Noel sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of the world drop from her shoulders.“So that was Dad’s big announcement,” she realized audibly speaking the words to herself more so than anyone else.“He planned to tell us on the Shackelford Banks trip that he bought the rest of the building he always dreamed of acquiring.”
“It appears he did just that,” Rudy confirmed.
“And it sounds like telling you all on the trip was probably his plan,” Cavin agreed.
“So, if Walter doesn’t own the adjacent building anymore and I do, why is he trying to buy my building?”Noel inquired with a scrunched brow.
“He is sneakily trying in one fell swoop to buy the candy shop building along with the one his family used to own but is actually now owned by you,” Cavin explained.“I believe he plans to file the paperwork showing your dad’s purchase as soon as you agree to the proposal, and then once that is officially documented through the register of deeds, he is going to turn around and buy it right back from under you without you ever realizing what happened.”
Noel’s nostrils flared.“I’ve never cared for Walter Benson, but I never expected he would be capable of doing something so terrible.”
“There’s even more to it, Noel,” Cavin explained, waiting for the smoke to clear from her flared nostrils by the end of this bit of information.“Walter embezzled the salaries your mom and dad should have received once the property was fully paid.When your folks passed away, the timing worked out perfectly for him to shift those funds without you noticing.He obviously knew your dad had not told you about any of this, and even if it ended up that you knew, he realized you would have mentioned it.He probably would have just played dumb and then sorted it all out or offered you some ridiculously low offer for both buildings hoping to capitalize on your state of mind after the accident.”
“I bet dad told him it was a secret,” Noel imagined.“What are we going to do?Can we prove it?”
“With all the evidence we have, there will be no denying the truth, and I imagine it runs even deeper than we realize,” Cavin claimed.“At first I thought Walt was just doing something immoral, but this is illegal.He is a criminal, and so is Georgia who is also directly involved in the coverup.”
Grasping the implications of these findings as much as humanly possible at this moment, Noel wrapped her arms around Cavin and squeezed him tightly for nearly a minute.“Thank you so much for saving my family’s candy company.”
“You saved it,” he assured her, “by keeping it going through such a challenging time.”
“You’re the best,” she uttered.“You’re trying to be humble, and that reminds me of my dad.”Cavin grinned appreciatively, and then Noel turned to Rudy.“Thank you, Rudy.I can never repay you.”
Rudy shook his head and hugged Noel.“You repay me,” he laughed.“Noel, I owe more to your dad for believing in me than any of us could ever imagine.”
“It sounds like we were all lucky to know him,” Noel proclaimed, praying her dad could see and hear this conversation, especially after all the tears she cried.
“I wish I had known him,” Cavin mentioned.
“You remind me of him every day when you wear his hat,” Noel shared.“And now his legacy will continue to live on with Beaufort Candy Company because of you two wonderful men.”
“I am proud to wear his hat,” Cavin acknowledged with an upward glance.Noel’s dedication to the Christmas spirit was contagious; he wore the hat everywhere, matching her.
Noel turned her attention to Levi and Laney who had been patiently trying to take in all of the adult talk.She knew explaining it on their level would be helpful.“Kids, this means that we get to keep the candy shop, and you get to keep all the money you earned at your hot chocolate stand,” she explained with a huge smile.“I think we will take Rudy’s advice and use that and the reward money to help start your animal finding non-profit, save for your college or careers, and I wholeheartedly believe you two deserve to spend some on yourselves.”
Levi’s and Laney’s response warmed Noel Puckett’s heart on this frigid, snowy Christmas Day.The two children instantly grew huge grins and began jumping up and down with their hands in the air dancing all over Rudy’s boat.Scout hastily joined in on their celebration as all the adults smiled the smiles that come when realizing that truth always triumphs.
Something told Noel that Levi and Laney would be smart with their spending.She was so proud of their big hearts which they showcased today by being willing to give all their money on a day when they could have been focused on wanting more Christmas gifts.It just showed that even kids could understand that the true meaning of Christmas was about giving rather than receiving.
Cavin and Rudy had also been generous with their time and talents, and Noel knew she would forever be grateful for such a wonderful Christmas gift.It was evident that neither of these gentlemen wanted anything in return; they simply wanted to save Beaufort Candy Company for her and her family, and that was the greatest Christmas present she could have asked for this year or any year.
29
That Christmas turned out to be the most magical Christmas Noel Puckett ever experienced.When they walked off Rudy’s mega yacht, she started creating a different type of Christmas list.She checked off the first thing on it when she called Mrs.Madelyn to share the good news about the candy shop with her and Jack, and then the kids sangWe Wish You a Merry Christmasto them over the phone.
When Noel told Cavin about the second item on the list, he mentioned that she might want to wait to call Keaton.
“Keaton might show up at Walt’s door and punch him in the face,” Cavin expressed out loud, thankfully able to laugh since his black eye finally faded away.
“You are right, maybe let’s skip to number three,” Noel agreed.
Noel dialed Rainey’s number and gave him the synopsis of what Cavin discovered.He and Chelsea invited them over for Christmas lunch, and then they all looked through the paperwork together.
“I think you are spot on about what Walter is up to,” Rainey confirmed.“I will have the office draft the proper documentation, and we will gain access to all your records and more in no time.”
“Let’s not do that on Christmas though,” Chelsea suggested.
“Yeah, I think tomorrow will work fine,” Noel conveyed understanding but not wanting to endure the suspense any longer than necessary.
