“Cord isn’t going to sell. This meeting is nothing more than a pipe dream. And I don’t have time to waste.” A man got to his feet and started for the door.
There had to be some way to get the people to listen to her. She truly wanted to help, and she still had more to share, more that didn’t relate directly to buying Cord’s land. But others got to their feet and followed the disgruntled man out the door.
Instead of feeling like she was an outsider here, she imagined she was back in New York in front of the HSG board. They were a lot tougher crowd. So why was she letting these townspeople unnerve her?
She struggled to maintain a calm, collected composure, but she had to do something to ease the crowd’s agitation with Cord. “Wait! Hear me out. I think I can help the town…even if the resort doesn’t get built here.” Her voice was clear, loud, and confident. “You’re already here, why not hear what I have to say? It won’t cost you anything. Consider it a thank-you to all of the kind people who’ve made me feel so welcome here.”
When her gaze sought out Cord, she couldn’t find him. The spot where he’d been sitting was now occupied by someone she didn’t recognize. Where had he gone? She really wanted him to hear this part. She wanted him to know that she cared about a lot more than HSG’s bottom line. She cared about Whistle Stop’s future and his future.
With the people seated once more, she didn’t have time to worry about Cord’s absence. This was her chance to do something good for the community. She just hoped they’d listen to her.
“When I arrived here in Whistle Stop, the first thing I encountered was the abandoned train depot. I couldn’t help but think that’s a huge opportunity for Whistle Stop—”
“That train isn’t going to create new jobs and that’s what we need here. Not some dumb train stop.” A man with a long beard got up and hustled his wife out the door.
Mrs. Sanchez stood and turned to face the crowd. “People, you’re being downright rude to our guest. Maybe she’s on to something here. Then again maybe not, but she’s at least trying to find ways to help Whistle Stop.” Absolute silence fell over the room. Mrs. Sanchez turned back to Alexis. “Please continue. Some of us would like to hear your thoughts. I know you’ve been working hard to prepare for this meeting.”
Once Mrs. Sanchez took her seat again, Alexis glanced at her notes to find her spot. “I know my idea certainly isn’t the entire answer to Whistle Stop’s declining economy, but I think it could definitely play a big part in its recovery.”
There were no interruptions this time, but there still was no sign of Cord. He was gone. Disappointment lodged in her chest.
“While I was investigating ways to get people to the resort other than by car, I checked into air and rail. I have a contact at the railroad office who is quite interested in the project. He said that, under certain circumstances, they’d be willing to add a couple more passenger cars and restore service to Whistle Stop. With the train starting out in Albuquerque and heading south to make two round trips a day, that’s four times it would pass by Whistle Stop. That has the potential for a lot of tourist dollars.”
Alexis could see that she’d intrigued some people, but others were shaking their heads. She’d been in business long enough to know that there was no satisfying all of the people all of the time. She just had to hope that enough people found merit in her idea.
“What circumstances are we talking about for the railroad to add Whistle Stop back to their schedule?” The mayor peered at her thoughtfully, and there was genuine interest gleaming in his eyes. “And do you know if they’d still be interested in this venture if the resort isn’t built here?”
Alexis started to feel more confident by the second. She turned so she could see the mayor, who was in one of the chairs behind her. “Actually, the railroad is quite interested with or without the resort. It’d be an additional revenue stream for them without a large capital expenditure. They seemed to think it
could be a win-win for everyone.”
She took a moment to take a deep breath. This next part…well, it was the hard part. She imagined there would be lots of resistance.
“As for the conditions that the railroad would place on Whistle Stop before they are willing to move forward…well, the stipulations are a bit involved. First, the train depot has been abandoned for some time and left to decay—”
“But isn’t that their property?” called out someone in the audience.
“Yes, it is.” She had to word this carefully. “To be honest, I didn’t get into the reasons behind their requests. I was there to find out what it’d take to put Whistle Stop back on their map. That is all.”
“I’m not doing their work for them! I’ve got enough of my own.”
Alexis struggled not to lose her patience. “But think of what you’d gain in the long run.”
“And that’s all we’d have to do? Fix up the train station?”
“Not exactly.” If they didn’t like the thought of replacing a few broken windows and applying a couple of coats of paint to the train station, she knew they wouldn’t go for the other demands, and that saddened her greatly.
“The town square, well, it needs work too.” In actuality, it needed a lot of work, but she was doing her best to be as diplomatic as possible. “They’d also like to invest in the economic growth of Whistle Stop.”
“Why?”
“Really?
“There has to be a catch.” Shock and disbelief echoed throughout the room.
Alexis waited until people quieted down before she continued. “I was able to secure a promise that they’d help people reopen their businesses in exchange for a small, limited time stake in the businesses’ profits once the train depot is operational again.”
A roar of voices filled the hall as everyone vocalized their opinions at once. There wasn’t much more Alexis could add to the conversation. She just hoped that they’d find a way to make it work. Whistle Stop was an endearing town, and she didn’t want to see it end up like Haggerty—an abandoned ghost town.