Page 131 of Bargain With the Boss

I set her down at the sound of tires on the pitted pavement. Gavin’s big, dusty truck pulled in followed by Jude’s SUV.

She dashed away the tears. “I wonder what Gavin has to tell us.”

“I don’t know.” She stepped back and we linked fingers to meet them at the edge of the eating area.

Gavin stepped out of his truck, his sunglasses on and a thin line to his mouth.

That couldn’t be good.

Jude and Gavin climbed the stairs.

“This looks amazing.” Jude glanced around at the top of the hill to the single picnic table with an arched brow. “What are you two up to?”

Sydney held out her left hand. “We came a little early.”

“Congratulations!” He dragged her away from me and pulled Syd into a hug.

“Thanks,” she said and gripped his shoulders.

“Gonna make a man of this idiot?” Gavin smiled and looked at the ring then me with a firm nod. “Good job, there.” He pulled Syd into a gentle hug.

I laughed. “Thanks.”

“Now I don’t want to tell you what we’re here for. Talk about a buzz kill.”

I frowned as Syd came back to my side, hooking her arm around my back. “What’s up?”

“I just got word about a property Arthur picked up a few months ago while we were distracted. I’d been out in Rochester and you were still on paternity leave. Syd was wrapping things up in Seattle—we all weren’t paying attention like we should. Like weneedto when it comes to Arthur.”

Jude frowned. “What happened?”

“Not only did he buy the strip of land over there.” He pointed to the crumbling shell of a shack that we’d planned to bulldoze. “But he convinced the town to sell him the stretch of beach beside ours.”

“What the hell? That was town property, not for sale.”

Or we would have fucking purchased it a long time ago.

“Yeah, well he made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. He’s going to be our new neighbor, and his plans are to build a high-end hotel with boutiques on the lower level.”

“He hasn’t had an original idea since Obama was in office,” I growled.

“If he thinks he’s going to build bigger and better than us, he’s sorely mistaken.” Gavin’s voice was steely. “If he wants a fight, he’s going to get one. I’m not letting him ruin this beach.”

Syd looked up at me. “Claire won’t want this either. I think we need to bring her in on this.”

Gavin shook his head. “Are you insane?”

She reached down to link our fingers before she turned to Gavin. “Just talk to her. Claire isn’t like Arthur, she cares about keeping the Cove as it is. She might be able to help us.”

“I don’t need a Maitland’s help.” He stalked over to the stairs and down to the parking lot.

Syd sighed. “He’s so damn stubborn about Arthur. Even worse than you.”

I smoothed a hand down her hair. “He has good reason. Maitland destroyed his family.”

Jude sighed. “He won’t talk about the specifics, only that something happened between Arthur and his mother that ruined their family. His mother ended up losing their home and Gavin’s dad left.”

“No wonder he hates him,” she said softly.