Leo shrugged. ‘Not now she’s selling the cabin.’
‘You don’t think she’ll take the businessman’s offer do you?’
‘I don’t think she or Walt want to, no.’
‘Cheeky fecker, sniffing around here when he isn’t wanted.’
‘It’s an insane offer. It would set Walt up forever and then some.’
‘Selling to him could have the potential to change the fabric of the bay.’
‘The fabric of the bay? That sounds almost poetic. Must be the teacher in you.’ Leo looked at his brother and explained, ‘I asked Nina to give me time to talk to the bank.’ Leo looked at his brother and explained, ‘I was going to try to buy the O’Brien cabin myself. That’s why I was solate getting to Mum and Dad’s dinner tonight.’
Adrian took in what his brother was saying. ‘Well … how did it go?’
One look gave him the answer. ‘I’ve already had loans for the boathouse to refurbish along the way.’
‘Because you’ve had to do it solo.’
‘I’m not saying any of this to make you feel bad. It’s just the way it is.’
They carried on walking, past the pier, up the hill the other side and when they reached the top of the track that would lead down to Leo’s cabin Adrian suggested a nightcap at Leo’s place.
‘You seriously need one after all that scotch?’
‘I’m thinking more of a coffee.’
‘I’ll be up until all hours if I add coffee to the mix.’
But Adrian was still walking with him down the track. ‘Good. You’ll need to be awake for this, because I’ve got a proposition for you.’
Chapter Eighteen
Nina
Nina had seen Adrian outside her cabin last night. She’d heard voices, and although she’d assumed it was Leo with somebody else, she’d had to check, because they were so far away from any other properties and she wanted to be sure it wasn’t anyone who didn’t belong down there. She’d heard them laughing too and although she’d been tempted to run out and ask Leo how he got on at the bank she hadn’t. Because if it was good news he would’ve knocked. Instead she’d sat on the sofa sipping a hot chocolate as she heard the laughter fade into the distance as they presumably went inside Leo’s cabin. She’d sat there for quite some time basking in the memories of both families coming down here day after day, season after season. Something that was past, not future.
This morning Nina had just gone outside to set off to meet Maeve and put her rubbish in the bin en route when Leo came out of his cabin to do the same. And not only that, Adrian was behind him.
‘Good morning you two.’ She frowned, not because they were together but because she knew that look, the Magowan boys’ look they’d had when they were up to mischief as kids. They were up to something. ‘Big night?’
They recounted the anniversary dinner, the scotch.
‘I’d better head home for a shower,’ said Adrian. ‘Sleeping on a sofa was one thing in my twenties but these days it makes me feel rough.’ He smiled, waved at them both and off he went.
‘It’s so nice he’s back,’ said Nina. She knew it was bad news about the bank but she didn’t want to hear it out loud.
‘Aren’t you going to ask how I got on at the bank?’
‘I assume not well or you would’ve told me.’
‘You’re right, it wasn’t good.’ Her spirits sank even though she’d known. ‘But I’ve got another appointment later today so keep everything crossed.’
‘You’re going to try again?’ He had to be doing it for her and she didn’t want to put him through it because if they’d said no once, surely that was what would happen again.
‘I am. Fingers crossed.’ He made the gesture with his hands.
‘Leo, you don’t have to keep trying. We’ll get a buyer. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live down here?’ She gulped when she took in the sound of her own words, the heartbreak waiting behind them when everything changed.
