Free A Moment To Love by Jennifer Faye Page A

time to show her his horse and to get her something to drink. “Whoever told you that about Cord was wrong.”
    “Perhaps.” Mrs. Sanchez’s forehead wrinkled as though she carefully considered Alexis’s words. “Perhaps. So you like him?”
    Something told Alexis no matter what she said now, this conversation would be around town in no time. But if she could help Cord, why not do it? It wasn’t like she’d be here much longer.
    “I think he’s a very nice man who enjoys his privacy.”
    “Interesting.” Looking into the woman’s eyes, Alexis could practically see the wheels of her mind spinning. “Very interesting.”
    “It can be easy to misjudge a person. Maybe people should give him another chance.”
    Mrs. Sanchez’s penciled brows rose. “You two must be hitting it off. Hopefully, he won’t hold out on selling you the land. Seems as though this might just be the perfect match.”
    Alexis wasn’t sure how to take her last comment. But the little voice in her head told her to just let it go. This conversation had the potential to go in the completely wrong direction. And the last thing she needed was Mrs. Sanchez playing matchmaker. After all, Alexis might find Cord amazingly attractive, but they were business adversaries. Anything beyond business negotiations was off-limits.
    Anxious to wrap up this conversation, Alexis said, “I just stopped by to let you know that I spoke with the airline, and they should be dropping off my suitcase later today.”
    “Thank goodness they found it. I’ll make sure and put it in your room when it arrives. Can I do anything else for you?”
    She smiled, liking Mrs. Sanchez. The woman was the curious sort, but she had a good heart. “Actually, there is one other thing. Do you know where I can find the mayor?”
    “Why certainly, dear. In fact, why don’t I take you to see Mayor Ortiz?”
    Alexis hadn’t planned to talk to him just yet. She’d intended to make Haggerty her first stop of the day. She was eager to see her very first genuine ghost town. And now that she’d bought the right clothing and necessary supplies with the help of Sam at the Hitchin’ Post, she was ready to go.
    “Thanks, but I know you have work to do here.” Though Alexis didn’t have a clue what that work might consist of since she appeared to be the motel’s only guest. “If you can just point me in the right direction, I’ll find my way.”
    “Nonsense. I could use a mid-morning coffee.”
    Alexis couldn’t think of a tactful way to tell the woman that she didn’t want her overhearing her conversation with the mayor. And since the woman hadn’t volunteered the mayor’s location, Alexis didn’t have much choice but to smile and follow her. As Mrs. Sanchez rounded the counter, Alexis took in her black dress with big fuchsia flowers. The woman was nothing if not flamboyant. She flipped a sign on the door so that it read: Be Back Soon.
    As they walked along the sidewalk, everyone smiled and greeted them. A few times, Mrs. Sanchez stopped to hear a bit of news. Other times, she’d pause to share what she’d learned with others. Texting and instant messaging had nothing over these ladies. They were quite efficient and definitely stayed on top of everything that happened in town.
    “It’s a shame there’s so many empty storefronts,” Alexis said as they walked along Grande Avenue.
    “Whistle Stop wasn’t always like this. When I was a kid, this town was booming. There was a copper mine that kept the town thriving. When it closed up, people started to move away.”
    “That happens a lot with small towns. They lose their main employer and die out.”
    “It’d be great to see it grow again. I just wish Mayor Ortiz hadn’t given up on the town. That man and his cronies that sit on the town council seem to have made peace with just letting Whistle Stop languish a slow death.” Mrs. Sanchez shook as though she’d just had a sudden chill. “It just gives me the willies