I clenched my fists. “You knew I thought you were a local and deliberately played along.”

A combination of shock, anger, and disappointment overcame me, even as I acknowledged I barely knew this guy. I had no right to any of these emotions.

“You met me in the lobby of the B&B,” he said. “If I wasn’t a guest, what did you think I was doing there?”

“I thought you were related to Lorraine, like her nephew or something.” Realizing with each word how utterly ridiculous I sounded, I dropped the volume of my voice to a whisper by the end of the sentence. Still, he heard me. Of course he heard me.

His neck flamed red as he barked. Not laughed—barked. “What would ever give you that idea?”

I opened my mouth to respond, then clamped it shut. What could I say? That I’d hoped he was the hero in my embarrassing meet-cute, a handsome and friendly townie who would partner with me to save his beloved Pleasant Hollow from the threat of gentrification?

Finn was the exact opposite. Rather than being devoted to Pleasant Hollow and willing to protect it at any cost, he was the antagonist in my planned story—the enemy. My body suddenly felt heavy, and my shoulders dropped under the strain of holding them up.

“I’m staying in the B&B temporarily while overseeing this project,” he said finally.

“How long do you think that will be?” In other words, how much time did the town have to march on city hall should they choose to try? Yes, let’s drive attention away from my personal humiliation and get to the matter at hand.

“We’re hoping for spring of next year. I’ll be out of here long before that, though.” His expression softened. “Look, I’m sorry I misled you. I couldn’t resist. But as long as you’re here, sit down.” He gestured to the plastic folding chair I was currently death-gripping for support. “What can I do for you?”

I slid into the chair after only a brief hesitation. I—literally—couldn’t afford to walk out on this interview because of a bruised ego. “Do you have a few minutes to talk about the construction?” To write a fair piece, I had to give both sides an equal opportunity to weigh in. I just needed to squelch my regret that Finn wouldn’t speak on behalf of Pleasant Hollow but rather for the real estate conglomerate who wanted to reinvent it.

“Sure.”

I removed my phone from my purse and placed it on the desk between us. “You mind if I record this conversation?”

His eyes widened. “Wow. You don’t mess around.”

I’d love to mess around with you. Heat seared my cheeks at my one-track mind. I sat up straight, like there was a ruler against my back. “I take my work very seriously.”

“Clearly,” he said, raising a brow.