I picked up my Coke, took a drink, then said, "But other than our tax liabilities, everything is pretty much finalized now?"
He nodded and took a sip of his foul-smelling coffee, then hesitated before saying, "I also wanted to tell you that if you ever need anything—outside financial matters, I mean—to please talk to me. Your mother and I—"
He stopped again and looked away, but not before I saw that flash of sorrow in his eyes again.
"Mom and you were close," I said softly. "I’m aware of that."
He nodded and seemed to get himself under control, because when he met my gaze again, there was little emotion in those steely depths. But then, there rarely was. I was never entirely sure what Mom had seen in him, but there had to be something pretty powerful between the two of them, because she’d had no other lovers. Or, none that I was aware of, anyway.
"We spent a lot of time together." Which is probably as close as he’d ever gotten to admitting they were lovers. "And I know she would want me to be of as much help as I could."
"Thanks, but—"
He raised a hand, stopping me. "I know you and I are not close, but your mother and I were. If you ever need help with any matter—even if it’s simply an unbiased mind to talk to—then please, feel free to come here. Your mother would have wanted that, I’m sure."
"Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate the offer—"
"But you’d feel uncomfortable discussing personal matters with a man who is little more than a business adviser?" he said, humor in his eyes. "I can understand that, but the offer stands nonetheless. And remember, I do have quite a few interesting contacts through my business dealings. You never know when one of them might prove useful."
I smiled. "And if that was meant to tempt me into asking just what sort of interesting contacts, I think you might have succeeded."
He laughed softly. "I merely meant that I have business and personal relationships with people from all levels of society. They might prove useful one day."
I nodded and rose, drink in one hand as I offered him the other. "I was sincere when I said thanks for the offer, and I really will keep it in mind. I promise."
"Good." He shook my hand, his grip light, warm, and filled with a restrained strength.
It certainly wasn’t the grip of a man in his twilight years, and again I wondered just how old he was. He’d been in charge of Mom’s finances since I was born and, from what Mom had said, he hadn’t exactly been a fresh-faced kid even then. Which meant he had to at least be in his fifties, if not older. Yet he didn’t show it. Maybe he’d been blessed with good genes, I thought wryly, and wondered why I was even worried about it—especially given it had never seemed to concern Mom. And if anyone was going to sense anything off about him, it would have been her. She’d been one of Australia’s most powerful and successful psychics, after all.