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“I’m very interested.”
The words seem to knock the air out of him. He lets out a slow breath before smiling. A genuine grin splitting his face. “I honestly wasn’t expecting you to move that quickly.”
“I wasn’t either,” I say, leaning against the bar. “But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.”
“How so?”
“I run a charity for disadvantaged children.”
His eyebrows shoot upwards. “You do?”
“My lawyer manages most of it. Or rather his wife does, she does all the day-to-day stuff. I suppose we’re partners really,” I say, sipping my whisky. “I wouldn’t be able to make any decisions without consulting them, but I think they’ll be on board.”
Lennie nods thoughtfully. “Makes sense. So, she has a lot of experience in the sector?”
“In a way.” I take another sip. “She grew up in care before eventually being placed with a family who changed her life. So, when I started the charity, she was the obvious choice.”
“That’s...” He searches for the word. “Perfect.Sounds like you’ve got good people around you. You must trust your lawyer a lot.”
A small grin tugs at my lips. “I’d hope so. He’s my older brother.”
Lennie chuckles. “I definitely didn’t see that coming.”
“Most people don’t.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “So... What happens now?”
“If everything checks out, we can move quickly.” I set my glass down. “I’d like you to speak to Elijah when you’re ready.”
“Your brother?”
“Yes.”
He reaches into his pocket for his phone. “What’s his number?”
I laugh. “I love how eager you are but Sara will kill me if we interrupt family time. I’ll text him your number with a note to contact you as soon as he can.”
He nods and reads out his mobile number while I type it into my contacts and start drafting a text to Elijah.
“Everything’s digital these days,” he says. “If he needs accounts, plans, registrations... Whatever... I can probably get everything sent over this weekend.”
“Perfect.” I hit send. My phone vibrates almost immediately.
Already on it. Tell him I'll be in touch.
“He says he’ll contact you, probably tomorrow now.”
“Seriously?” His grin is infectious.
“My brother has many faults,” I say, slipping the phone back into my pocket. “Being slow isn’t one of them.”
Lennie lets out a quiet laugh raising his glass. “I don’t really know what to say.” Tears pool in the corners of his eyes.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
He’s quiet for a moment, staring into his whisky like it holds an answer. “I think I do. Thank you.” A small tear runs down his cheek. “I just want to make sure there’s something solid for the girls,” he says quietly. “Whatever happens.”
I squeeze his shoulder, sparing a glance towards the lounge. “Have you spoken to Luna yet?”
