Page 18 of Love By Sunset

CHAPTER10

Jake watched her drive away,an ache in his gut. In the end, Emily had told him she’d stay, and his relief was far greater than he’d expected. Not given to wondering why, or self-analysis, he simply shrugged it all off and waited to see what happened. For now, he needed to get over to the café.

He arrived about half an hour before Jenny was due to leave. Someone had been in that morning, asking to see him, she said. He was going to come back this afternoon but hadn’t given a name. Otherwise, all was peaceful.

They both dealt with the lunchtime rush, nothing compared to what it was like in the summer months. It was enough to keep the two of them busy, though, and to keep Jake from thinking too much about what Emily had said when she’d thrown his words back at him about casual relationships.

Jenny left, but only after she’d helped with a large part of the clearing up. Jake had just set the dishwasher going and was in the café wiping down the counter when the shop door opened and a man came in with polished shoes and a well-cut suit. For some unknown reason, Jake felt his hackles rise. There was something about the way he was looking round, a slight sneer twisting his lips and a contemptuous glint in his eyes, which annoyed him.

Unsmiling, he paused his clean up and stood waiting, his hands relaxed on the counter. After his detailed scrutiny, the man moved up to the counter and looked Jake up and down with the same contempt. Remaining calm, Jake continued to wait. In his book, people would eventually tell you what they wanted, and with this guy, Jake betted it would be sooner, and he wasn’t wrong.

‘Jake Bradstock?’

Jake nodded, once.

‘My name’s Gerry Hansard.’ Mr Hansard paused, as if waiting for some sort of reaction. When nothing happened, he continued. ‘I represent Approach Developments. Have you heard of us?’

Jake eyed him. Now, what was all this about? ‘I may have.’

‘We’re the company who is going to buy the Solhaven Estate.’

‘Wasn’t aware anyone’s offer had been accepted yet.’

‘Well, ours will be,’ Mr Hansard replied sharply. ‘And as I understand it, you have no legal right to be in this café.’

‘Hold on a minute!’ Jake straightened, topping Mr Hansard by a few inches, showing himself as fitter and stronger. ‘I do have rights. I saw Greenall’s solicitor earlier this week, Robbie Jones. He’s said I have a moral claim to the café, based on usage and goodwill.’

‘If you have any proof,’ shot back Hansard.

‘I’ve utility bills going back years, and tax returns, to prove the place has been in my name for a considerable length of time,’ Jake replied emphatically, increasingly disliking this man with his smart clothes and posh voice.

‘Have you any idea how much it would cost you to take such a claim to court?’ Hansard asked.

This time it was Jake who fell silent. It was the very thing Robbie had warned him about. The cost.

‘Right, I can see you do know. Well, I’ve a proposition for you. We want the estate and we have plans for this patch of land. We don’t want a protracted court case which you’ll probably lose and—’

‘There’s a will,’ Jake interrupted.

‘Where is it, then?’ asked Mr Hansard.

There was another long pause.

‘Exactly! Now, listen, Bradstock. I’m suggesting Approach Developments gives you a very generous fifty thousand pounds for this café. You’d have to sign a document stating that you have handed all your rights, which are very dubious at the best of times, back to the estate. Do you understand? After that, you get out of here, and that’s the last we want to see of you. We’ve plans for this patch of land.’

Jake looked at him consideringly. ‘No.’

‘What? What do you mean,no?’

‘What’s not to understand about the word?’

‘Fifty thousand pounds, Mr Bradstock. It’s a lot of money.’ Hansard said crisply.

‘It’s a pathetic amount of money, as you well know. Now, if you’ve finished,’ Jake lifted the hinged counter and stepped into the body of the café, standing rather too close to Hansard. ‘I’d prefer it if you leftmycafé now.’

‘It’s not your café.’ Mr Hansard retreated from Jake’s forceful presence, sweat breaking out on his upper lip.

‘Then why have you come here offering me a pittance to sign a piece of paper handing it over to you? If you were confident there wasn’t a problem with ownership, you wouldn’t have done this. You must have a reason?’ Jake’s eyes narrowed as he watched the other man. Oh, he really didn’t like him. He didn’t like his fancy clothes and his arrogant attitude. And he certainly didn’t trust him.

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