by K. C. Crowne
“Right. What were you doing out here to begin with?” Grant asked, cocking his eyebrows and giving her a stern look.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, back to the office with me.” She rolled her eyes playfully, then gave me a passing glance. “See you later, Kellen.”
I waved and watched her scurry back inside. Her cute little ass swished with ever step as she seemed to dance back inside the hotel rather than simply walk.
“Seriously, what’s going on here?” Grant asked, his curiosity tinged with suspicion.
“Oh, I—” I didn’t want to lie to my friend but wasn’t sure how comfortable Leah was with him knowing. I decided to vagueness was the best course. “Your sister and I, we seem to—”
Grant finished my sentence for me. “Have something going on? Yeah, I noticed.” He chuckled and rubbed his beard.
“You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be mad? She’s a grown woman, and you’re my best friend,” he said. “Two of the people I care about the most. I know you’ll treat her right, man, and she’s always had a soft spot for kids. You’ll make a great team.”
I didn’t say we were serious. I wasn’t sure what we were. Leah just happened. And he was right about her being good with kids. It was yet another reason I was considering giving up bachelorhood for her. Matilda would need a strong woman for a role model. Not that a single dad couldn’t raise a little girl alone. I knew I could do it, but having Leah there to help with some of the stickier situations of girlhood didn’t sound too bad either.
Stop it, Kellen. There you go again thinking too far ahead. Calm your britches. Take things slow. Don’t rush into anything. One step at a time.
“Ready to unload? I’m sure you don’t want to hang out here all day,” Grant offered.
I got out of the truck. I didn’t want to leave Matilda alone, so Grant ended up carrying the items himself, but they were fairly small pieces. The end table was the heaviest, and it still didn’t weigh more than a small child.
“So how’s Piper doing?” I asked as he came back from the second trip. “She going to get things up and running again?”
“Hopefully, soon. We haven’t told her about the fundraiser yet, wanted to make sure we had enough donations. But we’re giving her the space here in the hotel, at least until she can find somewhere else, if she wants to.”
“Good, the town needs her. What are people doing in the meantime?”
Grant shrugged. “Some of them are taking days off from work, those that can. At least one person lost their job because they couldn’t make it in without childcare. Piper is watching some kids at home, Tabby too, but there’s simply not enough room to adequately run a business, especially considering all the licensing and safety requirements.” He snapped his fingers and pointed. “Which reminds me, we need to build a fence around the pool and install locks on all the doors leading out here. Safety precaution for the kids, you know. Would you be able to help with that?”
I looked at the sleeping baby. “I’m not sure, especially with Piper out of business right now and everything going on with Wade. I have to keep an eye on Matilda. She’s my priority right now. Otherwise, I’d love to help you.”
“I understand,” Grant said. “I think I can round up a few local guys and knock it out fairly quickly.”
I hated having to turn down my friend. At one time, nothing in the world would have stopped me from helping a friend. I never imagined turning down a request like that, but I also never pictured myself as a single father to a newborn either.
Being a parent changed your priorities, a lot. I wasn’t even her biological father, yet I felt like my life and my decisions had to revolve around what was best for Matilda.
“Alright, I better get outta here. I’d hate to cause any drama.”
Grant nodded. “I can’t wait until they catch the bastard behind all this, and things can go back to normal.”
“Me too, man. Me too.”
Chapter 18
Leah
I couldn’t get my mind off Kellen and that kiss. He’d taken me completely by surprise. I sat in my office on cloud nine. A smile was permanently plastered on my face. I’d wanted to do much more than just kiss him, but he was right. He had to protect Matilda, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her. I was fairly confident Wade wasn’t behind the fires, that his little acts of vandalism were the worst things he was capable of, but I was wrong about him before. Better safe than sorry until they caught the assholes behind it.
Which reminded me about our little run-ins with the guys in the mountains. Something was off about them, and the fires had started soon after Donovan’s threats. They seemed like people willing to do whatever they wanted to get ahead. But why were they interested in little old Liberty? I no longer bought the ski resort B.S. We were near mountains, yes, but there was a reason we couldn’t compete with the other resort towns. We had mountains that were decent for skiing, but not the best in the state. Not even in the top five or ten most likely.
I picked up my phone and called Elle.
“Hey chica,” she said as soon as she picked up. “How’s it going?”
I was conflicted about my answer. The kiss from Kellen made me feel giddy like a teenager in love for the first time, but my concerns about the developers zapped that joy almost immediately when I thought about it. Liberty was my home, my first love. Nothing would destroy my home.
“You remember those guys we ran into in the mountains? I’m curious what they might be looking for. Do you have any resources or contacts you could reach out to see if there’s something in these mountains we don’t know about?”
“Straight to the point. I like it. I can see what I can dig up. Want me to come by your office when I’ve found something, or has Grant finally let you out of your confinement?”
“No, I mean, yes. Come by if you can. Until we figure this out, I’m not supposed to go out on my own too much. As silly as it is, I can take care of myself, but—”
“Better safe than sorry, Leah,” Elle commented. “Yeah, I’ll come by later, if I find anything. Not sure if there’s a whole lot out there, but it’s worth looking into.”
“Thanks, Elle.”
“No problem. This is my home too, remember?”
“Of course I remember, but can’t I thank you?”
“Maybe you can thank me by grabbing drinks as soon as you’re free from your house arrest. Josie and the rest of the girls, too.”
“You’ve got a deal, as long as everyone else is up for it,” I said, chuckling.
“I can get people together, don’t you worry about that. Just worry about staying safe and solving this mystery.”
We hung up, and I was back to smiling. I was one lucky girl. Friends like Elle, Piper, and Felicity by my side, and hopefully Josie would be back in my life soon. I was surrounded by good people, and that just made me more determined to protect the people I loved.
I made a few more phone calls to other local businesses, since I couldn’t go in person, telling them about the plans for raising money for the daycare. I’d just finished a call from the local bakery about donating a cake when my phone rang. It was a blocked number, but I figured it was one of the businesses calling me back with questions.
“Hello, this is Leah speaking.”
“I’ve heard about the fundraiser for the daycare,” a man’s voice spoke from the other end of the phone. The voice was muffled, like he was in a tunnel, I assumed he was probably driving and had shitty reception.
“Yes, we’re raising money to re-open Little Cubs in a new home, since the people of Liberty rely so heavily on the daycare and Piper has been supporting the community for years. Would you like to donate?”
“No.”
I was taken aback by the harshness of his tone. “Oh, okay. What can I help you with?”
“You can help yourself by forgetting about the fundraiser. Little Cubs will not be re-opening in Liberty.”
My blood boiled as I sat upright in m
y seat. My voice trembling from anger, I asked, “Who are you? Donovan? Lars? You don’t scare me.”
There was a click and the line went dead. Since it was a blocked number, I had no way of calling them back. I also had no proof it was them. I couldn’t go to Teddy without clear proof of who was making the threat.
But it also made me confident that Wade wasn’t behind the fires. Not at all. Sounded like Russo and company were behind it, and if so, Kellen and Matilda weren’t the targets.
I was.
Ooo000ooo
“What did you find?”
Elle took a seat across from me and spread out some papers. Her eyes were wide and there was a wild look in them, like she was a mad scientist on the verge of a discovery.
“Oh, I found something huge alright,” she announced. “Do you know anything about mineral rights?”
“Not really. Should I?”
“You should, yes, because as it stands right now, you’re likely sitting on millions of dollars of minerals due to all the properties you and your family owns.”
That captured my attention. I sat up straighter and looked over the documents. Most of it made no sense to me. There were some topography maps, some old contracts written long before I was born signed by people who shared my father’s last name, but their names didn’t ring a bell.
“Your great grandparents, Ernest and Francine Barnes, bought most of the properties that are in your family today, and when they did a survey years later, it was discovered that there is lithium in the soil here. Back then, that didn’t matter too much. There wasn’t as much use for it as there is today.”
“Lithium? Like what they use in anti-depressants?”
“Yes, but no, that’s not the real reason your land is so valuable. Today, most electrical batteries are made from lithium. The one in your laptop, your cell phone, you name it. Lithium batteries are everywhere, and it’s a fairly rare resource that just so happens to be underneath our very feet.”
I looked down at the floor and thought about that for a second. The land we were standing on was worth millions if Elle was correct. I didn’t doubt her research, she was good at her job, but it still seemed farfetched to me.
“So the Russos don’t want to develop resorts here, they want to mine for this mineral?”
“Well, technically, the mineral is petalite, but lithium is found in it. The details don’t matter much, but yes, I believe so.”
I leaned back in my chair. “Huh.”
“You look as stunned as I was when I found this. Your parents never mentioned anything about minerals in your land?”
“No, not at all. I doubt they knew. Unless they didn’t realize lithium was valuable, which could be true too.”
“These were buried pretty deep the titles. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn't know.”
I was still in shock. Now I had the answers to why the developers were interested in our property, but it led to so many other questions. “You said the minerals are worth millions?”
“Very likely, yes,” Elle said, smiling brightly. “And it’s not just your property, but most everyone in Liberty. At least this downtown section.”
“So Felicity and Piper…”
“Yes and yes.” Elle nodded vigorously. “And I wonder if the owner of Piper’s building knows about this as well.”
“Probably not, or he wouldn’t be selling to Russo, I’m sure. Not so easily.”
“And Jeremiah?”
“His family has owned property here for generations. I doubt anyone has looked at the titles or anything.”
“So everyone here has been sitting on a fortune this entire time, without a clue,” Elle mused. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me neither. How did Russo find this out?”
“Well, I can’t be sure, but I imagine he did some digging. I found out because it’s all public record. He was probably looking in the area - Utah has prime conditions for the element - and he came across the mineral rights and realized no one knew what they were sitting on.”
“What a scumbag,” I muttered. “Hopefully no one has sold yet.”
“A few places are in the process of selling, but it’s not too late yet. We just need to make it known to the sellers that their properties are worth far more than they think.”
“We need to get on that, fast. Before it’s too late.”
Ooo000ooo
“Hey Kellen, good news,” I said, speaking to his voicemail. “I’m pretty sure I’ve found the reason for the fires, and it has nothing to do with you. It’s not a threat to you or Matilda in the slightest, and I don’t even think it’s a threat to me personally. Elle and I are getting it sorted out now, but I don’t think we need to live in fear of being seen together anymore. Just thought I’d let you know.”
I hung up and sighed, falling back into my office chair. It had been a long day. Once Elle and I uncovered the information, we called everyone we could. Teddy was already looking into the Russos since he had a motive for the fires now. Jeremiah was pulling out of all talks with the them in the meantime - especially since the public was mostly uninterested in working with them anyway. We’d accomplished a lot, but it still didn’t feel like enough.
There wasn’t much more I could do. I’d left a message with the owner of Piper’s daycare property but hadn’t heard back. The fundraiser was still on to move her business into the hotel. I’d managed to get a few donated items, and all we needed to do was set a date for the auction and begin advertising. Elle was going to print a story about it in the local paper, and word of mouth would help it spread even further.
My phone rang, causing me to jump. I remembered the call from earlier, the threat, and was nervous at first. Then I saw it was Kellen, and relief washed over me.
“So you’re free to come over tonight, that’s what you’re saying?” he asked on the other end of the line.
“Only if you want me to.”
“Of course I want you to. You sure it’s safe?”
“I’m pretty sure. I talked to Teddy today, and they’re keeping an eye on Wade. He’s got someone watching him almost 24/7, so even if he is a threat—”
“I take that as a yes, it’s safe for you to come over, then.”
His gruff voice filled my insides with warmth, especially low in my body. I adjusted in my seat, thinking about what might be in store for me at his place and growing wetter by the second.
“I’ll have to tell Grant where I’m going, but I’m sure he’ll trust you to take care of me.”
“Yeah, and he already knows about us.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, he picked up on it earlier. I didn’t say too much, but I didn’t lie either.”
The fact that he was comfortable with my brother knowing about us made what was happening between us feel more stable. Like we didn’t have to sneak around in secret; we could be in public. Together. I liked the idea of us being together officially.
“Good, that should make things easier, then.”
A grin pulled at my lips, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself either. He still hadn’t officially invited me over, nor had we talked about making our relationship official.
“Yeah, it should. When can I expect you? I’ll have dinner ready.”
My heart pounded in my chest, and it was hard to contain my excitement. I wanted to scream in celebration, but kept it inside, trying to remain calm and cool. “I can be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Perfect.”
Yes, yes it is.
When I told Grant I was heading out, he side-eyed me, a question in his expression.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be with Kellen. He’ll keep me safe.”
He shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. “I knew it. You never really hated the guy.”
“What do you mean?”
“You liked to go on and on about him being an asshole.” He stopped me when I tried to interrupt. “Yes, Piper told me all about that. But l
et’s face it, you’ve had a thing for him for a while.”
“I did not.” I blushed. “I mean, at first, I thought he was an asshole, but now that I know him…”
“Right. Okay. Not that it matters. Have fun with your new boy toy and try not to break his heart, alright?” Grant teased.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “He not a boy toy, and I don’t break people’s hearts. I was cheated on by Jason, not the other way around, remember?”
“I remember, and I was kidding,” he said. “Just be careful, alright? You’re both pretty strong-willed people, and that could be really good or completely terrible. I’m not sure what to make of the two of you yet.”
“Nothing to make of. It’s not like we’re serious yet.”
“Yet,” Grant repeated.
“I said yet?”
“You did.” He chuckled, brow raised as he stared at me with an amused look on his face. “Nah, I’m happy for the two of you. You both need someone, and you’re good for Matilda. I know you’ve always wanted kids, didn’t care if they were your own or not.”
I’d never outwardly said it, but he was right. I’d always planned to be a mother, even if it meant adoption. A child was a child to me; it didn’t matter if it was biologically mine or not. I found them all to be precious. I didn’t want to get too attached to Matilda, just in case things didn’t work out. Oh hell, who am I kidding? It was already too late for that.
I was attached to both of them.
Ooo000ooo
“Something smells good,” I said as I walked into Kellen’s home.
“Well, don’t get too excited. I’m not a world-class chef or anything, but I can put together something pretty decent.”
“The fact that you managed to cook anything while caring for Matilda is impressive enough.”
I looked around the room, and my eyes fell on a handmade, wooden crib in the center. The handwork was impressive. Walking over, I found Matilda fast asleep in her bed.
“Wow, did you make this?”
“Yeah. It’s going in her room, but she got sleepy before I could move it.” He shrugged as if it was nothing to make a crib with your own hands.