Page 4 of Finding Home

Some of Dave’s skepticism seemed to disappear. “I’ll get you that list tomorrow. And for what it’s worth, that’s exactly what people want to hear.”

After Dave and Noah headed off to inspect the far side of the site, Cole stayed where he was, looking out over the lake.

Tonight’s meeting mattered. If the town accepted the project, things could move forward. If not, opposition would harden. He’d stood in front of communities before, answered concerns, sold a vision. But this time felt different.

This time, he wasn’t just asking people to believe in a project. He was asking to belong. He would be building something that would outlast everyone at the meeting, and it needed to be special.

His phone buzzed again with the meeting reminder. Seven o’clock at the church. Noah had suggested they arrive early for the potluck and work the room before the formal presentation.

Win hearts first. The votes will follow.

Cole hoped he was right. Because if the town rejected the project, he wasn’t sure what came next. At sixty-four, with his doctor’s warnings in the background and exhaustion settled deep in his bones, he felt time pressing closer than it ever had before.

This had to work. Not for the money. Not for the prestige. But for something he’d never quite let himself want.

A place to call home.

Chapter 3

Julie pushed through the church meeting room’s double doors, her plastic-wrapped pasta salad growing warm in her hands. She’d nearly talked herself out of coming three times during the drive over.

Taking a deep breath, she looked around the crowded room. Everyone had been talking about the new resort, but she hadn’t expected this many people to show up tonight.

She made her way across the room to the food tables. Beth’s brownies and Maria’s enchilada casserole sat among dozens of delicious-looking sandwiches, desserts, and side dishes. Julie felt a little embarrassed by her pasta salad but found a gap for it anyway.

The easy chatter of people continued around her, making her feel even more out of place.

“Julie! You made it.” Susan appeared at her elbow, carrying a tray of what looked like miniature quiches. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“I wasn’t sure either.” Julie managed a small smile. “But what you said made sense. If I want to learn more about Sapphire Bay and the people who live here, meetings like this are a good start.”

Susan touched Julie’s arm. “I know what it’s like to move to a new town. Even though I had a small group of friends who were already living here, I felt like a fish out of water for a few months. But don’t worry. It’ll get better.”

Julie hoped so. It had been harder than she thought to fit into small town life.

Susan glanced across the room. “Noah, Cole’s business partner, is already here, so Cole shouldn’t be too far away. Paul has saved me a seat at the front of the room. If you want to join us, I’m sure everyone will move along a seat.”

“It’s okay,” Julie told her. “I’d like to sit at the back and see what’s happening, but thanks for thinking of me.”

After Susan left, Rachel waved from across the room. She was standing with Laurel and several other women Julie recognized from town. Their body language suggested years of shared history, connections forged over time.

Julie had never been good at that sort of thing. Her career had kept her at arm’s length from neighborhood gatherings or even coffee with friends. Standing here, seeing these women who belonged so completely, she felt the cost of all those choices she’d made.

“Everyone, if I could have your attention!” A man’s voice cut through the chatter. Noah moved toward the front of the room, where a data projector had been set up. The crowd settled into the plastic chairs.

Julie found a seat near the back and said hello to the people on either side of her. A man entered through a side door with a laptop tucked under his arm. The woman beside her whispered to her husband that it was Cole Morrison.

Susan was right. Cole was in his mid-sixties, wearing a well-fitted suit, and moving with the careful posture of someone who’d learned to carry himself well. Lines etched deep around his eyes suggested years of bearing complex decisions, but his expression held an unexpected vulnerability.

When he reached the front of the room, Cole spoke into the microphone. “Thank you all for coming. I know some of you have concerns about the Finley Point project, and I’m here tonight to address those directly.”

He set up his laptop and clicked to the first slide. The resort design filled the screen. Low-slung buildings hugged the landscape rather than dominating it. Native stone and timber blended with Montana’s natural palette, and extensive green space had been prioritized between each structure.

“Our goal is to create something that enhances Sapphire Bay rather than changing it,” Cole continued. Advancing to the site plan, he used a laser pointer to highlight features as he spoke. “We’re maintaining the existing forest buffer, building a wastewater treatment facility that exceeds state requirements, and using renewable energy sources wherever possible.”

A man Julie didn’t recognize raised his hand. “What about the traffic? My hardware store is right on that tight corner.”

Cole clicked to a new slide showing traffic flow diagrams. “We’ve commissioned a traffic study, and we’d like to pay for a traffic signal and road widening program.”