6. Locke #2
I reached for her, catching her hand before she could stalk past me. “Are we really back to this? I’m not trying to manipulate you or use you or—”
“Sure, Locke, I totally believe that,” she said, yanking her arm away. “You’re just trying to be friendly. The fact that this is my father’s land has no bearing on your behavior.” She sneered. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“I meant what I said,” I told her. “Not just because I want the land, but because it really would be a shame to lose this place. I can see how much it means to you, and I understand. That’s what the Highland camp felt like for me.
When Weston reopened it at the start of summer, it was like stepping back in time, and I realized how important it was to be able to share that place with the next generation. ”
Her jaw was tight, her chest heaving. Ranger whined between us, picking up on the tension.
“Some places deserve to be saved and cherished,” I continued. “And I think this is one of them. Do I want to develop the property? Yes, of course. But my plan is the one that’s going to make the most of the natural beauty without trampling over it. Isn’t that what you want?”
“No,” she snapped, her brown eyes fiery. “I don’t want you to slap your luxury hotel down here. What I really want is to have the land for myself. To build an artist’s retreat in my mom’s honor.”
“Your mum was an artist?”
“She was a landscape painter,” Isla said. “And this place spoke to her like nothing else. I think artists should have free access to it.”
Okay, that was not what I was expecting her to say. I puzzled over it for a beat. “If that’s how you feel, why haven’t you asked Dougal to let you have it?”
“I have!” She sounded beyond frustrated, a muscle in her cheek twitching.
“He won’t give it to me. He won’t sell it to me, even though I offered a fair price.
He won’t even entertain the idea.” Her hands turned to fists at her sides.
“He’s too busy trying to decide between the industrialist, who’ll slap his ugly factory down, and you, who’ll make a private clubhouse for the rich. ”
“That’s not my intention.”
“Whatever you say, Bentley Boy. I’ve seen some of your portfolio. Regular, hard-working folks aren’t going to be able to afford to visit this place once you’re done with it.”
I rubbed my jaw. I couldn’t deny Fraser Developments was known for creating luxury destinations, but I understood her point. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think I’ll be building anything here. I didn’t make the best impression on your father when I met with him in Edinburgh.”
Isla gave a humorless chuckle. “You pissed him off? How’d you manage that?”
“I don’t know.” My expression soured. “I opened with the usual. Complaining about the weather. Talking about footy. I may have said something to the likes of ‘if the Rovers could remember which way to kick the ball, maybe they’d make the champions league’ and things went downhill after that.”
She scoffed. “You insulted his footy team?”
“It was meant to be a joke!” I insisted. “I was trying to break the ice. How was I supposed to know that was his team?”
Isla tsked. “I’m probably the only one who could get away with ragging on the Rovers. Dad worships them. He has since he was a boy.”
I dropped my hands to my hips. “I should have done better research. Or found an actual in with him. Any suggestions on what would win him over?”
“The only thing I know for sure that he wants is for me to visit more, but that’s not happening.”
I stared at her, a crazy idea taking root so quickly it almost made me burst out laughing. “I have an idea that could be dead brilliant.”
She looked concerned. “What are you talking about?”
I lifted my hands, hoping she didn’t freak out.
“How does this sound? I’ll pledge to leave the property open to all visitors.
I won’t block off access to the grounds or even the waterfall, so your artists, or regular townspeople, or anyone at all would still be free to come and experience the place for themselves. ”
“What’s the catch?” she asked, suspicious.
“The catch is that you have to help me win Dougal over so I can secure the deal.”
“And what exactly would that entail?” she asked, crossing her arms. Ranger sat dutifully at her feet, staring up at me.
I ran a hand through my hair, playing it through in my mind. “I think…we’d need to make Dougal believe we’re in a relationship.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you crazy?”
“Hear me out,” I said. “For Dougal to take this seriously, for me to be able to leverage your sway over him, we’d have to say we’re together.
And not just some random fling. Dougal needs to believe I mean something to you.
That this relationship matters to the future of his family. I say we pretend we’re engaged.”
Isla’s eyes widened to tea plates. “You’re nuts. I’m not doing that.”
“You said yourself that what Dougal wants is to be closer to you.”
“So?”
“Think about it,” I said. “If his darling daughter shows up with me on her arm, he’s not going to risk pushing you away further by refusing to meet with me. And you can coach me on how to get on his good side—his likes, dislikes, topics I should avoid…”
She tilted her head, regarding me through narrowed eyes. “Sounds like you’re getting all the benefit.”
“No,” I said, holding up my finger. “Don’t forget my deal. With your help, I’ll be able to buy this property and keep it open so everyone can enjoy it. But if you say no, if we don’t work together, then we’re both going up against the industrialist, alone.”
She turned toward the woods, drumming her fingers against her lips, clearly thinking it over. “Dad did mention the positive impact of Weston’s wind farm when I last talked to him.”
“Okay, so he cares about this community. And the one thing I know for sure is this community loves you. You’ve carved out a place for yourself here, so with you by my side—”
“We’ll have an edge over the industrialist,” she said.
I nodded. “My hotel won’t offer quite as many jobs as a factory, but there will be some permanent staff, and a lot of economic potential for the town. It’ll bring wealthy clientele to Braeburn. Visitors who’ll be eager to eat at local restaurants, buy local products, drink local ale.”
“And once you’ve bought the property, what happens to our fake engagement?” she asked, turning to me.
I shrugged. “We stage a fight and use it as an excuse to break up. We’ll obviously still be in each other’s lives, because we’re co-parenting, but we can otherwise go our separate ways. No one else needs to know it was fake.”
“Wait,” she said, taken aback. “You actually want to co-parent with me?”
“Yes!” I barked out, frustrated she didn’t believe me.
“Of course I want to co-parent with you. This plan and the baby are two separate things,” I explained.
“We’ll fake being engaged, yes. But we’re going to be real parents at the end of all of this.
And I intend to be part of my child’s life.
That commitment is in place whether you agree to this deal or not.
I’m not using our child as some tool to win you over. ”
She absorbed that in silence. I was practically bursting, waiting for her answer.
“I don’t know,” she finally said.
“Isla—”
“It’s messy, Locke. It could go badly so many different ways.”
“I know that, but the positives outweigh those potential negatives.”
“Do they?” She huffed, listing things off on her fingers. “The pretending. Getting our stories straight. Convincing my father, who’s probably one of the most stubborn people I know.”
“I know that—”
She made a derisive sound, cutting me off. “If people found out we were lying about things, it would ruin both of our reputations.” Her hands slid down over her stomach. “Plus, I’m a little busy running an inn and growing your child.”
“But this deal could give us both what we want.” It could repair my company’s reputation and let Isla keep access to the land that meant so much to her.
“Come on, Ranger,” she said and started walking away, completely dismissing me.
I had to get her to agree. Things were becoming desperate…not that I wanted her to see that. I racked my brain, trying to come up with something I could use to convince her that this was the best plan.
“The house,” I blurted out. She froze mid-step. Yes!
She turned, slowly, to face me again. “What?”
“Your house.” I pointed down the trail. “You talked about how much it meant to you. What if, instead of tearing it down, we restore it?”
She caught her lip between her teeth. “You’re serious?”
“You be my fake fiancée, help me win over your dad, and not only will I let the public have access to the land, but I’ll save and restore your childhood home.
We could turn it into a special family rental or an event space or…
something.” I painted a vision and hoped she saw it.
“Either way, all those memories with your mother, all of those things you loved so much about your time there, will be preserved. And one day, you’ll get to share them with our son or daughter. ”
Isla’s eyes were glassy as I stopped talking. “If you think that you screwed up over that Rover comment, imagine how much angrier my father will be if he finds out this has all been a lie,” she ground out. “If the town finds out, be ready for pitchforks and protestors outside your door.”
“No one will find out.” I could pull this off. We would pull this off.
“Don’t be sure about that. The rumor mill is strong in Braeburn, and someone always finds out.”
“I’ve got it completely under control.”
“Whatever you say, Poshpants.” She waved goodbye and headed for the woods at a jog, Ranger trailing after her. As I watched her go, I questioned whether I really did.