Page 172 of The Romance Adventure

“Men?” I ask.

Her lips tease me. “One man.”

I crack a smile.

When our orders come, my bowl looks like a relatively healthy sundae. It’s topped with berries, granola, coconut flakes, a drizzle of nut butter, honey, and chocolate chunks.

I dig in and it’s love at first bite. “Where have you been all my life?”

Lally smiles sweetly as she finishes a spoonful.

But the real question is, will she be part of the rest of my life?

After we’ve raised nine hundred dollars, leaving only fifty to go, we’re nearly back to my truck when a slick sedan pulls up to the sidewalk. Lally already crossed the street to the truck to get her bottle of water.

I eye the vehicle warily as the tinted window rolls down.

“You’ve grown up,” an older man with a horseshoe of hair says from the passenger seat. His driver stares dead ahead.

“People tend to do that,” I say dryly.

“I remember when you were just this tall,” says the man with the horseshoe of hair, gesturing with his hand out the window. His cufflinks glint in the sunlight.

“And I remember you, Gerome.”

“Not Mr. Glandman?” he asks.

“I’m not a kid anymore.”

He snorts slightly. “The word around town is that you’re raising funds for that event in Coco Key. As the owner of the Platinum Shores Empire, I’d like to donate.” He pulls out a checkbook.

Lally waves, eager to go, likely not knowing my family’s history with Glandman and picking up on my prickly reception of the man.

“We’ve met our goal,” I say, not keen to lie, but not interested in his dirty money.

“Ah, but the owner of the shop you were just in said you still needed fifty dollars.”

“We’re all set. Thank you anyway.” My tone is firm, dismissive.

“My money is no good to you? To the cause?” Glandman fixes his dark, beady, dead shark eyes on me as if trying to intimidate.

“You’re well aware of my opinion of you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Lally must’ve heard part of the conversation because she starts to make her way over, but I meet her halfway and plant my hand on her lower back, leading us toward the truck. With a glance over my shoulder, I can’t help but notice Gerome looking at her with interest, as if he makes the connection that she means something to me.

My gaze in response is a warning shot. But even though the man isn’t as young and spry as he used to be, my guess is he’s equally shrewd and slimy.

“What was that all about?” Lally asks as we head back to Coco Key.

“That was Gerome Glandman.”

“The Gerome Glandman? I didn’t get a good look at him. What’s the story there exactly?”

“Family feud. Bad blood.” Again, my tone is one of finality, but Lally doesn’t let it go.

“To recap, your grandfather, Chip, left you and your brothers with a great adventure. Not only did you each get a property with instructions to revitalize it, but if you forfeit, the fortune goes to that man, Gerome Glandman.”

I arch an eyebrow. She’s astute. “He was briefly married to my Aunt Lorena, Chip’s sister—they had different fathers. She stood to receive a massive inheritance, and when that happened, Glandman used all her money to build his empire, as he called it, and destroyed hers.”