Page 137 of Hoax and Kisses
“No.” I shake my head, fingers laced together in my lap. “We’re a huge organization. There are always investors who need coddling, hands to shake. It never ends.”
He hums again. “I think Charlee will have a lot to tell you.”
I hope so. I’m so close to finding the last piece of the puzzle and having the complete picture. And with any luck, Charlee can lead me to it.
When we get there, his friends are all sitting on logs arranged around a crackling bonfire.
Nervousness sweeps across my body as we approach.
These are Matt’s people. His family.
I don’t want to mess it up.
As if he can sense my hesitation, Matt rounds the truck and circles his arms around my waist. “You’re gonna be fine. I love you, so they’ll love you too.” With that, he guides me toward his friends.
“Hey guys,” he throws out when we get there. “This is Zoé.”
“Finally!” A woman with auburn hair jumps out of a man’s lap.
I recognize her immediately.
“You’re Charlee, right?” I ask, cradling my laptop to my chest.
She raises her eyebrows, a smirk stretching on her lips. “Matt talked about me?”
I chuckle. “No. I mean, yes, but that’s not where I heard of you first. I saw one of your documentaries on TV.” My cheeks heat. “Your passion for this town is contagious.”
Her face lights up in the glow of the fire. “There’s no better place in the world. This is Oliver, by the way,” she says, settling back on his lap. He waves, drawing her closer to him.
I offer him a smile as Matt motions for me to sit on one of the logs, James and Lola scooting over to leave us some room.
“It’s nice to see you again, Zoey,” Lola says as she gives me a beer.
Matt snags it before I can grab it and twists the top off, hitting me with a grin that makes his dimple pop.
“So what do we do?” He asks, diving straight into it. “How do we put a stop to Oscar’s plan?”
I garner my nerve and sit a little taller. “I need to know what happened here with his deal two years ago.” I scan the group. “We don’t have any record of the attempted project, which is weird. We typically keep copies of everything, even if proposalsfall through. There’s something he doesn’t want me to know, but I think you all do. Tell me what happened.”
Charlee watches me, the light of the fire dancing on her face. “Of course he doesn’t. Oscar’s shady as fuck.” She glances at Oliver, who nods for her to go ahead. “Your dad wanted to tear down a historical building and put his resort in its place. When we realized it was against our bylaws, he still tried to convince our mayor to look the other way. Offered him money for it.”
My stomach drops.
I knew it.
How many times can my father betray me? How many secrets will unfold before the man I thought I knew better than anyone turns out to be a total stranger?
“I think we should do some digging. Tonight,” I say.
Eyes glinting, she rests her elbows on her thighs. “Because if he could do this to us…”
“Then how many other towns like Pine Falls are out there?” I conclude, nodding.
“How come you never realized what he was doing?” James asks, his tone marked with skepticism. “Aren’t you the head of business development?”
“I am,” I say, tearing my gaze away from Charlee. “But it doesn’t mean I know everything my father does.” Although I thought we were honest and transparent with each other. “I oversee a big team that scouts potential locations, identifying places we can expand or transform. My dad does his own thing. Clearly.”
Matt rubs circles on my back. “I’m sorry, beautiful.”
