Page 95 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

She parked a hand on her hip. “Are you mocking me?”

“I would never.” I grinned and adjusted the ice pack on my hand. “What are we having with the salmon?”

She narrowed her eyes and then went to the cupboard to grab a few plates. “A tossed salad and rice.” She turned and smiled. “Just in case you were wondering, the salmon came in its own baking pan and was already seasoned, so all I had to do was cook it.”

I offered her a crooked smile. “So, I don’t have to worry about dying tonight?”

She pulled the oven open and pulled the pan out. “From the food, no. But if you keep making fun of my cooking, there is a good chance you won’t see the light of day tomorrow.”

Harlow and I sat and ate in silence. The fish wasn’t that bad. The edges were a little crispy, but I ate every last bite.

“So, what did Molly have to say about the permits?” I asked, leaning back in my chair to give her my full attention.

Her smile was wide. “She spoke with my mom’s attorney, who is the trustee of my estate. He has the responsibility to make sure the assets in the trust are properly cared for. He’s applying for new permits under the name of the trust.”

I took a sip of my water. “I don’t know much about the law, but that seems like a solid argument.”

She was playing with her fork when she looked up at me. “I also did something else today.”

“What’s that?”

“I picked up Marty, and we went to look at a few parcels of land. I wanted to see what was out there, so I could start working on some figures for my business plan.”

I paused, setting my fork down slowly. “You did?”

“Don’t act so surprised.”

I could sense the excitement in her tone. I knew she was thinking about it, but I had no idea she was looking at property.

“Did you find anything?”

“Kind of.” She nodded slowly. “Marty convinced me to consider some land over on Pottery Road. He knew of someone who was selling a few acres.”

“The Smiths?” I asked.

Chris and John Smith owned a detailing garage. The land was flat but had a beautiful view of the hills visible from the main road. There was enough space to build an office, parking lot, and a greenhouse.

“Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Marty convinced them to give me a good deal. I was hoping you would help me build something.”

I leaned back in my chair. “I would be happy to. That land will be perfect for what you need it for. It’s peaceful, quiet, and there is enough room for you to do what you need to do.”

She was beaming. “I thought the same thing. It’s a little over five acres, so there is plenty of room to grow.”

I smiled. “Your eyes light up when you’re talking about it. I like seeing you like this.”

“Thank you, but I’m still afraid people will think I’m crazy.”

“I told you before, you’re not crazy. You’re starting something from scratch. Something totally different than what you’re used to. That takes a lot of courage.”

She played with her fork. “It feels right. Like it’s a blank slate and a fresh start. I just need to figure out the financials of it all.”

I reached for her hand across the table. “I think you can handle whatever is thrown your way. You won’t have any trouble figuring the rest out.”

At first, I thought she would cry, but then she laughed and squeezed my hand. “I needed to hear that. Now, I’m ready to admit that I overcooked the fish.”

I stood and walked my plate over to the sink. I rinsed it off, watching her out of the corner of my eye. “It wasn’t bad, but you’re going to have to feed me better than that if you want me to build you an office building.”

“I’ll work on my cooking skills.”

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