Mr. Winston lowered himself slowly into a leather executive chair. “Pardon my mess. My assistant quit last month, and my secretary is on vacation. To be honest, I couldn’t spare her time away, but she and her husband have had this cruise planned for a year. I couldn’t in good conscience take that away from her just because my assistant ran off to New York with a good-for-nothing actor from Gatlinburg.”
A chuckle slipped from Gabe’s mouth before he could stop it, but the man’s expressions reminded him of his grandpa who put on a cranky appearance but had a soft heart. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” Mr. Winston cleared a spot on his desk by swiping his arms outward, then leaned forward. “Have you been to the house yet?”
“No, I stopped by the storefront first.”
“Then you got to see Cora’s place? Isn’t it wonderful?” A wistful expression tore across the man’s face. “My beloved Gertrude would have loved it.”
“It’s a lovely store, but…” He took a breath and folded his hands in his lap. “The thing is, I was under the impression that the building was vacant. I came here with plans for my own business.”
“Oh dear.” A genuine frown marred Mr. Winston’s face. “The lease agreement should have been included with all your paperwork. I had it in there when I gave it to Alicia.”
“Alicia?”
“She was my assistant, and not a very good one, I might add.” Mr. Winston stopped abruptly and sighed. “No matter, the responsibility was still mine. I should have verified the packet she sent out and the papers you sent back. My mind’s not as sharp as it once was. My children have been on me to retire, and I finally agreed to step aside come spring.”
Despite his frustrations, Gabe had to admire the man and felt a pang of sympathy for him. “Can you tell me the details of the lease?”
“I’ll grab a copy of it for you.” The man stood and walked in short steps without his cane to a filing cabinet. “Cora Mullikan signed a five-year lease with your uncle. If I recall correctly, that time is up in February.”
“Then I’m free to move in?”
“Yes.” Mr. Winston pulled out a file folder. “Here it is.”
Gabe stood and took the paper, saving the man extra steps. He sat down again and read through the lease agreement. His brows furrowed when he saw the monthly rent. “Is this amount correct?”
“Your uncle knew Ms. Mullikan from the time she was a baby, attended the same church as her, and considered her family a part of his.” Mr. Winston slowly lowered himself into his chair and leaned forward. “He believed in her store but knew that most businesses take five years to see a profit. Since he didn’t need the money, he cut her a deal to help her succeed, but did so anonymously.”
Rubbing his temples, Gabe growled under his breath. “Why the secret?”
“Ms. Mullikan is a proud woman. She never would have accepted your uncle’s special treatment. I suppose coming from a stranger it wasn’t as big of a deal.”
“Is her business doing well now? Can it survive paying the going rate of rent elsewhere in town?”
Mr. Winston grazed his teeth along his upper lip. “I’m not privy to her financials, but Mistletoe Mercantile has a solid reputation. That’s a question you’d have to ask her though.”
His mouth hurt from gritting his teeth. “Does she know that ownership has changed hands?”
“Probably not.”
He drew in a long breath. “I suppose I need to pay her a visit and straighten out these issues.”
“I’m truly sorry, Mr. Newton. I’ve dropped the ball on you, and, however unintentional, it’s not acceptable.”
“We’ll call it a miscommunication.” His aggravation ran deep, but he couldn’t find it in him to harbor ill-will toward the attorney.
One way or another, he’d find a way to work this out.
Chapter Three
Cora stared out the window in dismay. Outlook got a dusting of snow all right—if a dusting consisted of six inches and counting. She could fight the wind and cold to put out her decorations, or she could call Marie and see if she’d come in tomorrow instead of today.
Noel, her orange tabby cat, rubbed against her ankles. “Meow.”
“I know. It’s a good day to stay in and watch Christmas movies, isn’t it?” She bent down and scooped Noel into her arms. “Too bad that’s not an option. Too much to do.”
The cat pressed her nose against the window, then jumped down immediately after her skin made contact with the cold. Cora chuckled and went to the stove, put the kettle of water to boil. She pulled a tin of cranberry tea from the cabinet and dropped a bag in her favorite mug.
