Up to Snow Good - Kelly Collins Page 0,12
feel about it, but—”
“But nothing. Those Matthews can’t be trusted!” The smoke whooshed from his mouth like a misfire from an angry dragon.
“Pop—”
His father held up his hand. “I didn’t raise you to be a fool.”
Max held back his anger because nothing good would come of it. His father was like an open can of kerosene just waiting for a match. Max refused to light him up. “I went to see her like you asked, nothing is happening.”
“Better keep it that way,” he said. “I’m still running things around here, and you’ve got a lot to learn.”
He offered his father a complacent stare when he wanted to offer him a fist. “I’m eager to learn.”
His father glared at him, seemingly unconvinced. “Next time you see her, make the offer.”
“That’s the plan.” He cleared his throat and took in a breath, prepping for the rest. This next part would make his father apoplectic. “About the price.”
“Lowball the comps.” Pulling several pages from his desk, his father returned to the day’s business.
Max took a step back. “That’s the thing. She’ll turn down a lowball offer.”
“We’ll meet her halfway in a counteroffer.”
Max shook his head. He might press Lauren to sell, but he wouldn’t rip her off. “I don’t think so.”
“And why’s that?”
Max wasn’t happy about the strategy that popped into his head, but it seemed the best way to achieve the most humane outcome. “She’s not crazy about our family either. You’re not the only one who carries a grudge.”
“Too bad.”
“It will make it easier to turn us down, just on principle. A lowball offer may set her off, and she could take a lesser offer just to spite us.”
His father seemed to give it some thought, puffing on that cigar. “She’s a real hothead, huh?”
Max recalled her sweet smile and her gentle strength. “She’s a redhead,” he said as if that implied she had a hot temper, which wasn’t true. Lauren had the most easygoing disposition of any woman he’d ever known.
“Yeah.” He pondered a moment more. “Fine, offer ten percent over the market value, and make sure she knows that’s a damn good deal. Let her try to find a buyer that would pay more. And don’t negotiate.” He snapped. “I’m not paying one penny over the ten. If she balks, she balks. I won’t play games here.”
“You never do.” That wasn’t the truth. Eaton Hunter was all about the games. That wasn’t true either. He was all about winning the game, no matter the cost.
Chapter Ten
Lauren
Lauren wasn’t excited to see Sam’s sedan pull up to the lodge. She wasn’t expecting a friendly visit and didn’t have it in her to feign happiness.
He stepped out with a smile she’d seen from a lot of faces recently. He meant it to be reassuring; however, it was the pitying look a doctor gave a patient before delivering a bad prognosis. The lodge was terminal, but it wasn’t ready to take the final blow. But it was coming and hoped that her ideas, while untraditional for the area, were exactly what she needed for a cure.
She welcomed him inside and asked, “Would you join me for tea?”
He nodded and followed her to the table, where they sat across from one another.
Ruthie brought out hot tea, including little china pitchers of milk, sugar, along with a variety of sugar cookies and wafers.
“I might have a plan,” she started.
He lifted a brow. “I’m all ears.”
She told him about Ruthie’s idea.
“A Santa’s Village?” He appeared to give it some thought as he blew on his hot tea.
“Maybe not Santa so much. I mean, I’d want to go quaint with the theme—old-fashioned—more like a Father Christmas kind of thing. You know, bring a little old-world charm to the holiday.”
He rocked his head from side to side and nibbled the star off the top of the Christmas tree cookie.
Lauren wondered if that was a subliminal sign to represent the death of her dream. He’d gobbled up the light.
“It’s not a bad idea.”
She perked up with the buoyancy of hope running through her veins. “I thought we might get the locals involved, get them to contribute in the spirit of the season.” She figured anything that would bring them an opportunity to earn extra income was a good thing.
He nodded. “Could be nice. Not sure what it will do long term to save the lodge, though. You’re trying to patch a gaping hole in the dam with a piece of gum.”
Lauren shook her head, already knowing where the conversation