Page 90 of Home Ice

"Guys, thank you so much." I step between Kayden and Nikita, like a kindergarten teacher stepping between students arguing over who can drink the most chocolate milk. "I really didn't expect this. This will be so helpful. You don't even know what it means to me."

Kayden finally stops making rude gestures at Nikita. "Anything you need, we're there, right boys?" Everyone nods. "And I'm totally worth thirty-thousand American dollars," he says, apparently unable to drop it before getting the last word. "Now, let's help you get this stuff out to your car."

I don't call Michael to tell him about my haul because I want to see the look on his face when he finds out. Even as generous as the guys were, I know it's not nearly enough, but it is good news. I'm sure Michael needs lots of that right now.

"Lily!" Michael throws his arms around me as soon as he opens the office door. I go still. This is not at all the reaction I expected, at least not before I tell him about the donations and my idea for an auction. "Isn't it such a beautiful day?"

When he lets me go, the tops of my arms ache from where he had them pinned in his bear hug, and I look over my shoulder behind me to make sure nothing changed. No, it's grey, and flurries are just beginning to fall. "Um, sure?" I start a mental list of all the drugs that can induce a euphoric state. Is it possible one of the kids slipped him something to help him out? Could he have taken something on his own? It's not ketamine. He's talking too fast for that. Ecstasy? I examine his eyes as he sits behind his desk, looking for the telltale dilated pupils and rapid eye movements, but everything seems normal. "Are you okay?"

"I am so many forms of okay right now." He doesn't so much say the words as vibrate them. Meth? Surely he wouldn't do meth, would he? "We got it."

"We got it?"

"We got it!" I flinch as he pounds the desk to emphasize his words. I'm not sure how it's possible, but his grin is even bigger now.

I hold my palms up. "What did we get?"

"This!" he booms and raises his hands over his head. Shrooms? Now that I think about it, he does seem like the type who might enjoy a rosé followed by a hallucinogen. "The building, Lily. We have enough to buy it." He takes my hands and pulls me into another embrace. This time with his desk between us.

My heart flutters. He has to be hallucinating. Just a couple of days ago, he was sure they would have to move. If they could even find somewhere to go. "How?" Maybe the landlord decided he didn't want to sell after all.

"An anonymous donor. Can you believe it?" He drops back into his chair. "Someone from a law firm dropped off a cashier's check yesterday afternoon. One of the big law firms. I called them to make sure it was real. And it is! I'd never even seen a cashier's check before, let alone a check for that much money. It was just paper. After a certain number of zeroes, don't you think checks should be lined with gold leaf?"

"A donation?"

"I called our lawyer right away, and she called someone she knows at that firm just to verify my verification. The funds went into our account this morning. They aren't available yet, obviously. I'm sure the bank wants to make sure this is real, but it's real!" He beams at me. "I called the landlord last night, and he's agreed to sell to us. Isn't this great?"

A tremble starts in my hands but spreads quickly through my entire body. "You can stay?"

"We can stay!"

"Right here?"

"Right here!"

I leap around to his side of the desk, catching my hip on the corner as I do, but I'm not feeling any pain right now. I throw my arms around him. The office chair rocks backward and rotates with my momentum, but I barely notice. If Michael does, he doesn't say anything. "This is amazing!" The back of my throat is tight, and I hear the tears in my words.

"Girl, don't you even get me started. I cried so much, my boyfriend threatened to sleep outside last night just to get away from me. When it was below freezing. And there's a reason our neighborhood is called Coyote Run."

"Sorry." I sniffle. "So the kids?"

"Have a home here for as long as they need."

I fall to my knees and rock back on my heels and smile up at him. "I can't believe it."

"Me either. Someone heard my prayers and saved these children. In a way I never could have dreamed of."

A thought snags at the back of my mind. But there's no way. Is there? "You said they're anonymous? So you don't even know who gave the money?"

"I wish I did. They literally saved lives, Lily. They need to be recognized for what they've done."

It's only been two days since we found out about the shelter's troubles. Would that have been enough time? And could he have even done it? He's casually mentioned before that he's rich, but does he have that much money? "What law firm did the check come from?"

"Ellory, Loveland, and Smith. Why? Do you want to confirm with them to make sure it's real too?" He teases.

I don't answer. I just slip my phone from my back pocket.

Me: Something came up with Dad's estate, and I might need a lawyer. Do you know any here in town?

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