Page 20 of Maverick
He smiled, the scowl gone. “Oh, I’m definitely real. Larry and I go way back.”
“Oh really?” I asked, eager to learn more about Dad’s life. I waited for Ivan to continue, but the silence stretched.
“Anyway,” he finally continued, “When he stopped coming to town as often, I decided to come to him. But he is a proud man, so I made up the excuse of buying vegetables.”
“That’s an expensive excuse.” I took a sip of my water.
He lifted one shoulder. “I can afford it.”
I took in his suit again. “Yeah, I guess you can.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I’ve tried talking to Larry about this, but he hasn’t wanted to listen. This place is too much for him. I know his mind’s not right these days. Thank God you were here when he set the woods on fire. But what happens when you go back? What if next time, he sets the house on fire?”
I bristled. He might have a point, but what right did he have to make me feel even shittier?
“I’ve offered to buy the place.”
I set my water down before I dropped it. “Wait, what?”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand, cash. Say the word, and I’ll have my lawyer draw it up. You said you’re here for how long? Six weeks?”
Four now, but I didn’t bother to correct him. He reached a hand to cover mine.
“I’ll buy it as is. You won’t even have to worry about cleaning the place. You can find your dad a nice spot at the retirement home here or with you in Maryland. Those places aren’t cheap, but this will give you a nice start. Think about it. You canhave your dad taken care of by the time you need to leave. No worrying about this property, the house, nothing. What do you say?”
“I, uh…” I didn’t know what to say. Compared to prices back home, that was a ridiculously low offer. But out here in the country? Maybe that was fair. And it would be hassle free. I could be back at work when my leave was up and have enough cash to get Dad set up somewhere else. Maybe I should consider it. As it was, I wasn’t sure how this situation would get resolved in the time I had left.
“That sounds nice, but Dad hasn’t been interested in moving.” Best to be honest with the guy. “I’m trying to ease him into the idea, but I don’t think selling is on his radar right now.”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed. “Katie, there’s no point in deluding yourself.”
“Kat,” I gritted out.
“We both know your dad’s got some form of dementia. The sooner you get power of attorney over him, the better. If you wait too long, to the point where he doesn’t know his name or day of the week, it’ll be too late. The courts will be involved and you’ll lose all control to make decisions for your dad. You don’t want to leave his fate up to some judge, do you?”
He wasn’t wrong. I’d thought about getting a durable POA. What dad had in place at the hospital only covered health decisions. But it wasn’t any of this guy’s business and he was starting to piss me off.
The door opened and Dad and Noodle walked back inside. “Here you go, Ivan. Tomatoes, peppers, a few greens, and some okra.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Larry.” Ivan stood up and pulled out a fat wad of cash with a gold money clip. Like a cheesy movie, he peeled off a hundred dollar bill and handed it over. “I’ll head out and let you enjoy your time with your daughter. It was goodseeing you.” He handed me a business card. “Think about what I said. You’ve got a hard road ahead of you.” His eyes darted toward Dad. “Let me make it easier.”
I took his card and watched as Dad walked him out. I’d always heard that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. But in this case? Wasn’t there another saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth? Maybe the guy wasn’t a jerk, and I was being too sensitive. Maybe this was the nice and tidy solution I’d been looking for.
14
Maverick
“You ever heard of the Alliance?” Bear leaned next to me at the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer from Dan.
I scoffed. “Is that a new pop band? You’re the one with the teenager, not me.” In addition to finding an old lady, Bear had also become the guardian of a sixteen-year-old this year. More power to him, but not a road I wanted to go down any time soon.
“Actually, Dan, let me get a pint.” I was in the mood to drink from a glass. Was Kat into the Alliance? We hadn’t gotten around to discussing music. Although, she struck me as more of a jazz person. Something a little classier than bubblegum pop. I scanned the bar, my eyes finding the stage.
Bear sighed. “Far as I can tell, they’re an investment firm.”
“You looking for stock tips?” I supposed he needed to work on a college fund. Kat was in finance. She probably knew something about it.
Bear took the beer from my hand and set it on the bar. “I’m not standing here to shoot the shit, Mav. Do you think you could focus on club business for five minutes?”
