turned red with rage and Mason knew the man would like nothing more than to lunge over the desk at him.
“As Richard pointed out,” he replied, praying his voice didn’t tremble, “if that had been an option, you would have taken it already.” When Tommy went to speak, Mason was the one to hold up a hand to stop him. “Mr. Flynn, my great-grandfather tried to help you save the business, but it seems like it was only a band-aid–a temporary fix. You ran a successful business for decades. Maybe this is your chance to retire.”
“Pfft,” Tommy said before muttering a curse. “You think if I could retire I’d still be at this? I had hoped to sell this damn place so I’d have a little nest egg for retirement! Now what do I have, huh? Nothing!”
“You could always…”
“You need to go,” Tommy said angrily, coming to his feet. “You’ve done enough.” He turned to Richard. “When do I need to be out of here?”
Richard came to his feet along with Mason. “Why don’t I give you a call tomorrow and we’ll figure it all out? I think emotions are running a little too high right now.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he murmured, storming from the office.
“Well, that sucked,” Mason said, turning toward the door. “What the hell was Pops thinking? I mean I get what he was trying to do for me, but why would he do that to Tommy?” When he turned to walk out the door, Richard stopped him.
“Your grandfather had a big heart and a good head for business, Mason. He gave Tommy a business plan to help him that went completely ignored. Although you and I both know that sometimes no matter what you do or how hard you try, things just don’t work out.” He paused. “So what are you going to do with the place?”
What was the point in staying quiet? “I want the property, Richard. I think I can make a nice profit on it once the rest of the land around here is developed. And with the transformation the town is going through since the storm, it’s only a matter of time before Magnolia Sound expands. It’s a small miracle this land has gone undeveloped for this long.”
He nodded. “I think that’s a good, solid plan.”
“But…”
Letting out a long breath, Richard said, “I don’t think Tommy is going to go quietly. I think he’s angry and bitter about the turn of events.”
Turning, Mason shut the office door before speaking again. “I’m not to blame here, Richard! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“I get that,” he replied quickly. “I just want you to be prepared that there may be people who don’t want to see change at this end of town–people who like that Magnolia has some green spaces that haven’t been bulldozed for commercial properties.”
“You can’t stop progress,” Mason countered, hating the bitterness in his voice. “Nothing stays the same forever.”
Placing a hand on Mason’s shoulder, Richard gave him a small smile. “I know and I understand what you’re saying. I also want you to move forward with your eyes open. Zeke had a lot of ideas, Mason. Hell, not a day went by when he wasn’t thinking out loud about business ideas and plans and ways to improve on what was already here. He watched this town grow from nothing. But you know what happened more times than not?”
He shook his head.
“He’d feel out the people, talk to them, gather information, and do what was best for the town. And believe me when I say it wasn’t always what was best for him. There were times when he lost a lot of money.”
“Seriously?” That didn’t sound like the man Mason grew up watching.
“But there were times when he also made a lot of money.” Another pause. “It would have been easy when Tommy approached him to simply let this place go. But there were a lot of people who wanted it to stay–mostly for sentimental reasons.”
“That’s not the way to do business, Richard.”
Nodding, Richard agreed. “You’re right. It’s not. But whatever the reason why Tommy chose to ignore the business plan we gave him, we don’t know. I hate how you got caught in the middle. It’s not going to be a matter of simply closing the doors and selling the property. Just…know that.”
Before he could respond, Richard opened the office door. “I need to get back to work. I’m going to grab a little lunch on the way. Hopefully you still have time to do the same too.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly, following him out of the office.
There were raised voices out in the bar area and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind Tommy was telling his customers what had just gone down.
“Gramps,” one of the guys was saying, “maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. You know how you always wanted to…” He stopped when he spotted Mason and Richard walking out. Everyone glared in their direction, but not one word was s
poken until they were out the door.
Which was probably for the best.
Mason wasn’t quite ready to deal with an angry mob.
Normally when Scarlett was angry, she would let out a good, primal scream first and then go for a long bike ride to clear her head. Then there were times when she would bury herself in a project and build something and get the same result. But right now she wanted to go and yell and scream and punch someone.
Someone named Mason.
She sat in her car with a white-knuckled grip on her steering wheel and willed herself to calm down. Staring at Mason’s dark house, she cursed herself for not calling first. She had no idea where he was or when he’d be home, but when he did get here, she’d be waiting. Nervous energy had her wanting to climb out of the car and pace, but she forced herself to stay put.
Twenty minutes later, Mason’s Jeep pulled in beside her and she saw his smile and almost forgot to be angry with him.
Then it all came flooding back.
She climbed from her car and met him at his front door.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Were you waiting long?”
“That’s it?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm and her arms crossed over her chest. “That’s all you have to say to me?”
Pulling back, he looked at her with confusion. “Um…”
“I mean, how could you? Don’t you have any conscience? And to do it without even talking to me first?” she cried, but the look on his face made her stop. “Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
He shook his head. “Not even a clue.” Opening the front door, he ushered her inside and took a minute to get them both something to drink. “Okay, want to start from the beginning and tell me what this is all about?”
“My grandfather, Mason!” she snapped, angrily tossing her purse on the floor. “You put him out of business!”
With wide eyes, he slowly sat down on the sofa. “Scarlett, I have no idea what you’re talking about! I didn’t put anyone out of business!”
In Case You Didn’t Know Page 10