Page 79 of Finding Forever

His brows drew together. “The center hasn’t gone over budget.”

“Only because you’ve been paying for things behind the scenes.”

He opened his mouth, but Beth kept going.

“The figures aren’t an accurate reflection of what this building has cost. When we present the final budget to the council, it won’t have the correct information for the insurances or the asset renewal plan.”

Dave hadn’t considered that. To him, it had been simple. They needed quality products that would last, and he could upgrade the ones that had been ordered.

Beth handed him a folder. “These are the invoices for the products that are different. How much have you spent?”

He gave her the approximate figure.

Beth’s eyes widened. “Dave.”

“It wasn’t all at once.”

“That doesn’t make it less money.”

Dave shrugged. “I can afford it.”

“That isn’t the point.”

He heard the frustration in her voice and felt his own rising to meet it. “Then what is the point? The building needed those things. I had the money. Nobody lost anything.”

“I lost the chance to be part of the decision.”

The words stopped him.

Beth’s expression softened, but she didn’t look away. “You saw a problem and fixed it,” she continued. “That’s what you do. And most of the time, it’s one of the things I admire about you. But I don’t want you solving problems for me without letting me be part of the solution.”

Dave looked at her. This wasn’t really about hinges or faucets. It wasn’t even about money.

He thought about their latest issue. “I told the plumber I’d pay for the sewer line to be repaired.”

Beth closed her eyes.

Dave frowned. “You’re going to say I shouldn’t have done that.”

She looked at him again. “You can’t pay eighteen thousand dollars because something has gone wrong at the center.”

“Why not?”

“Because it isn’t your responsibility.”

“I can help.”

Beth rubbed her forehead. “If you want to donate eighteen thousand dollars, talk to Natalie. Let her decide whether she’s comfortable accepting your money.”

Dave frowned. “That wastes time.”

“All it takes is a conversation. Natalie already knows about the problem. We’ll work out how to fix it together.”

Dave leaned forward. “What if there isn’t enough money?”

“Then we’ll find another solution.”

“You already have one,” Dave told her. “Me.”