32. Silver Summit

Noah gawped at Hailey as she faced him, looking vulnerable and small, chewing her bottom lip. "Why didn't you tell me about these sooner?" He pointed at the three notes lying on his desk as he fought down his anger and his fear—anger at the sick bastard who was targeting her and fear the guy wanted to hurt her.

"I-I thought it was a joke. I mean, they creeped me out, but I couldn't imagine who would pull a stunt like that. After Bruno Keating's threat yesterday, though …"

"What do you think, Shane?"

Deputy O'Brien spread the papers over the desk with a latex-covered hand. "We can start by seeing if there are any usable prints on them, and if there are, we can do some comparisons." He raised his head to Hailey. "When did you find the first one?"

"Almost ten days ago."

"So the second one was the same as the first, except they added You can't hide, correct?"

"Yes, it's right there," she snapped.

Shane cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was a strained whisper, and Noah reined in an urge to gather her up in his arms and carry her off. That wouldn't do a damn thing to nail the scumbag who was doing this to her, though.

"It's okay." Shane gave her a reassuring half-smile. The dude was all right, even if he did have a thing for Hailey that made the green guy inside Noah rattle his cage. "And you found the third one this morning: I'm watching you. You can't hide. Your time is almost up. In the same spot under your wiper?"

"Yes. I let Chance out early—before six—and there it was."

She'd insisted on getting up with the mutt so Noah could sleep in after another late night behind the bar. Damn it, he should've been letting him out. Chance was his dog. From now on, he would be the one doing early morning duty, and Hailey wasn't going to change his mind.

"Fuck, I wish that security system was installed," he gusted in frustration. The cameras would have wide coverage of the parking lot, but they still hadn't arrived.

"Are you putting those up front too?" Shane asked.

"A few, yeah."

"I was just thinking how they'll help if someone else has a slip and fall like Helene Holiday did. Did you know she just passed?"

Noah didn't mask his shock. "No. When?"

"Died in her sleep late yesterday. She'd been transferred to Ridgway for rehab. Her recovery was moving along, and she was feistier than ever, so it came as a shock when one of the nurses told me about it early this morning."

"Aw, shit. I meant to go see her, and I never did." I meant to take her a toddy.

"Don't feel bad. She probably wouldn't have recognized you." Shane pointed at the notes. "Mind if I take these?"

Hailey cinched her arms around her body. "No, please do."

After he left, Noah enfolded her and held her tight against him. "I'm going to postpone my meeting with Silver Summit today."

She yanked back so hard he nearly stumbled. "Don't you dare! You've waited for this for too long. I'll be fine. I'll be at Mountain Coffee with Amy through lunch. Then I'm back here. Dixie isn't going to let anyone near me, and Chance will be right behind her. Go, Noah. Please."

The plea in her glacier-blue eyes stirred a vortex of emotion inside him, and he caved. "Okay, but you text me when you're leaving Amy's, and you text me when you get here. Don't run any errands without me."

Her lips tipped up in a smile. "Can I attend the last men's game before they drain the rink, Dad? Your brothers will be there with their wooden sticks and sharp skates, and I'll be surrounded by Neve and the Margaritas, heckling the boys. I don't think anyone's going to get close to me."

"Okay, but go with Charlie. I don't want you driving by yourself."

She rolled her eyes in response.

"I'm serious, Hailey. I'll tell Charlie to tie you up and throw you in his truck if you don't, then I'll have him tie you to the bleachers when you get there."

Stepping back into him so close he could smell her shampoo, she walked her fingers up his chest. "If anyone's tying me up, it's you, barkeep."

He fought a smile. "We can talk about that when I get back."

"You're cute when you're being protective, even if you're overreacting. You're also kinda hot in business casual." She gave him a heated once-over, then leaned in and kissed him stupid. "Good luck today. I love you."

"Right back atcha, babe."

As he drove off, he scoured the streets and storefronts, but Fall River didn't look any different than it had yesterday, before he'd learned about the threatening notes. No menacing Gollum-types peeked from around buildings, and no nefarious black hats ducked in and out of shadows.

His mind turned over who might be leaving her the notes, and only two possibles popped up: Bruno Keating and Cliff Meissner, though he couldn't decide which was the likelier. Keating was a chest puffer who liked to confront his adversaries in front of people to make himself look intimidating. The sleazeball leaving notes was sneaky—and that lined up with Meissner. But Meissner would have had to stay close by, and someone would have spotted him … unless he was so consumed he drove between Fall River and Montrose each time. And someone would have definitely noticed a strange vehicle creeping through the streets in the wee hours.

Until Deputy O'Brien reported back with his findings, letting his mind spin with unknowns would only wear Noah out, and he needed to stay sharp. With a resigned sigh, he tucked away the troubling thoughts.

He turned his attention to the meeting at hand. Hailey's ideas whirled in his head like a ground twister, kicking up a few of his own. Fortunately, the rail company hadn't come to a decision about the fate of its tracks yet, which still left a window of opportunity to revive the train. That window was collapsing, though, and Noah planned to convince these guys that snapping up the line was a win-win for everyone. This was a damn good plan.

Do not blow this opportunity.

He arrived at the soaring stone-and-timber lodge and was shown into a conference room with a wall of windows that looked out on Mount Eolus and the Needle Mountains. He eyed the large oval table, unsure whether to sit and where.

The pretty receptionist indicated the seats on one side. "Mr. Cantrell usually sits at the head. He likes for his guests to sit on this side so they can enjoy the view."

"Thank you." Though he suspected it was a power move meant to impress, Noah wasn't about to protest; the view was breathtaking. "How many will be joining Mr. Cantrell today?"

"I believe there will be three more. Meanwhile, may I offer you something to drink, Mr. Hunnicutt?"

"Water's fine, thanks. Do you know if, ah … Will the liaison, Ursula Jones, also be here?" He'd dreaded being scrutinized by her while he navigated this monumental meeting with wealthy, powerful men. Might as well gird his loins and be ready.

She shook her head. "No, Miss Jones recently took a leave of absence."

Part of him wanted to yelp with joy. It took the other part of him a tick to catch up and wonder if she was all right.

Moments after the receptionist left, a man in his mid-thirties with longish, wavy brown hair, dressed in blue jeans and a gunmetal-gray button-down, stepped into the room and extended his hand. "Leopold Cantrell, but people call me Leo. You must be Noah Hunnicutt. I've heard a lot of good things about you."

Noah took the man's hand while his brain rearranged expectations. He had anticipated someone in his sixties with a wisp of gray hair on his balding head in place of this guy who could double as an athlete or a male model—or both.

The guy laughed, though there wasn't much humor in it. "You were probably expecting my father. Well, he's retired and fisting a tropical drink on a beach somewhere beside a hot nineteen-year-old."

"Which he can do because you're running the show."

Leo Cantrell's steel-blue eyes sharpened. "Exactly. I suspect you and I have a lot in common, Mr. Hunnicutt."

"Please call me Noah. And I wouldn't call my dad retired. He likes to hang around and tell me what to do."

Leo motioned for him to sit. "Ah. So he wants you to run the family business with his strings attached."

"Actually, the Miners Tavern is my business." Never mind the Hunnicutt assets his father did manage and that Noah could no longer access.

Something sparked in the other man's eyes, and he seemed to realign his own expectations. "Interesting. You get all the headaches, along with the bottom line, whether it's in the red or the black."

"That sums it up perfectly."

Three other men filed into the room, and though they were similarly dressed, they were all at least a decade older. The dynamic crystallized: Leo Cantrell might be young, but he was the boss, and he didn't suffer fools. He was shrewd and ruthless, but he managed his ego and surrounded himself with people who knew more than he did. Noah liked him.

Leo leaned forward on his elbows. "I want to start by apologizing for the miscommunication between our two sides. I don't know exactly when things jumped the rails—pun intended—but Miss Jones should have facilitated this meeting rather than acting as a roadblock. I assure you that issue has been dealt with. Now, I've discounted most of what I've learned about what you're looking to do simply because that information is tainted by other people's filters—including Miss Jones's. I want to hear about your vision directly from you. Fill in the blanks for me."

Noah put aside several thoughts taking up space in his head: Did Leo know about his and Ursula's past? Was Ursula's leave tied to Leo's obvious frustration with her? Somewhere in there bobbed the question of whether Leo and Ursula's relationship was more than boss and subordinate. Leo was the kind of guy Ursula would target, and while Noah didn't care about any intimacy they shared, he did care if he had an unforeseen set of obstacles to overcome.

Leo sat back and steepled his hands. "Let's start with why you want to resurrect a train whose usefulness is a thing of the past."

"Its past is exactly why it's useful." Noah launched into his speech about the unparalleled opportunity the train presented, tempering his passion as he did so.

Leo nodded when Noah was done. "You should know your idea intrigued us when it was first brought to our attention. We've approached the rail line, and they're open to selling. But restore it all the way to its current termination point in Fall River? That's an enormous undertaking. So tell me why we should."

Noah reined in his excitement. "Besides the fact that Fall River's your closest town with such a huge potential upside? It's all about the heritage. Not only does the original rail line terminate in Fall River, but the town's a historical destination primed to be exploited for tourism to our mutual benefit. People are looking for experiences, and we can provide a unique one.

"If it's done right, it will be a destination vacation for people with lots of money to spend—skiers, golfers, wedding-goers. They ride a luxury train to Fall River, where your shuttles pick them up and bring them to the resort. It's an all-inclusive experience where they don't need to worry about driving themselves through twisty mountain roads. If they want to sightsee, your shuttles can provide that—for a fee. They can also ferry them to Fall River for a quaint small-town experience that includes dining and shopping."

One side of Cantrell's mouth quirked. "I've seen Fall River. You have some work to do to become a ‘quaint small town.'"

"Just as Silver Summit has had its work to do, carving this place out of a broken-down old mining camp."

"Touché, Mr. Hunnicutt."

One of the other men piped up. "Won't the locals resent being overrun by tourists? They have to be on board if we're creating an ‘experience' tourists will flock to."

Noah shrugged. "There are naysayers in every town, including ours, but they're in the minority. The other side of that coin is the folks who'll be able to make a decent living in their own backyard and take pride as the town is restored."

"Who's going to pay for it?"

"Investors, townsfolk, your resort. There's money in Fall River, but until now there's been little incentive to put it into the town itself. And you have one of the best historical renovation companies on the entire Western Slope located right in Fall River."

Cantrell didn't flinch. "Past Perfect Restorations. That's your brother's company, right?"

"Yes. He has some innovative ideas for the depot that I think you gentlemen will like."

What should have been an hour-long meeting stretched into two and continued for a third as they lunched together. Noah left the meeting with an invitation to return in four days. "We have a group of investors who will be interested in an endeavor like this. We're flying them in for some wining and dining, and I want them to meet you, so plan on staying overnight. It'll be a late one."

Noah immediately accepted.

He had arrived at Silver Summit on pins and needles and left riding on a cloud. He couldn't wait to share the good news with Hailey, his brothers … hell, the entire town. Strolling to his truck, he checked his text messages and smiled at the string Hailey had left. She was sitting at the hockey game now, and he could call and tell her the good news on his way back. If he timed it right, he might even arrive before the end of the third period.

Tucking his phone in his back pocket, he slid out his keys and hit the fob. His eye caught on a flyer fluttering beneath his windshield wiper. Looking around the parking lot, he realized his was the only vehicle with a paper stuffed beneath the wiper. Dread began a slow ooze through his veins.

Though his heart kicked into a gallop, he told himself to take slow strides. When he reached his vehicle, he jerked out the piece of white folded paper, tossed it onto the passenger seat, and left the parking lot. Only when the resort was out of sight in his rearview did he pull onto a turnout and unfold the message. In a font identical to the one in Hailey's notes, chilling words spelled out: You screwed up big-time, and you're going to pay.

His heart dropped.

Four days later, Noah was packing an overnight bag while Hailey watched from where she sat on the edge of the bed. "What's my hoochie mama going to do while I'm gone?"

"Chance and I are going to eat popcorn and ice cream and drink your best tequila while we binge on that surfer girl docuseries."

He whipped his head toward her. "You thinking about getting back into the sport?"

"And where around here would I do that?" she scoffed.

Realizing she wasn't contemplating returning to her old life, he eased a tick. "They have river surfing. Right in Montrose, as a matter of fact."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not surfing. Besides, I'm happy to live vicariously from the comfort of your couch. The snacks and liquor are better here."

With a chuckle, he pulled a pair of boxer briefs, socks, and a T-shirt from his dresser. "Well, keep the partying to a minimum. I don't want my dog getting sick. And if he does get sick, you're cleaning up the mess." Relief waved through him as he thought of her safely tucked away in his loft. He'd had to talk her out of staying at the Loose Moose "one last time." She'd argued that Chance needed a good romp in the bungalow's yard. "They don't allow dogs there," he'd countered when her stubborn streak had threatened to outmuscle his.

"That's fair, but you know I wouldn't actually feed him ice cream and tequila, right?" He nodded, and she added, "Maybe I'll take a long soak in your tub instead. I'm picturing candles, bath bombs, and wine." Her caramel brows bounced.

Striking a casual pose against the dresser, he leered at her. "And I'm picturing you naked, your slick little body surrounded by candlelight and bubbles. I'm getting hard over here."

She reclined on her side and twirled a tress. "Why don't you come home early, barkeep? I'll make it worth your while. I'll even scrub your back."

His eyes dipped to her rosy mouth and lifted back up to her teasing eyes. He prowled toward her. His clothes landed somewhere near his bag while he landed on top of her. The heat from her body seeped into his, thigh to thigh, and his mind took a major detour from his task.

She erupted in giggles. "Aren't you supposed to be leaving soon?"

"I only need one hot minute." He licked his way up her neck before taking her mouth. What started as a game quickly turned into something hot and frantic. Jesus, he wanted to devour her. Only she had the power to unleash this primal desperation inside him, and before it could overpower his control completely, he rolled off her and pecked her lips. "I guess I need more than a minute. To be continued."

She flung her arms above her head and sighed like a diva. "You're just going to leave me hot and bothered here?"

He pointed his balled-up socks at her. "I'm just as hot and bothered, if that makes you feel any better."

"It kinda does." She rolled onto her side once more and winked at him. "I used to have fantasies about you, you know."

He stuffed everything into the bag. "Used to? I'm not sure how to take that. Either I've blown your expectations out of the water, or you've realized that your fantasy was … a fantasy. I'm choosing to believe the first scenario."

She smirked. "You're such a man."

He zipped the bag shut and parked his hands on his hips. "Well, which is it? Are you going to leave me twisting in the wind?"

"The first scenario, of course."

Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and kissed her again, loving how her mouth fit his. "I always fantasize about you, babe."

"Smooth talker."

"Just telling the truth."

She followed him down the loft stairs to the living room, where Chance waited, his tail swiping back and forth like a windshield wiper set on high.

"I think he's excited I'm leaving so he can have you all to himself. Can't blame him either." Noah gave the mutt's head a scratch. "Make sure you take care of the pretty lady who rescued your fuzzy ass, bud."

At the restaurant back door, Hailey pushed up on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be careful driving up there, huh? The weather report says we might be in for another winter blast. Let me know when you get there—before you start doing your man things."

"Man things?"

"Yeah, you know. Drinking like fish, swapping war stories, ogling the pretty waitresses and grabbing their asses."

"You're the only waitress I ogle and grab." He gave her ass a squeeze before resting his hands on her waist and kissing her forehead. "I'll text you as soon as I'm there. And when I get back tomorrow, I expect some bathtub action."

"You got it." She kissed him sweetly. "I love you. Now blow them away!"

God, he loved having her in his corner. "I love you too, babe."

She waved as he backed out of the parking lot, and he paused to get his fill of the beautiful honey-haired girl standing beside his dog. How had he gotten so lucky? And how could he keep that streak of luck running?

The question looped in his head as he hit Shane's number. The deputy picked up, and after quick greetings, Noah launched into the reason for his call. "What did you find out?"

"The only clear prints on Hailey's notes belong to you and her. There are some smudged ones, but I suspect those belong to you also. The note you got, however, only has your prints. Someone took precautions."

"Shit!"

"Do you have any guesses about who's doing this?"

"Yeah, I do. I think it's Ursula Jones."

"What's her motive?"

"I think she's pissed I bypassed her and set up my own meetings with the guys she works for. These notes reek of sneakiness, which she has in spades."

"Strikes me as a little thin."

"I also think she's pissed we're not together." He hesitated to word it in such a way that indicated he and Hailey were together. Why rub it in?

"You think she's got it in for Hailey because you two are together?"

So much for not rubbing it in. "Yeah, it's possible. Ursula doesn't like losing. Look, let's keep this between us, huh? I don't want Hailey getting any more worried than she is already." He paused to clear his throat. "I have another favor to ask. I'm out of town until tomorrow afternoon. The tavern closes early tonight, so things will be real quiet. Charlie's working in Grand Junction, and Reece is on call." I can't believe I'm doing this. "Would you do me a solid and—"

"No need to ask. As long as I'm in the area, I'll check on your girl."

"Thanks, man."

He hung up, reassuring himself Hailey was in good hands, and turned his attention to the tantalizing opportunity dangling before him.