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“Thanks.” I’m aware of what’s inside and I don’t want to rouse her curiosity, so I set it aside for a moment, then perch on the edge of her desk. “I need to set up a tenant meeting. I want to start going over what they can expect, and how we’re going to resume rent payments.”
“Any specific day?” She pulls over a notebook to jot down what I’m telling her.
“The Friday after next. Six o’clock.”
“Got it.”
“We’ll need to get some updated information from them when it comes to proof of income, number of tenants, et. cetera. There’s a form in the folder on my desk. I have to run and meet with the inspector, but I’ll go over everything with you when I get back. In the meantime, you can go ahead and make copies of it to hand out at the meeting.”
“Okay. I can do that now. Everything is caught up.” We’ve both been working hard this week to clear a few days for our Vegas trip.
The office door opens, and the building inspector steps inside. It isn’t his first time here. I’ve had him check our work periodically to make sure everything is up to code. He’s here today to look at the last couple of trailers that have been completed. He greets me and Maren while I grab the keys, then follows me out the door.
It takes him about an hour to do the final inspection of the trailers and the grounds. Everything is up to code except for one small thing that’s an easy fix.
“You need a different latch on that pool gate. A safety latch. The hardware store should have them.”
“No problem.” I’ll get that done today.
“Other than that, you’re all set.” He glances around. “Someone who hasn’t been here in a few months wouldn’t recognize the place.”
“That was the plan.” I reach out my hand, and he shakes it. “Thanks for everything.”
A rumble of thunder and the increasing wind send him rushing toward his truck and me back to the office. Every necessary repair has been completed but I still have a couple of projects in the works to deal with. One is finishing the basement of the community building so it can be used as a tornado shelter, and another is having the original trailer I stayed in hauled away. It’s going to be replaced with a large shed to house our groundskeeping equipment and other tools. Hiring some new staff is also going to be necessary if things go as I hope they will with Maren.
“Whew! That wind is something. It’s getting ready to storm,” I announce, pulling the office door closed behind me.
My good mood falters at the sight of her face. “What the fuck is this?” Her voice is cold as she shoves a folder at my chest, and I grab it to keep it from hitting the floor.
Shit. I left the wrong folder on my desk. Instead of the forms she was looking for, it contains my real estate paperwork. It was supposed to be a surprise but now I need to explain. “I was going to talk to you about it today.”
“Talk to me? You bought my grandfather’s house! You’re the reason my offer wasn’t accepted!” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Of course it wasn’t. It’s not like I can compete with the amount of cash you can offer.”
Her rage is palpable, and it doesn’t help that I just stand there for a moment, processing what she said. “You put in an offer on that house?”
“Cut the bullshit, Cooper!” she snaps. “You had to know whose house it was. You expect me to believe it was some coincidence? Do you want to try to tell me you aren’t selling Happy Haven either?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I know what I read,” she seethes. “The title to the property has already been transferred. I want to know one thing. Why? What the fuck are you up to? Why tell me my job here is safe when you know you have no control over any of that once Happy Haven is sold?”
“Maren, it’s not what you think. Let me?—”
The betrayal and pain in her voice cuts me in half. “I think you told me what I wanted to hear to stall until you could leave. Pop’s house…” She swallows hard. “I don’t understand what you could get out of that other than hurting me and him.”
She has this so wrong. I reach over to lock the office door and flip the sign to closed so we don’t get interrupted. “I’m not trying to hurt you or anyone. I can explain everything.” When I approach her, she instinctively backs away. All those walls that she’s slowly lowered have slammed back into place.
“I didn’t know you were trying to buy your grandfather’s house back. If I had, I would’ve told you. That really was a coincidence, but I did know it was his house because I saw him there.” Her brow furrows with confusion but she remains silent while I continue. “He was sitting on the porch, and I stopped to check on him. He told me that he goes there sometimes to reminisce. The way he talked about his memories there, especially his memories of you, showed me how much the house meant to both of you. It had a for sale sign in the yard, so I called to see what they were asking for it. The realtor never mentioned any other interest in it, and they accepted my offer almost immediately. It was going to be a surprise. I bought it for him…for you.”
I’m caught in an incredulous stare that goes on and on. Her mouth opens multiple times and when her words finally come, they’re hushed. “That’s crazy. You can’t do that. We’ve only been together a few months. You buy flowers for a girlfriend, Cooper, not a whole house.”
I’m not sure what reaction I expected, but it wasn’t this. She looks terrified. “You’re worth it.”
Her body that was tense with anger relaxes a little and she runs a hand over her face. “You can’t do this. You can’t just come in here with your money and…fix everything.”
This time when I approach her, she doesn’t retreat. “Why not? Money came into my life unearned and solved everything. Everyone should get to experience that. I can’t make it happen for everyone, but I can for the people I care about. I can make things better. For you and the tenants here. I can undo at least a tiny part of the misery my father inflicted with his wealth, now that it’s mine.”
I lay one of the documents on the desk. “Look. Happy Haven hasn’t been sold. It’s been transferred to a trust that I own. For tax purposes and to register it as a non-profit, it needed to be done and required a business name. Green Holdings is still me. I still have all the control over it.”
