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“Excuse me. Why are you sitting on my stoop?” A woman stood a safe distance away, eyeing me like I was a rat.
I beamed at her. “Just borrowing it for a moment.”
I stood and sauntered down the sidewalk, whistling. My phone rang, and I was tempted to ignore it. Whatever it was, it could wait. I needed to hold on to my good mood a little longer.
My steps faltered when I read the caller ID.
I stabbed the accept button. “I thought you had a meeting?”
“I wanted you to know the whole ‘answer my calls’ thing goes both ways.”
JoJo hung up, and my face hurt from smiling so hard.
Buying her a phone? Best decision I’d made all day.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
JOJO
I twistedmy turquoise ring around my finger.
I’d picked it up on a trip with Grandma Josephine and Alma when we’d gone out West. The ring had been too big back then, but Grandma had fixed it. Just like she had everything.
The thought of her settled my nervous stomach as I waited in the lobby of the Fitzsimmons Group. When I was fourteen and Alma was twelve, Grandma Josephine had driven us across the country in an RV and we’d spent an entire summer wandering. It was a girls’ trip. Just the three of us. And it was one of the best summers of my life.
We’d gone to old ghost towns and hiked in Yellowstone and even spent the night with Native Americans, sleeping in tipis as their ancestors had. Alma had wanted to pan for gold and gemstones, and we’d had a blast.
I wished Penelope had been able to do the same. That my own mother would’ve wanted to take her on an epic trip so they could spend time together. Mother wasn’t going anywhere without a driver, let alone captaining an RV. Who was I kidding? She wouldn’t spend the night in one either, not even the most luxurious.
When this was all over, maybe Penelope and I could take a trip like that. It didn’t have to be a whole summer. Just a week or two. I couldn’t make up for not having Grandma Josephine around, but she’d be there in spirit.
You and Penelope have been on one big adventure her entire life.
That was true. And I was grateful for that despite it was unconventional.
Penelope had turned out amazingly. She was so intelligent, good with people, and unafraid to go after what she wanted and had a kind heart. Not the murdering kind.
“Miss Cunningham? Mr. Foster will see you now.” The pleasant woman spoke from behind the reception desk. She motioned down the hall. “The door is open all the way at the end.”
I nodded in acceptance, my throat in too tight a knot to speak. I wasn’t timid by nature, but I always got jitters when I had to state my case, especially important things.
I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. Once I was alone in the hall, I fidgeted with the scarf in my hair.
I will not walk away without this property. I will not walk away without this property.
Gently, I tapped on the glass door, which was open as predicted.
“Mr. Foster?” I stepped inside, but didn’t advance as I had at Kane’s office. Why was I able to be so brave when it came to him?
Because you don’t think. You just do.
He stood and rounded the desk. He was younger than I expected. Younger than I was.
He extended his hand, and I met it with mine.
“JoJo Cunningham. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“Orem Foster. And you didn’t give me much choice.” His eyes crinkled around the edges.
