Secret Millionaire for the Surrogate

“Nope.”

A smile broke over her lips. “Then why am I here again? Clearly you had your mind made up.”

“Because before I leap I always want a second opinion. And you know the area. Do you think the town can handle another outfitter?”

She nodded. “It’s a big business around here. Some will still shop in Calgary first, but with a good supply and competition here, you’ll probably see increased traffic.”

Which was his thinking, too, and he’d run some data as well—annual visitors, local populations, volume on marked trails each year or people using tour companies for backcountry expeditions. Nothing was a sure bet, but this felt good.

“And the upstairs...”

“You know what sells better than I do. You could put clothing up there if you wanted, and create a kind of boutique. But if you want to push it on the lower level, there might be some other department you want to put upstairs.” She gave him a nod. “Your people will be able to tell you that far better than I can.” She smiled. “My photographer’s eye likes the balanced feel of it.”

The Realtor looked at Drew, who gave him a brief nod. “You have my offer. It stands.”

“And your threshold?”

“No more than ten percent above the initial offer. He knows he won’t get full asking price. Even for a prime location like this.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

“Shall we?” Drew asked, sweeping his arm out to the side to invite Harper to join him in the sun again.

“That’s it?”

He nodded. “Yep. That’s it. Now I wait. It’ll be a back-and-forth of offers and negotiations now, but I’m guessing we’ll have a verbal agreement by tonight and start the ball rolling tomorrow with paperwork.

“And then what?”

He smiled. “Then it’s up to the bank. I’ll sign what I need to sign, start putting everything in order and then head back home and get the ball rolling on the whole new-store process.” He grinned. “This’ll go much faster than when we actually build a store from the ground up. A crew will go in and do the renovations, and then we can start the hiring process and shipping stock. All told...we’ll probably open in January, give or take.”

She was quiet beside him. “Sorry, are you okay?” he asked. “You got quiet all of a sudden.” It struck him that she might not be feeling well. “Is the ice cream not settling well?”

She smiled a little and they kept walking. “Oh, I’m okay that way. The morning sickness is getting a little better. There’s really only an hour or so in the morning where I feel awful, and then it goes away. I’m hoping it’ll disappear altogether really soon.”

“Then why so quiet?”

She pursed her lips as if trying to determine what to say. “Well, truthfully... I’ve enjoyed today, but I conveniently forgot that you were here such a short time. It’s not like it’s something I haven’t known all along.”

“Does that mean you’d like me to stay?” he asked, even knowing he never could. The last thing he wanted was to set up some false expectation that he might. He wasn’t the kind of guy to commit to personal relationships, and he would never want to hurt her. Still, he wanted to know the answer. Her opinion mattered, and that was a rare thing for him.

She looked up at him. “If I say yes, don’t read too much into it. I know in a lot of ways we’re very different, but you like some of the same things I do. And you seem to like me, even though I’m...”

She broke off, her cheeks flamed. He could tell, even in the hot sun, that she was embarrassed. He touched her hand and asked gently, “Even though you’re what?”

The answer was a long time coming; they skirted around a group of Japanese tourists and then past a dog walker with five dogs on leashes, all of which were amenable to pats and lots of “good boys.” He wondered if she was going to answer at all when she spoke softly.

“I’ve always been the tomboy type. I’m not curvy or exceptionally pretty, not like Adele. I usually have a hard time making friends. And as much as I know starting something between us would be a mistake, I also know it’s been nice to feel...wanted.”

An ache settled in around his heart. Harper was lonely, and loneliness was something he understood.

“You can have lots of friends and still be lonely,” he admitted. They were walking in the direction of her house, and he didn’t mind. The ice cream had kept him from being hungry for a late lunch, and there was nothing in the commercial part of town that he was dying to go to today.

“I can’t believe you’re lonely,” she said, glancing over at him. “You’re so outgoing and driven and...”

“And I miss my family a lot. I have friends but a lot of my relationships are ones of utility. It’s not quite as charming as you’d think.” He paused for a moment, reflecting. The words had just come out, but he realized how true they were. “You know, some of the most genuine, rewarding connections I’ve made have been through travel. A man who takes you to his village and invites you to dinner with his family. A tour guide who stands on the edge of a volcano with you and ponders life’s big questions. As much as I love the business, and I do, don’t get me wrong, I do occasionally get lonely.”

“Wow. Then let me say you do a great job of covering it with charm and confidence.”