His Horizon - Con Riley Page 0,19

you’re feeding?” He shook his head and glanced at his mug. “I never really thought about that connection, but I drank cognac with your sister when we made our agreement. I promised to invest my cash; all of it; the prize and the last of the money Mum left after she.... Anyway, Louise promised to either buy me out with interest at the end of this summer or we equally split any losses. It’s a good incentive for both of us to make this place work.” The breeze whipped his hair forwards. “If this summer season goes as well as we plan, I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”

Jude muttered words that stuck in his throat. “And if it doesn’t? What if the takings are terrible? You heard what Lou said, didn’t you? The law says death can’t be presumed for seven years. You could be stuck with me for a long time.”

“Yes.” Rob looked as if he regretted tipping away the last of the cognac. “That’s crossed my mind a few times.”

“And you didn’t think about mentioning any of that before you kissed me?”

“You already said you were leaving again.” There was no disputing that fact. “It was virtually the first thing you said to Lou when you got back. ‘I won’t be staying after the summer’,” he quoted. “She told me.” He held a hand up to shield his eyes as he said the same phrase for a third time, as though repeating it would make the words more convincing. “So keeping things strictly businesslike is probably for the best, isn’t it,” he said before leaving.

Jude watched him go, wondering if Rob had meant that last statement to sound so much like a question.

7

Jude took his time before going back inside, checking his watch as the church bell chimed. How could it still be so early when so much had happened? He scrubbed his hands over his face, pausing as his palm rubbed his lips, still hypersensitive from Rob’s earlier kiss.

He had to get a grip and take Rob up on his strictly business offer.

He had to.

It was the only safe way forwards.

Decision made, he went back inside to find Louise in the office, another spreadsheet open on her laptop. Rob came to lean against the office doorway, adding his thoughts on the business plan on the screen until Jude turned and said, “Can you give us a minute?”

“Jude, Rob knows as much about this as I do,” Louise said. “We drew up this plan together. If I’m making changes now that you’re back—”

“For a few months,” Rob interjected.

“—for a few months, or from now on,” she insisted, “it means we need to account for the impact of your work on the figures. An extra pair of hands means I can recalculate the timeline until we can fully reopen.”

Jude’s huffed-out breath was loud enough for Rob to take the hint. He said, “I’ll be in the kitchen when you get over your tantrum, Jude. Come and find me when you’re ready to talk business like a grown-up.” The door didn’t exactly slam closed behind him, but it was a close thing.

“I’m not throwing a tantrum.” It was just all a lot to take in. So many changes to a place Jude had known forever. “I’m frustrated that you had to do this. Any of it. Without me. That’s all.”

“I know. And don’t mind Rob,” Louise said as if almost-slammed doors were nothing new to her. “He gets emotional.” She considered for a long moment. “No, not emotional…” She swivelled in her chair to face Jude. “He’s very invested.”

“I know. I heard.” Jude still couldn’t believe Rob had used his prize-winnings this way, or that Louise had willingly risked her share of their home for what seemed a high-stakes venture. “You know there’s no guarantee of the business working, don’t you? Did you even get legal advice before signing?”

“Yes.” Louise faced front again and addressed an email to him. She attached a document and pressed Send. “There. I’ve sent you the agreement. You can read it whenever you want, but it seemed like a no-lose proposition to me. We either make a go of it, with Rob’s help, or both of us will end up with nothing.”

“All three of us will, you mean.”

Louise nodded. “You planned to work here all summer anyway, didn’t you? Our agreement doesn’t have to affect you.”

Apart from having to spend so much time around Rob when he was still so attracted