The Merriest Magnolia (Magnolia Sisters #2) - Michelle Major Page 0,60

both been over six feet. Height ran in the family. But the reminder of time passing whether he wanted it to or not still made his chest pinch.

“The last time I left you alone, we ended up out on the county highway surrounded by cops and firefighters. I almost pissed my pants with worry, Sam. Not going there again.”

“You mean anger,” the boy corrected. “You were angry not scared for me.”

Dylan huffed out a small laugh and bent his knees—only a little now—so he was at eye level with the boy. “Scared to pieces,” he clarified. “The anger came after I knew you were okay.”

“Oh.” He registered Sam’s sharp intake of breath. It killed him that Sam could still believe Dylan didn’t want him. Carrie would say that trust took time to build. Sam had lost everything, his entire life, so it made sense that he was going to test Dylan’s devotion. According to her, Dylan just had to stay the course and the boy would come to see that Dylan would never abandon him.

Carrie.

After three blissful nights with her in his bed, she’d seemed to drop off the face of the earth. Or at least out of his life. He’d seen glimpses of her as she worked on the festival, which was ramping up to have a hugely successful weekend. He’d been doing his part with the gingerbread village and other tasks vendors needed, but somehow Carrie had managed to keep her distance.

Had he simply been an itch she’d wanted to scratch? Or worse, had she been trying to soften him so that he’d change his plans for the real estate he owned in town? Several people had mentioned to him the names of companies that might be interested in leasing or buying the factory and surrounding land if he wanted to go in a different direction with his plans for it.

He straightened and rubbed a hand over his face and tried to put thoughts of Carrie out of his mind. Hell if he wouldn’t have done just about anything to entice her back to him.

“This place is creepy,” Sam said as he fell in step next to Dylan with slightly less attitude.

Dylan had to admit that Sam’s assessment of the factory was spot on. The building was not only dilapidated. An air of sadness surrounded it, as if the structure knew the role its closing had played in Magnolia’s downturn.

“The town suffered a big hit when Tremaine Industries pulled out,” Dylan explained. “My dad had worked here half his life. A lot of the machinists were at a huge loss once the factory closed.”

“Is that why your mom and dad moved?”

Dylan nodded. “It was a forced retirement.”

“And now you’re going to demolish the whole thing to build rich-people condos?”

“Luxury housing.”

“Same thing,” Sam said with a knowing snort.

“You know that your father came up with the current Scott Development business model. I’m trying to bring his vision to life in Magnolia.”

Sam kicked an old, rusted beer can away from the entrance. “I thought that Dad was all about making poor neighborhoods nice again. At least that’s what he’d talk about over dinner. How the communities he revitalized should appreciate all the good he did for them. He thought you guys were like construction rainmakers or something.”

“That’s exactly why the company chooses the projects it does, to make a difference. We’re going to make a difference in Magnolia with the added bonus of this being a great place for you to live.”

“But Magnolia isn’t failing in that way. Things are kind of dated, but it’s basically a cool town. Carrie has plans to make it better and you want to gut everything and start over.”

“Not true.” Heat crept along the back of Dylan’s neck. Sam sounded exactly like Carrie but somehow it felt more difficult to argue with the teen, who didn’t actually have skin in the game of this town’s next steps. It had been simple to convince himself he wasn’t the bad guy when his motivations were building a future for Sam’s benefit.

The kid had three and a half years of high school to manage. It would take a couple of years to really get everything off the ground the way Dylan wanted. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal to leave the running of the operations in Boston to his very capable right-hand woman and spearhead the project in Magnolia.

Besides, everyone knew that Sam was his primary consideration in life. He hoped they did anyway. But what