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Cruz and Brian were laughing when Eden opened the door and stepped inside. She breathed in the smells…coffee and baking. It always comforted her, even though she had all the comfort in the world now, with the man she loved and her little business that was doing OK with the girl, Arwyn, whom she’d employed before she’d gone on her trip.
Tomas and Nate had loved New Orleans so much on their stay that they decided to relocate. Eden was happy about that…she could spend a lot more time with the beautiful boy her sister had brought into the world. Tomas had used his six-month sabbatical to find work in the city and he’d been scouting out the best school for Nate to attend. Homeschooling had worked well, but Nate needed new buddies and school would give him the community connection he needed.
To top it off, Eden’s father and her aunt were also talking about moving to Louisiana too, having been convinced by Tomas, Nate, and Eden that they would have a better lifestyle there.
“Edie, thanks for coming,” Cruz said. “I thought you might have been too busy with work and all today, but we’ve got something to tell you.”
“OK…should I be worried?” Eden said, “coming from you two.”
Brian stood up and Cruz moved along the seat to let her sit down, while Brian pulled up a chair for himself.
“Yep,” Cruz said, “you should be very worried.” He put his arm around Eden’s shoulders. She rolled her eyes and when she looked at Brian, he did the same.
Cruz looked over at Brian, who was holding documents in his hand now, having taken them out of the briefcase he’d set back down on the floor.
“Can I get you anything?” the waitress asked Eden.
“Do you serve whisky here?” she asked. The girl laughed and Eden said, “A cappuccino please.” When the waitress walked away, she said to Brian, “What’s this?”
He laid the documents open on the little table that was between him and the lounge chair Eden and Cruz were seated on. She leaned forward and glanced at them. “Have a read,” Brian said.
She picked them up and looked at Cruz before reading them. It was a contract, and it was with her accounting firm, which she’d recently renamed as Big Sky Accounting and Business Consultants. It was a big name for a small business, inspired by the scenes that were etched on her mind as she and Cruz had traveled out of Amarillo, after their problems had been resolved with the help of Beck…and ultimately, and still unknown to her, Brian on the end of a shovel.
“What’s this?” she said.
“You’re the accountant,” Cruz replied.
Eden looked at Brian and said, “So you want me to handle all your financial affairs? Your accounts?”
“I do,” Brian said.
“And who set this up?” she asked, looking from Brian to Cruz.
“Brian and I talked about this back in Amarillo, when he decided to cut his trip short,” Cruz said. Eden looked at Brian, and he nodded in agreement.
Cruz had wanted to tell her long before this meeting. He didn’t like to keep secrets from her, but there was a lot of planning to do before he and Brian told her…and there was still the chance she might not agree.
“It's entirely up to you whether you want to proceed with it or not,” Cruz said. He took a sip of his coffee just as the waitress was setting Eden’s cappuccino down on the table, as Brian shifted the remaining documents aside. Eden set the document she’d been reading down on top of the others and brought the cup up to her mouth.
“Since the disappearance of Jimmy, Brian has taken over his construction business,” Cruz said. “Jimmy previously used the accounting services of Grant & Co.”
Eden was surprised to hear that…her ex-husband’s business.
Cruz grinned and continued. “At my suggestion, Brian has decided to get a new accounting firm to do his books as you have already read… and it is a big account. In fact, I do believe that it is Grant and Co.’s biggest customer.”
“Since you’re an accountant, and Brian seems to like you already, it was suggested that you take over the account and I’m sure that you can manage it with Arwyn. You told me she’s been working out really well.”
“Mmm-hmmm…” Eden wasn’t saying much…just listening and sipping her drink.
“It will mean a lot of money for you,” Cruz said, “and you will have to deal with fewer small clients. You will be able to have more time out, because a lot of it is basic bookkeeping that Arwyn, or maybe even another junior, will be able to do.” Cruz could see Eden was liking what he was saying. The clincher seemed to be when he said, “You’ll get a lot more time to ride around the country with me.”
Eden opened her mouth to speak, but before she did, Cruz said, “There is the added bonus that you will also get a percentage of the profits that Brian’s construction company will generate.”
She looked at Brian, and he told her he was happy with that arrangement. Eden wondered whether he’d been pressured into that part of the contact, but he did seem happy. She guessed that he was getting a whole lot more than he’d ever gotten as a worker for Jimmy, now he owned the business.
“The short story is, if you decide to go ahead with the business arrangement, you will be considerably richer than you already are, and it will give you the time to lead the lifestyle that you choose,” Cruz said.
She finished her coffee…she’d rushed the last of it down, and was ready to say, “Yes,” when he said:
