Page 36 of Devoted Enough

“It’s this law firm listed on the check, isn’t it?”

Nodding, Pete replied, “It is, yes.”

Sophia drew in a sharp breath. “Do you really think it was Nate?”

I nodded. “I know it was.”

“Why would he want to remain anonymous, though?”

Pete spoke then. “It could be for several different reasons.”

With a shake of my head, I said, “I know why he did it.”

“Why?” Pete and Sophia asked at the same time.

A part of me wondered if Nate did it because of what my father had done to me all those years ago. Was it guilt that made him do it? Knowing what a low life of a father I had, or was it simply because he wanted to do this for…me?

Looking at Sophia, I said, “The why doesn’t matter right now.”

“I know Nate, he won’t take this check back or he’ll deny it was him who sent it.”

“What do you think we should do with it?”

She glanced at the check and then thought for a moment. “I think you pay off the bus loan and business credit card.”

Pete nodded his head in agreement.

“That is still leaving you—us—with a good amount of money left. I think we put it aside for anything that might pop up. Having some money in the bank is always good, right?” Sophia asked Pete.

“I agree with what Sophia is suggesting. You don’t have a lot of debt, which is good. But this donation can help even more with that. And like Sophia suggested, you should put it in the bank and hang onto it. With the donations that have come on board and the money the two of you are bringing, you don’t have to have any more of a down payment to get the business loan. You’re set there.”

I nodded. “Okay. Yes, I think we should do what you suggested, Sophia.”

She smiled, as did Pete.

“If it was Nate Shaw who gave you this money, he either really loves dogs or…”

My head snapped up to look at Pete. “Or?”

“Or he has a heart of gold.”

Sophia chuckled. “Or he has a strange way of showing someone he has feelings for them.”

By the time our meeting was over and Sophia and I walked out to the parking lot, my mind had gone over every possible reason I could think of why Nate Shaw would drop a shit-ton of money into my lap. Or my business lap, if you will.

“Your mind is racing, Haven.”

“Do you know that when I picked up my car, I thought Ted had paid for my tires? Ted? The guy who has never even held a door open for me. How could I have been so stupid?”

Sophia stopped at her car. “How did you find out it was Nate?”

“By mistake. Hank slipped and said it was Nate. I should have known. The night he picked me up in the storm, he had wanted to pay for the new tire, and I went off on him.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “Pride mostly. My mother was always so adamant about not taking handouts. That a man always wants something in return. When I heard Nate say he would pay for it, I got embarrassed and used anger to deal with it.”

“Then I have to ask this, Haven, how are you taking it that he gave you three-hundred thousand?”

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