“This morning, I took a bunch of pieces of the puzzle that I’ve been finding about Giovanni—the investor—and realized they’re connected to the puzzle we’ve all been working on. He’s the guy. The one we’ve been searching for. He’s been right here, under our noses, this entire time. Well, mostly in Italy, actually. The man funding Owen’s entire projectis running an international smuggling ring and is using The Shadowridge as a drop point.”
Abraham’s eyes go wide. “Well, that is rather unfortunate, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure you saw, as you were touring the place, just how passionate Owen is about it. It’s where his grandpa and grandma met. And he told his grandpa before he died that he would one day restore the place. Abraham, how in the world do I tell him that his investor is going to be arrested soon and that the building he loves so much could get seized in the process?”
“Oof. That’s a tough one. Are you going to let him know who you really work for so he knows how you got that information?”
“Probably not. I submitted the forms to read him in and he was vetted last week, but it doesn’t really feel fair of me to say, ‘Oh, hey, I’ve been lying to you about what I do and where I work’ at the same time that I drop the bomb about his baby, throwing its future into the unknown.”
“Yeah, that’s a lot. Have you thought about just not telling him about his investor? I mean, he’ll find out on his own eventually.”
“I really like Owen. And by that, I mean that I love him, even though I haven’t told him yet. I think he’s the one. How can I know about this humongous thingthat will personally affect him so much, and not tell him simply because it’d be hard? What kind of a relationship does that set us up for?”
“Okay, admittedly, not a great one.”
Abraham takes a bite of his chicken marsala as he ponders. He always thinks before answering big questions, and I’m grateful for that. I take a bite, too, but I can’t focus on the food—only on Abraham’s face and what he’s thinking, and how I am supposed to tell the man I love that his dream is in big trouble.
Eventually, Abraham takes a deep breath and says, “He’s going to want to know how you have this information, since it isn’t knowledge just anyone can get. If you don’t think now is the right time to tell him about the CSA and your job—and I think that’s a good choice on your part—then I suggest keeping things about your source vague but honest. Avoiding direct lies will keep your integrity intact, and it’ll let you say later, ‘There’s more I didn’t tell you, and here’s why.’ Then, when you do tell him about the CSA, hopefully everything will click into place instead of feeling like a shock.”
I nod. “That’s good. I can do that.”
“As far as what to tell him about Giovanni and The Shadowridge? I’d keep that honest, too. Give him details, because if you don’t, he’ll assume the information must be wrong. But don’t givehim too many details, or you’ll overwhelm him and he’ll shut down. It’s tricky to get the balance right.”
“Yeah, that does sound tricky.”
“You’ll get it, though.”
“Do you think?”
“During our lunch two weeks ago, you told me you thought something was up with the investor. Last week, you told me that Emerson’s initial search showed he was clean, but you started investigating him on your own anyway. Those instincts of yours knew something was wrong even when all signs pointed to him being fine, right? Those same instincts will help you figure out how to tell Owen.”
I sure hope that’s the case! Because the words I choose when telling Owen could mean the difference between crushing his hopes and dreams—his whole world—and… Okay, it’s going to crush his hopes, dreams, and world either way. But maybe one way will help him to mentally prepare. Maybe even have a little hope. And the other will just leave him crushed.
We chat more as we eat, with Abraham telling me stories about when he was a field operative and had to give people information they didn’t want to hear, and gave it in a way that made it easier to digest. I try to take it all in. Hopefully, it’ll help me break the news to Owen.
After we finish eating and clean up lunch,Abraham says, “Well, I’m not going to tell you, ‘Good luck, have fun, and don’t die,’ because that just feels inappropriate for this situation. So instead, I’ll just say, good luck, speak gently, and try not to obliterate the man’s soul.”
CHAPTER 29
HALFWAY BUILT, HALFWAY BROKEN
OWEN
If it were morning and I was singing my to-do list right now, it’d be singing to the tune ofI’m Walking on Sunshine, because that’s what’s been running through my head since this afternoon. In the auditorium part of the theater, the electrical, insulation, and new Sheetrock have all been installed, so we got to work on putting up new trim today. It’s one of those steps where the potential of the space starts becoming clear to everyone. All my guys were walking on sunshine today, too.
And not only that, but after I take a quick shower, I get to see Charlie. She’s working a bit late, so she’ll be meeting me at Keyhaven Park on her way home, where we’re going to walk along the nature trail before heading to her favorite ice cream shop.
When I arrive at the park, the sun is getting lowerin the sky, but I’m still walking on sunshine. Well, more like floating on sunshine once she pulls into the lot and smiles at me. I go over to her car, and when she gets out, she drapes her arms over my shoulders and gives me a kiss as I put my hands on her waist, holding her close.
She pulls back enough to meet my eyes and says, “You are looking mighty happy today.”
I give her one more quick peck before I switch to holding her hand and starting to walk in the direction of the trail. “How could I not be? The auditorium part of The Shadowridge is past the parts where demolition makes it look worse, and is to the point where it’s looking more incredible every day. And I get to spend the evening walking hand-in-hand with you.”
Charlie smiles at me, but there’s concern showing just under the surface. Whatever kept her late at work must still be weighing on her. I ask, “How was your day?” to see if she wants to talk about it.
“It was…hard.”
I pause my walking right as we get to the trail. “Should we not do this tonight?”
