Page 70 of Falling For You

He ran a hand through his hair with a pained expression. “Violet… I didn’t want to do this over text. I wanted to tell you in person.”

“Tell me what?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.

But I couldn’t help it.

Everything inside me was coiled so tightly, it wouldn’t take much for me to explode.

Owen swallowed hard and lowered his gaze down to the ground for a brief moment.

“My partners… the investors I work with.” He sighed, bringing his gaze back to mine. “We’re closing on a deal tomorrow. The property next door—it’s being sold to us.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My chest constricted.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

I stared at him, my mind racing to catch up with his words.

Days of silence.

“No,” I said, shaking my head as if I could make the words disappear. “No, that can’t be right. My parents were supposed to have first dibs on that property. Vern promised them we’d have the first chance to buy it if he ever sold. My parents and brothers plan on expanding Honey Leaf.” My voice broke, and I tried to clear my throat.

Owen’s face tightened.

I could see the regret etched into his features, but it didn’t matter.

“I know, Violet. I know that’s what Vern told your parents. But… my partners offered him twenty percent over whatever your parents’ market price would have been. He couldn’t turn it down.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Twenty percent over? You knew my parents couldn’t compete with that kind of money. Between the rescue animals and running this lodge, there is no way we could come close.”

“I know,” Owen said softly, his eyes filled with guilt. “That’s why Vern took the deal. It’s why he made us all sign an NDA. He didn’t want to wait for financing from your family. We offered him the money upfront. It was a business decision. And he didn’t want it getting out until it was already done.”

“A business decision?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’re opening a big resort or something.”

And that was when I saw it.

The truth skirted across his gaze.

“Is that what you’ve been doing this whole time? Working behind our backs, making business decisions to push us out?” My arms folded over my chest as my pulse pounded through me. “Trying to keep me distracted with all the flirting and kind words, just so you could slip under the radar?”

He was silent a second too long.

“A resort. That’s what you’re putting next door to our family lodge.” My eyes narrowed on him as all the good times felt laughable.

“It wasn’t like that,” Owen said quickly, stepping forward, his hand reaching out as if to calm me.

I took a step back on the porch, putting distance between us.

“I didn’t want it to happen this way, Vi. I tried to slow it down. I didn’t want to hurt you or your family.”

“Don’t call me that. Only family and friends can use that name.”

Hurt lodged in his gaze, but I didn’t trust anything about him.

“I didn’t want this to happen.” He shook his head. “Not this way.”

“But it did,” I said, my voice trembling now. “You knew. You knew this would destroy everything for us and didn’t say anything. You’ve been spending all this time with me, acting like you cared, and you were planning this all along.”

“Violet, that’s not fair,” Owen said, his voice cracking. “I didn’t know it would get this far. I didn’t know we’d close the deal this fast. I was going to tell you—”

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