The Devine Doughnut Shop(66)

“Is this woman someone you could really get involved with?” Delores asked. “You do know that she’s got a teenage daughter—and believe me, I know from experience that they can be horrible little creatures.”

“I like Grace,” Travis said. “She didn’t try to impress me. She was totally herself and as honest as they come. I don’t know about a relationship. I’d be willing to start off with a friendship and see where that goes.”

“Well, she has to have magic powers.” Delores opened her tablet and began to push buttons. “If she can get you out of Texas on a trip, then I already like her.”

“And on short notice like this,” Calvin agreed with a nod.

“I hate to tell you, but you aren’t going in the company plane today,” Delores said. “You promised the first-floor kids that they could use it this afternoon to fly to that conference in Vegas that kicks off tonight. How about leaving tomorrow morning?”

Travis was disappointed, but he didn’t go back on his word, and it was too late to get all ten of that group on a commercial flight. He could possibly go commercial, but if there was a layover or a problem, he wouldn’t get there by seven anyway.

His grandfather’s voice was back in his head: Ever think that this just might be an omen? Don’t go flying off—quite literally—without figuring out why you are going.

“See what kind of arrangements you can make for them, and I’ll get in touch with Grace,” Travis said. “I’ll be down on the first floor if you need me.”

“What kind of car do you want at the airport when you reach Florida? Limo? It’s easier for me to do this right here than get your assistant,” Delores said while still looking at her tablet.

“I don’t need a limo,” Travis replied. “I’m not trying to impress anyone. An SUV will be just fine.” He remembered the way Grace had looked when she had come to the office to have lunch with him—jeans and her work T-shirt—and how at ease she had been eating pizza and doughnuts with her fingers. But most of all, she had held her ground for her little shop, and probably would for her land. Money didn’t talk to Grace; family and her heritage did. That intrigued Travis more than anything had in a long time.

“I haven’t seen that expression on your face in a long time,” Calvin told him.

“I haven’t been on a vacation in a long time,” Travis said as he headed toward the door.

“Remember, we’ve got that big merger meeting first thing Wednesday morning, so you’ll have to be home in a week,” Delores reminded him.

Travis waved over his shoulder. “I’ll be back on Tuesday evening.”

He whistled all the way to the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor. When he stepped out, Lucy was exiting the one right next to him.

“Are y’all excited about this trip?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah!” she answered with a smile and a nod. “It’s always good to network with other folks and companies to see what’s new in their fields. I’m glad you came down here this morning. We’re ready to sit down and talk to you about this bakery business.”

“Then I’m glad I caught you before you left.” He opened the door leading into the open space where their cubicles were located and stood to the side to let her enter first.

“Hey, everyone, gather around the table,” Lucy called out.

Travis took his place at the head of the long table, and the rest of the group pulled chairs up on both sides. “Okay, what have you figured out about this factory business?”

Lucy sat down at the other end of the table and opened up a folder. “We’ve approached it from every angle—both putting one inside the city limits of Devine and also in other places—and every time, we came up with the same answer: that little bakery works because the small-batch idea and the method they use to bake is what makes them unique.”

“Lucy has the figures for you, and it’s just not a viable venture in our opinion,” Barton, one of the other members, added.

“Trying to copy something like that would be like turning an oil well into a peach orchard. It simply will not work,” Clara said. “I’m sorry that we have to be the bearers of bad news, because we all know that you kind of had your heart set on this. Unfortunately, that also is the situation with the piece of land just south of Devine you’d proposed for that housing development. Even if it was for sale—which, I understand at this time, it’s not—it’s not a good location.”

“For one thing, it’s another four miles out of the city, which makes for a bit of a longer commute, and the landscape isn’t good; plus, there’s a huge spring-fed pond at the backside of the land. That means the water table isn’t far down, and the houses you would have built wouldn’t be as stable as they should be,” Devon said.

“I see,” Travis said. “Yes, I was hoping for better news, but I pay you all to be honest with me, so we will withdraw any offers on these projects. When you return from your trip, I want you to dive into finding me about three hundred acres of viable land for a housing project that is within the Devine city limits.”

“Will do.” Lucy stood up and handed him the folder. “Here’s the official findings on the bakery and the Dalton land. We’ve put it all on a digital file as well, but I know how you like hard copies.”