“I don’t think my dad wants the police showing up to his fundraiser. Not very good publicity, you know? There’s no way to prove it was her anyway, so let’s just skip the police this time,” Kate said in hushed tones.
She was probably right, but letting Stella get away with this had him seething. “There are probably cameras in the hotel parking lot. What if the police could find out who did it?”
They had moved away from the crowd to talk, and when Adam looked up, he saw Edward approaching. “What do you think about calling the police, sir?” Adam asked him. “Kate’s worried about what people might say, but I think it should be on record in case we try to get a restraining order later.”
“Call them,” Edward said. “Katie’s safety is more important than my reputation.”
Adam nodded and made the call. So much for telling Kate about knowing Chuck now. She didn’t need that bit of info heaped on her at the moment. The next time he saw her. He would tell her then, for sure.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Adam stopped by The Drip to grab coffees for Kate and himself. Proud for remembering what she’d ordered last week—sixteen-ounce almond milk latte—he also picked out a couple of baked goods. She would protest, saying she didn’t want them, before finally giving in and eating one or two. He liked that he knew what she liked.
While he waited, he popped over to say hi to the Three Musketeers and see what the lowdown was for the week. They scoffed when he told them he was getting close to winning the bet, telling him they’d believe it when they saw it. He could tell them about the kiss, and maybe even collect his winnings from that. But he decided to wait and see how things played out with him and Kate. Give it a little more time.
The meeting wasn’t until ten, but he showed up a little early. Not to impress her, just to be punctual. Today she planned to show him what potential properties she’d found for him to buy in New Bern.
“You brought me coffee?” she said. “Oh my gosh. How nice of you. I was just thinking about how good a cup sounded. Thank you.” She took the coffee and led him to the office, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. The sway of her hips distracted him momentarily, and he missed something she’d said.
“What?”
“I asked what’s in the bag.” She nodded to The Drip bag that held the goodies.
“I didn’t know if you’d be hungry, but I got a few items for sustenance. Just in case.” He held out the bag so she could take a peek.
“The pastries smell good, but I’ll pass. Thanks.”
For now, he thought, setting them on her desk with the bag open. The sugary scent would reach her soon, and he gave her less than ten minutes before giving in. If only he could get her to give into him as easily.
“It’s the least I can do for all the trouble my ex is causing. I talked to an attorney about getting a restraining order. He says I can get one for myself, but you’d have to come in and get your own. Mine wouldn’t protect you or your property.”
“I’m too busy for that right now. Hopefully, she’ll get bored with it and move on. My car should be out of the shop by the end of the week. In the meantime, I can drive my Escalade.”
“You have two cars?”
“The Beemer is for summer, and the Escalade is for the winter.”
“How practical,” he said. “Well, I’m available if you need a ride to pick it up. And I’m paying the bill. No arguments.”
“Oh, I won’t be arguing.” She smiled and batted her eyelashes before getting down to business. “I’ve spent the last couple days looking for properties that fit your criteria and approximate price range. I’ll also show you what I’ve put together for the meetings we have set up for next week. I was able to get a hold of three representatives for real estate trusts. Hopefully, you can attend the meetings, but if not, I can represent you. These are the big boys. They should be able to buy the whole lot, which is what we’re after.”
“Sounds good. I’m excited to see what I could get up here. I was going to tell you—the lender called and is on track to close early on my house. You think the attorney and seller would be okay with that? The sooner I can move up here, the better.”
“I’ll email the attorney now. I already know the seller would be fine with an early closing.”
They spent the afternoon running through the details of the properties she’d picked out. Some multifamily apartment buildings and a few commercial properties.
“This one is nice,” she said, referring to a small strip mall. “The offices are all on long-term leases, so you wouldn’t have to worry about finding tenants or anything like that.”
“Hm. Yeah, that would be good. Hire a property management company and be done with it.”
“I was also going to ask you what you thought of a fixer-upper commercial property. Obviously, not as set it and forget it as something already up to code and rented, but it might be up your alley, and you could possibly get more for your money.”
“Maybe. Depends on how much repair it needed and whether the lender would be willing to add the construction loan to the mortgage. If you find something specific, let me know, and I’ll take a look. I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”
He’d been right about the treats from the coffee shop. As soon as he pulled one out, so did she. They’d polished them off before finishing their coffee, and that had been almost five hours ago.
“We can order something to be delivered,” she said.