Page 113 of Grit
And she fell for him all over again. “Thank you for literally saying the most perfect thing you could just now.” She reached for his cheek and pulled it down for a kiss. “Thank you for being great.”
“Miss Melissa Oxford,” he whispered, “do you know where you are right now?”
“Yeah.” She snuggled closer and laid her head over his heart. “I’m right where I need to be.”
Adrian Saroyan satin Café Maya, Daisy’s restaurant downtown, sipping a coffee and eating a piece of blueberry-and-sour-cream pie. Melissa and Cary were meeting with him after he’d called and told them he had an update on the Allen ranch.
“As of right now, the Allen Ranch project has been tabled,” he said. “The property owner has put it back on the market and is asking around about buyers who might be interested.”
“Seriously?”
“Let’s hope we get an actual farmer or rancher this time.” Cary dug into his own piece of sweet potato pie. “So Gus isn’t going to have to sue them?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Honestly? It would have been a tough case. Gus was sentimental and put a lot of addendums in the contract that probably wouldn’t have held up in court. But it would have eaten up time and cost JPR Holdings a lot of money. And Les Arthur all but told them he’d bankroll the whole thing if he needed to.”
“So Les isn’t a development fan?” Melissa waved at Daisy, who made the “call me” motion with her hand. Melissa nodded and turned her attention back to Adrian.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Adrian said. “He’s bought quite a few properties that have needed investment and he’s turned a good profit. Invested quite a bit here downtown on 7th and Main. But he’s also not a fan of your father-in-law, Melissa. No offense.”
“None taken. I’m not a big fan of his either.”
“It is interesting though.” Adrian took a bite of pie. Swallowed it. “I was getting all my stuff together last week, pretty sure we were going to have to find a lawyer, and Gus called me. Said the current owner had called him and said all his partners were pulling out. Said he couldn’t fight it on his own. Said both Devin Peres and Greg Rhodes had called him up and said they were out.”
“Huh.” Melissa frowned. “That’s kind of weird. They’d already invested quite a bit. Why would they just pull out like that?”
Something flickered on Cary’s face, drawing Melissa’s attention. It was a little smile. A flash in his eye.
He knows something.
She was certain of it. She was also certain he’d never share it with Adrian.
She took a deep breath. “I guess that means the Allen ranch is back on the market, huh?”
Adrian nodded. “Yes. And from what I’m hearing, there’s quite a bit of buzz.”
Melissa asked, “From ranchers?”
Adrian smiled a little. “Initial interest has definitely come from the agricultural sector. Uh-huh.”
Melissa frowned. “But…?”
“But not from where you might expect.”
“Is that so?” Cary frowned. “Who’s looking at it?”
“There are a few companies interested. Nothing for certain yet. Some inquiries. Some prettyinterestingbuyers, as well.”
“More interesting than a citrus grower?” Melissa squeezed Cary’s hand under the table.
“Impossible,” he muttered. “We’re the most fascinating men in the world.”
Adrian laughed. “I would never argue with that. But let’s just say that these new farmers are looking to take advantage of an old cash crop that’s currently very popular in California and a few other select states across the country.”
Cary frowned. “What?”
Melissa’s mouth dropped open. “No way.”
“Land all over the valley is at a premium, and people want crops that bring premium prices.” Adrian couldn’t stop his laugh. “Wasn’t Bud the one that was turning apoplectic about allowing a marijuana dispensary in town, even though it would have brought in a ton of tax revenue?”
