Page 37 of The Estate
“I’m glad to hear it, Rachel.”
“I’ve imposed on your hospitality for far too long, so I’ll grab my notebook and be on my way. But I wanted to thank you and also say that your friends are wonderful.”
She looked off in the distance before finishing, “You’re truly blessed to have them in your life.”
He looked into the kitchen, laughing when he saw the good-natured rivalry unfolding amongst the cabinets. Vinny was trying to put away food, while Ryan critiqued him, removing and restacking everything Vinny did. Holly and Jacks danced around generally causing mayhem, while placing bets on when Vinny would snap. Just another day with the seven of them.
“I am very lucky. We’ve gone through all sorts of things together, both good and bad. There’s something amazing that happens when you have the level of trust with people. When you know they’ve got your back and you’ve got theirs.”
Rachel looked over at the group, smiling when Vinny threw up his hands, grabbed Holly and Jacks and walked them over to the sink. Clearly, they were being put on dish duty.
“I can see that,” she replied softly. “I’ll… I’ll see you next week.”
She turned and walked toward his office. Cal couldn’t explain it, but there seemed to be more going on in that conversation. Before he could give it further thought, a squeal echoed through the hallway.
With a groan, he turned back and called out, “Jacks! You know the rule. No water fights in the kitchen!”
Chapter Thirteen
Sweets for the Sweet
Rachel could still hear Cal and his friends laughing as she walked into the office. She didn’t know what she expected, but Cal’s friends were a surprise. She couldn’t remember a more enjoyable day with people who were basically strangers. They had welcomed her with open arms and made her feel right at home.
And when Cal started up with the song title battle, she was shocked. He’d certainly come a long way fromMr. Grumpy and Condescendingthat she’d met at Alex’s wedding.
Looking around the office, she couldn’t see her notebook. Although given the state of the office, that wasn’t surprising. She’d hoped this would be a quick retrieval. No such luck.
Flipping through the stacks of paperwork on the chairs, she was discouraged when it didn’t appear. She’d thought she’d left it on a chair. Although it easily could have been moved as Cal was searching for things.
Moving to the desk, she started sifting through piles. And that’s when she found it. Not her notebook, but something of Cal’s. Something that shocked her.
While it wasn’t surprising Cal had a written five-year plan for White Hall Estate; he’d said as much. What she hadn’t expected was it to be as formal or well thought out as it was. Naturally, she’d started scanning through the document.
It only took seconds for her to be hooked. When he’d said he had plans for the estate, he wasn’t kidding. His vision for the future of land and business was remarkable.
The event expansion was all laid out, as was the bed-and-breakfast he mentioned. But all of those projects were after the older barn was converted to a distillery as funding for future development would come from in-person and online liquor sales. That was what drew Rachel in, especially after she scanned the market analysis and financials he included.
The distillery option appeared to be a potentially powerful business model. The proposed marketing strategy capitalized on the family history of distilling. Granted, it was more of a bootleg variety, but how Cal had positioned the brand made that work in his favor.
With just a cursory glance, the project’s viability and Cal’s passion were leaping off the page. She was beginning to agree that White Hall was a truly special place. A place that should be preserved.
The Fitzgeralds did say they aimed to serve the estate’s best interests. What if Cal’s plan was the best option? Did their dismissive attitude toward their son extend to his proposed plans? Were they blinded to the possibilities? Wasn’t she honor bound to investigate any potential options?
Seth hadn’t really given her a suitable answer on presenting alternatives to the Fitzgeralds. Until she had the green light, the potential distillery was a side project to research on her own time. But if it looked like a strong option, she’d bring it up for discussion.
But what she wouldn’t give to have more time to explore Cal’s very detailed plan and extensive supporting material. Shewanted time to read the entire plan and analyze the data. It was certainly a lot to think about.
With a final glance at it, she put the document back where it had been. She needed to find her notebook and get back home so she could finish typing up her notes.
When she finally located her notebook, she tossed it in her bag. She hesitated for the smallest of seconds before grabbing the five-year plan and putting that in as well. It was stupid and impulsive, but she did it.
Driving off the estate, she called Jess.
“Hey little sister. What’s up,” Jess answered cheerfully.
“Hey there. Hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“No. Actually I’m not working tonight, so I’m home.”
