Page 40 of Small Town Sizzle

He texts me the information, and I take a few steps away as I make the phone call. He offers to see me in ten minutes, so I let my brother know and head into town.

It’s not long before I’m pulling up out in front of Teddy’s office and walking inside.

I grin, crossing the room to shake his hand. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“No kidding. What brings you to my neck of the woods?” He gestures for me to sit.

I settle into one of the leather chairs, leaning forward. “Got a question for you. Ethan said you’d be the guy to ask about development projects in the area.”

His brow quirks. “Depends on what you’re looking for. What’s going on?”

I explain the situation, emphasizing the potential threat to the youth center and surrounding land.

His expression shifts as he listens. “Damn,” he says when I finish. “I think I know who you’re dealing with.”

My stomach tightens. “Who?”

“Oakmont Holdings,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “They’ve been sniffing around town for a while, trying to scoop up land wherever they can. They came after Derek Townson’s orchard not too long ago.”

“What happened?”

“They wanted to buy it, tear it down, and turn it into a luxury resort. I guess his wife, Sharon, because it was theirs first, was about to sell it all before she died. Her family tried to sell it out from under him, but he told them to shove it. They didn’t take no for an answer easily. Sharon’s parents wanted that money bad, helped the company damage the property and Derek’s bank account, then turned to legal threats when that didn’t work.”

My jaw clenches. “And the youth center? Could they be after that land, too?”

“It’s possible,” he says grimly. “Especially if they’re eyeing the wetlands. Developers love to spin ‘environmental restoration’ projects to justify clearing protected areas. You might want to start digging into any permits they’ve tried to file. From what I understand, your mom made it a drawn-out process, and they would have had to start it months ago. She would have known about it. No one at the courthouse would have allowed it to be filed, either. They would have sent them on their way without Greta’s signature.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive. I think I remember your mom saying that it had to go through Mike, then a board who’d do a thorough background check, and it was a very lengthy process.”

“Thanks, Teddy,” I say, standing. “I owe you one.”

“Anytime,” he says, standing to shake my hand again. “Be careful. Oakmont’s not afraid to play dirty.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. They helped set a fire out at the orchard. It was just lucky that the wind wasn’t heavy that day and that thefarmhands were all on the property; otherwise, it could have been a very different story.”

I nod, his warning staying with me as I leave. Whatever this is, it’s bigger than I thought—and there’s no way in hell I’m letting them get their hands on the youth center.

I won’t be able to find anything out today, but I’ll make it a point to go to the courthouse first thing tomorrow morning.

It might not hurt to see about the security measures at the youth center, either.

I drive right back to the youth center to see Mason, Alex, and a few other high school kids playing a pickup game of basketball. Well, Ethan’s playing, too—one-handed, if you could call it playing anyway.

“What on earth are you trying to prove?” I call out to my brother.

“Uneven teams,” he chuckles. “Though I think I give our opponents an advantage.”

Ethan walks off the court and over to me, sitting on the bleachers and chugging water simultaneously.

“You’re going to have a heart attack.”

“Nah, they were taking it easy on me. What did you find out?”

“Teddy thinks it could be the same company that was trying to buy the orchard.”