Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Think he had to deal with some school thing for Colt,” Dexter says.
My phone lights up with another message from Salem to let me know she’s halfway here.
“Who’s that? Someone special?” Dexter asks, nodding at the phone. “Have you finally met a girl who doesn’t want to stab you with a pen after two days?”
“I meet a lot of girls, Dex. The benefits of not being strapped down with that prison badge.” I nod at the wedding band on his hand, inwardly laughing at what a lying asshole I am.
I’m a father now, and by some insane twist of fate, I want to be strapped down more.
“Maybe so, you prick, but most of them don’t make you look at your phone like that.”
“Like what?” I shrug, feigning ignorance as my face heats.
“That smile. Trust me, I know the one.”
Of course he does, the smarmy bastard.
“Junie pregnant yet?” I ask to deflect attention.
“We’re not trying. I told you. Not yet.”
“You’re letting Mom down. She wants that second grandkid bad.”
He snorts. “You’d better give her one, then.”
My shit-eating grin disappears, and I say nothing. If only he knew how close to the truth he is.
Then the door flies open and Archer arrives in a boiling fury.
“Fucking. Traffic,” he spits. “It’s bad enough that Colt brought live fireworks to school and the principal called me in.”
“Oh, shit. Don’t tell me they suspended him?” I chuckle.
“No, thank God. He’s a good kid, so they let him off with a warning. He’s just oblivious. He thought he’d pull the gunpowder out of it for a rocket without talking to his science teacher first.”
“Collllt.” I shake my head, trying not to laugh. This kid will either wind up as a crazy artist or a mad scientist. I can’t guess which but it’s sure to be interesting.
Flashes of my own future punch me in the face then. Everything a dad has to deal with the older their kid gets.
I’m so fucking unprepared it’s laughable.
“Anyway, we’re just waiting on Salem now,” I say.
“Oh?” Dexter raises his eyebrows at Archer. “I didn’t know we were expecting Miss Hopper.”
“You don’t know everything, Dex. She’s done a lot of research.” I lean back in my chair, enjoying the feel of weightlessness. There’s a certain balance you can find if you really try and it’s always been oddly relaxing.
“Wait, you’ve had her working on this and The Cardinal?” Archer spits. “You’d better not be burning her out.”
“You’ll see when she gets here,” I throw back.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long.
Salem knocks cheerfully and walks in a minute or two later, her tan coat neatly tied around her waist and her hair pinned perfectly in place. I’m betting she stopped off in the bathroom to make sure she looked extra presentable instead of running right in.
That’s professionalism. A few extra seconds spent on optics can make all the difference, and she knows it.
But all the professionalism in the world can’t stop the fact that I know what she looks like under those clothes.
She narrows her eyes at me like she can read my filthy mind.
“Sorry I’m late, Patton,” she says, taking a seat. “Hi, guys.”
“Let’s get started,” I say. “I want to express a few concerns about the Minnesota properties. Salem?”
“So I looked into the properties we have our eyes on. Evelyn’s financials finally came back,” she says, passing out papers with her printed notes. “One has a hefty credit line out on it. I commissioned some photos from the inspection, which you can see here.”
Dexter peers at the photos and his face turns white. “What the hell? She said they were fixer-uppers, yeah, but this looks decrepit.”
“Practically derelict,” Archer agrees.
Dex throws the photos back on the table. “Christ. She suggested we’d need a few updates, not a complete overhaul.”
“The renovations will be more extensive than Evelyn suggested,” I say. “And it might be a full year or two before they’re ready to be anything other than a money pit.”
“So, what? You’re on board with backing out?” Archer asks gruffly.
“Not so fast, I’m just talking facts.” Although I’m torn over whether these properties are truly worth it. “There’s something else, too. Mom mentioned that she gets the sense Evelyn is under some kind of stress—money trouble, probably.”
“Shit. Not surprising if she’s got these beasts pulling her down,” Dexter grumbles. He looks at me and I know he’s already figured out what Mom suggested. “She offered to help her, didn’t she?”
“I told her no. This is purely business and she can’t get in the middle of it.”
Archer leans back thoughtfully, his eyes dark.
“Aw, hell. Normally, I wouldn’t suggest mixing business and friendship, but… it’s Evelyn.” He sighs and rakes a hand through his hair—a familiar tell that he’s about to make a concession. “Maybe we should consider giving her those upfront payments. The land alone is appreciating rapidly, even if the cabins will need some serious money.”