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CHAPTER ONE

CHARITY JONES LOVED a good disaster movie as much as the next person--she would simply prefer the disaster in question not be about her life

The sharp crack of an electrical short, followed by a burning smell, filled the conference room on the third floor of City Hall A thin wisp of s any hope of her PowerPoint presentation going sht perfecting

It was her first day on the job, she thought, breathing deeply to ward off panic The first official hour of her first official day Didn’t she get at least a sixteenth of a break? Son of lanced fro computer to the ten-member board from California University, Fool’s Gold campus, and they did not look happy Part of the reason was that they’d been working with the previous city planner for nearly a year and still hadn’t come up with a contract for the new research facility A contract she was now responsible for bringing to life She would guess the unpleasant burny s in their seats

"Perhaps we should reschedule thehair and glasses "When you’recomputer "--prepared"

Charity smiled war She was prepared She’d been on the job all of--she glanced at the clock on the wall--eightsince she accepted the position as city planner nearly teeks ago She understood what the university wanted and what the town had to offer She ood at her job

Her boss, the roup and had offered to put off theshe refused to let be a mistake

"We’re all here," she said, still s as confidently as possible "We can do this the old-fashioned way"

She unplugged her computer and took it out into the hall where it would no doubt stink up the rest of the building, but her first priority had to be theShe was deter California University at Fool’s Gold to sign on the bottom line

When she stepped back into the conference room, she walked over to the dry erase board and picked up a thick blue pen from the san, writing the nu points First, the length of the lease" She wrote a number two, "Second, the reversion of i itself And three, the freeway off-ranal" She turned back to the ten well-dressed people watching her "Do you agree?"

They all looked to Mr Berman, who nodded slowly

"Good" Charity had reviewed all the notes on the previous s and talked to the mayor of Fool’s Gold over the weekend What Charity couldn’t figure out hy the negotiating process was taking so long Apparently the previous city planner had wanted to be right more than he wanted the research facility in town But Mayor Marsha Tilson had been very clear when she’d offered Charity the job--bring businesses to Fool’s Gold, and fast

"Here’s what I’ a second coluh all three proble an extra five seconds of left-turn tinal at the top of the off-ramp

The board ain looked at Mr Berood? It was better than good It was a once-in-a-lifeti the university had asked for It was zero calorie broith ice cream

"There’s still one problem," Mr Berman said

"Which is?" she asked

"Four acres on the county line" The voice ca the conference roo alrace that uely faave her a quick smile The flash of teeth, the millisecond of attention, nearly knocked her into the wall Who was this guy?

"Bernie," the stranger said, turning the roup leader "I heard you were in town You didn’t call me for dinner"

Mr Berht you’d be busy with your latest conquest"

Blond guy shrugged modestly "I always have tireeted everyone else at the table, shook a few hands, winked at the old lady at the end, then turned back to Charity

"Sorry to interrupt I’m sure under normal circu a sweat But the reason we don’t have a deal isn’t the lease reversion or the traffic light" He moved close and took the pen from her hand "It’s the four acres the university has been offered by a very wealthy alu and they’re willing to pay for that privilege"

He flashed another s to explain why that’s a bad idea"

And then he started talking She had no idea who he was and probably should have told him to leave, but she couldn’t seem to move or speak It was as if he projected some space-alien force field that kept her i into their hazel-green depths Or his sun-bleached lashes It ht have been the way he moved or the heat she felt every time he walked by her Or as when her computer had sparked, flairl encounter as much as the next woman, she’d never beena professional

She knew the type, though Had seen the power of the havoc they brought with them everywhere they went Self-preservation stated she should stay far, far away And she would…just as soon as thewas over

She squared her shoulders, deter Then her ift of prime real estate would be hard for any university to refuse No wonder Mr Berman hadn’t been interested in her solution It didn’t address the proble about is iuy concluded "Which is why the city’s offer is the best one on the table"

Charity forced her attention to Mr Berood points, Josh"