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orchard,” Emily explained, and then lowered her gaze. “I admit I was trespassing, though in my defense I tried to get his permission, but he ignored me. There wasn’t a sign stating I would be shot or prosecuted, which he seemed to imply would happen if he saw me again.”
    Dana tried to swallow a gasp.
    “All right, he didn’t actually say he’d shoot me,” Emily clarified, pinching her lips. “It was an unspoken threat. He let it be known I wouldn’t like the consequences if he saw me again.”
    From everything Emily had told me, and from Dana’s experience, the consequences she mentioned sounded like a real possibility.
    “You’ve never seen him before this morning?”
    Emily confirmed it. “Not even once, although I’ve made friends with his dog.”
    “Mrs. Usinger said he’s a guard dog and threatens anyone who steps on the property. I heard him when I was there; he sounded vicious.”
    “Elvis?” Emily asked, sounding surprised. “He might seem scary—I thought he was when I first ran across him—but he’s really the sweetest dog.”
    Dana sighed. “If you like, I could approach him again and see if he’s interested in selling. I don’t know how much good it will do, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
    “Please do.”
    “I’ll do my best,” Dana promised, “but I have to tell you, it doesn’t look promising.”
    Emily cast her eyes down and I could see how discouraged she was feeling. “Unfortunately, nothing has piqued my interest like that house. I keep going back to it.”
    Dana nodded. “Like I said, it won’t hurt to ask, but you do realize the house needs a ton of work?”
    “That doesn’t bother me,” Emily said quickly. “The property is fabulous, and while I admit the house is larger than a single woman would need, I have plans to put those extra bedrooms to good use.”
    “Seeing that you had a run-in with him this morning, I won’t mention your name.”
    “Good idea.”
    There wasn’t any reason why Nick would need to know the interested party was Emily, since he seemed to have taken an instant dislike to her, although it sounded as if he wasn’t the friendly sort to anyone.
    “It would need to be handled subtly,” Dana said. “Give him the proper incentive to sell.”
    “The right offer should do that,” Emily said, scooting forward in her seat, once again showing her eagerness.
    “There’s more—something else Mrs. Usinger told me.” Dana looked from me to Emily and then back again.
    “More?” I asked.
    She hesitated, to the point that I leaned forward myself, wondering what she had to say. “Mrs. Usinger mentioned that Nick and his brother were involved in a terrible car accident a year or so ago, just before her friend passed.”
    “Oh no.”
    “The accident killed Nick’s younger brother. She wasn’t aware of the circumstances, just that the younger of the two died at the scene. From what she understood, Nick was with his brother at the time.”
    “Oh dear.” Emily’s eyes immediately filled with sympathy. “Now I feel terrible.”
    “Why should you?” I asked. “He was a jerk to you.”
    “He was,” she agreed, “but this sort of explains his attitude.”
    “That’s no excuse for speaking to you the way he did.” I wasn’t nearly as forgiving as Emily was.
    “You mentioned the dog.”
    “Elvis. What about him?” Emily asked.
    “Apparently, he belonged to Nick’s brother, the one who died.”
    “A constant reminder,” Emily whispered, and seemed surprised that she’d spoken out loud.
    “Well, one thing we do know,” I said after sipping my lemonade. “We’re dealing with a wounded soul of a man. Now all we need to do is find a way to convince him to sell the house to Emily.”
    Emily surprised me by shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”
    “You don’t want the house?”
    “I’d love it,” she said sadly, “but the timing is wrong.”
    I could hear the disappointment in her voice.
    “Nick Schwartz needs to