“It can’t be,” another chided. “That car only fits two.”
“Not the entire family, you moron,” someone grumbled.
“It’s a Stingray,” another guy blurted. “That’s Zander’s car.”
Justine’s heart pumped out of rhythm as she spun around. The car, a cherry red Stingray, screeched to a sudden, impressive stop. Two doors burst open at either side in unison, and half of the crowd rushed toward their newest guests.
She caught sight of him as he stepped out of the car, looking confident in a black suit as he tore off a pair of shades.
“It’s Burke!”
A few more reporters darted toward the lot, leaving Justine with a smaller audience as she watched Burke head her way.
“Did you and Justine work together to sell the falls out from under the city?” one reporter asked.
“No,” she heard him say.
The crowd scurried directly in front of him, walking backward as he strode toward Justine on the walkway.
“Did you intentionally court Justine to remove roadblocks for your buyers?”
“No,” he said again. “Please move.” He made a shooing motion as he looked over the crowd until his eyes locked on hers across the way.
The intensity in that gaze was like blue fire to her soul. Justine gulped.
“Back onto the grass,” Zander said, moving in front of him to clear the way.
“Zander, are you here as family or friend?”
Zander pulled at the hem of his suit coat. “Both.”
The buzz picked up as the crew members parted ways, allowing them to come closer still.
“Are you confirming that Burke is, in fact, a Benton?” one asked.
“Yes, he is.”
“Burke, when was the last time you saw Justine before today?”
Justine tried to look past the cameras and mics in her way, unable to catch his gaze once more. But what didn’t escape her was his answer.
“It feels like it’s been forever.”
“Burke, why did you come here today?”
“Did you come to win her back?” one guessed.
Another stepped forward. “Did you come because you love Justine?”
Justine’s heart skipped a beat as Burke took one more step forward and tilted his head until his eyes locked on hers.
“Yes.”
The crowd went wild once more. And that’s when Justine noticed that they weren’t only surrounded by paparazzi members. The folks once seated in the amphitheater had hurried over to catch sight of the action.
“Can we please have everyone gather into the amphitheater?” A man wearing a tan suit barked through a megaphone. “Please, everyone, file into the amphitheater and take a seat.”
Burke took another step closer, stopping just a few feet away, those brooding blue eyes fixed on her. “Justine,” he rasped.
Justine worked to calm her racing heart with a slowed breath. She lifted her chin, recalling exactly what it was she was there for. “Excuse me,” she said. “But I’ve got a piece of property to fight for.” She lifted a shoulder proudly and moved to turn.
“No, you don’t.”
Justine gritted her teeth. “If I don’t get an extension on—”
“That won’t be necessary,” he blurted, “because I bought it back.”
Their audience buzzed with excitement, but it didn’t touch the celebration happening inside of her. “You did what?”
“It wasn’t easy, or I’d have done it sooner. But it’s mine now. Yours, if you’d like. I have an idea for it that I think you might like.”
Zander pulled a tube of rolled up paper from his suit and handed it over to Burke. Justine watched as Burke dropped to one knee and unrolled a set of blueprints. Actually, she realized, leaning forward for a closer look, it was more like a map.
“You said the youth in Piney Falls need more options,” Burke said. “Something to help them stay active and enjoy nature at the same time. So I drafted this up. With a little help,” he added with a shrug.
Justine hunched down to take a closer look. There in the center were the falls, and the lodge and amphitheater too. Her gaze moved over to the additions in the surrounding area. Rough sketches with penciled descriptions beneath. Climbing wall. Log water slide. Zip Line. Log walk. And at least a dozen others.
She glanced up to read the title along the top. “Adventure land?” Her heart was doing reluctant backflips. She very much wanted this for the town. In fact, she couldn’t think of anything better.
“Yes.” He reached out then, still on one knee, and took hold of her hand. “I had no idea—”
Zander cleared his throat, gaining Burke’s attention for a beat.