Page 39 of Designing Love
“Promise,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. She smiles softly, walking down the path as Simon opens the door to his car to get in.
“Let’s get this over with. I’ve already wasted half my morning.”
“Poor you,” I mutter dryly, climbing in my truck.
* * *
City hall smells like stale coffee and institutional boredom. Simon trails reluctantly behind me, occasionally sighing loudly to remind everyone of his suffering. We step into the cramped office of Mr. Edwards, the permits clerk, who looks instantly nervous at our arrival.
“Ah, Ethan, finally,” Edwards greets cautiously. “We’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I heard. Simon here delivered your message with all the charm of a grumpy toddler.”
Simon rolls his eyes, collapsing into a chair with a disgusted sigh. “Can we hurry this along? My afternoon’s imploding as we speak.”
Edwards shifts uncomfortably, glancing at the door as if considering an escape route. “Someone has filed an appeal against your purchase. They claim we failed to check for surviving heirs to the Miller estate thoroughly.”
Simon immediately throws up his hands, exasperated. “That’s ridiculous! The Millers have been gone for ages. Everyone knows there are no heirs.”
Edwards clears his throat nervously. “Nonetheless, the city has paused all renovation permits until further investigation.”
“Who filed this?” I ask sharply, irritation rising.
“I can’t say,” Edwards mumbles, avoiding eye contact. “They requested confidentiality.”
Simon groans loudly, tipping his head back. “So now we’re stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Marvelous.”
I turn toward Simon, my voice tightening. “You sure you didn’t miss something, Simon? You did actually check the paperwork?”
“Of course I did. I’ve sold half of this town without problems. Clearly, someone’s messing with you.”
Messing with me? That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t have any enemies.
I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Can we fight it?”
Edwards shifts uneasily. “Only the mayor can override this decision now. I’m sorry, but the earliest we can arrange a meeting is Thursday.”
“Thursday?” Simon gasps as if he’s just received tragic news. “That’s three days of constant phone calls I’ll have to endure from Ethan.”
“You’ll survive. You’re tougher than you look,” I deadpan.
Simon shoots me an offended glare as we leave Edwards’ office. Outside, he crosses his arms, shaking his head bitterly. “If you’d just answered your phone, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I glare right back. “Or if you’d done your job properly, we wouldn’t have a paperwork problem.”
He scowls, turning away. “Whatever. Call me Thursday when you’re ready to drag me into the next bureaucratic nightmare.”
I watch him stomp off toward his office, feeling more helpless than angry. Climbing into my truck, I pull out my phone, hesitating briefly before dialing Sophia.
I decide to go to the art gallery.This isn’t a phone conversation.
I drive up Main Street and park in front of the gallery. I spot Sophia through the window, thoughtfully rearranging a display of brightly colored pottery. The sight of her instantly lifts my spirits.
She looks up, eyes softening as she spots me stepping onto the sidewalk. “So, how bad is it?”
“Pretty bad,” I admit, frustration evident in my voice. “Someone’s challenged ownership. The city froze everything.”
Her brow furrows, concern shadowing her eyes. “Do you know who did it?”
