Throughout the rest of the day, she tried calling Grey, but he wouldn’t answer. Her attentiveness to her patients hit an all-time low. She’d been so preoccupied with her thoughts, she’d zoned out at least six times. One patient thought Avery might be having a stroke.
Her lunch sat, uneaten, on the corner of her desk.
Her red-rimmed eyes hurt.
Avery had never experienced a sense of loss and pain this profound. Every time she realized Grey had cut her out of his life, her chest tightened. Only days ago, he’d professed his love. He’d given her a glimpse at a life so full of love she could barely believe it. Her lifelong doubts—her fear—had kept her from loving him as he deserved to be loved.
She could blame her brother, her dad, and even Matt . . . but she couldn’t hide from the ugly truth. The person most responsible for the fact that Grey was finished with her was looking back at her in the mirror.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grey strode out of the courthouse feeling marginally better than he had an hour earlier. Bonus—in the midst of giving his statement, he’d gotten an idea about Wade’s project. Now he needed Trip and Kelsey’s help.
He dialed Kelsey first. “Kelsey, it’s Grey. I need Wade Kessler’s number.”
“Why?” Kelsey’s tone sounded cautious. Protective, even.
“I have a proposition for him.” Grey stopped on the sidewalk, placing one hand on his hip.
“What kind of proposition?”
“A business one.” He tamped down his impatience, forcing himself to stop tapping his foot against the pavement. “Can you give me his number, please?”
“Sure. He’s actually in town this week. Staying at the Sterling Canyon Resort.”
Grey’s brows rose. “You don’t send him to Emma’s place?”
“Wade likes modern resort amenities.”
Figures. Grey nearly dismissed the thought, but then realized Kelsey probably knew a lot about Wade. Details that could help him negotiate. “Seems like you’re getting to know him pretty well.”
“We’ve spent a lot of time together looking at properties. He’s very interesting.”
“Guess he’s easy to work with, too?”
“Better than most of my other clients. No bullshit, no games. Decisive.”
“Good to hear. Hope he’s treating you right.”
“He’s very professional and courteous. But so far there’s nothing more going on . . . at least, not yet.” When Grey heard Kelsey’s feminine giggle, he knew Boomerang had locked in on a new target.
He couldn’t help but grin, knowing Wade had no idea what he was in for in the upcoming weeks or months. But unlike Grey, maybe Wade would be interested in Kelsey. “Good luck with that, but watch your heart.”
“Easy for you to say now that you’re happily involved.”
All the words got stuck in Grey’s throat for a minute. Until an hour ago, he’d thought he’d been given a second chance at love with an incredible woman. But he’d been too blind to see it had been one-sided. Avery’s betrayal made her dead to him—a heartache different from, but equally painful to, losing Juliette.
Somehow he managed to say good-bye to Kelsey. He looked around at the storefronts, wishing for something to hit or kick. Nothing. Certainly not here in the middle of this gossip-riddled town.
Shaking his head, he refocused on the task at hand and called Trip. He might’ve lost out on love a second time, but he wasn’t going to lose his future, too. “Buddy, I’m coming back to the office. Don’t go anywhere. I have a plan we need to discuss.”
Wade Kessler greeted them in the lobby of the resort. The man was probably forty-two, but still fit. Clean cut. He flashed a friendly smile at Grey. “Good to see you again, Grey,” he said as he reached out to shake hands.
“I’m Trip.” Trip also shook Wade’s hand. “I work for Grey.”
“Shall we sit?” Wade gestured toward an intimate seating area in the corner of the lobby.
“Thanks for agreeing to see me on such short notice. I wanted to talk to you about your development’s impact on my operations,” Grey began. After explaining the basic conflict, he said, “Based on the circumstances, I’d like to float a proposal by you.”
“I’m listening.” Wade sat forward, attentively.
“I’d like you to grant us an easement over the sliver of property we use to park our vans and take clients up the backside of the mountain.” Grey leaned forward, anxious and uncomfortable. “In exchange, I’ll give you free ski and rock-climbing tours twice per season for as long as we own the business.”
Wade’s surprised expression turned thoughtful. “Where, exactly, do you cross the property?”
Trip jumped in. “The short dirt road that turns off Big Fir after the small bridge, right where the guardrail breaks.”
Wade scratched his cheek just below his eye. “How often do you use it, and how many people are with you?”
“During ski season, one of us is there at least five days per week. The total number of people could be anywhere from six to fifteen, give or take.” Grey’s stomach sank a bit as he watched Wade’s brows rise. “We park the vans and leave them there for the better part of the day while we hike up those ridges.”
“You’re asking me to take on a lot. Not only would I be putting an encumbrance on my land in perpetuity by recording an easement, but I’d also be taking on additional liability for your guests and property—like your vans—while they’re on my land.” Wade sat back, crossing his arms. “What if I flip the property in ten years? Buyers might not want that on the title, and that could affect the salability of the property.”
“I have to think there are ways to deal with those issues, whether with money or whatnot.” Grey rubbed his jaw, his mind racing but unable to offer solutions.
“There are liability and insurance issues, too,” Wade said. “Not to mention that I can’t have a bunch of old ski vans parked in the middle of my five-star resort.”
“The area we’re talking about is on the fringe of your property, not in the center,” Trip interrupted.
Wade nodded with a shrug. “I’d need to take a hard look at our development plans to see if we can find a spot that wouldn’t interfere with the hotel access or parking, or be a blight to the condo owners.”
“I understand that, and I’d be willing to work with you to find a parking location that is out of your line of sight.” Grey glanced at Trip. “I’ll sign whatever releases and waivers you’d need. Pay for the additional insurance rider, if need be. I’m not asking for a gift; I’m just asking for help so you don’t end up putting me out of business.”
“What if other outfits come and ask for the same rights?” Wade sat forward again.
“They won’t. I have an exclusive forest service permit, so no one else can lead anyone into that part of the mountains. Some town kids will hike back in there on their own now and then, but that’s about it.”
“You’re the only business who can take teams back in there?” Wade narrowed his eyes.
Grey nodded, wondering what else Wade was thinking.
“I appreciate the offer to give me free treks, but that’s not really enough value for me to justify giving up so much.” Wade crossed one foot over his knee. “But maybe if you give my hotel guests and condo owners a fifteen-percent discount on any tours they booked, then we’d have something to talk about. That could give me something to add as part of my marketing package.”