Falling For You (Honey Leaf Lodge #1)

Chapter Twenty

Violet

I sat at the kitchen table in the lodge, staring at the shiny, wooden surface. Our family had spent so many meals together hammering out life’s problems here.

My heart continued to race from my conversation with Owen. The words he had said to me repeated in my head—how his partners were closing the deal on the land next door tomorrow, how they had offered Vern twenty percent more than anything my parents could afford, and how he knew it would ruin us.

The betrayal cut deep, sharper than anything I had felt in my life.

I thought Owen cared about me. I thought what we had was real and the beginning of something meaningful.

But now, it felt like it had all been a distraction.

A way to keep me from seeing the truth.

My brother Liam leaned against the counter, his arms crossed in a stance of disbelief and anger. “I can’t believe this. I mean, I knew Owen was in business, but I didn’t think he’d pull something like this. He had sent us drinks at the Hungry Buck for crying out loud. It was probably just to distract us. You don’t do that around here.” His head shook in a mixture of disbelief and anger, and I couldn’t do anything but agree.

Everything Owen had done since arriving felt suspect.

“And offering Vern that much more? Behind our backs? It’s low, Violet. Really low,” Beck added.

My younger brother paced back and forth across the kitchen, his jaw clenched tight. He had always been the hotheaded one of us, but his anger was barely contained. “He knew what that land meant to us. He knew our parents were supposed to get first dibs. And Vern—damn him! He promised us he’d let us buy it when the time came. But of course, someone waves enough money in his face, and suddenly, loyalty doesn’t mean anything.”

My heart twisted at Beck’s words. I didn’t want to think the worst of Vern, but the truth was right there. He had made his choice.

And it wasn’t us.

My parents sat quietly at the other end of the table. Their expressions were etched with heartbreak. My mom’s hands were folded tightly in her lap, and my dad’s gaze was fixed on the floor, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Honey Leaf had been our family’s pride and joy for decades. Losing the land next door meant more than just a financial hit—it was a blow to everything we had worked for. Everything that we were trying to preserve hinged on expansion.

Or, at the very least, staying in business.

Our dad finally spoke, his voice heavy. “I’m not saying Vern was right. I’m not. But when someone offers you twenty percent over what you think the land is worth, it’s hard to turn that down. I know we couldn’t have offered him that kind of money. No bank would go for it. And Vern… he’s been struggling for a while now. I can see why he’d take the deal.”

“I get that,” I said, my voice tight. “But it doesn’t make it any easier. He didn’t even tell us he was considering selling. We’ve been his neighbors for years, and this is how he does us? And Owen… Owen just let it happen. He knew the whole time and didn’t say a word.”

“I’ll tell you what I want to do,” Beck growled, slamming his fist into his palm. “I want to meet this Owen face-to-face and give him a piece of my mind. And maybe a little more.”

Liam shot him a warning look. “Beck, let’s not get stupid. Violence isn’t going to fix this.”

“A good knuckle sandwich might make me feel better,” Beck muttered, but he sank into a chair anyway. He glared at the wall as if it had personally offended him, and I knew he didn’t really mean it. He was a soft teddy bear.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Beck’s rage wasn’t helping, but I understood how he felt. Part of me wanted to scream, smash something, and lash out at Owen for betraying me and my family. But another part of me only felt exhausted.

Betrayal was not just a feeling. It was an exhausting, draining experience that weighed heavily on us all.

Fifi sat quietly beside me. Her eyes narrowed as she processed everything. She had always been the most levelheaded one, the calm one. But right now, her face was a storm of fury. “I want to clobber him,” she finally said, her voice tight. “How could he do this, Violet? He was with you. He’s been with us. And this whole time, he was just waiting for the deal to close?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know how he could do it. But he did.”

“Owen needs to answer for this,” Fifi said firmly. “He can’t just walk away from something like this, especially after everything he’s done to you.”

Mom reached over and placed a hand on mine. “I’m sorry, honey. I know how much you liked him.”

My heart clenched, and I fought back the tears.

I had liked him.

No, I had more than liked him. I had let myself fall for him, and now I was paying the price.

The usual story of my dating life.

One big fiasco after another, but this time, it affected my family.

Dad sighed heavily, rubbing his tired eyes. “This is what happens when big banks or private investors roll into small towns like ours. They don’t care about the history, the people, or the promises we make to each other. They care about money. And we just can’t compete with that.”

“We don’t have to compete,” I said suddenly, the words coming out before I even had time to think them through. “We can get revenge. We can fight back.”

Everyone turned to look at me, surprise written on their faces. Beck raised an eyebrow. “Fight back? How, Violet? They’ve already bought the land. What are we going to do?”

“The ink isn’t dry.” I stood up from the table. My hands shook with the adrenaline rushing through me. “I don’t know yet. But I won’t sit here and let them walk all over us. We can rally the town. We can get people on our side. This isn’t just about us. If they build that resort, it’ll change everything. It’ll destroy the town as we know it. Who knows what they have planned to do inside the resort. Boutiques? A bakery? A coffee shop? Who knows?”

Fifi’s eyes lit up with understanding. “You’re right. We could get people behind us. The whole town loves Buttercup Lake the way it is. They won’t want some corporate development ruining the charm of this place.”

Liam nodded slowly, catching on. “If we can show the town what this will do to all of us—not just our lodge, but the small businesses, the local shops—maybe we can stop them.”

Our dad still looked uncertain. “That’s a lot to take on. These investors have resources we can’t even begin to match. They’ve got lawyers, money, and more influence than I care to think about.”

“But we’ve got heart,” I said, determination hardening my voice. “We’ve got people who care about this place. They can’t fight that.”

Beck leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I like where this is going. Rally the troops. Get the whole town up in arms. We’ll make it impossible for them to build anything without a fight.”

Mom gave me a worried look. “Are you sure about this, Violet? This could get messy.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my family’s gazes on me. But I had never been more confident of anything. “I don’t care if it gets messy. They took everything from us—Owen took everything from us. And I’m not going to let them get away with it.”

Silence filled the kitchen momentarily, and Fifi broke it with a soft chuckle. “You know, you’ve got that look in your eye, Violet—the same look when you picked your llama costume. There was no talking you out of it. Pure determination.”

I laughed despite the situation. “Well, this time, it won’t involve llamas. But I think I know where to start.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Where’s that?”

I smiled, a plan starting to form in my mind. “Millie.”

Mom looked confused. “Millie from the Sunshine Breakfast Club?”

“Yep,” I said. The energy buzzed through me. “She’s the one who manipulated me into the auction. If anyone knows how to rally the town, it’s Millie. And she’s got that book club of hers, too. They love getting behind causes. I bet if I tell Millie what’s happening, she’ll be all over it.”

Fifi grinned. “Millie’s book club? Oh, this could be fun.”

Beck let out a low whistle. “You’re not messing around, are you, Violet?”

“Nope,” I said. The determination pulsed through me. “They want to take our land, take our town and turn it into some corporate resort? Fine. But we’re not going down without a fight.”

Our dad still looked uncertain, but there was a spark in his eyes. The same spark I had seen when he talked about everything he wanted to do with the lodge. “Alright, Violet. You do what you think is right. But be careful. These people… they don’t play fair.”

“I know,” I said softly, my resolve firm. “But neither do we.”

After several more minutes of strategizing, I grabbed my phone and pulled up Millie’s number. She answered on the second ring, and her cheerful voice immediately relieved me.

“Violet, honey! What can I do for you?”

I took a deep breath, knowing that there was no turning back once I started. “Millie, I need your help. It’s about the land next to our lodge. Vern sold it to some out-of-town investors who plan to build a resort. We can’t let this happen. I need you and your book club.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I worried I had said too much, too fast. But then Millie’s voice came through, firm and resolute.

“Well, you’ve got my attention. What’s the plan?”

A smile spread across my face. “I thought you’d say that. Let’s get everyone together tonight. We’re going to fight this, Millie. And we’re going to win.”

“When and where?” she asked.

“Abby’s in an hour.”

“Done deal.”

I hung up the phone, feeling more determined than ever. “This is just the beginning. We’re not going down without a fight.”

Beck grinned, slapping the table. “Hell yeah. Let’s give ’em a fight they’ll never forget and send that guy packing to where he belongs.”

The words surprisingly stung on Owen’s behalf, but I pushed away the feelings threatening to derail the fight.

After all, he was the one who did this.

My parents still looked worried, but there was a flicker of hope in their eyes. And that was all I needed. We were going to stop this. We had to. Because this wasn’t just about land or money. It was about our home.

Our family.

Our future.

And I wasn’t going to let anyone take that from us.

Especially by a man who played with my heart.