“Have you lived in Pleasant Hollow long, Doreen?” I asked when she swung by to refill my coffee. Expressing interest in a potential source, using proper names, was the first step to gaining trust.

“Coming on fifteen years.”

“What would you say are the top five hot spots in town?”

She scrutinized me with wide eyes. “Hot spots? In Pleasant Hollow?” She laughed, her head dipping back to expose her nostrils. “Where are you from…um…what did you say your name was?”

Interest at last. “I didn’t, but it’s Adina. I’m from Manhattan…staying at the B&B.”

Ask me why I’m here. Invite me to a festival. Volunteer to hook me up with the town’s most eligible bachelor. A vision of Finn Adams danced through my mind, and my body flushed with warmth. I gripped my coffee cup expectantly, but instead of follow-up questions, an awkward lull filled the air.

“I’m a journalist here on a story about the fancy new condos going up in town,” I finally said. “The Hollows. Do you have any thoughts on it?” I dipped an onion ring in a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup.

She tipped her head. “What sort of thoughts?”

“Do you think it will affect business in the diner?”

“Hopefully it’ll bring in more! More people, more mouths to feed.”

Hmm. Not what I was expecting. “I read that the developer, Andrew Hanes, plans to add on-site amenities to enable one-stop shopping. Like a coffee shop. Are you worried about the competition?” It wasn’t my job to lead a source toward a particular emotion but to ask the right questions to open a dialogue.

Doreen shrugged.

She wasn’t taking the bait. Was she really this calm about the major changes to Pleasant Hollow, or was she holding back because I was a stranger—a journalist, no less? “Is this your diner?” I asked.

She snorted. “No. I’m just a waitress.”

That’s what I thought. Surely, not everyone in town was this impassive. Talking to business owners was one of the first items on my agenda. They’d have stronger opinions regarding the addition of an upscale condominium complex, since they had more at stake. If it affected their own bottom line, they’d care. Then again, even in the movies, opinions weren’t 100 percent unanimous. There were always one or two people who hoped to be bought out for early retirement or an excuse to move away.

“What’s the nightlife like around here?” It was midafternoon and we were in a diner, which wasn’t the best setting to share gossip. A bar might be better. Alcohol made people blurt out their true emotions.

Doreen laughed again. “Nonexistent. Only place open past nine is Brothers Brewery. I guess it would qualify as a ‘hot spot,’ though.”

“I’ll check it out and report back!” I smiled wide. “Thanks, Doreen!”