Read Online Starting Over (Nugget Romance 4) by Stacy Finz - Free Book Online Page A

Sam seemed surprised that he drove a Prius. “That’s his car?” she said, as if she expected a limousine.
    Tracy snorted. “Boy, you really are new.” She trotted down the porch steps and gave Landon a big hello.
    “Nice place,” he said, staring up at the Lumber Baron.
    “We like it,” Tracy said, and Nate laughed to himself. Not until thirty minutes ago had she ever stepped foot on the property.
    Tracy escorted Landon onto the veranda and introduced him to Nate, skipping over Sam. Undaunted, Sam stepped up and shook Landon’s hand. “Samantha Dunsbury. We talked on the phone.”
    “Hey, Samantha. You were right about the drive. It was insanely awesome.”
    Tracy wedged her way between the two. “Landon, can Sam get you something to drink or eat?”
    “I’ll take a Red Bull, if you’ve got one.”
    “Hon”—Tracy called to Sam as she led Landon away—“why don’t you bring that to the conference room. And mineral waters for Nate and me.”
    The conference room had been the innkeeper’s quarters before Maddy had married Rhys and moved into his farmhouse at the end of McCreedy Road. They decided that turning the suite into a luxurious meeting room, done up in Victorian furnishings and gumwood wainscoting, might snag them extra business, including companies looking to hold small retreats.
    In the room, Tracy had set up a PowerPoint presentation, showcasing the inn’s amenities as well as various local attractions. The three of them made small talk for a while—what’s the weather like in July, you get a lot of bears in summer, blah, blah, blah. As Tracy readied to boot up her laptop, Sam came in with the drinks. Where she’d dug up the Red Bull Nate would never know.
    “These are some nibbles Emily made.” Sam set a platter of cheese puffs, palmiers, and mini quiches on the table. For Landon’s benefit she said, “Emily Mathews is our chef.”
    “Thanks, Samantha,” Tracy said, waiting for her to leave.
    Sam took the hint and backed out of the room. For the next hour Tracy did her shtick. Afterward, she took Landon on a tour of the property and a drive through town to show him the hot spots. Nate had excused himself from that part of the program, confident that Tracy could close the deal on her own. Unfortunately, the pile of work on his desk needed attention.
    On the way to his office, Nate couldn’t find Sam. She’d probably gone to a late lunch or out, doing wedding errands for Emily. Lost in his work, he didn’t hear Tracy and Landon return until Tracy’s high heels clicked past his office on the hardwood floors. From what he could tell, they’d gone into Maddy’s office—probably to sign a contract.
    But ten minutes later, a panicked Tracy popped her head in. “I need help.”
    Nate came around his big pine desk and followed her to the lobby, where Landon peered at the Donner Party picture exhibit Maddy had hung on the wall. Sam was back to sitting behind the front desk.
    Sam pointed to the pictures. “It happened just down the road. Did Tracy show you the memorial?”
    “Dude, there’s a memorial?”
    “There’s a whole Donner state park with a museum, a marked trail where the pioneers got stranded, even one of their cabins. It’s eerie.”
    “Does it have stuff about them eating each other?” Landon asked.
    “It’s all there.” Sam laughed. “Even historical accounts of the cannibalism.”
    “Seriously? I might have to hit that on my way home.”
    “The guests find it fascinating,” she said and went back to something on her smartphone.
    “So what do you think?” Nate asked Landon. “This a good spot for your reunion?”
    Landon bent down to tie his high-top tennis shoe. “The inn’s great. I’m just not sure there’s enough to keep everyone occupied for a week. I guess I was hoping for more points of interest.” He looked over at Sam, who was still messing with her phone. “What are you doing?”
    Sam let out a frustrated noise. “I just got this app