Page 49 of Hideaway Reunion

“I don’t know. I don’t want to get carsick.”

“Fair enough. Try skipping from the first to the last.”

With a wary groan, she did as he asked, gasping immediately.

“Are you sick?”

“No.” She clutched his forearm with one hand. “The forest has moved over time. Grown or spread or whatever.”

“Yes, exactly!” Connor shouted. “Now, your maritime forest is small, but still protected. I’m guessing Indigo Reef meant to argue that the forest is too small and inconsequential.”

“They’re wrong,” Roni grumbled.

“On many levels,” Connor agreed. “Environmentally, legally, and more. Even if Indigo Reef were to honor the forest line and sink the foundation pilings per their original building plans on file, it would be on Hargrave land.”

“How do we use that?” Brayden asked. “How would it be enforced? I looked at those images and I don’t get it.” Granted, he’d been distracted by Roni’s distress at the time.

“I’ve got you covered, man,” Connor said. “Ten years ago, severe tidal erosion washed out a chunk of the cove, but seasonal squalls have slowly deposited that sand back onto the Hargrave side. The forest shifted with it, though that’s hard to tell when you’re on the ground.”

“The trees are just the trees,” Roni said, thoughtfully. “And it’s not like we can do any thinning if we wanted to.”

“One of these days, I want to see that beach for myself,” Connor said. “My wife and I visited the Inn a while back and we love Brookwell, but you’ve got something special.”

“We’d be happy to host you and your wife,” Roni said.

Brayden chuckled. “That’s why you’ve been so intent on this case. You want to treat Sonya to a private vacation.”

“Maybe,” Connor allowed. “You know I’m always invested in my work.”

“I do know that. It’s one of the many reasons I’m happy when you’ve got my back,” Brayden said.

“To summarize,” Connor got back to the main issue, “Over the past thirty years, the forest had grown and spread into the accepted boundaries of both properties, but the physical average high-water line has shifted exactly thirty-two feet in your favor.”

Roni didn’t shout or swear or celebrate. In fact, she went way too still. Brayden reached across to rub her shoulder. “Do I need to pull over?”

“No,” she rasped, waving him on. “We need to get to the bank.”

“You can take your time,” Connor said. “This should feel like a huge weight off your shoulders.”

“If Indigo Reef honors it,” she murmured.

“They’ll have to,” Brayden said.

“They will,” Connor agreed. “And not just because you can present the original documents, Veronica. Under state law, due to the federal protections, you and your sisters actually own over thirty feet of the property on the other side of the forest,” Connor revealed triumphantly. “Indigo Reef’s planned condominium footprint isn’t just close to your property line, it is encroaching on six feet of deeded Hargrave land. They’ve been trespassing with their entire building plan this entire time.”

“They built their development strategy on a forged plat map, unaware that the physical earth literally shifted under their feet.”

“Exactly,” Connor cheered.

Roni swiped at her cheeks. “Thank you, Connor. This is incredible news.”

“Gamble will be explaining all of this to your sisters shortly. And a local judge after that to halt any further construction.”

“Fantastic work, Connor,” Brayden said, his shoulders relaxing in relief. He ended the call and turned back to Roni, with a big smile. “After all the bullying tactics and nonsense, they’re done. Really done. You and your sisters will be back in business at the Hideaway in no time.”

She flipped the cover over the tablet and carefully tucked it aside. Then she gave a shout of joy loud enough that it should’ve blown the roof off the truck.

He hollered along with her and when she cranked up the radio for the rest of the drive, he wallowed in the immediate celebration.