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 Hmm. Grier rubbed his smooth-shaven chin.  It would hardly be proper for me
to discuss such a matter with you. In fact, unless at least one of the people concerned
presented herself in my office and made that request, I don t believe I could even tell
you if such a paper exists.
 But is that in the& best interests of your client? Alec s voice purred.
Grier shrugged.  And what is in the best interest of yours? That chain just might,
he went on without waiting for an answer,  be very pleased to acquire Serenity Retreat,
especially at the price the bank would ask after foreclosing on the mortgage.
Alec kept his expression neutral.  Financially pleased, do you mean?
 Well&  The man clicked the gold pen open and closed several times.  Neither of
the ladies is really in a position to manage a property like that, are they? It would be in
their best interests to see it taken off their hands. And I feel certain we would both
benefit from such an arrangement.
 I see. Alec leaned forward.  A tidy little profit, perhaps?
Grier smiled.
Alec studied the lawyer for a long thoughtful moment then nodded his head.  I
believe you and I have some talking we can do.
* * * * *
Danni paused after exiting the hospital s glass doors and drew a deep quavering
breath of the cool evening air. God what a hellishly stressful afternoon. They d come so
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close to losing Aunt Zany. The tears, held back through the long hours of waiting and
worrying and praying, filled her eyes and she tried to blink them back.
An unexpected reaction to one of the meds. The doctor who d told her had been
matter-of-fact, almost casual, as if a patient s going into tachycardia and nearly dying
from an administered drug was an everyday event. No big deal.
Except to me. And to Aunt Zany.
At least they d identified the problem at last and stopped the drug. No permanent
damage done, the doctor had assured her almost cheerfully. Except to my nerves.
And now the offending med had been stopped, they might expect to see some
improvement in her aunt s condition. Improvement. She d demanded to know if the
coma had been pharmaceutically induced, but the doctor had denied that emphatically.
Well, she could hardly expect him to have done otherwise.
She d remained until her aunt was out of all danger, then finally dragged herself
from the bedside where they d allowed her to sit once the machines and support
personnel had vacated the ICU room. Now she had to return to the retreat and hear
what if anything Alec had learned.
It was past seven o clock when she at last drove through the gate of& home. She
braked to a halt, stunned. Some part of her had always thought of this place as a second
home, but now? This is where I belong, where I want to be. I m not going to let anyone take
this from us. She wouldn t mortgage her house, she d sell it. She d live here with Aunt
Zany, helping her manage this beautiful old place. As for her job? She hadn t realized
how much she d come to hate it. Oh, it represented stability and security. But what was
life without a little risk? What was life without beauty and a bit of Serenity? Keeping
this place in the black would provide a constant challenge. And maybe she could make
herself useful in some other way. She d always had a secret hankering to study t ai chi
or aromatherapy or conduct guided meditations. She could certainly, she reflected
ruefully, read tarot cards for anyone who might be interested.
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She eased the car forward along the drive and pulled into the parking lot, empty
now of all the workers vehicles. Only the retreat s van remained, along with Alec s car
which sat in its usual spot. They had the place to themselves. Does he have good news or
bad for me? As much as she dreaded what she might hear, she had to find him and ask
what the lawyer had told him. But oh god, I m tired. I just want to eat something and sleep
for days.
Yeah. In your dreams maybe.
The sun wouldn t set for another two or three hours. She ought to see how much
progress the workers the remaining workers, she corrected herself had made in her
absence.
As she climbed out of the car, an odd, uneven pounding reached her, carried on the
faint evening breeze. She looked around, puzzled. None of the contractors remained, of
that she was certain. So who was working and where?
Curious, she followed the sound down the lawn toward the lake. The boathouse?
As she neared, the pounding stopped to be replaced by an eerie creaking. An extension
ladder leaned against the siding, rising about two feet above the overhanging edge of
the pitched roof. She glimpsed the top of a dark familiar head.
She slung the long strap of her purse over her shoulder and around her neck and
mounted the rungs until she could see Alec clearly. He still wore the same clothes as
before, but now he had an old leather tool belt slung around his hips and a crowbar and
sledgehammer lay on the shingles beside the hole he d made. At the moment, he
seemed to be pulling out bent rusty nails.
He looked up from his labors as she sank into a cross-legged sitting position beside
him.  How s your aunt?
 Okay for now. She told him what had happened.
 Hell! he exclaimed when she finished.  My poor honey, what a day you ve had!
 Make it better for me, she begged.  What did you learn from her lawyer?
 That he s the worst kind of scumbag.
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 Oh. Her hopes, never all that strong, faded.  Then he couldn t help us.
 He thought my firm s clients might be willing to pay him a sizable bonus if he
assisted them in buying this place when the bank forecloses. He even offered to share it
with me.
Her chest tightened painfully.  I-I see.
 So then we had a little chat. The corners of his mouth seemed to be struggling
against their current serious expression.  I offered to file criminal charges against him
and in the end he agreed to hand over the power of attorney in your name that your
aunt had signed in case of an emergency.
 The  She broke off.  You mean I have legal authority here? I can pay the bills?
We really can get this place ready to open by Wednesday? Tears once again filled her
eyes, blurring her vision.
He shifted closer so he could pull her against his side.  We re saved, honey.
She sniffed and dashed the moisture away with her fingers.  I can t believe it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]