buy.”
His eyes suddenly lit with amusement. “Thirty wheeler loads a day, five days a week for at least two months—or maybe even well into summer if I have to go all the way up the mountain before I find decent gravel on Mac’s land. And I was thinking two dollars a yard is a fair price for everyone concerned.”
Peg jumped to her feet and actually stumbled backward. Two dollars a yard! And with twelve yards in a wheeler, times thirty trips a day … Holy hell, that was seven hundred and twenty dollars a day!
She suddenly stiffened, crumpling the plastic bag in her fist. “Do you think I just crawled out from under a rock, or that because I’m a woman I don’t know what gravel costs? I’m not letting you pay me two dollars a yard!”
Duncan MacKeage also stood up, his amusement gone. “Two fifty then, but not a penny more.”
“No!” Peg said on a gasp, taking a step back—until she realized what she was doing and stepped forward and pointed toward her house. “You can just get in your truck and drive back to Inglenook, Mr. MacKeage, and tell Olivia that I don’t appreciate being played for a fool!”
“What in hell are you talking about? Two-fifty a yard is a damn fair offer. And what’s Olivia got to do with this, anyway?” He thumped his chest. “I’m the one signing the checks, not the Oceanuses, so it’s my profit you’re trying to gouge.”
“Then I’ll tell
you
the same thing I told Olivia; I am not a charity case!” she all but shouted, bolting for the house.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he muttered, catching her within three strides. He turned her around to face him, his hands on her arms tightening against her struggles. “Peg, listen to me,” hesaid calmly. “I think we have our wires crossed.” He relaxed his grip when she stilled, but didn’t let her go. “What’s
your
idea of a fair price?”
“There isn’t anyone in a hundred miles of here who would pay more than a dollar for stumpage.” She started struggling again when he smiled. “So if Olivia told you to offer me two fifty, you can just go back and tell her that I don’t want or
need
her charity.”
“Aw, Peg,” he said, letting her go and stepping away. “I don’t think Olivia even knows I want to buy gravel from you.”
Peg balled her hands into fists to counter the tingling in her arms from where he’d held her. “Then why did you offer me twice the going rate?”
“Because the
going rate
just rose in direct proportion to your pit’s proximity to the new Bottomless Sea, or don’t you realize the building boom that’s going to follow that underground saltwater river here? Hell, a year from now you’ll be kicking yourself for selling me gravel for only two bucks a yard.”
“Two
fifty
,” Peg quickly corrected, her heart pounding with excitement again.
“God dammit, you were expecting to get a dollar.” He stepped toward her. “Two dollars even, and I’ll throw in a couple of days’ labor from my crew to make some minor repairs on your house.”
She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye because he was so close, and she shook her head. “Two twenty-five a yard and I get the logs from the hillside. And I want them neatly stacked in my driveway so I can have a portable sawmill come cut them into lumber.” She shot him a tight smile. “You can have the pulpwood.”
He folded his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve already worked out my deal with the logger I’ve hired to clear the road up the mountain.”
“Then renegotiate with him. I want those sawlogs.”
“Okay, if you’ll settle on two dollars a yard.”
Peg pointed at the hillside. “That gravel is all that’s standing between me and prostitution,” she growled, only to cover her mouth with a gasp when his jaw slackened. “Destitution!It’s all that’s standing between me and
destitution
!” she cried, splaying her hands to cover her blistering face.
“Okay, then,” he said, sounding like he
His eyes suddenly lit with amusement. “Thirty wheeler loads a day, five days a week for at least two months—or maybe even well into summer if I have to go all the way up the mountain before I find decent gravel on Mac’s land. And I was thinking two dollars a yard is a fair price for everyone concerned.”
Peg jumped to her feet and actually stumbled backward. Two dollars a yard! And with twelve yards in a wheeler, times thirty trips a day … Holy hell, that was seven hundred and twenty dollars a day!
She suddenly stiffened, crumpling the plastic bag in her fist. “Do you think I just crawled out from under a rock, or that because I’m a woman I don’t know what gravel costs? I’m not letting you pay me two dollars a yard!”
Duncan MacKeage also stood up, his amusement gone. “Two fifty then, but not a penny more.”
“No!” Peg said on a gasp, taking a step back—until she realized what she was doing and stepped forward and pointed toward her house. “You can just get in your truck and drive back to Inglenook, Mr. MacKeage, and tell Olivia that I don’t appreciate being played for a fool!”
“What in hell are you talking about? Two-fifty a yard is a damn fair offer. And what’s Olivia got to do with this, anyway?” He thumped his chest. “I’m the one signing the checks, not the Oceanuses, so it’s my profit you’re trying to gouge.”
“Then I’ll tell
you
the same thing I told Olivia; I am not a charity case!” she all but shouted, bolting for the house.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he muttered, catching her within three strides. He turned her around to face him, his hands on her arms tightening against her struggles. “Peg, listen to me,” hesaid calmly. “I think we have our wires crossed.” He relaxed his grip when she stilled, but didn’t let her go. “What’s
your
idea of a fair price?”
“There isn’t anyone in a hundred miles of here who would pay more than a dollar for stumpage.” She started struggling again when he smiled. “So if Olivia told you to offer me two fifty, you can just go back and tell her that I don’t want or
need
her charity.”
“Aw, Peg,” he said, letting her go and stepping away. “I don’t think Olivia even knows I want to buy gravel from you.”
Peg balled her hands into fists to counter the tingling in her arms from where he’d held her. “Then why did you offer me twice the going rate?”
“Because the
going rate
just rose in direct proportion to your pit’s proximity to the new Bottomless Sea, or don’t you realize the building boom that’s going to follow that underground saltwater river here? Hell, a year from now you’ll be kicking yourself for selling me gravel for only two bucks a yard.”
“Two
fifty
,” Peg quickly corrected, her heart pounding with excitement again.
“God dammit, you were expecting to get a dollar.” He stepped toward her. “Two dollars even, and I’ll throw in a couple of days’ labor from my crew to make some minor repairs on your house.”
She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye because he was so close, and she shook her head. “Two twenty-five a yard and I get the logs from the hillside. And I want them neatly stacked in my driveway so I can have a portable sawmill come cut them into lumber.” She shot him a tight smile. “You can have the pulpwood.”
He folded his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve already worked out my deal with the logger I’ve hired to clear the road up the mountain.”
“Then renegotiate with him. I want those sawlogs.”
“Okay, if you’ll settle on two dollars a yard.”
Peg pointed at the hillside. “That gravel is all that’s standing between me and prostitution,” she growled, only to cover her mouth with a gasp when his jaw slackened. “Destitution!It’s all that’s standing between me and
destitution
!” she cried, splaying her hands to cover her blistering face.
“Okay, then,” he said, sounding like he
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