“It’s a nice sized piece of land,” Cullen says. “You could fence off part of it so the dogs could have a safe place to run around in.”
“True. And I do like the view.” Archer gestures past the farmhouse. We’re about halfway up the hill, and Sunrise Bay is spread out beneath us, with the Pacific Ocean providing a beautiful backdrop.
“Hello!” A woman in her forties in jeans and a gray tee with the name of the real estate agency embroidered on it comes out of the farmhouse. “I’m Megan,” she says with a smile, and she shakes hands with us all as Archer introduces us. “Come on in. I’ve opened all the doors to get a bit of a breeze blowing through and freshen the place up.”
Her words make me worried that maybe the place is suffering from damp or something, but as soon as we walk in I can tell that’s not the case. It’s just a little dusty because it hasn’t been lived in for a while.
We wander around with her as she shows us the facilities. It’s bigger than it looks from the road. It’s on one level, and built at an angle to the road so that half the rooms look out across Sunrise Bay, and most of the others face the Pacific. It has six decent-sized bedrooms that could easily be turned into therapy rooms, a large kitchen, a big living room, and a separate dining room. There’s also a surprisingly large study at the end.
“It’s actually in better condition than it looks from the outside,” Archer says.
“Oh, it’s structurally sound,” Megan states. “The decor is what lets it down. I don’t think it’s been repainted since it was built.”
“You could have a painting party,” I tease Archer. “I’m sure everyone at the Ark would enjoy helping out if you supplied a crate of beer.”
He chuckles. “Maybe.”
“Actually, it’s perfect.” Cullen is clearly impressed with the place. “Six therapy rooms. A central room for meet and greet, and to play with the animals. And the study could be turned into the main office.”
“The kitchen’s a nice size too,” I add. “Like at the Ark, you could have someone bake cakes for coffee mornings, where people could drop in and check the place out.”
“It’s so close to the Ark,” Cullen continues. “Clients who enjoyed being with the animals might be interested in a rescue pet, and it would only be a short walk or drive for them to go and check out the Forever Home.”
“There are three bathrooms,” Megan states, “but you could probably enlarge the main one and fit in several stalls that would service the whole building, and then you’d be able to turn the smaller two into more offices or something.”
Archer nods, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looks around. “All right, you’ve all convinced me.” He gives a hesitant smile. “Maybe it could work.”
I smile at Cullen, who winks back as Archer tells Megan that he’ll be in touch after he’s had a think about finances. We make our way out, and Megan waves goodbye and gets in her car. We head out of the drive and begin walking up the hill while she locks the gate behind us.
“Are you going to approach Noah?” Cullen asks his friend.
“Yeah. I’ve finished my report and I’m ready to present it. I don’t mind putting some of my own money into it, but obviously, I’d want the place to be self-sustaining as soon as possible. I spoke to Leon about it the other day; he knows a lot about running a charity. He’s going to help me apply forseveral foundation and government grants, and he knows who to approach for public donations. But he said he’s sure the Kings would want to help out. He’s arranged for a meeting tomorrow with Noah and Brock.”
“Brock?” I ask.
“Brock King,” Cullen replies. “This all started with the three King brothers—Brock, Charlie, and Matt. They began a company called Three Wise Men, which made medical equipment for children. They also run a charity called We Three Kings, which helps wishes come true for children who are seriously ill. Hal is Brock’s son; Leon and Noah are Matt’s. Their other kids also work at the Ark.”
“The meeting’s at two,” Archer says. “I was hoping you’d come with me.”
Cullen looks surprised. “Me? Why?”
“Moral support. We’ve talked a lot about this, and I’m worried I’ll forget something.”
Cullen shrugs. “Well, if you want me there, I’ll come, of course.”
“Great, thanks.” Archer glances at me and winks. Ohhh… so I was right. He does want to try to get Cullen involved, presumably in the hope that he’ll stay.
As we walk up the long drive to the Ark, we can see that Max, Ollie, and a couple of younger children are playing on the children’s playground. Alicia is helping a toddler who’s determined to try and go down the slide on his own. Nearby, someone is sitting on the bench, watching the kids. At first I assume it’s Ruby, but as we get closer I can see it’s Beth.
“I’m a bit worried about her,” I say without thinking.
“Beth?” Archer frowns. “Why?”
I hesitate, suddenly aware that I shouldn’t discuss what she told me this morning. “I think she’s going through a difficult time, that’s all.”
“At the Ark?” he asks.
“No… at home.”
