Needs A Little TLC (Spinning Hills Romance 2) by Inés Saint Page B

out, Cass. Right now, they’re trying to get our chamber of commerce to attract a major sandwich chain and a major coffee shop chain. They’d take business away from our local ones, and we’ve always been about incubating small, independent businesses, even if some fail and we end up with a few more vacancies than other towns.”
    Cassie was quiet and he looked down to see her studying him. “I think that’s the longest speech I’ve ever heard from you, Samuel Amador.”
    “Yeah, well, I think it’s important,” he said, gazing down at her again, taking in her lopsided smile, stamping it in his memory. It hinted at understanding and amusement. Somehow, he knew she’d try to reason with him, like everyone else who thought him unreasonable, but it didn’t matter. The understanding mattered.
    “I think it’s important, too, Sam, but you can’t keep everyone like that out. That’s not the way it works and we both know you know it.” She shook her head at him, her smile in place, and turned to stare out the front window. Her foot began to tap. Her smile disappeared into a thoughtful pout. Moments later, she shot up and began to pace. “ But . . . if we emphasize the things about the town that everyone who lives here loves, it may just attract the kind of people who’ll want to preserve its current charm and character.”
    She stopped in front of him, her eyes unfocused and faraway. “If every Realtor in town with listings or clients who are looking at houses here works together, we could do something like an open town instead of an open house.” She looked at him then, her expression bright. “That’s it! We can call it an Open Town. We can plan a tour that highlights the town’s gypsy history, shows off its haunted houses and their stories. Businesses can set out samples or offer discounts for the day. We’ll be able to share everything that makes the town special, like the things that you just said about working together. It should turn away people who are looking for the latest trend and attract those who are looking for something more authentic. Right now, there are over twenty houses on the market . . . we can do this.”
    Sam’s heart began to thump faster and the weight on his shoulders lifted, ever so slightly. It was a good idea . . . in fact, it was pretty great. “When?”
    “I’ll work on a plan this weekend. If I can get enough people on board early next week, we can do this two weeks from this Sunday.”
    “Two weeks?” He looked down at her. The houses were almost ready, but he could see it now. Two weeks spelled whirlwind planning and loose ends. “It’s a great idea, Cass, but you’re plowing into it again. A month is doable. Two weeks is madness.”
    “ Again? ” She gritted her teeth. “We agreed. You don’t know me anymore. I calm down now. I think,” she said, looking anything but calm and thoughtful. But she surprised him by clearing the glare from her face, blowing out a breath, and saying, “Three weeks. It’s totally doable.”
    Sam nodded, slowly, as his mind ran through possible scenarios. It was doable. “Sounds good . . . but I’ll need you to start showing properties right away.”
    “Of course. I’m planning on holding open houses next Sunday. I won’t be able to be here the entire time, though.” She looked down at her watch. “Now, let’s get started. I have two open houses, four showings, and two closings this weekend in Cincinnati, but starting Monday I’ll look at every listing in town and talk to the other Realtors while I run around downtown getting businesses excited and on board. If most of them agree and we work together like you say, three weeks is doable.”
    Sam shook his head. She made it sound as if she had zero life outside her business. “How can you do more than two open houses?”
    “I have a trusted network of part-time Realtors I hire, and I run around making sure everything’s running along the way it’s supposed to.”
    The