Page 86 of Just for Tonight

“What big plan?”

“The one that winds up my duties as executor before I’m dead. The math just doesn’t work yet.”

“Tell me,” she invites, deliberately echoing me, and I do.

“I’m thinking we can liquidate my father’s real estate portfolio and if that happens quickly enough, it will provide the capital Candace needs for her financial security. I’m also thinking that each of my siblings and my father’s heirs could choose a property, in lieu of the cash inheritance the will said they would get but the estate can’t pay.”

“On account of there being no money.”

“That’s the thing. I got the idea from Luke wanting to buy our grandmother’s house for Abbie, and the cash infusion from you buying that parcel of land. There’s a lot of property. I can’t get the math to work, though. The number I need for Candace to keep the house is too high given that the real estate market in Empire is so soft. Paula has been giving me some projections on selling the properties. I have to make the allotment for each heir the right amount so the total still works.” I sigh. “And then I have to convince my entire family to agree to it, which is the long shot of the century.”

“They might be happy without whatever you can manage, especially if it means Candace is financially okay.”

“Something instead of nothing,” I summarize.

“That’s big. I’d lead with it.”

“I was planning to.”

“When’s the big presentation?”

“Not scheduled yet. I’m working out the details and Paula is still compiling the database.” I rub my eyes. “The idea is that she’ll list the properties for sale after choices are made. Thanks for the introduction, by the way. She’s great.”

“I’m glad. Aren’t you doing something for Mike and the greenhouses?”

“New business plan, based on Mike’s ideas. Yes. That’s my weekend project.”

“How’s your day job?”

“Demanding.”

“Don’t you have a slow time of year?”

“We could, but I volunteered to do the daily report on the Asian markets, so I’m in two hours earlier each day.”

“You don’t have time for that.”

“No, I don’t, but I want the promotion that’s coming up. Theoretically, the estate will be settled eventually and I’ll have time to breathe then.”

“What would you rather be doing?” she asks to my surprise. “Probably not just breathing.”

I’m thinking of one thing I like to do, but it would spoil the tone of the conversation here – which is kind of amazing – if I said it out loud.

“I like my job. Doing it without the other stuff would be fine.”

“You like playing with money.”

“True.”

“But you must like something else.”

I look out the window at the darkened lake. I’ve told her pretty much everything else. Why not this too? Will I ever see her again? I’m thinking not, so I go for it. “One of these days, I’m going to get a sailboat, and spend my weekends sailing.”

“Have you done it before?”

“At university. Once a friend took me out, I went whenever I could. It’s why, actually, I bought this place.”

“It has a lake view.”