Sugar Pie by Victoria Pinder

13

For some reason, Jeff Norouzi filed divorce papers for a woman in Connecticut and found a judge to speed up the process. Is she pregnant with a Nourozi baby? Why the rush? I’ll find out more and let you know, but I do wonder if Warren’s been missing because he’s out ignoring marital rules and committing adultery. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Gossip and burn the rich.

Yours truly,

Regina, your gossip goddess you can’t escape from.

Warren

“Are you alone?” she asked.

My eyes widened. “One minute.” I paid the cashier for my water and headed back to my truck.

I placed the bottles next to me then started the engine. “I’m alone.”

“Before you drive anywhere, I want you to check the job I just sent you. I think you need to jump on this one.” She had a higher voice than normal, and goose bumps grew on my arms as she spoke.

I stayed in the parking lot and opened my email. She had attached a contract. I opened the file and stopped at the amount listed. My heart sped. “Twenty-five thousand.”

She laughed. “It will take you three weeks.”

My pulse still zipped, but I pulled out onto the road to head home. “You’re a marvel.”

“No one has ever said that to me.”

For a moment, I pictured her dancing in the living room. She would be divorced soon, and we would both make a decent profit on that job. Luckily, home was close. “How did you do this?” I pulled into the lot and parked.

“The subcontractor fell through, and the builder put the ad for the bid up this morning. I’ve been talking to his team all day, and they’re excited that you’re available for the cabinet install.”

I walked up the stairs quietly.

“Then we kept talking, and he wanted you to install all the cabinets”—I found my keys and reached for the door—“in the subdivision, so we negotiated the contract.” She jumped out of her computer chair. “You’re home!”

She was my rock. I left the bags in the kitchen and headed toward her. Then I picked her up and twirled her. She held on to me, and at this moment, it was like we were the only people in the world. When I set her down, I pointed to her chair. “Are you kidding? With the seed money, I can skip the rebuild and buy commercial property.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I want to get empty land and build from the ground up.”

“I researched architecture websites to buy building plans. I’ll email those.” She ran her hands through her hair and nodded as if she needed a second. “And dinner is in the oven.”

“Tonight we celebrate your divorce, as friends.” My email alerted me to the gossip blog. I scanned the rumor mill. My pulse quickened with the thought that someone might find us soon and blow up my plan and life with Kerry, but it was mostly incorrect speculation. I tensed but reminded myself that my brother hadn’t mentioned addresses on any public filing. We would probably be fine.

I opened up my business bank account then looked at her. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Kerry.”

She laughed as she fixed our dinner plates. “Keep talking like that. I’ll find the glasses for the wine.”

I needed to help her. I quickly filled out a mortgage application at a bank I often used, and a preapproval letter appeared the second I hit Submit. We could start working with an agent to find a property.

She finished setting the table with the chicken dinner that smelled delicious.

“I’m filling out a bank application, but the bank is going to need the contract.”

She nodded then showed me the site she’d used to find the building plans. “Everything is here for you to find a design then submit the plan for preapproval with the city.”

She’d thought ahead. Math and forward thinking were two of her great qualities. Maybe we could keep the entire twenty-five thousand in play. I joined her in the kitchen to carry things. “Maybe we can invest more, if you’re interested in keeping the money bundled for now and investing it in the bigger plan.”

“I’m listening,” she said as we sat at the dinner table.

I folded my hands in front of me and pitched the plan that was formulating in my mind. “While I’m working tomorrow, can you set up research time on getting city and county approval for a subdivision as well as researching empty land in the area.”

She tapped the side of her face as she met my gaze then blinked. “So we’re creating our own residential community.”

“Yes.” I nodded. Pitching to Kerry seemed different. “We can take the twenty-five thousand and whatever other job you book for me this month while you work with a realtor to scout land zoned for residential and get a budget together for subcontractors. What do you think?” Her opinion mattered to me.

She sucked on her bottom lip as she tilted her head to the side. “You must seriously have great credit, as this is a risky move.”

“It’s bold, but the market doesn’t have enough homes.” I reached for her hand. She had no idea that I would never let her crash and burn. “This is the number-one place people are moving right now, and houses are in demand.”

She scooted closer to me. “Absolutely.”

I rolled my shoulders back. “You and I can start a million-dollar business if we’re the main builders.”

Her eyes widened, but a smile emerged.

“I’d like for us to focus on people with money, and rich people like to feel good about themselves.”

“I agree.”

I traced her hands. “So we set up a charity program where ten percent of our profits goes to building low-income, first-time-homeowner programs on the other side of town. That way, people want to work with us.”

For a second, she didn’t say anything. She stood then grabbed the wine glasses and bottle and brought them to the table. I took the bottle, poured us each a healthy amount, and handed her glass to her.

“One of the things I like about you is that you have such a vision for your future.”

I wasn’t sure I agreed but smiled anyway. “I’m on a mission, and I need your help. While this seems like an abrupt change, it’s been on my mind for a while as I studied the needs of the community.”

“I like that.” She sipped her wine then set it down. “I hope you like this dinner.”

The air around me buzzed. “Will you help and invest with me some more?”

She tilted her head.

The tension in my spine held me tight like it used to when I was waiting for my father’s approval.

Then she leaned closer and took my hand again. “I’m in. I believe in you.”

A spark rushed through me, but I squeezed her hand then let go fast. Everything felt different near her. “And I can do this because of you.” I raised my glass. “So here’s to you, Kerry Jackson.”

She lifted hers, and we clinked them together. “Here's to us and our new business,” she said.

“Ours?”

She put her glass down. “You get seventy-five percent, and I get twenty-five percent.”

I scooted closer to her. The air smelled sweeter on her side of the small table. “You want to renegotiate your fee?”

She pivoted, and our knees brushed. “I will earn it for both of us and find you the perfect property, ensure your contracts are all approved, and get subcontractors for you. You might not realize it, as I never mentioned it, but I’ve rearranged my home every year of my life since I was fourteen. We won’t need to hire an interior designer because you have me.”

I glanced at her lips. “You’re a marvel.” I knew I was repeating myself, but she needed to be told.

She fluttered her eyes closed. I moved closer and wondered what she tasted like. I inched closer, and as our lips were about to meet, she pulled back and said, “No, let’s hold off. I don’t want you to be my rebound.”

I laughed. “No woman has ever said that to me.”

She let out a sigh but began to eat. I did the same and moved my seat back. Once we were done, I patted my stomach and said, “I’ll do the dishes, but let me take a shower before you go to bed.”

“Go for it,” she said and sipped her wine.

I jumped out of the chair and rushed to the bathroom. If I had been my old self, I wouldn’t have given a second thought about working with Kerry. I’d wanted her with me for more than business, and since my brother rushed the divorce, she was free.

I just had to quickly prove to her that we’d be great together.