The one part of this scenario that had been niggling at her surfaced, causing her to frown. “And now I’m a whistleblower.”
“You’re protected by the law,” Noah assured.
Dewey’s eyebrows waggled above his glasses. “You can blow the whistle once Noah and them gets that train going, girlie.” For not the first time, Hailey contemplated whether Dewey was high, dense, or merely pretending a misinterpretation in order to have a bit of fun. Noah shook his head at the man, and Dixie elbowed him … again. “Ouch! Why do you keep poking me with that thing, love blossom?”
Dixie mumbled something about a love tap, and he clucked at her in response.
Noah teased Hailey with an elbow poke of his own. “And speaking of trains, my meeting with the Silver Summit group is back on.”
Word about the tavern’s troubles had reached the owners, and they had postponed the meeting to see how the situation shook out. Hailey was convinced that, out of spite, Ursula had run to them with the news. The day she’d tracked Noah down in the coffee shop, she’d been on the hunt for juicy details—afterspotting the health department’s notice tacked to the front door.
Now that Noah’s permit was about to be reinstated, the meeting would be back on, and Hailey couldn’t be happier for him.
A panting Charlie burst in from the back entrance, making them all flinch. “Dell’s has been red-tagged.”
Dixie perched her hands on her hips and frowned at him. “What’s ‘red-tagged’?”
Charlie’s grin split his face from ear to ear. “A building inspector stopped by and found a shit ton of building code violations, so he slapped a big old notice onredpaper on the front door. Dell’s has to comply with a laundry list of requirements and pass another inspection before he can continue with his reno. And the best part? Since he’s knocked out the wall between the old interior and the new, the whole place is included in that red tag. Nothing’s going to happen in there until the building department feels he’s brought the place up to code and that it’s safe.”
Noah’s eyes lit. “You’re shitting me!”
Charlie shook his head. “Would I shit you about something likethat? No, sir. Keating is in a world of trouble. Love those inspectors!” He threw Hailey a sly wink.
Hailey clapped. “Looks like the timing couldn’t be better for the tavern to reopen!”
Noah updated Charlie on the inspection, and the brothers high-fived and whooped while she, Dixie, and Dewey looked on and laughed. Her heart filled to full capacity.
Later that evening, sheand Noah relaxed together on his couch watching Blizzard hockey while Chance dozed on the floor beside them. Noah stretched out lengthwise, and she rested in between his legs in a shirt and socks, her head lolling on his chest as she balanced a bowl of popcorn on her tummy and tossed kernels into her mouth.
She craned her neck and peered at him. “This game’s got me thinking.”
“Can it wait? I want to watch the boys play.”
“Just hear me out for a sec. Why don’t you leverage your cousin’s celebrity to promote the Miners TavernandSilver Summit?”
He gave her a blank look. “How?”
“He and his friends like the resort, right? Get him on board and present that option to Silver Summit. Only the Miners Tavern has to bepart of the deal, like a cooperative promotion or something. You support one another, and he promotes you both, so it’s a double whammy. I bet if you consult his PR wife, she could come up with all kinds of terrific angles.”
His jaw swung open. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
She buffed her nails in triumph against her chest. “Because you’re still a genius in training, whereasI’vealready made it to the big league.”
He smirked. “Does this mean you’re so far out of my league I can’t kiss you anymore?”
“Oh, I think I can stoop for a kiss or ten.” She rolled to her side, balancing the popcorn, and pressed a hand against his chest. “Before you scramble my brains, I want to get another thought out there.”
Delight danced in his eyes. “I scramble your brains? In a good way?”
“Yes, slugger. Don’t let it go to your head, though. Now here’s what I’m thinking: Why don’t you also cozy up to the other restaurants? People might be more inclined to come to Fall River if they know they have a choice when they get here.”
“Whatother restaurants?”
“Not Dell’s, but there’s the Brothel, the Grand Majestic, Amy’s coffeehouse, and that other cute little bar that’s only open May to October. You could band together. Power in numbers and all that.”
“I like it. I’ll talk to Serena about how to approach Silver Summit, and I’ll set up some meetings with the other restaurant owners in town and gauge their interest.” He picked up a hank of her hair. “I’m starting to feel good about running the bar again.”
Her insides broke out in a happy dance, and she rolled onto her back, nestling against him and returning the popcorn to her belly.
