A Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain #1)(75)

She sniffs. “If I can’t find a parking space to go to bingo on Main Street, it doesn’t matter. And if the lift tickets and restaurants are priced strictly for tourists, we have a problem. I’ve met men like you, and I don’t like ’em.”

Reed and I share a glance that’s filled with humor and awe. “She’s better than a room full of lawyers,” he whispers in my ear.

I thread my fingers through his and try to hold back my grin.

“Your proposal will not succeed,” Morgan James snaps. “Even if you manage to get your lease transfer approved, the town will not approve your construction plans.”

“Over my dead body,” Maeve Perkins adds, which is a bold statement for anyone over ninety years old.

“Let’s take this outside,” Grandpa Sharpe says, moving toward the exit. “Those plans are private.”

“You just go ahead and think that,” Reed says, clearly amused.

But the Sharpes file out with the council members, and then loud squabbling can be heard just outside the room.

“Who summoned them?” Mark growls. “Did you do this, Reed?”

“Nope.” Reed leans back in his chair and smiles. “I wanted to. But I didn’t want to get Ava in trouble.”

“Ava?” Mark barks. “Was this you?”

“Oh, stop it,” Melody says, brandishing a cookie. “Mountain gossip is legendary.”

“But who gave it to mountain gossip?” he demands.

Melody tries to hide a smile. “I might have said something during my massage this week. Sarah gets me so relaxed, I’m likely to say anything at all.”

“Melody!” Mark looks horrified. “What did you do? The Sharpes won’t be able to close if they don’t think they can get the lease transfer.”

She spreads her hands out wide. “Mark, screw the valuation. Your grown son is asking you to let him lead the mountain into the future. You’re too stubborn to acknowledge the blessing. I had to do something drastic. You’re welcome.”

My jaw hits the floor.





CHAPTER 34




PRIVATE BUSINESS





REED

I guess Melody is growing on me.

She stares my father down, while his mouth opens and closes like a fish’s.

“I thought you wanted to travel,” he finally manages to spit out. “I was keeping my promises to you.”

“Honey, I appreciate that. My ex never kept a single promise he ever made. But I never asked you to turn your back on everyone else in your life. Our trip can wait.”

“You don’t know that,” he says, taking her face in his hands. “None of us knows how much time we’re going to get.”

I glance at Ava, whose eyes have gone soft as she watches this drama play out. And my dad is right. We never know how much time we’ve got, and I don’t want to waste another moment.

Taking Ava’s hand, I address my father. “Dad, you can still travel. I’ve been trying to tell you that. I’ll come back to Colorado and help Ava run the resort. Block might work with us on an expansion, too.”

“Wouldn’t bet on it.” My father drops his chin. “That ship has sailed.”

I look over my shoulder to make sure we’re alone before I answer him. “I was there an hour ago, and he said he’d listen.”

“Really?” My father leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling. “Reed, I can tell you’re serious. But I’m still not sure about roping you into this place.”

“Why?” I demand. “I love this place. It took me a long time to admit that. But I’m here now.”

My father sits up straighter and sighs. “I know why you stayed away, son. After your mother died, I was not a functional human. It took me years—long years—to get straight. And even then, I put the needs of the resort ahead of my boys. I’m sorry.”

The apology catches me off guard, and it isn’t until Ava squeezes my hand that I realize I’m staring at him. “Thank you,” I say roughly.

He shakes his head. “Your mother would be so mad at me for how bad I let things get. Even after I stopped drinking, I turned into a workaholic. That felt virtuous, but it really wasn’t. I should have spent all that energy trying to get you boys back into my life.”

“Why didn’t you?” I hear myself ask.

“Couple of reasons. First of all, I didn’t feel like I deserved it. Still don’t, I guess. But from where I sat, all three of you were doing so well. You’d graduated from one of the top business schools in the country. Weston was collecting all those medals to pin on his uniform, and Crew was on TV meeting—and beating—his idols.

“I saw all that and told myself a story—that you three were happier without me. It was real easy for me to believe that I hadn’t screwed up so badly, right? If my boys are winning at life, then I’m not so bad.”

He shakes his head. “I should have pushed harder to be with you. But I was afraid to learn anything that threatened this narrative I’d written about us. And then you came home last month, and I could finally see that it’s not all rainbows and roses. You and Ava had experienced a real loss that I knew nothing about. I could see how devastating that must have been—” He takes a deep breath, and Melody pats his hand. “I didn’t want to know how badly I’d fucked you guys up.”