Page 24 of Snowed In With the Maverick
“She was planning on running away with Barrett’s father, Barrett Sr., and the mayor found out. He punished her by accusing Barrett Jr. of stealing the money and then saying he wouldn’t prosecute them if they left town.”
“I can’t believe this,” said Andrea. “So how did he end up back here?”
“Barrett Sr. knew June had taken the money, but he feared the mayor’s wrath, so he and his family left town, both to protect his son and his own secret. When the truth finally came out, Barrett Jr. came back to town to reunite with Nina, and then start the foundation to repair Tenacity.”
“So there had been talk of a dino park before Barrett Jr. was accused of stealing the money?”
Seth nodded. “Then the idea got put on ice. So Barrett might be a little sore about it still, but I think he’ll come around.”
“And what about Brent?”
“Funny thing,” said Seth. “He’s the son of the mayor whose wife stole the money.”
He glanced over to see Andrea’s blue eyes widen. “Wow,” she said. “That is some hot gossip.”
Seth chuckled. “They’re over it now, it seems, and they’re actually working together. They’ve started a foundation to jumpstart Tenacity’s economic growth. Here we are.”
The Grizzly Bar, on Central Avenue, was a classic Western saloon with a flat roof and rough-hewn stone facade announcing its no-frills character.
Seth opened the large, sun-faded orange door, flanked by weathered wooden benches, and followed Andrea into the dimly lit interior.
Inside, worn wooden floors stretched beneath a long, polished bar, a jukebox hummed with the twang of classic country and a pair of pool tables stood ready for action. An antler chandelier cast a warm glow over the scene.
Seth spotted Barrett and Brent ensconced in a booth, pints of ale and a shared bowl of chips resting between them.
Barrett looked up as they approached. “Hey there,” he said, getting up out of his seat to shake Andrea’s hand, then Seth’s. Brent followed suit.
“Fellas, this is Andrea Spence. She moved to town recently and she’s fixing up the old ranch on Five Point Road.”
“Nice to meet you both,” she said. Brent joined Barrett on the other side of the table, and Seth slid in next to Andrea.
“You okay there?” he said quietly. “Comfortable?”
“I’m good,” Andrea said, and flashed him a quick smile and met his gaze for a fleeting moment. A faint blush rose on her cheeks, and he took a moment to enjoy the feeling of her sitting right next to him.
A burly man with a big beard approached their table. “Hey there, can I get you two something to drink?”
“Hey, Dale,” said Seth. He turned to Andrea. “What’ll you have?”
“Just a soda water,” said Andrea.
“Make that two,” said Seth. Best to keep his head on straight.
He turned his attention to the two men across the table from her. “How’re you guys doing?” he said.
“We were just talking about the fact that we still can’t believe we’ve got to endure ‘Uncle Marty’ for a few more years,” Barrett said, shaking his head.
“Not helping our case, that’s for sure,” said Brent. “Although my old man’s thrilled.” He rolled his eyes.
“What do you mean?” said Andrea. “Surely Marty has an interest in the type of work you’re doing.”
Brent raised an eyebrow. “I’ve known the man all my life. He’ll make you think that. But what’s good for Tenacity has to be good for Marty Moore too.”
“Whatever move you want to make, you have to get him on board by making it seem like his idea.”
“It just seemed like JenniLynn was going to take it by a landslide,” Andrea said.
“Sometimes people say one thing and do another, I guess,” said Seth.
