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“Offer her more.”
“Are you sure you want to do that? When word gets around, and it will in a place like Royal, any other owners of property you’re interested in will simply increase their asking prices accordingly.”
Rafe made a sound of annoyance and Nolan could just imagine the expression on his boss’s face.
“They still owe money on that land, don’t they? Can we get any leverage through their lenders?”
“It’s an avenue I’m looking into now. Rest assured. If we can buy the Courtyard, it will most certainly be yours.”
“There is no ‘if,’ Nolan. I want that land.”
Not for the first time, Nolan started to bite his tongue against the question of why Rafiq was so adamant about his acquisitions around Royal. To hell with it, he decided. He wanted to know and, as Rafe’s agent in all of this, he damn well deserved to know.
“Why, Rafe? What’s so important about that or any other piece of land you’re buying?”
“My reasons are my own. Do not overstep the bounds of our friendship, Nolan. I’ll be in Holloway next weekend. We will meet Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the Holloway Inn.”
It was just like Rafiq to make a demand rather than a suggestion. But Nolan was well used to his boss’s manner.
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. I expect to hear more progress has been made on the situation then.”
With that closing statement, his boss ended the call. Rafiq hadn’t said as much but the implication was clear in his tone. Friendship or no, if Nolan wasn’t happy to continue to act for him, there were plenty of other lawyers who would. He slid his phone back into his pocket and returned to the table.
Raina looked up as Nolan approached.
“Everything okay?” she asked, as he settled back down into his chair. “Was that work?”
“What makes you ask?” he said, evading her question.
“Probably that frown you’ve got right now.”
He forced himself to relax and smile. “Better?”
“Much. Seriously though, is everything okay?”
“Sure, nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow anyway.”
He picked up his dessert menu and briefly scanned the contents without even really seeing them. Rafe’s unwavering determination to purchase the Courtyard and the barren acreage it sat on didn’t sit comfortably with him at all. In fact the whole business was beginning to leave a bad taste in his mouth. Sure, Royal had changed a lot since the tornado. It certainly wasn’t the town he’d grown up in anymore, nor was it the one he’d left seven years ago. But deep down, the values and the lifestyles remained the same. What kind of impact would Rafe’s plan have on all of that?
And what of the traders, like Raina, who’d picked their lives back up after total devastation and who needed the stability and continuity the Courtyard provided? Did Rafe plan to continue to run it as it currently operated, or did he plan to scuttle everything? There were just so many questions buzzing around like angry bees in Nolan’s brain right now. It made it hard to recapture the pleasure he’d felt in Raina’s company only a few minutes ago.
It was clear her trust in him was growing and he appreciated that far more than he’d believed possible. But by acting for Rafe, he was betraying that trust and he didn’t like it.
“What have you decided on?” Raina prompted from the other side of the table.
“What are you having?” he countered.
“It was a tough decision to make,” she said with a short laugh. “But I think I’ll go for the white chocolate cheesecake.”
He closed his menu card and laid it back on the table. “Same for me.”
By unspoken mutual consent, they lingered over their coffees and dessert. Nolan didn’t want to break the fragile spell that had rewoven itself around their evening by drawing things to a close, but when he caught Raina stifling another yawn, he knew it was time to take her home. Despite Rafiq’s interruption, Nolan had thoroughly enjoyed the evening. And he knew without a doubt that he wanted to get to know Raina better.
Their drive back to her house was done in a companionable silence and, once they got there, Nolan walked Raina up the path to her front door. Haloed by the porch light, she looked like a beautiful angel but his thoughts and intentions toward her were anything but angelic.
“Thank you for this evening,” Raina said. “I’d forgotten how much I enjoy adult conversation and company that’s not related to kids or work.”
