Chapter 7

Rory

"I noticed that the Nolan girl's shop is still there." My father didn't even look up from his computer.

It was his way of calling me on the carpet. Only I was too old to be grounded and I didn't work for him, so he couldn't suspend me. What he could do was bring me into his selectman's office at the town hall and demand an update on the project I was working for on behalf of the town.

Getting up, I closed the door so his nosy secretary, Jeannine, couldn't hang on our every word. She was so obvious about it she might as well pull up a chair and join the conversation.

Sitting back down, I crossed by legs and pulled out my phone. He didn't ask a question, so I didn't feel the need to fill the silence with anything.

Finally, he glared up at me. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why isn't she gone?"

"We hit a snag in negotiations."

"I thought she was a done deal. What about Toujours?"

"The Village Jeweler took my offer, which was much lower than the one I offered Dawn. Toujours will be in by the end of the month."

He grunted. "So you've got three more left, not counting that sex shop."

"Tantric books isn't a sex shop."

"Close enough. What are your plans for getting them out before summer hits?"

"Don't worry about it. I said I will get this project finished by the end of June and I will. I've done the majority of the work. Things are progressing nicely. The landlords have been paid and are pleased with the renovation plans. What are you doing about the element that's still there?" I decided to go on attack. "After all, one doesn't throw pearls before swine. My high-end clients aren't going to shop next to a slum."

My father folded his arms in front of him. "I have the police doing extra rounds to scoop up any transients and look for any trouble. The problem is we're not a yacht club, like your buddies in Clinton. Anyone who has a boat can trailer it in for the day."

"But only boat owners who have slips can be there after dark."

He made a face. "That's one of the rules that has always been flexible. The police don't start caring unless it's noisy or after midnight."

"It's your job to make them care. I can't do this alone. You can have the prettiest shops this side of Vegas, but if you have crackheads sleeping in the alcoves this has all been for shit."

"I'm working on a plan to get the police to pay more attention to what's going on."

"Well, you concentrate on that and leave the other tenants to me." That should keep him out of my hair for a few more days. And by that time, I'd find a suitable store that Dawn could move into where she could be close enough for her customers and be out of my development. I had deliberately not contacted her over the weekend, even though I wanted to see her. We both needed a little space from the intense physical attraction we shared. I still wanted her, badly. But we had a professional problem to smooth over first.

"Do you think getting her father involved will help?"

"Huh?" I wasn't sure where my father was going with that line of reasoning. If Dawn's father told her she had to go, she would just dig her heels in deeper.

"Judge Nolan? I could make a few calls and see if he would talk some sense into her."

I was rapidly shaking my head. "I think that would be the worst thing you could do. It would completely destroy any progress I'm making. Just stay out of this and let me handle it."

Shrugging, my father went back to his computer. "Let me know when you've gotten another one out."

I didn't move from my chair, and eventually he looked up. "Was there something else?"

"Yeah, I want you and Mom to bring Cammy out on the boat for a day trip."

"That's impossible." He turned a shade paler.

"Actually, it's not. I've looked into it. You can get a day pass and request a health aide to accompany you. I can drive them to the boat and we can do a short ride around the Sound."

"The boat isn't equipped to handle a wheelchair."

"We can make do."

My father swallowed desperately. "What if she has a fit? Or gets worse? Or falls in the ocean?"

"None of that will happen. We'll get a trained nurse as well, if you like. I think it will help."

"Do you?" he sneered. "You're practicing medicine now?"

I tensed, but I refused to let him get to me. He was frightened, and when that happened he became abrasive and confrontational in order to intimidate people. I wasn't going to let him do that to me. "No, but I've spoken to her doctors, which is more than you've done."

"You've ignored her for the better part of four years, now you're her savior?"

"No. She doesn't need to be saved. What she needs is to be back with her family."

"This is a fucking disaster waiting to happen."

"Or it can be a stepping stone to healing."

"Your sister fried her brain."

"My sister is recovering from brain damage. No one knows the extent of her healing. But she is no longer in a coma and unresponsive. That might be the best she'll ever be."

He looked away, his fists clenched.

"Or she could slowly relearn things and build up to a new base of normal." I leaned over. "We have to stop throwing money at the problem and start getting involved."

"I'll speak to your mother about this," he said grudgingly.

I stood. No need to tell him that I already had and she was on board with it as long as I could convince my father it was a good idea. "Let me know the day and time and I'll clear my schedule."

As I walked to the closed door, I heard movement outside. But by the time I opened it, no one was there. Jeannine was on the phone and typing at the same time. She looked up at me and smiled before going back to what she was doing. Maybe I was being paranoid.

I considered going to Tantric Books, but I didn't have anything to offer Dawn yet. Instead I went online and ordered her a special bouquet.

Dawn hadn't contacted me either. Maybe it was time to see if I could get her to pick up the phone.