“Better isn’t the word I’d use,” he said with a grin, “but I can hear you now.”
“Good. Carrie has found the perfect location, but the asking price is more than I think we’ll be able to afford just starting out. I’m hoping, since you know everyone in town, that you might have an in with the owners. Do you know anything about JW Property Management?”
Based on her enthusiasm and the animation in her voice, Haleigh had found a passion and a purpose in spearheading this project. Which meant Cooper wanted nothing more than to help her in any way he could. Regrettably, she’d found the one situation in which he could be no help at all.
“I know about JW Properties, but I can’t do you any favors there.” He picked up both pairs of bowling shoes and motioned for her to step up in front of him.
“Oh, come on,” she said, giving her best damsel in distress look. “One phone call. An introduction is all we need.”
Dropping the shoes on the counter, Cooper said, “Thanks, Tony. See you next time.”
“Don’t be a stranger, Coop.”
“So?” Haleigh said. “Please help.”
Nodding to several locals on their way to the exit, Cooper said, “I’ll explain once we’re outside.”
Confusion clouded her eyes, but Haleigh held her tongue until they reached the truck. “You’re acting like this property company is run by the mob or something. What am I missing?”
Cooper sighed. If this was the only viable property, then he was about to impart some very bad news.
“JW Property Management is owned by the mayor.”
“Mayor Winkle?”
“JW is Jebediah Winkle. He owns a couple of businesses, and the property company is one of them. The other is an estate auction business he picked up not long ago.”
“Okay.” Haleigh crossed her arms. “So as a fellow business owner, you must be friends.”
“Not in the least.” Cooper opened her door. “In fact, we don’t like each other at all.”
Haleigh allowed him to lift her onto the seat, then stared down in surprise. “That’s crazy. Everyone loves you.”
She made him sound like the town puppy. “Flattering, but no. In fact, Jebediah and I had a run-in earlier this evening at the Ruby meeting.”
“The mayor is on the committee?”
Cooper nodded. “He is, but all he does is throw interference at anything that isn’t his idea. He and I have butted heads for years, so when I agreed to plan the car rally fundraiser, he became the number one opponent of the event.”
“What’s wrong with a car rally? Not that I know what that is, but still.”
“Hold on,” Cooper said with a chuckle. “I’ll explain in a second.”
Closing her door, he crossed around the front of the truck and climbed in. Who might be able to help Haleigh deal with the mayor? No one came to mind.
As soon as he buckled his seat belt, she said, “So what exactly is a car rally fundraiser? And I’m sorry I snapped your head off the first time you mentioned it.”
Her reference to the night they’d danced at Brubaker’s reminded him how far they’d come in the last two weeks.
“You’d had a rough night, so don’t worry about it,” he said, running his fingers through a curl sitting across her shoulder. “The rally is pretty simple. A bunch of owners bring their classic cars to show off and talk shop with other enthusiasts. And those who wish they owned a classic car come to check out their dream machines. In some cases, they can even buy one. If all goes to plan, lots of folks come out, the theater raises a good chunk of change, and local businesses like hotels and restaurants benefit from the out-of-towners.”
She twisted in her seat, sliding her fingers through his. “And how much does one of these dream machines cost?”
“That depends on the car. My ’56 Ford pickup should pull about twenty grand, but others can go upwards of fifty thousand.”
Haleigh’s jaw landed in her lap. “Are you shittin’ me?”
Cooper loved that her accent thickened the more she relaxed. “No, ma’am. I’ve seen some go for millions. Mostly Ferraris.”
“I’m in the wrong business,” she said with a whistle. “Wait. Did you say you have a truck worth twenty thousand dollars?”
“Yep,” he said with pride. “I restored her over the winter so I could put her up for sale at the first rally.”
With real interest, she said, “Can I see it?”
He hadn’t planned anything beyond the bowling, assuming that’s where the date would end, but he’d take any reason to keep her with him. That she actually wanted to see one of his cars was the second-best reason he could think of.