Free Sweetheart Cottage (Cranberry Bay #1) by Mindy Hardwick Page A

anything at this point. We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel. The elementary school is going to close soon if we can’t get some new families in this town. But we need jobs to attract people. Something we’re a little short on.”
    “Well,” Bryan’s heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t told anyone of his idea. He had wanted to wait until he secured funding before talking about it. But he’d never dream of holding out on his friends. “I think what this town needs is some new fun. We need ways to draw people away from the beach towns and over here for a night or two on their vacations.”
    “I agree.” Mitch said. Ivy set a glass of dark ale on the table, and he took a swig. “We need something for all ages. Fishing and clamming is great, but it doesn’t exactly draw the ladies in. We need something that draws them to Cranberry Bay to stay for at least a night.”
    “Exactly,” Bryan said. He cleared his throat. “I’ve got my eye on a set of riverboats. One is a restaurant, and the other is a casino. It’d be just the thing to encourage people to visit.”
    “But we’re not on tribal lands,” Josh said, frowning. “I didn’t think gambling could be on land that wasn’t tribal.”
    “Some types of gambling are okay. The state calls it social gambling.” Bryan leaned back in the booth. “I’ve done some research. We can have gambling boats outside of tribal lands. People gamble and win money, but the house can’t take a cut of what people make on their winnings.”
    “But how does the gambling make money for the town?” Mitch said, frowning again. “The riverboats won’t do us any good if they’re not making money.”
    “There is a charge for the entrance to the riverboat. We also charge for food and drink, and we offer things like Ladies Nights Out and Poker Nights, where the alcohol flows. All of which require a small cover charge.” Bryan straightened and leaned forward. “The best part is the food and drinks require a chef and kitchen staff, as well as waitresses and hostesses. Everything adds up to jobs for Cranberry Bay. People will need somewhere to spend the night afterward. This increases the need for lodging and other businesses along the Main Street. Some of those buildings have been empty for years.”
    “What kind of gambling games do people play on the boat?” Cole said, eyeing him with interest.
    “The basics. Roulette. Craps. Blackjack.”
    “Sounds great to me,” Josh said. “Attracting new people to town would help with the train, too. We could offer more runs if people wanted them.” He lowered his voice. “We’ve got a big repair coming up on one of the engines. We’ll have to do a fund-raiser for it.”
    “Fund-raisers.” Mitch snapped his fingers “I bet we could host a lot of fund-raisers on the riverboats.”
    “Fund-raisers are great,” Bryan said. “But the prizes need to be non-cash, which shouldn’t be a problem. Everyone loves those baskets loaded with goodies for things like Italian dinners and family game nights.” He had won a big chocolate basket during the volunteer firefighters’ annual dinner. A lot of the chocolate had landed in Lauren’s holiday stocking that year.
    “A fancy dinner would be something people could get behind,” Mitch said. “My wife was just saying she wished there were more opportunities to get dressed up.” He smiled. “I can’t say I blame her. I kinda like it myself.”
    Bryan grinned at Mitch. He’d married his high school sweetheart, and the two of them had been on their honeymoon ever since. They’d been the envy of all their friends, none of whom had found the right partner yet. “So, you think it’s a good idea?” A flicker of hope rose in Bryan’s chest. “I’ll need to propose it to the council and get their approval. It would help if I had you on board first.”
    “You’ve got my vote.” Cole nodded. “I think it’s a great idea. Wish I thought of it myself to tell you the