Finding Hope's Ridge, page 5
part #1 of Hope's Ridge Series
Matt was on a conference call when Zane entered his office right on ten as planned. He waved Zane into a seat, and five minutes later ended the call and turned to him.
“Sorry about that. I needed to confirm a few details and make sure the sale had gone through. No point starting any work if the vendor changes his mind at the last minute.”
“Was it all okay?”
“Sure was. I'm now the proud owner of the four blocks I mentioned on Lake Drive.” He fist-pumped the air. “Even my dad will have to admit this is an achievement. I've jumped through so many hoops to make this happen. It's going to be amazing.”
Zane grinned, immediately caught up in Matt's energy and excitement. It was hard not to like this guy. He worked hard, had the town's interests at heart, and was attempting to make a real difference to Hope's Ridge. Zane hoped some of the older residents in town would embrace this as progress rather than resist it.
“Now, let me walk you through the plans. I know we spoke about them on Saturday night, but considering the state I woke up in on Sunday, I'm not expecting you to remember much, other than drinking less beer next time might be a good plan.”
Zane laughed. “I remember bits, but I need a refresher and want to see the plans.”
The next hour was spent poring over the plans and discussing Matt's vision for the development.
“So, nothing that's already there will be demolished?”
“Nope, that's the beauty in this as far as getting objections from the town. Three of the blocks are vacant, and to be honest, have been a mess for years. The other is the sandstone building that everyone raves about. We’ll use the same brick for the new development. It will be an amazing corner. It's right across from the lake and has spectacular views. I want to put a sunset bar on top of this building.” He pointed to the building on the plans. “We're so lucky it's a flat roof already as it won't need too much work. The highest cost is creating access from the premises below.”
Zane laughed. “Not sure that’ll appeal to too many of the town residents. Can't see them paying for the sunset when they can sit down at the lake and watch it.”
Matt grinned. “A handful perhaps, but they're not my target. Sure, I want to improve the town, but ultimately my development aims to bring in the tourists. I'm looking to bring some money into the town, and I need places for them to spend it once they're here. I've put in applications to buy the four properties on the other side of the four blocks I've already acquired.”
“But they've got houses on them.”
“They have, which makes it more difficult. The owners would have to agree to sell. I'm making generous offers, so hopefully, they will. If they don’t, I have a backup plan.”
Matt went on to tell Zane about the plan for a luxury eco-resort he was submitting to council. “It'd be lakefront, but it's out of town, around Crook's Bend. In theory, no one will object as you can't see the building from here. The bluff will block it from view, and the land it's on was earmarked for development years ago. It's one my dad managed to get through planning. He didn't bother building on it as he got so fed up with town that he ended up leaving. So, if I can't buy up the properties on Lake Drive, we'll build there instead.”
Zane stared at the plans Matt had spread all over the conference table. It was a huge undertaking. Zane wasn't sure he could handle so many different projects at once.
Matt must have sensed his hesitancy. “Don't worry; I'm not expecting you to work on all of these. For now, I want your help with the development of the Lake Drive precinct and the financial management of all the projects. It's your finance background that I need. It’s the one area I struggle with.” He blushed. “Math was never my strong point, and while I do my best to run the budgets and forward project, I'm often second-guessing myself. I hope I'm doing a good job, but I want you to look through the budgets and deliver a report in plain English showing where we're at, what's problematic, whether we'll have enough cash, and so on. That stuff takes me hours to work out, so I need an expert.”
“That I can definitely do,” Zane said.
“On top of that, I'd love you to manage some of the fit-outs and construction if you're up for it? We're not at that stage yet; the plans will take quite a while to finalize. But when we are, I'll walk you through what needs to be done and then leave you to engage with the contractors to make it happen. You and I can chat daily, so if there are any questions or problems, we can work them out. I'm stretched too thin and need another me.” He grinned. “You're the other me.”
Zane laughed. “Not sure anyone will mistake me for you, I might need to get into the gym, but I'm excited to work with you. This is so different from what I've done in the past, and it'll help tourism in the town. It's a win-win for everyone.”
“It is, although I guarantee we'll still get some objectors. I’ll schedule a town meeting so the residents can come and ask questions. Hopefully, we can put everyone's minds at ease.” His expression turned thoughtful. “It is something to consider before you accept the job. Developers are often hated. It takes time to turn people's views around, and sometimes it's impossible. I would understand if you have concerns.”
Zane thought for a moment. There was nothing Matt was planning that looked underhanded or purely for his own interest. Of course, he would profit from it, but so would the town. It would bring in more tourists and give a section of the town a lift. He would expect his father to object to anything he was involved in, so he wasn't going to give him a second thought. If he wasn't working at the mill, he wouldn't be good enough. He couldn't see any other reason holding him back. He held out his hand. “I would love to work for you, Matt. Absolutely love to.”
Asha was pretty sure someone in charge of the universe was messing with her. It was Tuesday night, and she could honestly say the last two days felt like two months. Every minute of each day dragged. She knew that once the lease was signed, time would pick up again and probably speed by so fast she wouldn't be able to keep up with it, but right now, it was doing her head in.
She'd finished dinner, her house was immaculate, her washing up-to-date and put away, and she had nothing else to do. Any other night like this, she'd be amazed that it was possible to be so organized and would curl up on the couch with Max to watch something on Netflix. She looked around the living room for Max. Usually, he'd be curled up somewhere at this time of night. It was still early. It was around nine that he suddenly woke up for the day and went crazy, running up the curtains and wanting to play. She found him snuggled against a pillow on the couch. She picked him up and cuddled him in her arms like a baby. She smiled as she was instantly rewarded with a deep purr.
“This day's dragging forever, Maxy boy. Tomorrow night I'll bring you some fresh fish to celebrate.”
Max rubbed against Asha's hand, insisting that she stroke him under the chin. Her phone rang as she obeyed the cat. She glanced down to where she'd put it. It was her parents requesting FaceTime. They had been away for six weeks, which was the longest period in her life she hadn't seen them. She accepted the call.
“Asha, baby, how are you?”
She couldn't help but smile when her mom's smiling face appeared on the screen, so close up, she could practically see up her nostrils.
“I'm great, Mom. You might need to move the phone back a bit so I can see Dad, too, assuming he's with you?”
The screen went out of focus while her mother repositioned it. Suddenly her dad, in a vivid yellow and white Hawaiian shirt, appeared. “Hey, hon, how are you?”
“Great, Dad, how's the trip? Where are you?”
“We're in Phuket. He patted his stomach, which was considerably larger than when they'd left six weeks earlier. “Oh, my goodness, the food is amazing.”
“As is the beer,” her mother added, rolling her eyes. “I don't think I'll ever get your dad out of here. He's in love.”
“With you too.” Her dad laughed, throwing an arm around her mother's shoulder.
“Beer first, curry second, me third. Is that the order?”
“Of course not, the curry's winning at the moment.”
Asha smiled as her mother slapped her father's arm playfully. It was so lovely to see them relaxed and happy.
“Tell Steph I've been practicing yoga every day,” her mother said. “She'll be shocked.”
“She sure will! Why don't you tell her yourself? I assume you plan to call her too?”
“Not tonight, love, we wanted to speak to you. How's everything coming along with the cafe?”
“I sign the papers in the morning. The new menu boards and signage arrived yesterday, and I have tradespeople hired for Thursday and Friday to do a few things for me. I'm hoping to open sometime next week if all goes to plan. That might be a bit premature, but certainly by the week after.”
“What about staff?” her father asked. “You can't run a cafe of that size by yourself.”
“I've got two part-time staff starting as soon as it opens. They'll job share and when it gets busy, they'll either increase their hours, or we'll need to get someone else. I don't want to overcapitalize.”
“We wanted you to know how proud of you we are, Asha.”
A lump immediately formed in Asha's throat. Her father rarely said things like that. The moment she chose not to go to college, she'd known she’d let him down; that he expected greater things of her. Cooking and running a business hadn't seemed enough in his eyes. Something must have changed.
“The food truck was a good start, but this provides you with a real career. It's an amazing opportunity.”
“It is, love,” her mother added. “We're so thrilled for you. As soon as we get home, we'll be coming in for lunch.”
Her father laughed. “Any chance you'll have red curry on the menu?”
Asha joined in his laughter. “Unlikely, but I won't say no. Who knows, Irresistables might become a lot more adventurous as we move forward.”
“Okay, hon, we'd better go. Tell Steph we spoke, and we'll call her another night. She makes it hard only having that landline. If you can get her to move into the twenty-first century while we're away, it would be appreciated.”
“I'll mention it.” Asha blew them both kisses before ending the call. She turned her attention back to Max. “How's that for a surprise, Maxy boy? Dad ringing to say well done rather than tell me to do something more meaningful with my life. That's a turnaround I didn't expect.”
Max purred louder and pushed his head into Asha's hand, demanding more affection. She laughed. “I've always known where I stand with you, Maxy, that's for sure. Parents, not so much, but you, my friend, are an open book. Let's hope this new venture keeps them off my back and makes them proud.” Asha's thoughts remained with her parents as she gave in to Max's demands. She'd always had a good relationship with them, but the disappointment that she hadn't done more with her life was still there. She'd done her best to dismiss it in the past, but it hadn't been easy. She smiled. As of ten o’clock tomorrow morning, she'd never have to think about it again. She couldn't wait.
Zane shivered as he pulled the back door of Steph's house shut. It was three in the morning, and he'd been tossing and turning since a nightmare brought him out of his sleep two hours earlier. He'd had a few nights reprieve from the nightmares. The nightly interruption had been absent since he'd arrived in Hope's Ridge, and he'd chosen not to give it too much thought. He'd hoped the change of scenery had been enough to rid his subconscious of the terror he'd experienced, but it appeared it hadn't. He sighed as he pulled a blanket around him and sat down in Steph's meditation area. He hoped the energy she'd spoken about earlier might still be floating around to help him.
He'd been taken aback when he'd arrived on Monday afternoon, excited after the meeting with Matt and equally excited to be moving in, to find Steph stony-faced and a lot less friendly than she had been on the weekend.
“What's the matter?” he'd asked. “Have I done something wrong?”
“You did something wrong ten years ago.”
“What?”
“The prom. I found out why Asha resents you.”
He'd been shocked when Steph explained what had happened. That he’d supposedly said he would make it to fourth base with her.
“I never said any of that.” He did his best to reassure Steph. “I liked Ash. I always had. When we were about fourteen, Jenna made me swear I would never go near her. That I'd only ever treat her like a friend. She said if I was with Asha and then we broke up, it would either ruin her relationship with Asha or with me. It was a no-win situation for Jenna, and she didn't want to risk it. That was fine with me. At fourteen, I still wasn't all that interested in girls. But, by the time I was sixteen, Asha was definitely on my radar, but I had to respect Jenna's wishes. So, I was shocked when Jenna told me to ask her to the prom. She said Asha wanted to go but didn't have a date and I'd be perfect for her. I asked Jenna outright whether this still meant I couldn't like Asha in that way. She thought about it for a moment and said if I had genuine feelings for her, then I could act on them, but if I wasn't a hundred percent committed, then I was to be a friend only.”
“So, what happened? How did Asha end up hearing about a bet?”
Zane had shaken his head. “I have no idea. The guys might have had that bet, but I didn't. I had no plans other than having a good time at the prom. If Asha had let me kiss her, that would have been amazing, but fourth base on a first date?” He blushed at the thought.
“Well, that's why she froze you out from that night on. She believes she was used in a bet, and that's all she meant to you. The fact she was so hurt about it makes me think she probably had feelings for you.”
“I'll see her later in the week,” Zane said. “Clear it up.” Nausea had filled his stomach. No wonder she'd been so cold toward him and still was. Ten years later, he wouldn't expect her to forgive him; he certainly wouldn't. He'd like to punch those guys, supposedly his friends, for putting her through what they did.
Zane took a deep breath and blew it out, watching his breath turn white in the cool night air. The stars were out, and the big dipper was bright. He continued to watch the sky, hoping he'd see a shooting star or a satellite cross over.
He pulled the blanket around him as the temperature seemed to drop further.
“Zane?”
He started at the sound of Steph's gentle voice.
“You okay?”
He turned where she stood at the back door. “I'm fine. Couldn't sleep. Sorry if I woke you.”
“You didn't. I couldn't sleep either. I'm about to make some chamomile tea; would you like some?”
“I'd love one, thank you.” Zane smiled as Steph went back inside. His mother had always sworn by chamomile tea when she'd been kept awake late at night. He didn't believe it worked for him, but right now, anything warm would be appreciated.
A few minutes later, the back door closed, and Steph walked over, carrying two mugs. She passed him one and sat down. She didn't say anything at first, just warmed her hands on the cup, eventually taking a small sip.
Zane watched her as her eyes moved to the night sky. She looked like she'd done this many times.
“Do you sit out here often at night?”
Steph's eyes moved back to connect with his, and she gave a wry smile. “That sounded like a bad pick up line.”
Zane laughed.
“But, in answer to your question, yes, more often than I'd like to admit.”
“I thought your yoga and meditation would have you sleeping like a baby.”
“It should, but not always. What about you? Why are you roaming around in the middle of the night?”
Zane averted his gaze back to the stars. He'd planned to leave his problems in the city, certainly not discuss them with anyone in Hope's Ridge.
“You don't have to tell me,” Steph added. “I hate talking about my nightmares, so I don't blame you if you want to keep whatever’s going on to yourself.”
Zane's head snapped back to look at Steph. “You have nightmares?”
She nodded. “I was involved in an accident last year. It left me pretty badly shaken, and I haven't been able to get past it. The nightmares come and go, and anytime I feel stressed, they appear more frequently.”
“And you're stressed now?”
She shook her head. “Not in theory. I was stressed when Mary announced she was moving out, and the dreams returned that night. I was fine on the weekend after I knew you were moving in and Monday night too. But tonight, they've come back.”
“A new stress?”
Steph shrugged. “Nothing significant. A few changes at the studio with work and teaching but nothing that I'd expect to create stress or anxiety. Sometimes it's a feeling. Like I know something's about to go wrong, but I don't know what it is.” She smiled. “You'll probably think I'm crazy, but if something goes wrong tomorrow, you'll know I sensed it.”
“That's amazing,” Zane said. “Like ESP?”
“Intuition, I think. I'm not sure. Might just be left over from last week’s stress. Hopefully, that's all it is. Did you want to talk about why you're sitting out here with me at three in the morning?”
Zane sighed. “No.”
Steph sipped her tea. “I'm here anytime you do.”
“Thanks.” They sat in silence for a few minutes when Zane unexpectedly started talking.
“Three months ago, there was a holdup at work.” He closed his eyes, willing the memories to stay away, but instead relived every second. “I'd come into the branch for a meeting. Normally I worked out of head office, so I didn't see much of the frontline action. Anyway, I was being processed through the security area into the back office when three people in black masks with guns entered the building. They fired straight away, shooting the security guard in the leg and then disarming him. One of the guys stood over him with a gun pointed at his head.”
