Page 19 of A Secret Chance
“Did you see the snow?” Thomas asked.
Baxter glanced out the window. In the darkness of the early morning, he hadn’t noticed the quarter-sized flakes slowly falling from the sky. “Beautiful,” he murmured.
“Ugh,” Barry said. “Can our next project be in the Caribbean? Or somewhere hot?”
Baxter laughed. “I’ll see what I can do, but if this all goes through, you’re going to have to learn how to ski. We’re going to be here for a long time.”
“About that,” Thomas said. “Do we need to talk about how we’re going to deal with the conservation authority and that lawyer?”
“Yes.” Baxter sidled up the island and perched on one of the leather barstools. “I’m going to meet with her today actually.”
“Good. That woman could singlehandedly derail this whole project,” Barry said.
The fact wasn’t lost on Baxter. He knew the importance of getting somebody, anybody on their side. If they could get the Conservation Authority on board it could turn around the whole project.
“I still think we can out lawyer them.” Thomas slurped his coffee. “Easily.”
“That might be so,” Baxter said. “But, before we go in with guns a-blazing, let’s try to win them over.”
“Fine,” Thomas shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Baxter knew that Thomas was right. This town wasn’t going to let them move forward without a fight.
“Would you like me to attend the meeting and take notes?” Nicole asked. She was picking away at the top of a cranberry muffin.
“Not today,” Baxter said quickly, then added. “I want to keep this casual, informal.” He pulled out his phone and responded to Lauren’s message.Nine a.m. works for me.Almost instantly his phone chimed back.See you at 9. Sugar Peaks Café.
Was the woman a robot? No pleasantries at all. Baxter mirrored her tone.Affirmative.
With the team ready and assembled for the day, Baxter paced across the living room. He had an hour until his meeting with Lauren and couldn’t focus on anything else. He pulled on his wool coat, a pair of rugged winter boots, and a wool hat. “I’m going for a walk,” he shouted into the dining room.
“A walk?” Barry peeked his head out the door.
“You guys take the SUV into town for the meeting with the townspeople. I need to get some air. I’ll walk.”
Barry shook his head and laughed. “You crazy snow-loving bastard. You’re going to be a snowball by the time you get there.”
Baxter laughed and waved Barry off with the back of his hand. “Report back this afternoon.”
“Will do, boss.” Barry saluted and disappeared back into the room.
The snow crunched under Baxter’s sturdy boots as he made his way past the other million-dollar homes. All of the roads had cutesy names, clearly selected by a developer’s marketing team. He chuckled as he passed Powder Puff Trail, and then Sugar Peaks Way. As he strode down the switchbacks of the mountain road, the snow continued to accumulate, and soon it was over the ankles of his boots. As the red covered bridge that separated the swanky subdivision from the main part of town appeared, he heard a car pull up behind him. He turned, expecting to see Barry’s crooked grin from behind the wheel, but the smile in the luxury vehicle belonged to the realtor that they had met with a few days earlier.
She crept up beside him and rolled down the window. “Need a ride?” she smiled.
“Thank you, but no, I’m enjoying the walk.” He smiled and kept walking.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “It’s starting to snow pretty hard; I almost didn’t see you.”
Baxter looked down and saw that his jacket was coated in snow.
“The first thing you should add to your plan is a designated walking trail,” she shouted as she matched the SUV to his walking pace. “Hop in.” She stopped and Baxter realized she wasn’t going to let it go. He jogged around the front of the car and hopped in the passenger side. “Thanks,” he said. He brushed the snow off the arms of his jacket.
“Look at your hat,” she laughed. He pulled off the green hat to find it crusted in an inch of snow. “If you’re trying to fit in with the locals, it’s not working. Nobody would walk into town in a blizzard like this.” She put the car in drive and flicked on the wipers.
“You look like a snowman,” a voice said from the back.
Baxter turned to see a young girl buckled into the back seat. She was wearing a hat with the biggest pompom he had ever seen and was holding a book in her hands.
