“You’re probably right. At least she has peace of mind there.” He signaled the server for the bill. “Let’s get you back home. I didn’t mean to keep you so long.”
“I’m glad you did.” Rae was pleased she’d finally been able to return the favor even in this small way. Dylan had been there for her so many times.
* * *
Because of the late night,Dylan slept in. What would he have done if Rae hadn’t been there? At least they’d been able to laugh about that ridiculous joint date. He gave a dark chuckle, remembering the magnetic attraction between Cynthia and Ben. Nice that some people were finding love.
With a sigh, Dylan checked his phone for messages. Nothing. He called the hospital about his sister. He was given the run around. It seemed she’d been moved to a regular room.
“I’m sorry, sir. Ms. Rademaker checked herself out.”
“What?” Dylan scrambled out of his bed. “Why would anyone in their right mind let her do that?”
“Mr. Rademaker,” another voice said, this one more authoritative. “Your sister wasn’t being held on a court order, and she wasn’t a danger to herself or others. She had the right to leave.”
“Of course.” He sank to his bed, defeated. “Thank you for telling me.”
Dylan didn’t know how long he sat there staring at nothing. Finally, he woke his phone again and called his father.
“Dad, I’d like to see about getting access to my trust.”
“Good morning to you too.”
Dylan debated if he should mention Nora, but he was curious to see if his father would first.
“Sorry. Good morning. I had dinner with Ben last night.”
“Zabala?” His father’s voice had taken on an assessing tone. “Are you considering going back to school?”
“Ihavegone back to school. I’m studying business management.” Dylan took a deep breath. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you about the trust.”
“You want to use some of the money to pay for your schooling?”
“No. I want to use it as a down payment to buy a business.”
There was silence on the other end. No surprise there. If someone had suggested to Dylan a month ago he’d be planning to buy his employer’s company, he’d have been speechless too.
“What business?” his father finally asked.
“Green Pest Control.” Dylan went into an explanation of the offer before his father could start attacking the idea.
“And if I refuse to release the funds for this?”
“Then we’ll be a little more creative with the financing. I get the money when I’m thirty, regardless, and I’ve got a lot to learn in the interim. We’ve yet to work out the details, but I’ll hire a personal attorney to make sure I do this right.”
“Is that why you had dinner with Ben?”
“No,” Dylan said, surprised his father hadn’t trashed the idea. “I went on a double date with a friend, and he happened to be the other guy.”
“Well, he’d be a good choice. This is his specialty.”
“That’s good to know. So, about the trust—”
“No.”
Just like that. His father’s voice wasn’t angry, but his tone was final. Dylan had expected arguments and derogatory comments, so a simple “no” was an improvement. He was careful to sound calm.
“That’s what I needed to know. Thanks for the tip about Ben. I’ll have to see if I can afford him.” Before he could lose his nerve, he added, “Nora checked out of the hospital.”
