“It’s that miserable, stuck-up cow that moved in next door.” Zoey glared at him. “Karen Schiff. The one with that butt-ugly modern McMansion. I was getting the mail today when she pulled in the driveway in that gigantic SUV that looks like something the Secret Service would use.” Zoey splashed wine into the two glasses and shoved one in his direction. She took a long swig from her glass. “I know she thinks this place is an eyesore, but I always figured that was her tough luck. We were here first. But today...” Zoey’s face went stony and her voice hardened. “She told me I needed to clean up the mess around here—she was pointing at Dad’s sculptures and the house and... God knows what. If I didn’t, she’d report me for running a business in a residential area.”

Mike gave her a reassuring smile. “Zoey, your dad has had this repair shop here for decades. She was just trying to intimidate you.”

She searched his face as if trying to gauge his sincerity, which hurt a little. “Are you sure? She said this entire stretch of Hillside Road is zoned for residential use only.”

Mike’s former law partner, Glen Hilton, had been Rob’s attorney when he parceled off the building lots from the original farm. It all happened before Mike had joined the firm. Glen retired five years ago and lived somewhere outside Phoenix these days. But Mike had been the attorney for most of the recent real estate transactions up here, including the Schiff’s purchase of the lot nearest Zoe’s place.

“The lots your dad sold off were zoned residential.” He squinted, visualizing the paperwork from the real estate closings. “And I think this place was, too.” That may have been a mistake on Glen’s part when he separated the properties—he should have included the business on the original parcel. Unless the town wouldn’t let him put that in the deed. “But again, your dad has had his shop here forever, and the Town of Rendezvous Falls has never raised a concern. Have they?”

Zoey hadn’t sat down yet. She just stood there, shifting her weight back and forth, almost pacing in place. “I don’t know, Mike. Not that I know of.” She looked at him, and he could feel her fear from across the table. “Karen sounded so sure of herself. She had this thin, bitchy, mean girl smile like she knew something I didn’t.”

“What did you say to her after she said that?”

“I told her to get the hell off my property.” Her cheeks went pink. “I may have thrown in a few curse words for good measure.”