Winning Over Skylar

“All right,” he said slowly. “You can spend the afternoon with Karin.”

Melanie’s delighted smile made him sigh—he would have agreed to practically anything after seeing that sad look on her face. Hell, maybe he should even consider keeping her until she graduated.

He stopped in front of the high school. “Have a good day.”

“You, too.” She gave him an impulsive kiss on the cheek and got out.

Aaron watched her disappear inside the old building. The high school hadn’t changed much since he was a kid. It was like everything in Cooperton, old-fashioned and tired. The whole town needed a facelift...or a funeral.

He drove on and as he passed the Nibble Nook, decided to stop and see if Skylar was available. She’d claimed she would call in a few days to set up a time to meet, but he didn’t want it turning into weeks or months.

At least two dozen customers were eating at the picnic tables, and more waited in line at the window. The scent of coffee and food wafted through the air and there was a babble of cheerful conversation. Yet as Aaron got out of the Mercedes and approached, the chatter faded into watchful silence. At a guess, a number of the customers were Cooper Industry employees—probably from the night shift, eating breakfast after getting off work. They must have recognized him.

Well, hell.

He didn’t intend to justify his decisions, no matter how unpopular they might be. They were necessary to keep the company afloat and to preserve jobs, though he wasn’t entirely sure why he cared if the business survived. At the same time, the hostile atmosphere heightened his concerns about Melanie being around people who so plainly disliked him. That was one of the problems with small towns: you couldn’t get away from the people who knew you.

“Good morning,” he said when he got to the front window. “Is Mrs. Gibson here?”

“No, sir. Skylar is picking up a load of produce, but she should be back soon.” The tall young man smiled, a pleasant contrast to the sullen customers in the eating area. “Would you like to order something?”

“Sure.” Aaron hadn’t gone to a hamburger stand since he was a teenager, but he looked at the breakfast menu and ordered the spicy breakfast burrito and a cup of “special brew” coffee, whatever the hell that pretended to be. The prices seemed excellent, and the amount of food the server passed through the window was generous.

He went to the Mercedes to eat, and his first surprise was the coffee. He’d figured it would taste like pencil shavings, despite being billed as a “special brew.” Instead it was rich and boldly flavored.

As for the burrito...Aaron took a bite and his eyes widened. It was stuffed with bacon, cheese, eggs, green chilies and potatoes and was absolutely delicious. The flavor reminded him of the breakfast burritos he’d eaten in Santa Fe where he and Matt had managed to meet up one weekend. Aaron liked Matt; he just wished his brother hadn’t followed in their father’s playboy footsteps.

When he finished eating, he phoned Peggy and told her that something had come up and he would be later than expected. He settled back with his coffee, keeping an eye on the traffic from the road. Customers came and went, and it wasn’t long before the old truck he’d seen Skylar driving the previous night arrived and pulled around to the rear of the building.

He followed and found Skylar putting down the tailgate of the truck. The cashier who’d helped Aaron earlier had come out and was talking to her.

“Here he is,” said the young man.

She looked up and her expression turned chilly. “Did you need something, Mr. Hollister?”

Suddenly Aaron’s plan to push for a meeting time to discuss Cooper Industries didn’t seem like the best idea. Antagonizing her wouldn’t help his cause, though he suspected he was already screwed after their clashes over his sister. Skylar wasn’t likely to put her personal feelings aside to make a rational decision.

“Melanie mentioned she has plans to see a movie with your daughter tomorrow afternoon. Sharing a pizza was also discussed.”

Skylar nodded. “They’ve been talking about it.”

“I thought you should know that I told her she can go.”

“You’re okay with it?”

Aaron could tell that Skylar had expected him to refuse and felt like a fraud. He’d tried to talk Melanie into a trip to San Francisco instead of going with her friend—essentially a bribe. It spoke well of his sister that she’d chosen Karin, even if it wasn’t what he had wanted.

“I’d prefer her spending less time at the Nibble Nook, but a movie sounded all right,” he replied frankly. “And I could see how much it meant to her. I’ll make sure she has cash for both the movie and food.”

“Oh, that’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up... Stop giving Melanie fifty-dollar bills to use. It makes her conspicuous. If she needs to carry so much money, give her tens or twenties and have her tuck most of them out of sight in different places in her wallet or purse so it isn’t obvious how much she’s got.”

Aaron didn’t appreciate the obvious being pointed out to him, but she was right. Somebody might get tempted by the idea of easy cash.

“I should have thought it through better,” he admitted grudgingly. “I’ve just been giving her whatever’s in my wallet, and I know my father sends her cash in large bills. I’ll tell Melanie to have me change it into smaller denominations.”

Skylar lifted a crate of lettuce and handed it to her employee. “Thanks, Peter. You should get back inside. I heard more cars arrive out front.”

When they were alone, she dusted her hands. “Why didn’t you just call and leave a message about okaying the girls’ plans? Aren’t you too busy for this kind of personal contact?”

Was that a subtle criticism, or was he just being overly sensitive?

“I was driving past on my way to the office and decided to stop. I’m not familiar with the appropriate protocols for dealing with a teenager.”

“Whatever.” She hopped back into the truck bed and shoved a stack of boxes closer to the tailgate, a healthy flush of color in her cheeks.

One thing Aaron had to say for Skylar, she worked hard. He just wasn’t sure of anything else when it came to her—while she may have changed since her disreputable high-school days, he had a hard time trusting people in general, and women in particular. Ironically, his father seemed to be the opposite. S. S. Hollister was an eternal optimist, always on the lookout for romance.

It was his children who’d learned to be wary of marriage and relationships.

“Don’t you have employees to handle the heavy lifting?” Aaron asked, resisting an impulse to help. She must do this sort of thing every day; she didn’t need him.

“They’re busy. When things are quieter midmorning, I’ll have them slice the onions and tomatoes and wash lettuce for the lunch crowd. We want our ingredients to be fresh.”

“We?”

Her expression went blank. “Saying we is a habit. I ran this business with my husband for more than a decade, and he’s only been gone a year.”

Aaron wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d been noticing how well Skylar filled out her jeans and T-shirt—slim, yet sweetly curved in all the right places—only to be reminded she was a widow.

“I see,” he said awkwardly. “Well, I’ll go, since you’re obviously busy. You’ll call when we can get together to talk about my expansion plans?”

Her eyes narrowed. “As I said last night, I’ll contact you in a few days.”

“Good. Great. We’ll speak then.”

Aaron made his way back to his Mercedes. He still didn’t have anything settled, but it couldn’t be helped. Diplomacy took time, and he was already at odds with Skylar. And it wasn’t as if they’d ever gotten along in the first place.

* * *

THE FOLLOWING Wednesday Skylar drove to city hall shortly before the time she’d set for her meeting with Aaron. He’d suggested they meet at Cooper Industries, but she was too smart to agree. She refused to be treated like a flunky on his payroll—city hall was her territory, and he was the one asking for something from the community, not the other way around.

Cooperton City Hall was one of those grand old buildings built in a confident era when they’d believed the town would soon need a large home for its government. Money and love had gone into planning and constructing the place. The offices beyond the public facade were nice, but the rotunda was the town’s pride and joy—with an ornate dome overhead and a beautiful mosaic wood floor that had been covered by carpet for several decades. When the restoration committee had pulled the carpet up three years ago, expecting the original surface to be ruined, they’d discovered it simply needed a good cleaning and basic repairs for carpet-tack damage.

It was a soothing atmosphere, but Skylar didn’t have time to appreciate the rich glow of wood, brass and polished granite. She trotted up the stairs and through the swinging doors of the mayor’s reception area.

Micki Jo looked up from the computer on her desk. “Hey, Skylar, ready for your big meeting with Aaron Hollister?”

“I suppose. Do you have those reports?

“Yup.” Micki Jo pointed to a box on the corner of her desk. “Copies for you, and copies for the big shot. And here are the keys for the council offices—keep them. I had duplicates made. You should have your own set. Everyone else on the council does.”

“Is that an executive decision, or a Micki Jo ruling?”

“Micki Jo, all the way. The mayor is too busy wringing his hands over what Mr. Hollister is doing with Cooper Industries to be bothered with minutiae. Small-town government requires secretaries who are willing to make decisions in the temporary absence of leadership.”

Skylar pocketed the keys. “Would your college professors approve of that theory?”

“Probably not. Secretaries aren’t appreciated enough.”

It was true, in more ways than one. Micki Jo had started working for city hall two years before, and despite her youth and inexperience, now practically ran the place behind the scenes. Chet was only in his office a few hours a day; the rest of the time he managed his restaurant. Micki Jo, on the other hand, worked full-time and eagerly jumped into every aspect of Cooperton’s government. She was taking night classes toward a bachelor’s degree in political science.

“How are your studies going?” Skylar asked.

The other woman flashed a smile. “I got A-pluses on my last two tests, and I’m writing a paper about Thursday night’s council meeting for my poli-sci course. The guys sure did a fast duck and cover with Aaron Hollister’s expansion proposal.”

“Tell me about it. Mr. Hollister wants a swift approval, but it isn’t going to be that easy. You may hear some yelling before we’re done.”

“My money’s on you, but if you come to blows, try not to get blood on the floor,” Micki Jo advised. “Our preservation chairperson will have hysterics if that hardwood gets damaged. You know how excitable she is.”

Skylar laughed and headed for the city council’s offices with the box of reports tucked under one arm. Three rooms in city hall were allotted to the council—including one for small meetings. She’d never expected to need the offices, so having a key hadn’t occurred to her. Come to think of it though, Jimmie may have had a set. If so, it would still be with his key ring in the dresser drawer, in the envelope....

Her lingering humor faded as she recalled being handed a large yellow envelope by the coroner’s office after Jimmie’s accident. “His valuables,” they’d said gruffly. She’d barely looked in it, tucking the thing under a pile of his T-shirts. Grace had helped her pack up most of Jimmie’s clothes and personal items, but Skylar had left that drawer alone. Somehow it seemed symbolic, a small goodbye yet to be said.

The council office was stuffy, and Skylar pushed thoughts of her husband’s accident from her mind as she opened a window. She’d gone over the Nibble Nook’s schedule, trying to find the best time to meet with Aaron, finally deciding morning would be best. Several of her employees were eager for extra hours, and she could get them to cover for her when she was gone.

Precisely at 9:00 a.m., Aaron came through the open door carrying a soft-sided briefcase. “Good morning,” he said with a formal smile. “You agreed to look at the PowerPoint program on expansion plans, so I brought my computer.”

“That’s probably the best way to start.” Skylar wanted to ask how Melanie was feeling, since Karin had mentioned her friend had been out of school sick both Monday and Tuesday, but it was best to keep the meeting on a purely professional level.

Aaron set up his laptop, and she realized they’d have to sit side by side while he changed the slides and talked.

Damn.

He moved his chair next to hers, and his elbow came perilously close to her breast as he started the program. Grimly she focused on the information. It was concise and to the point...and a big problem as far as she was concerned. Keeping her expression neutral became a challenge, and when the final slide had been clicked off, she had trouble unclenching her jaw.

“You want to expand east of the factory,” she said finally.

“It’s the best location.”

“That property has been leased to organic farmers for years.”

“But is still owned by Cooper Industries. The lease is coming up for renewal, so it’s an opportune time to move forward with updating and expanding the factory complex. The land just needs to be rezoned.”

Skylar thought of the farmers who’d worked so hard to grow pesticide-free produce, going through the trouble and expense of being certified organic. She wanted to scream. Granted, the land didn’t belong to those farmers, but she knew old Mr. Cooper had promised they’d be able to stay. What’s more, the Cooperton Organic Farmer’s Market lured shoppers from as far away as Sacramento and San Francisco—shoppers who spent much-needed dollars in their town instead of somewhere else.

“What about the area south of the existing complex?” she asked, deciding not to bring up the organic issue unless it became necessary. “It’s more marginal farmland owned by Cooper Industries and isn’t currently in use. Rezoning would be much more palatable there for everyone.”

Aaron looked taken aback, and she could swear he hadn’t considered an alternate site. “I believe services are better in the other location.”

She would have to look at the city and county maps to determine if that was actually true, or just an excuse. On the other hand, she knew the roads around Cooperton and enough about other town projects to ask a few questions.

“Maybe, but are you aware the proposed site for a new waste-sewage treatment plant is south of the factory complex, as well? By expanding that direction, you would likely reduce your sewage costs and possibly limit any retrofitting to meet new regulations.”

Aaron’s forehead creased in thought. “Does Cooperton have the money to build a new treatment plant? This town is so old and tired, I’m surprised they’re even talking about it.”

“Cooperton is old—that doesn’t mean it’s tired.”

“Really? How about the high school? Or city hall for that matter? This place is ancient. Most towns have abandoned these aged buildings for something modern.”

Skylar’s blood started a slow simmer. “Modern isn’t always better. Have you taken a good look at this place? City hall was restored three years ago with a private grant and placed on the national registry for historic buildings. And believe it or not, Cooperton High students test quite competitively with other students in California.”

Aaron gave her a narrow look. “This is a switch. You didn’t have a good opinion of Cooperton when we were kids, either—you thought the people who lived here were nothing but tongue-wagging, judgmental hypocrites.”

“I’ve grown up since then and discovered most people are basically nice if you give them a chance. And it isn’t as if my parents were pillars of the community—I don’t blame anyone for being glad when they left.”

Skylar stuck out her chin with a hint of her old defiance. She wasn’t even sure where her mother and father were living; they’d left Cooperton shortly before she’d married Jimmie and she’d never tried to find them. As far as she was concerned, the Gibsons were the only grandparents her daughter needed. But then, it was Jimmie and his parents who’d changed Skylar’s mind about Cooperton, helping her see it was more than a place which had made a teenage girl angry and rebellious.

“Regardless, my opinions are not your concern,” she added, realizing the conversation had gone far out-of-bounds.

“Anything that influences your decision is my concern. After our clashes over Melanie...well, the situation is awkward enough.”

Skylar’s nerves tightened. “I’m not biased, I just want to make the right choice for Cooperton. Now, do you have a written proposal to leave with me? I’ll study it so I can have a better idea of what questions to ask at our next meeting.”

“Yes, I have it with me.” Aaron opened his briefcase and took out a thick book with a spiral binding. “This is the basic plan.”

She took the book and wondered if he’d hoped to impress people with the volume of paper in his “basic” plan. How would she know, anyhow? She ran a hamburger stand—a highly successful stand—but a far cry from a business like Cooper Industries.

“I’m sure that at some point our building inspector will need to see full-size copies of the blueprints,” she murmured. “And any approval I give would still be contingent on subsequent building permits and inspections and the like.”

“Of course. I’ll bring copies to the Nibble Nook.”

A surge of adrenaline hit Skylar. She didn’t want Aaron conducting business at the Nibble Nook. Besides, her customers had already complained about his visit the previous Friday—they acknowledged it was a free country, but still resented him giving them a sour stomach.

“No, leave them with Micki Jo,” she said.

“But the hamburger stand is so close.”

Skylar squared her shoulders. “I realize the Nibble Nook doesn’t compare to Cooper Industries, but it’s my livelihood. I’m entitled to keep city council business from intruding any more than needed.”

A variety of emotions crossed Aaron face until he finally nodded. “All right. Micki Jo will have them by noon.”

“Okay. Let’s meet again next week, same time, same place.”

“A week?” He sounded as if she was suggesting a century, instead of a few days, and Skylar could have kicked him. It was typical of Aaron to think she should drop everything to study his proposal. In a lot of ways he hadn’t changed that much—he was still convinced the world revolved around him and his needs.

“Yes, a week. In the meantime, I have material for you to read.” She gestured to the stack of reports that Micki Jo had copied for her, including the public works study on the new wastewater treatment plant.

Her stack topped his proposal by several inches. Whether any of the reports were applicable was another question, and he might have seen them already, but at least they were a start. And she hoped that getting them would show she was trying to give his proposal a valid hearing.

Skylar knew it was vanity on her part—Aaron obviously believed she was going to let personal feelings get in the way of her decision, and she wanted to prove him wrong.

CHAPTER FIVE

SKYLAR WAS GLAD to return to the Nibble Nook and tried to keep from thinking about Aaron. It was harder than she expected.

Each time they’d talked or argued she was conscious of the secret that she wanted to keep him from learning...or remembering. It was as if she had a sword hanging over her, dangling by a thread—she didn’t know if it was going to fall, and what damage it would do if it did. It was exhausting.

She didn’t see how Aaron couldn’t know about Karin, but anything was possible. Or maybe he’d never believed Karin was his child in the first place, and his family just tried to give her money to be sure that trouble wouldn’t crop up later.

“Skylar, are you okay?” asked Greg at one point during a lull between customers.

She shook herself, realizing she’d been staring into space. “Sorry, I have a city council matter on my mind. It was partly true—her nominal responsibilities as a city council member had become a huge headache.

“I heard about the meeting last week. Is that why you took off this morning?”

It wasn’t a surprise that he knew—the whole county probably knew about what had happened, gossip being the lifeblood of a small town. “Yeah. I’ll be seeing Mr. Hollister several times to discuss his plans before making a decision.”

Greg made a face. “I’m glad it’s not me—I’d blow up and ask why he thinks everyone who works for him is a thief. My sister says working there sucks now. She wants to get another job, but it isn’t easy in this area.”

Skylar thought of the stack of job applications she’d gotten in the past few months and nodded wryly.

“It isn’t just the short lunches and stuff—it’s the way he acted about people taking factory seconds home with them. They weren’t stealing,” Greg said indignantly. “Mr. Cooper encouraged folks to take stuff that couldn’t be sold. I guess some employees took advantage, but not that many of them.”

“I know.” Skylar often sent food home from the Nibble Nook that would get thrown out otherwise, and the Nook was a much smaller operation than Cooper Industries. It might be different if Aaron had opened a store for selling factory seconds, but he hadn’t. “I’ll keep an ear out for any job openings.”

Greg gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

A new group of customers arrived and they jumped to work. Determined to stop thinking about Aaron, Skylar thought about everything she needed to do for Karin’s birthday party. Her daughter wanted a picnic in the park and even with Joe and Grace’s help there was a lot to get done.

* * *

“I FEEL BETTER. I’m going back to school,” Melanie announced to Aaron on Thursday morning. She’d stayed home with a cold all week and was tired of it.

He frowned, looking up from some papers he was reading at the kitchen table. “You’re still coughing.”

She shrugged. Her cold was mostly gone except the yucky parts—a cough and drippy nose. Aaron had acted kind of cute about it, telling her to stay in bed and buying a bunch of new DVDs for her to watch. He’d filled the refrigerator with orange juice and had gotten gazoodles of chicken soup from one of the delicatessens in town, though she was sneaking other junk to eat because the soup was gross.

Heck, he’d even come back from work a couple of times a day to check on her. That was weird. Not that he wasn’t always weird, it was just weirder than usual. It was also nice. He hadn’t acted like it was inconvenient or anything, but as if he was worried and just wanted her to feel better.

“I don’t want to miss too much and have to catch up again,” she said.

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