Kara tilted her head to one side and considered the suggestion. “I could, I guess. But it wouldn’t be the land or business my mother left for Mark and me to build a future on for our families. It wouldn’t be the same as being here.”
Mary nodded. “I know, honey. But I think your mother bought this land hoping something exactly like this would happen one day. She knew this land was valuable. And honestly, that’s really what every mother wants—to have enough money so she can care for her children and give them some security. That’s what I want for Rachel, and I’m sure it’s what you want for Maeve too.”
Kara frowned. “If Mom hadn’t left me this business, I’d have nothing, and while it’s not making a ton of money right now, it’s always generated enough to keep us clothed and fed. It’s always paid the bills.”
“That’s true,” Mary conceded, settling back into the couch cushions.
“My mother worked hard building this place to support us all. You know that better than anyone. When our daddy left her with two small children, she didn’t give up but instead worked herself into an early grave so that Mark and I could have this place and, with it, a secure future.”
“She loved you both so much.”
Kara blinked. “I know. That’s why I can’t throw all her hard work away now, just for a few dollars.”
Wow. I didn’t realize how passionate I felt about this.
“Besides, the decision is only half mine,” she continued slowly. “The property is half Mark’s as well, so I’ll have to at least consider what he wants. But really, I don’t think I could any sooner part with this place than I could chop off my arm!”
Mary laughed. “You know, I think I love you best when you’re all riled up about something,” she said. “And yes, talk to Mark, but you also might want to at least be open to considering the offer—it could give you a great deal of money that’ll allow you to do things for Maeve that you’ve only dreamed about.”
“You really think so?”
Mary nodded. “I do. And you know I only want what’s best for you and her. If you decide not to sell, that’s fine with me too. I love working here almost as much as you do.”
Getting to her feet, Mary walked over to Kara and hugged her. “Now, the real reason I came in here was to tell you that the outdoor greenhouse is full of paying customers, so your presence is required. No one can talk people into buying flats of pansies like you can, so we need you out there selling.”
Kara slammed her fist on the bar in frustration. “But you can’t just leave this decision up to me!” she exclaimed.
Mark was behind the bar, polishing the glasses he’d just taken out of the dishwasher and placing them neatly in a line beneath the counter. As the sole proprietor of Sullivan’s Place, he prided himself on always keeping his bar spick-and-span.
“Yes, I can,” he replied. “It’s your business. I know Mom left the garden center to both of us, but don’t forget that I used it to secure a loan to buy this place,” he said, motioning around the pub with his drying towel. “But since I repaid that loan to the bank already, as far as I’m concerned, I’m done with the land. So, it’s all yours. Sell it, keep it to run the garden center, even set up a junkyard on it for all I care.”
Kara laid her forehead on her arms and groaned in frustration. “But what if I don’t want to be the one to decide?” she asked. “What if I want someone else to do it?”
“Well, I’ll help you, of course, but sorry, twin sister—we’ll be twenty-eight in a few months, and there are no other adults around anymore, just us.” He grinned at her and chuckled under his breath at her expression as he continued to double-check that every glass he tucked away was sparkling clean.
“This isn’t funny,” Kara snapped. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I know you don’t,” Mark replied patiently, “but it’s really pretty simple. All you have to do is get yourself a lawyer who will contact whoever wrote you this letter and find out exactly what’s being offered. Your lawyer will explain it all to you, both the good and bad parts. Then you just take a few days to think it all through and decide what you want to do. It shouldn’t be that hard.”
“A lawyer?” echoed Kara, sitting up straighter and staring at her brother with wide eyes. “I need a lawyer? Do you really think so?”
“Well, I guess you don’t technically need one, especially if you’ve already decided not to sell, but it’s always good to get legal advice of your own to make sure your best interests are being protected. It shouldn’t be expensive, and I’ll help you with the cost if you need it.”
Kara thought about his suggestion for a moment and then waved his offer of help away. “No, it’s okay. I don’t have a ton of extra money lying around, but I can still afford to pay a lawyer. Sales at the nursery are looking better—at least they were today. Besides, Courtney is opening a law office here in town, and you remember Scott from the hospital? He’s her partner. Hopefully they won’t charge me a huge amount to look into this.” Kara kept her voice calm, but her stomach was happily tumbling at the possibility of seeing Scott again.
“Oh yes, the dashing knight in the expensive sports car that drove Maeve and you to the hospital last week,” Mark said, raising one eyebrow. “He was in here a few nights ago for a beer. Seems like a nice enough guy. Knows a lot about baseball too. He was telling us all sorts of statistics about the game we had on.”
Kara nodded. “Yep, the gossip I’m hearing is that he once played in the major leagues but had to quit when some surgery for an injury he had went sideways. I feel sorry for him.”
“Really? A professional athlete has moved to Larkin Bay? Well, that’ll make all the single ladies sit up and take notice. I’ll have to invite him back here so I can watch all the fun,” Mark replied with a sly smile at Kara as he polished another glass and put it away.
Kara laughed. “If he really was as good as I hear and has actually played in the major leagues, the women here won’t stand a chance to even get near him. He’ll be surrounded by all you baseball freaks, pumping him for insider information about what the big leagues are like and whether it’s true that MLB players can get any woman they want.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Kara remembered what her friends had said about Scott’s ex-fiancée. “But be nice to him. I hear he’s had a rough go of it with women.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “I’m nice to everyone. I’m a bartender, remember?” Shaking his head, he flipped up the counter and came out from behind it. “I’ll keep it in mind, though,” he told Kara, perching on the barstool next to her for a moment. “I can’t control what the other boys will say after a few beers though. But I’ll do my best to detour talk around the topic.”
“That’s good of you.”
“Well, I’ll try. At least until he’s been here for an entire week. After that, he’s on his own.”
“You’re so sympathetic and helpful,” said Kara, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she watched him unlock the pub door and turn over the sign that hung in the window to announce they were open for business. She raised a hand in greeting as several of Mark’s usual afternoon patrons wandered through the door and quickly took their regular barstools.
Scott greeted each man by name and after they were seated, quickly pulled them all a draft beer.
Kara sighed heavily.
“Oh, Kara, my girl, that’s an enormous sigh, ain’t it? Why don’t you turn around and tell Uncle Stevie here what the trouble is,” said the slight, gray-haired man who had taken his usual stool two down from where Kara was seated.
“Oh, no trouble here, Stevie,” Kara replied. “I’m just thinking about my garden center and all I have to do. I guess I’d better just get going and get on with it instead of sitting here talking to my brother and wishing it all away.”
“Ah, wishing doesn’t get much done, does it, love?”
“No, Stevie, it really doesn’t. It really and most certainly doesn’t,” Kara replied, and then, with a small wave in her brother’s direction, left Sullivan’s Place to pick up Maeve and head home.
Chapter Six
“Well, that didn’t go very well,” Rachel said with a sigh. She shrugged and smiled down at Maeve, nodding at the little girl’s cheerful chatter as she corralled her back through the aisles of the garden center into the bathroom. With each step, Maeve’s wet, oversized, red rubber boots met the tile floors with an ear-piercing slap, and the little girl crowed with delight. Grabbing the back of her jacket, Rachel tried with little success to stop the mud from leaving a trail of slippery, dark splashes behind them. Grimacing, she finally reached down and scooped up Maeve. She wanted to get her young charge scrubbed off and changed before either Mary or Kara spotted her. And if luck was with her, she might even have time to come back here and drag a paper towel across the floor to wipe away the worst of their tracks too.
“Your mama won’t care how dirty you are,” Rachel said to Maeve, dropping her down on the closed toilet seat and starting to strip off her clothes. “She gets it that some people like to play in the mud. My mom, however, will not be as forgiving because woo-hoo, do you ever stink.” She wrinkled her nose as she pulled the manure-crusted boots and pants off the little girl.
Maeve looked up and grinned.
Rachel chuckled. “Well, at least your face is still adorable,” she said. “But we can’t have you hanging around the store smelling like a manure pile. You’ll drive away all the customers!”
“Won’t.”
“You’re right. We won’t let you. But you sure seem to get yourself into a lot of trouble these days, don’t you?” Rachel mumbled as she washed off as much of the mud as she could in the sink. When they were finished, Rachel held the little girl’s hand and hurried her toward the back office to find some clean clothes.
“I’ll be out to help in a minute,” she called to her mother, carefully hiding Maeve at her side.
“Bring something to wipe this mud off the floor too,” her mother yelled back, and Rachel ducked her head to avoid seeing the condemning look she was sure was accompanying the request.
Taking the little girl back out to the front of the store with her a few minutes later, Rachel pressed the buzzer located under the front counter that would let Kara know they needed help serving customers.
Wrinkling her nose, Mary frowned at Maeve. “Where has this child been? She smells like a pig farm!”
