“Hey, Doc. Sorry. My phone was . . . Well, anyway. Sorry. So what’s going on?”
“No, I’m sorry, kid. Sorry to interrupt your trip. I hope it’s been a good one.”
Cole could hear papers shuffling on the other side of the call, and New York suddenly seemed very loud in a way he’d mostly stopped noticing over the course of the week. He covered his other ear with his finger and closed his eyes to try to filter out everything pulling at him and fighting for his attention.
“It has, thanks. So, seriously, what’s up with this offer?”
“There’s a cash buyer making an offer of twenty percent over valuation.”
His eyes flew open, and he saw Laila watching him carefully. Cole covered the phone and whispered, “Cash offer. Above value.”
His heart pinched as he saw her eyes grow misty, even as she smiled and nodded and even clapped her hands softly in support.
“Who is it, Doc? I mean, I hadn’t even officially decided to sell yet.”
“Well, that’s where it gets interesting. The offer’s coming from that same company that bought Cassidy’s.”
“Great,” he muttered. Nothing like having some stranger step in and make your life their own.
“Look, kid, I know this is quick and not at all how you envisioned this happening. It’s certainly too big a decision to be pressured into. I needed to make you aware, but now I suggest you just enjoy the rest of your trip. When you get back next week, we can sort through—”
“Sebastian mentioned something about some papers you found?”
“Oh.” Doc sighed. “Yeah, that’s been interesting too. Honestly, I don’t fully understand what we’re looking at yet. Some documents that didn’t get signed, I guess. Alpine Ventures is meeting with Bill’s lawyer today, and then I’m supposed to get a call after that. Again, you need to be aware, but I don’t think it’s anything you need to worry about until you get back. Cassidy should be here this afternoon—”
The finger he’d had in his ear to block out background noise dropped like deadweight, and Laila, leaning against a brick wall with her “supportive friend” smile plastered on her face, took note. She stood up straight and took a step toward him.
“My mom? She’s going to be there? In Adelaide Springs?”
Laila’s eyes widened as Doc sighed again. “I assumed she’d told you.”
When was the last time he had seen his mother? They FaceTimed on occasion, whenever she was somewhere that had any sort of internet or phone signal, but he was pretty sure it had been four or five years since he’d seen her in person.
“No. I haven’t talked to her.”
“Well, it’s a long story. Basically, when we were cleaning things out at Spruce House, Jo and I found some notes Bill had made in a notebook. That led to us calling Cassidy with some questions we had, and that led to her getting in touch with Alpine Ventures, who immediately began panicking because this, that, or the other hadn’t been signed or authorized or whichever. I don’t know. Like I said, I should know more later today. And if there are things that affect you, you can deal with them later in the week. Lack of planning or preparation or whatever on their part or Bill’s doesn’t get to constitute an emergency on yours.”
Cole wanted nothing more than to accept that. Few had been the times in his life when Doc Atwater’s advice had led him astray. Truth be told, he couldn’t think of a single time. And if he listened to him now, he could spend a few more days with Laila before everything changed even more than it already had.
But the writing was on the wall. He was going to take this job in Brooklyn, because he would be a fool not to. He was probably going to sell his house in Adelaide Springs, because he needed the money so he didn’t have to live as a permanent resident in the Sudworths’ maid’s quarters. And if there were things he needed to sign and business he needed to take care of, it had to be now. His new life was suddenly scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
“Thanks, Doc, but I know what I need to do.” Cole bit the inside of his cheek and studied Laila for a moment before reaching out and grabbing her hand. “I’ll see you tonight.”