10. Killian

Chapter ten

Killian

A ll the ham and bread were gone when I made it back. They’d found a basketball and were teaching Jules to play. Sophie waited for me, and we cleared things away, taking the condiments back to the kitchen.

“Barnham had a list a mile long of things he needed. I called Coleen in front of him and told her to pay for whatever he needed for the store. He was surprised, happy, and we discussed Wheeler’s. There’s a store beside his that was the old grocery store. He had a key and took me through it. It needs a lot of repairs but could be ready in a month or less. Xander is residential, so Briar Donadieu was more than happy to send a crew to fix it. It seems Arnaut Di Gatti is outbidding him but sneaking in after the projects are started.”

“Does anyone around here need a new home?” I asked.

“I’m glad you asked,” Sophie sighed in a way that said she wasn’t.

“There is.”

“Oh, there is a little camp just outside of town that would be perfect for the hotel.”

“Camp?” I frowned as I opened the door to let her enter the backyard first.

“As in tents, Killy. The road is there, but it’s blocked off, so the humans turn around and return to Cypress Wood. I stopped and talked to them, too. Miss Millie makes soaps. All sorts of soaps. She has a small section in one of the stores on Main Street, but not enough to rebuild the house she lost when the lake flooded two years ago.”

“I see.”

“You have staff for the hotel. I asked Bobbi Jo about Miss Millie’s soaps, and Bobbi Jo is more than willing to sell anything MacLaden Pride makes in the way of groceries.”

“Is there enough land for homes?”

“There is,” Sophie nodded, rubbing her temples.

“Do I have enough money for both projects?”

“Oh, you have plenty for the Pride. I think partnering with Dante and Gio would be good. Maybe Blue Wheeler? Matt Rossi is doing all he can.”

“Go call Coleen and see if she wants to hang out here tonight,” I murmured.

Sophie’s eyes flew open at that. “You-you-”

“Don’t care who you’re with as long as you’re happy.”

She smiled slowly then. “I’ll call her.”

“Good. I’ll talk to Dante and Gio,” I said, pushing her back into the house. “Go take a bath and relax.”

Sophie headed inside, and I joined Jules on the basketball court, lifting him up when he had the ball so he could make the basket. He squealed, happy I’d noticed him. I’d been paying attention. Just trying to work around everything. It was almost as if I was starting a Pride from scratch after Xeno destroyed it.