they’ll be fine.”
“Are you always so stubborn, so independent?”
“Yes, when I think I’m doing the right thing.”
Straightening, Alex dusted off his hands. Apparently, he was going about this all wrong. Time to rethink his approach. Tomorrow. Tonight, he was a little tired from trying too hard. “All right. Good night, then.” Retracing his steps, Alex went back inside.
Megan watched him go, her eyes narrowing. Who was this man, this stranger, coming here and overstepping his boundaries as a paying guest? The trouble with a guy like him was that if you gave him an inch, he wanted a mile. He had the air of confidence that always having had money gives a man. Some might even call it arrogance.
Well, he’d soon find out that his unsolicited offers didn’t cut it with Megan Delaney. She was never going to be beholden to a man ever again. Not any man. She and Ryan would manage just fine without any outside help.
There was something different about him, however, something that shadowed those dark green eyes. She’d give him a wide berth, she decided. Of course, everyone had their secrets, Megan thought, rising and walking slowly toward the house.
She had a few herself.
Chapter 3
A lex drove the short distance from town to Delaney’s Bed & Breakfast automatically, his mind still on the meeting he’d just had. The two Parsons daughters had seemed reasonable enough and anxious to sell the land he was interested in. And he was interested in it after having spent the best part of an hour walking the parcel. It was ideally located, near town but yet not downtown. The land was six blocks from a grade school, ten from the town’s only high school and within walking distance of two churches.
But there was a snag, and his name was Jimmy Parsons.
The elderly owner’s only son wanted to hold out for big bucks, which could squelch the whole deal. However, Alex wasn’t one to judge too early. He’d indicated interest, but not eagerness. They’d talk again, he’d told the three of them, then strolled away, leaving them wondering, he supposed.
Time was on his side, since one of the sisters had blurted out that they hadn’t had any offers as yet, nor had any other builder asked to speak to them. Of course, the ad had only recently appeared and would undoubtedly spark more interest. Fortunately, acquiring the parcel wasn’t a do-or-die kind of thing with Alex, an attitude that usually put him one up on anyone else who badly wanted to purchase.
Chances are, he thought as he turned the Porsche onto the winding road leading to the inn, that Jimmy Parsons was just testing the waters, showing off in front of his sisters, trying to prove he was a mover and shaker. He wasn’t. Alex had seen the young man’s nervous swallowing, the slight trembling of his hands. Although Alex was willing to pay fair market value, there was no way he would overbid so the kid would look good.
Parking under the large California live oak shading the far end of Delaney’s lot, he decided he’d go in and make a few phone calls, see if he could round up a few comps, make appointments with some local lenders for comparison and look into ordering a feasibility study. Although Megan had told him she thought the area could handle some middle-income housing, he felt she was too far out of the loop to make a solid judgment.
Megan. Getting out of the car, Alex stared up at the sky, clearing after the morning rain, and thought about the woman who’d sat in her garden last night, wearing her stubborn streak like a badge of honor. Her resistance to any proffered help seemed more than independence. More like a strong determination to make it on her own. Why? he wondered. What could it have hurt if she’d have let him pull up a few weeds? Did all that track back to Neal and their relationship?
He supposed the prudent thing would be for him to quit offering. Even his wiping a few pans had upset her. At breakfast this morning, she’d been polite
“Are you always so stubborn, so independent?”
“Yes, when I think I’m doing the right thing.”
Straightening, Alex dusted off his hands. Apparently, he was going about this all wrong. Time to rethink his approach. Tomorrow. Tonight, he was a little tired from trying too hard. “All right. Good night, then.” Retracing his steps, Alex went back inside.
Megan watched him go, her eyes narrowing. Who was this man, this stranger, coming here and overstepping his boundaries as a paying guest? The trouble with a guy like him was that if you gave him an inch, he wanted a mile. He had the air of confidence that always having had money gives a man. Some might even call it arrogance.
Well, he’d soon find out that his unsolicited offers didn’t cut it with Megan Delaney. She was never going to be beholden to a man ever again. Not any man. She and Ryan would manage just fine without any outside help.
There was something different about him, however, something that shadowed those dark green eyes. She’d give him a wide berth, she decided. Of course, everyone had their secrets, Megan thought, rising and walking slowly toward the house.
She had a few herself.
Chapter 3
A lex drove the short distance from town to Delaney’s Bed & Breakfast automatically, his mind still on the meeting he’d just had. The two Parsons daughters had seemed reasonable enough and anxious to sell the land he was interested in. And he was interested in it after having spent the best part of an hour walking the parcel. It was ideally located, near town but yet not downtown. The land was six blocks from a grade school, ten from the town’s only high school and within walking distance of two churches.
But there was a snag, and his name was Jimmy Parsons.
The elderly owner’s only son wanted to hold out for big bucks, which could squelch the whole deal. However, Alex wasn’t one to judge too early. He’d indicated interest, but not eagerness. They’d talk again, he’d told the three of them, then strolled away, leaving them wondering, he supposed.
Time was on his side, since one of the sisters had blurted out that they hadn’t had any offers as yet, nor had any other builder asked to speak to them. Of course, the ad had only recently appeared and would undoubtedly spark more interest. Fortunately, acquiring the parcel wasn’t a do-or-die kind of thing with Alex, an attitude that usually put him one up on anyone else who badly wanted to purchase.
Chances are, he thought as he turned the Porsche onto the winding road leading to the inn, that Jimmy Parsons was just testing the waters, showing off in front of his sisters, trying to prove he was a mover and shaker. He wasn’t. Alex had seen the young man’s nervous swallowing, the slight trembling of his hands. Although Alex was willing to pay fair market value, there was no way he would overbid so the kid would look good.
Parking under the large California live oak shading the far end of Delaney’s lot, he decided he’d go in and make a few phone calls, see if he could round up a few comps, make appointments with some local lenders for comparison and look into ordering a feasibility study. Although Megan had told him she thought the area could handle some middle-income housing, he felt she was too far out of the loop to make a solid judgment.
Megan. Getting out of the car, Alex stared up at the sky, clearing after the morning rain, and thought about the woman who’d sat in her garden last night, wearing her stubborn streak like a badge of honor. Her resistance to any proffered help seemed more than independence. More like a strong determination to make it on her own. Why? he wondered. What could it have hurt if she’d have let him pull up a few weeds? Did all that track back to Neal and their relationship?
He supposed the prudent thing would be for him to quit offering. Even his wiping a few pans had upset her. At breakfast this morning, she’d been polite
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