“Thank God,” I said with agroan.
Hank sat down at the end of the couch. “I had some coffee brewing but I see you already stopped.” He reached over and handed me mycup.
I took it with a grateful smile. “Sorry. I’ve been deprived. I fell asleep last night before my cardboard dinner came so I’m starving,too.”
“I can help with that,” Hank offered. He stood and Margo padded after him into thekitchen.
“Please don’t go to any effort!” I called only to beignored.
I snuggled into the soft couch cushions and was lulled to sleep by the sounds of Hank clanking around the kitchen. I could really get used to having a manaround.
Less than an hour later,something delicious was wafting through the air and Lucien and Pepper were back with my drugs. I sat up, groggy and in pain, and reached for the glass of water someone had put on the coffee table in front ofme.
“Helen!” Hank called. “Don’t take your pills before you eatsomething.”
“Yes, mom,” I croaked. “Where isit?”
Hank walked in wearing an apron and carrying something that smelled like angels weresinging.
“You cook, too?” I rubbed my messy hair. “Where have you been all mylife?”
“Being an idiot and playing in thedirt?”
I chuckled and reached out for the bowl he was carrying. “What isit?”
“Chicken stew. It was the heartiest thing I could think of with using what you had in the fridge. Also, you need to go shopping. I had to go to my vehicle and clip herbs from the newest shipment Ihad.”
I lifted my bad foot a little, wincing. “Shopping later. Foodfirst.”
Hank handed me a spoon and I dug in. Pepper and Lucien came out of the kitchen holding bowls of theirown.
When we finished eating, Hank cleared his throat. “I have somenews.”
Lucien leaned forward. “You have three weeks to live and you have suddenly decided to move to Europe to findyourself?”
Pepper cracked up but sobered when Hank glared ather.
“While I find your antics minimally amusing, I must decline toparticipate.”
Oooh. Annoyed Hank wasverbal.
“I was able to catch Portia, much to my friend’s annoyance and her surprise. She was quite shocked to learn what was going on with everything. But...she did admit she pressured the former owner of the land to sell to you. So, that part of the accusation is correct. However, there’s a caveat.” Hank scratched behind his ear as if he were uncomfortable with the next part. “The owner of this land somewhat acts like a guardian of that door. Portia said she has been remiss in visiting you to speak with you aboutit.”
I wish I hadn’t taken my pain meds because I would be on my way to visit Miss Portia right now. “That might have been nice to know before I bought theproperty.”
Lucien’s brow wrinkled. “So the guy who owned it before.” He paused and his mouth turneddown.
I interrupted. “He knew about the door, kept it a secret for all those years, then decided to betray her? Whathappened?”
“That’s a longer story,” Hank said. “He revealed the secret of the property to an organization who tried to take her down. Unsuccessfully, I might add. I don’t know who it was, but, according to Portia, they are no longer operating in Midnight Cove. She forced him to sell and made him sign what was supposed to be an ironclad non-disclosureagreement.”
“Except it wasn’t,” Pepperadded.
“Well,” Hank hedged. “It actually was. If this lawsuit goes through, Mr. Haverstock is going to be in a bundle of trouble. Even if it doesn’t, he’s going to have a lot to deal with. But if Midnight Cove Realty succeeds in getting a rescission, Mr. Haverstock is going to be a rich man.” He shifted on the couch, careful not to jostle my foot. “I also suspect he will be swiftly relocated to avoid Portia’s wrath. Right now no one knows where heis.”
“Back to me,” I said. “What if I don’t want that responsibility? I was neverasked.”
“There’s something else,” Hank hedged. He slid a guilty look myway.
