“You okay?”
“We’re fine. Conversation got a bit heavy. Our dad’s being a pain in the ass.” Chris kissed Everly’s cheek and took her hand. She gave him a shy smile but even from where he sat, Wes could see her gaze was full of love and trust. Of course Chris would want her taken care of. Grace as well. Maybe his brothers weren’t all wrong.
“I hate lawyers. I hope we don’t need one,” Tara said.
Grace murmured something to Noah, who looked at Tara. “How’d it go with the landlord? That guy has an army of suits around him. It’s impossible to have a face-to-face conversation with him.”
Tara nearly snarled. It was strange given her typically even temperament. “I was face-to-face with him and didn’t enjoy it.”
Wes looked at Hailey, who was playing with the stitching on the hem of her shirt. “What am I missing here? Is this about the merchants’ meeting?”
Tara gave Wes a strange look. “Yes. Our rent went up twenty-five percent.”
“What?” Wes sat up straight. “That’s outrageous.”
“Isn’t that illegal?” Everly asked.
Noah shook his head, his forehead creasing with his deep frown. “No. Not for commercial real estate. He’s up to something.”
“What do you mean?” Tara leaned in but Hailey still hadn’t said a word.
“We want to purchase some property in the square so I’ve been researching it. Your bank of shops is owned by the same person. It’s the most profitable strip on the square. If he’s raising your rent that much, he’s making a power play. He either wants the renters out so he can do something different or he’s in trouble and needs an influx of cash.”
Wes opened his computer again. “Who is this guy?” He didn’t want to be stuck on the fact that Hailey hadn’t said a word to him.
Fiona joined them, iced tea in hand. “What guy?”
“The rent-raising bastard,” Tara said.
Looking at Hailey, she smiled. “Good. You told him.”
Wes stopped typing, looked at Hailey. “No. She didn’t. Tara did.”
Hailey gave him a sassy look. “What? I don’t report to you, mister.”
“Now isn’t the time to be funny. You just took on Leo. Are you even okay with the increase?”
Her amusement fled, her lips flattening even as heat lit her gaze. “I’m perfectly okay handling my own business. I’m working with the merchants just like Tara. We talked about this, Mr. Fix It.”
She stood up to move past him, brushing her legs against his knees.
Fiona sat down next to Tara. “She’s a bit touchy about her independence.”
“‘Stubborn’ is a better word,” Wes said, hurt that Hailey hadn’t told him.
Fiona sighed. “You guys should know better than anyone what it’s like to step away from all the support beams and stand on your own.”
She wasn’t wrong but that didn’t douse the fire inside of him, the need to do what he could. Maybe he understood his brothers’ earlier stance better than he thought. What would he give to protect Hailey? And she was only his friend. He looked at Tara. “What’s his name?”
“Logan Vanderben. Owns that row of shops and three high-rises downtown,” Noah said.
Wes typed in the name. He could be inside the guy’s hard drive if he wanted to be but stuck to a regular Google search. Vanderben looked like a pompous ass. He reminded Wes of a younger version of their father.
“We are planning to contest it, Wes. I think Hailey is trying not to worry.” Tara gave him a tight smile.
“Most food businesses go bust in the first year,” Wes said.
“Thank you for your optimistic outlook, Mary Poppins,” Hailey said from over his shoulder. He looked to where she was leaning on the doorjamb.
“Hailey. That’s not what I meant,” he said. He hated the look of hurt that crossed her expression.
“Yes it is. And you’re right. But that doesn’t mean mine will be one of them.”
“Of course it won’t,” he said, feeling both in the spotlight and like they were in their own bubble.
“Because I’ll work my ass off to make it thrive.” Her tone was strong but her gaze was vulnerable. Soft. Sad. He really hated that.
Closing his computer, he set it aside. “I know you will. You have an incredible work ethic. But there are things we can look into to prevent—”
She held up a hand. “If you want to do something that is in your best interests because you and your brothers were already looking into property there, do that. Do whatever it is you all do. But don’t do it for me. I do not need to be saved by anyone. I’m not in this alone.”