“WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN us into?” Bonnie poured herself and her dad another cup of coffee. He had brought over doughnuts for the two of them to enjoy while they waited for Aaron to show up.
“Hopefully you got us into a profitable business deal.” His optimism was admirable but possibly quite misguided.
“With a Cole, when I am currently blacklisted in the community by his sister. You do know that as soon as Lauren finds out, he will be pressured into cutting us loose. Maybe she already did. Maybe that’s why he isn’t here yet.”
Her father finished chewing his bite of apple fritter. “Lauren will come around. You two have been best friends since you were little girls. She’s always acted entitled, but underneath all her self-absorbed nonsense was someone who always looked out for you.”
Bonnie wasn’t too sure of that. How could someone be a good friend and do what Lauren had done over the last couple weeks? Bonnie had done nothing to deserve being outcast, and there was no one who could prove she did. Mitch had even admitted to his fantasy being one-sided. Of course, his trip to France made it difficult to do much defending of her honor.
“She’s not looking out for me anymore. Now she’s out to destroy me, and she has the power and influence to do it.”
He wiped his hands on his napkin. “No one is going to destroy my girl. You are unbreakable. And she might have money behind her, but you have me and all the other people who love you in this world.”
That list didn’t seem very long at the moment. Anyone who was friends with both Bonnie and Lauren had sided with Lauren, most likely out of fear. Bonnie had her dad and Gordon, at least.
The doorbell rang, and Bonnie could see Aaron standing on the porch from the side window.
She opened the door. “I thought maybe you changed your mind.” Hoped was more like it.
“Nope. More excited about this venture today than I was last night,” he said with that crooked smile of his. Dressed in cargo shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops, he looked like he was ready to go to the beach instead of house hunting.
Bonnie stepped aside to usher him in. Aaron Cole on her front porch would definitely raise some eyebrows, and word would get back to Lauren or their father. As much as she feared what a bad idea this was, her father needed the work.
“I took the liberty of pulling up a few listings for you to review,” she said as she led him back to the kitchen.
“Morning, Aaron,” her dad said, lifting his coffee cup in greeting. “Doughnut? I bought enough for everyone.”
“Good morning, Mr. Windsor. I’d love a doughnut.” Aaron took a seat at the kitchen table and lifted the doughnut box lid, perusing his options.
“I thought I made it clear that you’re to call me David.”
“Right. Old habit. Harder to break than I thought.” He took the chocolate long john. “Thank you for the doughnut, David.”
“So, like I said, I pulled a couple listings for you to review.” Bonnie grabbed the listing sheets off the table. “I wasn’t sure how big you wanted to go with your first flip, so I have them sorted into three levels. First would be the houses that need some cosmetic work, maybe a bathroom update. Second would be houses that need a bit more love. Kitchens are outdated, major cosmetic changes are needed, like this one.” She handed him the listing on Mulberry Road. “All the flooring will have to go, and there’s wallpaper in almost every room.”
“What’s level three?” Aaron asked, looking over the listing.
“Total gut. Probably not the place you want to start for your first flip. Much more risk involved.”
Aaron set down the Mulberry listing. “I want to look at those. Why not go big with our first flip? More opportunity for me to learn.”
“More opportunity for you to lose money. You could end up having to put more into it than you can get out,” Bonnie argued.
“Sure, but if we start small, I only learn to do whatever we’re working on. I’d have to flip ten houses to do it all. You and your dad have only agreed to help me with one. Why not buy a house that needs a little bit of everything? If it doesn’t make a profit, at least I will have gained the experience needed to do the next one.”
“The boy’s got a valid point there,” her dad chimed in.
Of course, money was no object for a Cole. To Aaron, this was playtime. A break from his real job. A new worry blossomed in the pit of her stomach. What if after flipping one house, he decided to go back to his job at Cole Industries? She had been the one to agree to only work on one house, but she knew her dad was hoping for consistent work. Where would that leave her dad if Aaron decided flipping houses wasn’t for him? Suddenly, she wasn’t sure which way to push. Something too easy might bore him to death and he’d lose interest. Something too hard could overwhelm him and cause him to throw in the towel as well.
“Come on, Bonnie. I’m up for a challenge, and I’ve got your dad here to guide me through it all. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”
Her father chuckled. “Give the man the level-three listing, Bon Bon. It’s his money and I get paid by the hour, not by the house.”
Aaron smirked up at her. Thick eyelashes framed his brown eyes. “Level three, please.”
With a sigh, Bonnie pulled out the listing on Greenbriar. It was a foreclosure. The bank wasn’t going to negotiate. Not that the price mattered to Aaron. “Can we at least look at a couple of the level-two houses? Maybe my dad will notice there’s more to be done than I did by looking at pictures online.”
Aaron scanned the listing sheet before glancing back up at Bonnie. “We can look at whatever you want to look at, Bon Bon.”
“Please don’t call me that,” she snapped.
“But it’s so cute. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it.”
“I’ve been calling her that since the day she was born,” her dad chimed in. “It is pretty cute, isn’t it?”
“Makes me think about chocolate,” Aaron said, taking a bite of his chocolate long john.
“I love chocolate bonbons,” her dad mused aloud.
“Can you two stop?” Bonnie begged. “Seriously, I thought we were going to be professional.”
Her dad set down his coffee. “You want professional? I can be professional. Right after I drop the kids off at the pool.” He stood up, grabbing the newspaper before heading for the bathroom. Bonnie covered her face with her hands. She should have been used to it by now. The man had been embarrassing her this way her entire life.
Aaron almost did a spit take. “Oh my gosh, I love your father.”
Bonnie sat next to him and broke off a piece of blueberry doughnut. “He has no filter sometimes.”
“My father’s filter is so strong, sometimes we sit in the same room for hours and he doesn’t say a single word. I would much prefer to be around someone like your dad over mine.”
Mr. Cole wasn’t exactly the warm-and-fuzzy type. Bonnie had been over at the Cole house enough to know that. He showed his affection for Lauren by spending his money on her, but she could never tell him her problems or go to him for advice like Bonnie could with her dad. David might have said things that made Bonnie cringe, but her dad was always there to give emotional support whenever she needed him.
“Speaking of your father, how do you plan to keep it from him that you’re working with me and my dad?”
“I figure it will take a little while for the Blue Springs gossip machine to get the word out. Hopefully, we’ll get a lot done before I have to deal with the fallout.”
“And when Lauren tells you that you have to choose between working with me and being her brother, what will you do then?”
Aaron shook his head. “Lauren is going to come to her senses. I know she’s wreaking some havoc on your life, but if you can wait her out just a little bit longer, I know she’ll see the light.”
Bonnie felt the fire in her chest. “Wait her out? Wreaking some havoc? She has destroyed my reputation, got my father fired from the job he’s had since way before we were born and basically made it her life’s mission to run me out of town. Your sister has turned into a hateful beast. I don’t think she can see light. She has been permanently blinded by her misplaced rage.”
With a deep sigh, Aaron placed a hand on top of Bonnie’s. “I didn’t mean to downplay any of the terrible things my sister has done. I know she’s been completely unfair. That’s why I tried to stand up for you. I told her you’re the same old Bonnie she has known her whole life. She has to realize she’s done you wrong, and I believe she will do everything she can to make amends.”
Bonnie pulled her hand out from under him. She wasn’t the same old Bonnie. Not after everything Lauren had put her through. “Maybe I don’t want your sister to make amends.” She pushed her chair back and stood. “Even if Lauren does realize she’s been wrong, I don’t know that I will forgive her. Maybe it’s time Lauren learns she can’t treat people like they’re gum on the bottom of her shoe and then apologize, believing that makes everything all right. It’s not all right. It will never be all right.”
Aaron held his hands up in surrender. “Let’s agree not to talk about Lauren. I think it’s clear we will not see eye to eye when it comes to her.”
“I think that’s a great idea. My concern, however, is that once Lauren puts pressure on you to stop working with me and my dad, what’s going to stop you from giving in to her? You have to realize that the only ones taking the risk here are me and my dad. She isn’t going to come after you—she’s going to work harder to take me down. Period.”
“What do you want from me, Bonnie? You want me to sign something that says I’ll finish this project with you guys or at least pay you whatever if I back out? Is this about money?”
Only a Cole would wonder why someone else was worried about getting paid. They didn’t have a clue what it was like to survive paycheck to paycheck, to live on a budget, to save up to be able to afford something they really wanted.
“Yes, Aaron, this is about money. My dad lost his job. He needs to pay his mortgage the first of the month and his other bills that will still keep coming in even though he doesn’t have an income anymore. My dad needs to have money in the bank so he can buy his prescription heart and blood-pressure medication. If he’s working for you, he won’t be able to look for another job. So, yes. This is about the money.”
AARON TRIED NOT to let his feelings be hurt. He knew what had happened to the Windsors was wrong. He was trying to do right by them, yet he still was greeted with so much mistrust. He took a deep breath.
“I understand you two are in a difficult position. I want to believe that the house we pick today is the first of many that your dad and I flip. I hope to keep your dad busy until he’s ready to retire. I don’t know how to prove that to you other than to do what I say I’m going to do.”
Bonnie crossed her arms across her chest and chewed on her thumbnail. Her green eyes scanned his face as though she thought she could tell he was being honest with her if she looked hard enough.
“I really need you to think about the flak you’re going to get for including me. It’s not going to be easy to go up against your family. You know what a force of nature they can be. I can’t have you be flippant about how you’re going to handle it.”
Aaron knew what they could do. He couldn’t admit they had already interfered. It was embarrassing to say aloud. He wanted to prove to his father that he could handle anything his family threw at him. Lauren could pout and threaten to disown him. She wouldn’t really mean it. He needed to be prepared for his mother to cry and try to lay a guilt trip on him because how could he do this to poor Lauren? His father’s only concern was getting Aaron back on board, back under his thumb. That would be the easiest to resist.
“You’re going to have to trust me, Bonnie. Let’s go look at these properties and buy me a house.”
She still looked skeptical, but Bonnie picked up the listings on the table and began sorting them in order from closest to farthest. She found her phone and called the listing agent on the first house.
“Hello, this is Bonnie Windsor from Blue Springs Realty. I have a client interested in looking at your property on Willow Road.” She paused to listen. “Yes, Bonnie Windsor,” she repeated, looking over at Aaron. “They put me on hold.”
Aaron leaned against her kitchen counter, waiting with her for the person on the other end of the line to come back. “Do they play Muzak? Or is it an annoying advertisement? I hate when you get put on hold and have to listen to a commercial for the place that has so annoyingly put you on hold.”
Bonnie flashed him a smile. Finally, something other than that scowl on her face. He felt a twitch in his chest. She had such a beautiful smile.
“Yes, this is Bonnie Windsor from Blue Springs Realty. Oh, from the pictures online it didn’t look like anyone was living there right now. When is the next open appointment?” The way her forehead scrunched up gave Aaron a sinking feeling. “To whom am I speaking? Well, Harry, I don’t know that I have ever called a Realtor and been told you don’t know when I can see a property. I have a client here, ready to make a cash offer on a house. If we can’t see it, he can’t decide to give your client that money. Now can he?”
“Tell him I have every intention of making an offer on something today,” Aaron whispered.
“You’ll call me? Hello?” She pulled the phone away from her ear. “How exactly is he going to call me back when he didn’t even ask for my number? Those homeowners need a new Realtor. That guy was terrible.”
“I’m not a big fan of that neighborhood, and that was a level-two house anyway. Call on the level-three house.” Aaron wanted something he could take from rags to riches.
“Well, luckily, I actually know the person selling the house on Greenbriar. I’ll call him on our way over there. It’s definitely abandoned.”
David rejoined them in the kitchen with his newspaper tucked under his arm. “I feel like a new man. Where are we going first?”
“To the house that’s a handyman’s dream,” Aaron replied, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. “I’ll drive.”
As soon as they were buckled in, Bonnie made her phone call from the back seat. Aaron slipped on his sunglasses. Blue Springs should have been named Blue Skies, given the disproportionally high number of sunny days its residents enjoyed. It was a beautiful town in Northern California, just south and west of some of the most gorgeous national parks the state had to offer. It was the perfect location, which was why he wanted to fix up houses in this area.
“Brad, it’s Bonnie Windsor. I have a client who wants to see your house on Greenbriar.” She paused. “What? It’s a foreclosure, Brad. Why in the world would you need to talk to the bank about a showing?”
Aaron made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror. Her face flushed red.
“This is about Lauren Cole, isn’t it? You know it’s unethical for you to prevent a showing that could result in a sale for your client. What? You’re telling me that the bank told you they wouldn’t sell to anyone being represented by me? Are you serious?”
Aaron shouldn’t have been surprised that Lauren’s influence had been so far-reaching, but this was ridiculous. “Hang up,” he said and kept driving until he turned on Greenbriar. He had to figure out a way to make this work, no matter how hard Lauren and his father had worked to ruin Bonnie.
“Give me the number for this Brad guy,” he said. Bonnie rattled off the number, and Aaron prayed his father hadn’t added his name to the no-sell-to list. “Brad? This is Aaron Cole. I am prepared to pay cash for the house on Greenbriar. Can I get in there today?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Cole,” Brad replied, and Aaron sighed with relief. “I can meet you over there in an hour. Does that work for you?”
“I’m actually sitting outside it right now with my Realtor. Can you give us the code to get in?”
“I need to speak with your Realtor to give out that information, Mr. Cole.”
Darn it. Of course he did. “Yeah, hang on one second.” He put Brad on mute. “He needs to talk to my Realtor. David, can you pretend to be Gordon?”
David shrugged. “Why not?”
“Dad, I don’t know if we should do that. It’s unethical.”
“It’s unethical for him to refuse to give you the code,” David was quick to reply. Aaron wasn’t the only one in the car feeling angry about the way people in this town were treating her. “There’s no way Gordon wouldn’t give us his blessing to do this.”
Aaron put David on the phone. “Hi, Brad. Gordon Harrison from Blue Springs Realty. Can I get that code?” He was quiet for a minute and then thanked Brad. Aaron motioned to get the phone back.
“All set?” he asked Brad.
“Yeah, I’m glad you’re dealing with Gordon. A little surprised to hear you’re working with Blue Springs Realty since...you know. Not to mention she called here a couple minutes ago.”
“Right. Well, I’m only working with Mr. Harrison, so no big deal.”
“Yeah, the bank was specific about not selling to Bonnie Windsor, but they didn’t say anything about the company she works for.”
Aaron hated that he couldn’t express how he really felt about this discrimination. His stomach turned at the reality of what his dad and sister were capable of doing. “Which bank am I dealing with here?”
“Golden State Bank. Jeff Caplan is in charge of this property.”
Cole Industries did plenty of business with Golden State Bank. Jeff Caplan had gone to high school with Lauren and Bonnie. His father played golf with Aaron’s father all the time. His mother participated in the planning committee for the Cole library gala every year. Clearly, Jeff had already received a call from someone in his family, but he was about to get another.
Aaron finished up with Brad and found the contact number for the bank. He had to make sure Bonnie could get the commission on this sale while keeping her name from getting back to his father. If not, there was no reason to even look at the house.
“I can’t believe your sister has even gone as far as calling the banks in town.” Bonnie was understandably livid. “Will anyone give clients of mine a loan? Is it even legal for them to refuse services to people because of whom they associate with?”
“Let me handle this,” Aaron assured her. Someone from the bank answered the call, and Aaron got straight to the point. “Aaron Cole for Jeff Caplan, please.”
After a short wait on hold, Jeff picked up. “Aaron! How are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you since that scramble at the club a month ago.”
“Hey, Jeff. It’s been too long.”
“We should get out there again soon. What can I do for you today, though?”
“I’m interested in buying the house that foreclosed on Greenbriar, but I have a question.”
“Awesome,” Jeff said, his fake enthusiasm gross. “Although I can’t imagine what you’d want with that dump.”
“I need to know that I can trust you to be discreet about my business with you if I do make an offer.”
“Of course.”
“Even if Bonnie Windsor was the one who submits the offer to your Realtor.”
“Excuse me?” Jeff’s shock was evident in his tone. “I’m not sure I understand. We were told it was in our best interest to not work with anyone associated with Bonnie if we wanted to keep our business relationship with Cole Industries. Why are you working with her if that’s the message we got?”
“Jeff, you’ve known Bonnie and my sister for a long time, correct?”
“I don’t know, maybe since grade school.”
“Have you ever known Bonnie to be anything but a kind and good-natured person?”
“Bonnie’s always been a real sweetheart. I was shocked to hear that she did what she did. I felt terrible for your sister.”
Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe how easily people would believe a rumor even about someone they had known their entire life. It was incredible that so many of them would quickly choose a side without getting all the facts first. “Bonnie didn’t do anything to my sister. Bonnie is and always has been one of the sweetest people in all of Blue Springs. She is kind and generous. She doesn’t gossip about others or put people down. She has the patience of a saint. She is a good person, Jeff. That is why she is my Realtor, and that is why you should tell Brad that the bank will sell to anyone willing to buy the house.”
“Does your dad know about this?” Jeff asked a bit warily.
“Jeff, I am a twenty-nine-year-old man. I do not have to get my father’s permission to do anything. You are a twenty-seven-year-old man—do you need your father’s or my father’s permission to do your job?”
Jeff was quiet on the other end, and Aaron feared he had blown everything before he had a chance to see the first house Bonnie had found for him.
“I will let Brad know to send me your offer when it comes through.”
Aaron let out a relieved breath. “Thank you, Jeff. Way to man up.” He hung up and pulled back onto the road.
“Thank you for what you said.” Bonnie’s voice was much calmer. “About me.”
“I appreciated that as well,” David said.
Aaron made eye contact with Bonnie in the rearview mirror. She had the most beautiful eyes. They were the softest green and reminded him of spring. “It was the truth. More people need to know the truth.”