Then, he chuckles softly. ‘Your handwriting is perfectly legible. It’s just… something else.’
‘What?’ I inquire, curious.
He shakes his head and smiles. ‘Never mind.’ He hands the document to his father, but I can’t help noticing that before doing so, he takes one last look at my signature.
Jonathan signs his name on the page with practised grace, adding his date and seal for archiving.
‘Now, I can give you the keys to the house and we can start sprucing it up,’ says James.
I find myself looking into his eyes again, until Jonathan claps his hands together to get our attention.
‘Yes, you’re free to move forward for now. I’m glad that, at least, was resolved today.’ He sighs with relief.
James adds, ‘Once your paperwork arrives, we can resume the official handover as planned. In the meantime, we can get started researching contractors, gathering supplies and making lists of necessary repairs.’
‘Let me just double-check something… it’s a quick sale you’re after if I understand?’ Jonathan asked, his eyes studying mine intently.
I nodded in agreement, not wanting to take any more of his time than necessary. I’d already spent so much time and energy trying to sort out this paperwork mess and don’t have any leeway for viewings or waiting for a traditional estate agent to sort out the sale. I need to get working on my illustrations, and I need to get back to Ash.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ I say with a sigh. ‘The sooner it’s done, the better.’
Jonathan shifts in his chair and leans back, taking a deep breath before continuing. ‘Well then, auction it is. Let’s get started, shall we?’
Jonathan quickly flips through the pages of a notebook. ‘Yes, you’ll be able to make the next auction if you act quickly and get the insurance in order – otherwise you’ll have to wait another six months.’
I shake my head. ‘That’s too long; I need the quickest way possible. Is there a lot of work to be done to bring it up to scratch?’
Jonathan and James make the same facial expression, although Jonathan responds with a ‘yes’, while James answers with a ‘no’.
Jonathan turns to me, his expression softening. ‘James will give you a clearer picture when he shows you around, but the gist of it is that Mick had put aside enough money to fund any repairs so you shouldn’t have to worry about footing the bill if you find a team to put in the work and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty with the cleaning and decorating.’
‘Don’t let the state of the place put you off – it can be fixed up in no time,’ James says encouragingly.
Jonathan continues. ‘And I have it on good authority that there have been several people who’ve already shown an interest in it. When it passes inspection, it will make a decent sum once sold.’
He stops briefly, swallowing, and changes his demeanour from lawyer to father. ‘Mick was devoted to James; they had a special fondness for one another… an enviable relationship,’ he continues in a softer voice than before. ‘James knows more about the history of the house and area than I do.’ His words fade as his eyes drift to a faraway place, lost in his musings. ‘Mick stepped in where I couldn’t. I’ll be forever indebted. Parenting isn’t always smooth sailing; he came just in time, doing the hard things I couldn’t bear to do when I was at my lowest, and filled the role of father figure with patience and grace. He was a godsend. With his rough-hewn hands, he helped guide our ship as it sailed through choppy waters. There were times when I wanted to sway from the course, but he held firm, never flinching in difficult moments. His kindness and generosity have earned him a place in our hearts forever. He might not share our bloodline, but Mick is family in every way that matters. As they say, it takes a village.’
James pretends to pick lint off his shirt, and I can see the muscle in his jaw twitching. Meanwhile, Jonathan keeps his eyes trained on the floor. It seems like the three of us have something in common – we’ve all been taken in by someone at some point.
James rubs his neck and takes a deep breath, then gives a hearty cry of, ‘Congratulations, Daisy!’
Jonathan too springs into action, pulling out a rusty set of keys from the drawer next to him.
My heart swells as if it wants to burst out of my ribcage. For the first time since I entered this cramped office, I feel a glimmer of hope. And my excitement nearly skyrockets when James leans in and whispers, ‘You want to see it right now?’
‘Right now? As inrightnowright now? Can we really do that?’
His blue eyes glint as he continues, ‘Why not? You’ve come all this way. Let’s go!’
I smile widely and nod.
James blows out his cheeks as he slowly slides off his tie, undoes the top button of his shirt, then takes off his stiff cufflinks with a sigh of relief. He leaves the room and returns in something far more comfortable: a pair of worn-out jeans, a plain white T-shirt and an old baseball cap. The hat casts a long shadow over his dark hair and bright-blue eyes, making them stand out even more. With ‘lawyer James’ gone, I can sense his feeling of liberation. He flashes me a winning grin and takes his car keys out of his pocket.
‘How you feeling?’ he asks as he leads me out of the office.
‘Better than ever,’ I say firmly, my resolve solidifying with each word. I can almost feel the future opening before me.
CHAPTER 24
