The Firefighter's Appeal (Harlequin Superromance) by Elizabeth Otto Page A

home. To him, she was a pretty, willing woman who was just as interested in a few hours of mindless fun as he’d been.
    Except that Holly Frasier had her sights set on more than that. And when he’d told her there would never be more than that one night, she had gone straight to her grandmother. It wasn’t good for any business owner in this town to be on the wrong side of the biggest realty company in the tristate area. When it came to buying commercial property or selling your business, chances were you were going to deal with Frasier Realty. Sylvia was good at what she did, and she was someone you wanted on your side.
    “Let’s say my decision may well be determined on your intentions for the property.” She blinked once, her tight smile tipping up more. “The good thing about being the landowner instead of just the broker is that I get to decide where it goes. Considering I haven’t yet shot down your offer, I’d suggest you indulge me a little.”
    Garrett rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. He took a slow breath through his nose. She hadn’t shot him down, true. This was as close as he’d gotten to an acceptance since he’d started offering on the plot when it first came up for sale back in March.
    He thought of the desperation on Kim’s face when she held Brad’s hand. Did it really matter if he told Sylvia? Getting that lot would benefit his family, and for that, Garrett accepted that Brad wouldn’t mind if his personal business was aired out a little. He licked his lips, mentally forced his leg to stop bouncing when he suddenly realized it was. Before he could speak, Sylvia made a sigh-like sound, her tight smile turning soft.
    “Look, I know what’s going on with your uncle, and I feel for his family. I’ve always assumed you wanted the land to expand the bar, but considering I’ve other offers on the property from a couple of other parties, I don’t think I’m out of line in asking what you intend to do with it.”
    “Who told you?” Not that it mattered. Gossip always rubbed him wrong, because for the most part, the information was always skewed and wrong.
    “My hairdresser.” Of course. Eight thousand people in this town, but all the juicy bits still came through the coffee shop, hardware store or hair salon. Garrett spread his hands, resolved.
    “Okay, yes, Brad’s been struggling with cancer. He’s actually back in the hospital right now. We want to expand the bar, put a deck out back, maybe another seating area. Potentially a small amphitheater that the local bands and theater groups can use. Until we get a contractor out there to show us what’s possible, we won’t know for sure, but that’s the general idea.”
    “Bring me a drafted plan.” Any sign of sympathy was gone, replaced by pure professionalism.
    “Excuse me?”
    “I’d like to see a draft of your plans for the property. This lot is one of the last open, wood-lined areas in town. As much as I support commercial development, it would be a shame to see such a pretty natural area ruined by bad development. I’ve owned that land for years and sat on it for this very reason.”
    He couldn’t argue with that. The one-acre plot was parklike, and it wasn’t uncommon for people to use it as such. The gazebo Sylvia had erected to make the plot even more enticing to buyers was a magnet for people leaving his bar to spend a few stolen moments.
    Just as he and Lily had. His heart kicked up a notch at the thought. Garrett cleared his throat to refocus.
    “Understood. We have a contractor coming tonight, actually, so I’ll get something to you as soon as I can.” He started to rise but paused. “When do you need it?”
    Sylvia tapped one nail on the desk. “A week or less would be grand. I’d like to make a decision as soon as possible.”
    No pressure or anything. After months of jerking him around, she was finally cutting the chase short. Fine. He knew Brad had scheduled a meeting with a commercial