you probably don’t want to hear about any of these options, Mr. Evans, but I want to give you the full picture.” She glanced at the two women. “I talked to the town clerk this morning so I have his opinion as well. I also promise that whatever decision you make, I will report it back faithfully to my potential client and not try to change your minds.”
Mr. Evans nodded. He looked way more drawn than he had four weeks ago. “All right then, missy. Show me what you’ve got.”
* * *
“Kaiden?”
“Who else?” Kaiden said into his phone. “What’s up, Silver?”
“Can you come over?”
“To your house? Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for some kind of wedding party?” Kaiden folded up the last of his dustsheets and stowed it along with his tools in his truck. He’d finished the Garcia kitchen just in time for Julia to show up, and he wanted to get out of there before she arrived home.
“Yes, we are, but I really wanted to talk to you about something first.”
“That urgent, eh?”
“Yes.”
Silver sounded uncharacteristically earnest.
“Is everything okay between you and Ben?” Kaiden asked cautiously as he shut the door of his truck.
“Yes! This is just something between you and me, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll come over right now. I was just at the Garcias’ finishing up so I won’t be long.”
Beth had taken Juan down to Morgantown so that Kaiden could clean up the kitchen and finish off all the little details so that it looked as good as he could make it. He wanted it to be a surprise for Juan, and for Julia, if he was honest. He’d poured his heart into it over the past few weeks. But, as he wasn’t one to stand around waiting to be praised, he’d prefer to get his feedback later.
He drove over to Silver’s place and parked beside the barn. There was no sign of Ben or his truck, which wasn’t surprising in the middle of the day. He walked around to the side door and let himself in calling out to Silver.
“I’m in the kitchen!” she shouted back.
He took off his boots and went down the hallway. She was sitting at the table, her elbows on the top and her phone in front of her. Her blond hair was in braids and she didn’t look like someone full of party spirit.
“Are you okay?” Kaiden asked.
“Yeah, I’m just . . .” Silver pulled a face. “Not sure what to make of what Julia just told me. I might be misinterpreting what she said, and making everything worse, but I felt like the least I could do was make sure you had all the facts before you saw her.”
Kaiden took the seat opposite her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m sure you’ll get to the point in a while.”
“Okay.” Silver blew out a breath. “You know the Evans Ranch in Bridgeport?”
“Yeah, I took Julia out there a few weeks ago.”
“Well, Julia texted me to say she was back out there today.”
“And?”
“And she sent me some stuff from a housing development company called Brooksmiths who currently specialize in building . . .” She checked her phone. “Environmentally sympathetic and sustainable resort accommodation and restoration of rural locations.”
Kaiden let that mouthful sink in. “Okay.”
“She said it’s one of the options she put forward to Mr. Evans and his family, and that she thought I might like to know about it too.” She looked at him hopefully. “Doesn’t that worry you?”
“I’m not sure why it should.” Kaiden frowned. “Am I missing something?”
“Last time you were here we talked about why Julia might have changed her mind about selling the Garcia Ranch?” Silver tapped the screen of her phone. “Maybe this is why. Maybe she thinks this really would be the best option for her father, and that she’d still be saving the place even if her father wasn’t running it.”
“Why would she tell you that?” Kaiden asked slowly. “I know you’re friends, but—”
“She didn’t.”
He rubbed his temples. “I’m getting really confused here, Silver.”
“Julia knows that Ben and I are setting up our Morgan Valley Heritage Foundation. She probably thought we’d just like to know about Brooksmiths as a potential collaborator for renovation and renewal projects in our valley.”
“Which makes sense.” Kaiden nodded.
“The rest of it—the part about her maybe seeing it as a way to justify selling off the Garcia Ranch—is just me making assumptions.” Silver held up her finger. “I could be totally wrong, but considering what