Opening Her Heart Read online

  Actors, sports icons and other celebrities would be visiting this place when it opened. Once the papers were signed, it wouldn’t take long for them to build. He was just checking out the property for himself before he got down to the real business of getting the town council to vote the building permits and zoning in his favor.

  He didn’t need to see the inside the cabin, which was quaint in its own way but had definitely seen better days, because it would just be leveled in order for the new construction to go up.

  Still, his encounter with Avery had made him curious—and it felt more than a little bit like a challenge. He never walked away from a challenge—especially such a pretty one.

  He let himself into the cabin, whistling as he casually sauntered into the house.

  “Hello?” he called, wondering where the women had gotten to. “Anyone home? Where’d y’all get to, now, anyway?”

  He wandered through the front room and poked his head into a large, empty room he assumed was supposed to be the dining room. He then walked into an oversize kitchen with an industrial-size refrigerator and oven that took his breath away. In the middle was a gorgeous solid-oak island with a marble inset on it for food prep.

  His mind drifted for a moment as he pictured himself and Lottie sitting next to each other on the stools at the island. He’d be serving his daughter the monkey-shaped chocolate-chip pancakes she especially loved.

  Too bad the whole cabin would be torn down soon. He blinked hard to erase the daydream from his mind.

  “Excuse me?” came a feminine but definitely annoyed voice from behind him. The deep, rich alto vibrated across his skin.

  Ah—Avery had found him at last.

  He turned and grinned, sweeping his hat off his head. He’d get it right this time—just to prove to himself he hadn’t lost his ability to charm the ladies.

  “I thought you said you didn’t need to see the inside of the cabin.” Again, Avery’s bluntness surprised him. No beating around the bush with this woman. She laid it out plain and clear.

  “I didn’t. I don’t.” It wasn’t like him to stammer, and he swallowed hard against the dry tickle in his throat. “I was just curious, so I let myself in. Lisa here said I could visit if I wanted, right?”

  He was more curious about Avery than about the inside of the cabin, if truth be told, but he knew saying that thought aloud would get him into a world of trouble and hurt, so he just tapped his hat against his thigh and waited for her response.

  “If you give me your cell number, we can set up a time to meet in regard to your needs,” the real estate agent said, holding her clipboard toward him. “I’m sure I will be able to provide you with several wonderful choices in land around here. If I don’t already know of something, I’ll work to find a property that will be perfect for your company’s needs.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” he assured her, ignoring the clipboard and instead shoving his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “I’ve already done my homework, as has my company. If they haven’t already, Marston will soon start the official paperwork to secure the property.”

  Avery and Lisa passed glances Jake couldn’t even begin to decipher.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Because right now, all I know is you shouldn’t be here,” said Avery.

  More like she didn’t want him to be here, but he didn’t correct her.

  “Again, I just want to remind you I was invited inside,” he said, nodding toward Lisa. “I thought I’d take a look around the place. Out of curiosity, I mean. Not because I need to know.”

  Avery remained silent.

  “And while we’re on the subject, why are you looking at the property, if I may ask?” he said, turning the tables on her.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I intend to remodel this beautiful cabin into a bed-and-breakfast for the customers of my family’s businesses, especially because they often need to stick around for a couple of weeks to do the necessary training to receive a service dog to suit their needs. Many of them are facing major difficulties in their families as it is, and my vision is for them to have a quiet, peaceful place to stay.”

  “Bed-and-breakfast, huh?” He thoughtfully brushed a palm across his well-trimmed beard. It was a nice enough cabin, and the large kitchen was spectacular, but it was pretty run-down and would take a lot of elbow grease to get it into any kind of shape to serve customers. It’d be much easier just to raze the thing.

  Besides, his idea for new construction was much, much better than a quiet bed-and-breakfast. And who knew? Maybe some of Avery Winslow’s customers would enjoy a stay at the new resort—at least, the ones with deep pockets.

  “The kitchen is outstanding, I’ll give you that,” he said, gesturing his head toward the kitchen doorway. “I’d really enjoy giving that oven a whirl.”

  “You cook?” she asked, her mouth agape as she looked him up and down.

  He squared his shoulders. Why he felt offended by her response was beyond him. As if it mattered one way or another what she thought. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I spent a few really good months going to culinary school before I started working as a salesman. Ask my daughter, Lottie, if you don’t believe me. I make a mean chocolate-chip pancake in any shape you want. Monkeys are Lottie’s favorite.”

  “It’s j-just that—” she stammered and then broke off. “I guess your fancy suit kind of threw me for a loop there.”

  He glanced down at his clothing and shrugged. “Marston has a dress code. And as a salesman, I try to look my best. I’m way more casual in the kitchen. Jeans and T-shirts on the weekends.”

  “Right.”

  He laughed. “You still look confused.”

  “I am. You never answered my question. What exactly does Marston Enterprises want with this cabin? What exactly is it that you do?”

  “It’s not the cabin we want, it’s the land. We build upscale resorts, and this area is perfect. It’s close to the ski slopes and only an hour and a half from Denver International Airport. There is a major highway nearby, but Whispering Pines is a nice small town tucked into the mountains.

  “This town could be the new Aspen. Doesn’t it excite you just a little bit that you might be having famous movie stars and sports icons wandering around Whispering Pines? Brand new businesses will move into the area to attract the types of customers our resorts bring in.”

  Her mouth grew wider with every word of his explanation. Clearly she wasn’t nearly as happy about the possibilities as he was, which cut him to the quick. He apparently wasn’t doing a very good job selling the idea to her.

  “You don’t really mean to—”

  “I do. Well, Marston Enterprises does. The process is already in motion, so it’s a little late to put the brakes on it now. Plans have been made, meetings convened.”

  “But this is my...” Her lips curled into a frown and lightning shot across her face. “What did you say will happen to my cabin?”

  “I’m afraid it’ll be torn down to make way for a grand hotel. Sorry.” He shrugged. He really was sorry, since the place clearly meant so much to Avery.

  “If you think you can just waltz in here and change the dynamics of our beautiful little town without getting any pushback, you have another thing coming.”

  Again, he shrugged. “I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. And for the record, I’m good at what I do. I rarely receive any pushback from local town councils. Do an internet search on Marston Enterprises, and you’ll see just how successful we are in this type of endeavor.”

  “I assure you I’ll be doing that,” she said.

  “Good. Then you’ll have the opportunity to see how truly beautiful these resorts are. It’s totally worth whatever small inconveniences you have to give up. There’s a good reason the rich and famous seek out Marston properties when they want to take
time off. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the town, either, you know,” he said, his throat closing around his voice. He cleared his throat and evened out his tone. “Just the opposite, in fact. Think of all the money the resort will bring into this quaint little town.”

  “It won’t be a quaint little town if you build your resort here,” she pointed out wryly, her blond eyebrows forming a V over her nose.

  “At the very least, shopping will boom,” he insisted. “What exactly is Winslow’s Woodlands?” he asked, thinking he might be able to use her own business as a case in point and turn the tables on her. She was thinking of making the cabin into a bed-and-breakfast, after all, which smacked of some kind of tourism. Maybe his customers could be hers, as well.

  “It’s a Christmas-tree farm. During the Christmas season we sell evergreens—offering either precut or the pick-and-cut-your-own experience. The rest of the year, we provide for customers’ regular landscaping needs. Bushes and aspen trees, along with annuals, perennials and various types of rocks. You think your movie stars are going to want to go rock shopping while they’re here?”

  Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on him.

  “So, I’ll admit,” he said, “our resort may not directly affect your business, although some of our clientele may want to grab a dozen roses for their special someone.”

  “I didn’t say we’re a flower shop. We don’t do roses.”

  “Okay, so maybe not, then. But you have to admit, many other businesses will get a big boost from serving our wealthy guests.”

  Avery seemed to be biting her tongue or clenching her jaw—or maybe both. And Jake felt as if he was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole with every word he spoke, which was an unusual feeling for him. He was usually so slick with his words. But something about Avery pushed him off-balance.

  Maybe because he’d seen in the flicker of her gaze just how much she cared about this place, although he couldn’t imagine why.

  A cabin was a cabin was a cabin. She could easily find somewhere else equally as serviceable as this one, probably even better. As he’d noticed when he’d first entered, this place would take a lot of work to bring it up to par for any kind of guest.

  “They also have a service-dog program,” Lisa offered, tapping her pen against her clipboard. “I think those clients were the guests to whom Avery was referring.”

  “Right. You said something about that earlier. And of course you’ve got this dog with you,” he said, gesturing toward the dog, who was lying at Avery’s heel. “You mean you train dogs for blind people?”

  Avery snorted. It made Jake want to chuckle, though he knew that would probably just get him into even more trouble than he already was, so he kept his amusement to himself.

  “Yes, like dogs for blind people,” Avery snapped. “And for many other situations, as well.”

  “So what’s this little guy here for?” he asked, reaching down to the black Lab and scratching behind his ears.

  “This is Dandy. He’s in training, so he needs to get out and experience different environments, including this one. We’re watching him to see where he shows potential. But see, what you’re not getting here is this place, this exact cabin, is the perfect location for those clients who come in to train with their new service dogs. They are usually under a lot of stress and need the peace that comes along with the seclusion and scenery this property provides. That’s why it has to be this specific cabin and not somewhere else. Trust me, I’ve been looking for a long time, and I know I won’t find anything better that’s close enough to work for our clients. You, on the other hand—”

  “Can’t do anything to change what’s about to happen. Marston probably already has their lawyers drawing up papers, and if they don’t, they will soon. They’ve made their decision, Avery. I’m really sorry. This is the property they’ve chosen, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “If it’s a done deal, then what are you even doing here?” she asked, her words as sharp as a sword. “And why don’t the Meyers seem to know anything about this?”

  “I’ve come to Whispering Pines to settle things with the town council. Grease the wheels. Take care of permits and zoning issues as they arise. Obviously, Marston wants to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone involved.”

  “Obviously.” Sarcasm dripped from her tone. “It must be nice to be able to see so well from that high horse of yours.”

  “I’m trying to help,” he insisted. It wasn’t the first time he’d come up against resistance in a small town. To some degree, it was to be expected. No one really liked change. There was always someone digging in their heels against progress.

  But Avery—well, she was making this personal, about herself and her bed-and-breakfast.

  “I’m here to answer questions and make the whole process as painless as possible for everyone concerned.”

  Her eyes widened. “Painless? Yeah. Good luck with that. Come on, Lisa. Show me the mother-in-law suite you were telling me about. I’m sure it will be perfect for the managers of my new bed-and-breakfast.”

  Chapter Two

  It had been three days, and Avery still felt steam coming out of her ears every time she thought about Jake Cutter, with his perfect smile and fancy suit. It was now Sunday morning, and she ought to be focusing on preparing to worship the Lord at Whispering Pines Community Church, but try as she might, the annoyingly handsome man’s face kept popping into her mind and making her nerves crackle.

  She didn’t know why the whole thing bothered her so much. Lisa was her real estate agent, and she had a personal relationship with the Meyers. Friends and neighbors stuck together around here. Surely they would win this little competition based on that alone. There was something to be said about small-town connections.

  Except Jake represented a large corporation and no doubt had piles of cash and a horde of lawyers behind him. He’d been forthright enough to admit he was here to convince the town council it was in Whispering Pines’ benefit to zone the area for a resort such as Marston intended to build.

  It could happen.

  Maybe she should just walk away from it all before she got too invested and got burned.

  Probably she should.

  She didn’t have the time or the inclination to tussle with the big leagues. If she waited long enough, Lisa would be able to find her other properties. She’d eventually be able to settle on something she could make work, even if it took more time and reconstruction. But the thought made her heart sink.

  She didn’t want to settle.

  Because the moment she’d seen the Meyers’ cabin, she’d known it was the one—the one which she’d been making scrapbooks about since their service-dog business had taken off and the need had presented itself. The one for which she still poured over home-design magazines, looking for new ideas for every room of her perfect bed-and-breakfast.

  She would heartily agree with Jake that the beauty of the surroundings was worthy of a high-class resort. The problem was he didn’t see any worth at all in the quaint cabin itself. He—or rather, his company—would raze it to the ground without a second’s thought.

  But for Avery, she couldn’t ask for more in a home meant for a bed-and-breakfast for her special clients. The wraparound porch, the industrial-size kitchen, the large, open-space living room for guests to enjoy a spectacular view out of the window wall. It even had that private mother-in-law suite for whomever ended up managing the property.

  Perfect.

  Granted, it would take a lot of effort and elbow grease to get it ready for customers, but wasn’t that half the fun? Scrubbing, painting, putting in new flooring and hanging up homemade curtains.

  Her younger sister Ruby popped her head into Avery’s bedroom. “Are you about ready to leave? If we don’t hurry, we won’t get our seats.”

  Avery chuckled. That wasn’t exactly true. The W
inslows had taken up the third-and fourth-row pews on the left-hand side for as long as Avery could remember going to church. Some things had changed—she and her siblings had all grown to adulthood, her parents and her grandmother had passed on, and Logan Maddox and his son, Judah, had joined the family when Logan had married Molly—but everyone in the town knew they always sat in the same spot for every service. Even if an occasion ever cropped up where they’d be late, which there never had been, their places would be saved.

  “Who are you taking?” Ruby asked as she placed a service-dog harness on a border-collie mix named Bandit. All the Winslow girls tried to take a dog to church—and everywhere else they went. It was important that the canines learn to remain calm and quiet in all situations, and church was especially good practice.

  “I’ve got Tugger,” she said, speaking of the sweetest brown-and-white pit bull mix the world had ever known. “He’s already in the van. Felicity is taking Roxie.” Roxie was unusual in that she was a purebred standard poodle given to them by an elderly neighbor who could no longer take care of her. She was a couple of years older than most of the pups but was whip smart and at the top of the canine class.

  Even with the chaos of dogs in the van, they arrived at church well before the steeple bell rang, even with her brother Frost driving. He and Sharpe generally took turns at the wheel, but Avery preferred Frost’s more predictable pace to Sharpe’s more daring speed.

  With their brothers alongside to help, the sisters situated themselves with their dogs and entered the church. Avery’s eyes immediately scanned the room for Jake but didn’t see him and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  It was no surprise, really. He didn’t live in town, and she had no idea if he was a Christian or not, so there was no reason to expect him.

  “Are you looking for someone?” Ruby asked curiously, scanning the room as Avery had just done.

  “What? No, no one special,” Avery answered. She wasn’t ready to share her encounter with Jake Cutter, not even to her siblings. She just couldn’t talk about it without getting sangry—a big ball of sad and angry.