Page 87 of Wood Riddance
I nodded, at a loss for how to respond.
“I really like her. She’s tall and has a dog and is the boss at her job.”
“That’s true. She is a very cool person.” My cheeks were growing warmer by the second, but I kept my focus on the road. Damn. Hearing Merry say that she liked Adele and wanted me to date her was hitting me square in the chest.
“And that day in the diner. She stood up for us, when people were being judgy and mean. She’s like a superhero, but in real life, and she fixes machines.”
“So that’s why you were trying to convince her to have dinner with us?”
“Yup. I figure if you’re not gonna find a girlfriend on your own, then I’ll have to help you. She’s perfect for you.”
God, this kid. She did not miss a beat. “Sweetie, I love that you want me to be happy. But I can get my own dates, okay?”
“I want to help you. Mom says men can be intimidated by strong women. Which is why I’m not going to date until my thirties.”
I chuckled. Alicia for the win.
“And Miss Adele is prettyandstrong, so I thought I’d help out. Give you a date idea. She’s pretty special, and I wouldn’t want some other guy to ask her out before you.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. “Thanks,” I said softly. “I’ll work on it.”
Chapter28
Finn
“What do you mean?” I asked, stopping on the shoulder to catch my breath. It was late August in Maine, which meant 100 percent humidity. I should have left the weight vest at home, but since I now had a woman to please, I was motivated to step up my fitness game.
Plus, I was headed to her place tonight. We were going to spend the entire weekend together, and I was almost giddy. Having Adele all to myself for forty-eight hours was a literal dream come true. So here I was, ensuring that my stamina was up to the task.
“It means that we can’t sell unless we get this shit figured out.”
I mopped the sweat off my face with my T-shirt and sucked in a deep breath, hoping the hit of oxygen would allow me to focus on what Owen was saying.
“Who is this buyer?” I asked.
“A private equity group. They have a lot of experience in timber, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. It’s the best lead we’ve had so far.”
Private equity and all that entailed was in Owen’s wheelhouse, not mine. If I had to guess, though, these dudes in suits could make a hell of an excel spreadsheet but knew shit about lumber.
“Is that the direction we want to go?” I asked.
“Did Gus get to you too?”
“No,” I snapped. “I haven’t spoken to him in the last couple of days. I’m only asking questions to ensure I understand. To you, the rest of us may seem like we’re idiots, but we really do want to understand so we can make the most informed decisions.” I forced another deep breath into my lungs, this time to calm the anger bubbling up. “Hebert Timber is not what it once was, but a lot of people here count on us for jobs. I want what’s best for Gus and Jude too. They’re still operating at a lower capacity, trying to hang on to the legacy and the tradition.”
“I thought you didn’t give a shit about legacy and tradition.”
“I don’t. I’m only asking questions, and you’re being defensive.”
Selling was the best option. I agreed with him there. But in an ideal world, we’d sell to another family-owned business. The kind of people who would take care of our employees and our land and do it right. Not soulless suits looking to extract every cent of potential profit.
“You know I have a career, right? And a life? I got out of Lovewell for a reason. I’m only wasting my precious time on this shit because of the love I have for my brothers and our family legacy.”
Kicking at stones on the shoulder of the road, I let him rant. Owen had always been the one who was easy to anger. Like Dad, he was smart and ambitious, but there was nothing he hated more than being compared to our father.
Regardless, we needed him. Gus and Jude and I had no idea how to assess the books and determine how to move forward. Cole would be even less help. So we needed Owen.
“I get it. I’m sorry you’ve been dragged back in.”
