Page 67 of Sanctuary

Lori nodded. “Yeah. Their lives are so…unreal. Can you imagine being able to spend $30 million on a boat and not miss it?”

Gabe laughed. “I miss the thirty dollars I spend on burgers at StopAlong. But their generosity keeps you going, doesn’t it?”

“Absolutely, and I’m not being ungrateful or jealous or any other negative emotion. It’s just that sometimes it reminds me of the inequality in the world, and I wonder if I’m doing enough to help.”

“Of course you are. The work you’re doing at the Sanctuary is amazing, and it’s making a difference to the animals you rescue and for the kids who get the chance to interact with them.” Gabe turned toward Lori as much as she could in the cramped space. “Has something happened?”

Lori glanced at Gabe and half-smiled. “Yeah. I was talking to Mom earlier today, and she told me that one of our major donors has pulled their support. Post-COVID slump and all that.”

“Is the Sanctuary going to be okay?” Gabe didn’t need to analyze why her first thought went there rather than concern for the whole family company.

“I don’t know yet. Getting the clinic set up and running will help. Our accountant has to work on new projections, and Mom and Dad will have to go on the hunt for a new donor. It’s a mess we don’t need.”

Gabe picked at the seam of her jacket, knowing she had nothing to say that would improve the situation. “I’m sorry. You should’ve let me know and canceled.”

Lori huffed. “And subject the triplets to just you?” She smiled and shook her head. “Nope. And I need the distraction. There’s very little I can do from here. Mom’s visiting next week for my birthday, so she should know more by then.” She put her hand on Gabe’s knee briefly. “And you’re helping with the rust bucket. I googled auction sales after I’d talked to Mom; hopefully, ours will be nearer the $200k mark.”

Gabe’s mood lifted. They had to make the Brewster ultra-desirable to bring in the top car collectors from all over the world. At least she had the ability to do that for Lori. “Have you started putting together the information booklet yet?”

“Bruce is handling that, but yes, I think it’s in motion. Why?”

“The first owner, the artist—I can’t remember her name, but that should be front and center. People go wild for the possessions of dead celebrities.” Gabe shifted in her seat and smacked her head on the roof.

“I hope you haven’t left a mark,” Lori said and chuckled.

“Your concern for me is overwhelming, thank you.” Gabe rubbed the top of her head for effect.

“I feel like I’d only need to be concerned if a whole building fell on you. Anything less, and you’d just shrug it off. Am I wrong?”

Gabe grinned. She liked being thought of as indestructible. “Anyway, I’ll bet there are collectors out there who’d love to own the Brewster just because she used to own it. What was her name again?” she asked.

“Marie Zimmerman.” Lori took the off ramp and turned left onto West Belmont. “That’s a great idea, Gabe. When we get to the house, I’ll send a quick email to Bruce for him to follow up.”

“Woody’s been busy setting up our website and social media presence,” Gabe said. “She’s planning a whole section of the site to be dedicated to our restoration projects because that’s going to be a big part of the business. Once she has it up and running, the Brewster will be all over it. If you could get Bruce to send us anything he finds, Woody can feature it, and we can help build interest.”

“Perfect.” Lori touched Gabe’s knee again. “Thank you for everything you’re doing.” Lori followed the next couple of instructions on her GPS and pulled up outside Solo’s house. “Wow. This is a nice neighborhood. Do they have a boat at the yacht club across the street too?”

“Actually, yeah. Solo’s got a forty-foot sailing boat, but I’m pretty sure they didn’t pay $30 million for it.”

“That’s a shame. They might’ve wanted to support our work.” Lori got out of the car and pulled an overstuffed grocery bag from the back.

Gabe joined Lori on the street and took the bag from her. She opened the gate and gestured for Lori to go in first.

At the top of the stone steps, Janie stood in the doorway. “Please do something with your friend before I do something I can’t defend myself from in court.” She hugged Gabe then stepped aside for them to enter and offered her hand to Lori. “You must be the Sanctuary angel I’ve heard all about.”

“Really?” Lori blushed. “Most people just call me Lori, but I like that title much better.”

“You look stunning, Janie,” Gabe said, taking in Janie’s elegant scarlet dress and heels.

“Thank you. I’m glad someone noticed.” She smoothed the dress at her hips. “I wasn’t sure I’d still fit in this after the triplets.”

“You’re not so much fitting it as rocking it. Solo is a lug-head if she hasn’t fallen to your feet already. Are you sure she’s seen you?”

Janie looked exasperated. “Probably not. She’s far too preoccupied.”

“What’s she doing now? Having trouble with her bow tie?” Gabe asked.

“She’s in the playroom with the babies. See for yourself.” Janie hooked her arm into Lori’s and took the bag of food from Gabe with the other one. “I’ll show Lori to the kitchen.”

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