LITMIR.BIZ

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was his best friend, probably his only real friend, except for his brothers. There were the people he hung out with at work, the singles group at church and the vets at the American Legion in Ticonderoga, but they were more acquaintances. He hadn’t connected with any of them like he had with Tessa. As for his high school friends still in the area, they were better avoided.

      A motion in the mirror caught his eye. Tessa waved from the sidewalk in front of the law office. He unfolded himself from the truck and strode over, battling the uncertainty that he couldn’t seem to shake about the wisdom of this deal.

      “Hi,” Tessa said, “right on time.”

      “Would you expect anything less?” He opened the door to the building and motioned her to go in first.

      “Not with you and a business deal.”

      He let the door snap shut behind him. Ambition was a good quality. He bristled. It kept food on the table.

      The attorney met them in the reception area. He was probably anxious to get to his lunch. At the thought of food, Josh’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t had lunch, thinking he and Tessa could grab something together quick before he had to be at the school.

      “Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Donnelly, come right back to my office. I have the agreement all ready.”

      Josh and Tessa took the two seats in front of the desk.

      “How’s that little sister of yours?” the attorney asked.

      “She’s doing well with Jared and Becca. Fits right in with Becca’s two kids.” Tessa’s attorney was the same one Jared had used to get custody of their orphaned half sister, Hope, last year. “I’m going over to the school to talk to her class about my job for career day when we finish here.”

      “Let’s get going then.” The attorney gave each of them a copy of the contract. “Take your time. Read it thoroughly and ask me any questions you have.”

      Tessa skimmed over the two pages and placed them on the desk in front of her, while Josh read every word. He went back to the clause about paying him 20 percent of the Majestic profits until his time was paid for at the rate he and Tessa had agreed to verbally.

      “What would happen if the profits aren’t enough to pay me my percentage and cover Tessa and her grandmother’s living expenses?”

      Tessa bristled. “Don’t worry, Josh. You’ll get paid.”

      He shook his head slowly. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as he thought she did. He was ambitious, not callous. “My concern is for you being obligated to pay me money you might not have.”

      She pressed a fist to her lips and dropped it to her lap. “Then why did you agree to do the work?” The hurt in her eyes spoke her unsaid words. You don’t think I’ll succeed.

      Now he’d insulted her. But he did have doubts about the project’s viability and didn’t want to put Tessa and her grandmother in financial straits again.

      “Do you two need a moment to discuss things?” the attorney asked, glancing at the clock.

      From what Josh figured Tessa had told the attorney, the man had probably thought this was a ten-minute slam-dunk done deal.

      “I want to do the work.” Josh looked from the attorney to Tessa. “Can we add a profit threshold where payments to me would kick in? It could be based on the average monthly cost of living for a two-person household in Essex County.”

      “I could do that,” the attorney said. “Let me check that figure. Or do you need to think about it, Ms. Hamilton?” He typed into his computer while he waited for her answer.

      “I can come back later, after I’m done at the school,” Josh said.

      “It’s fine,” Tessa said in a tone that didn’t support her words.

      “I’ve got that figure.” The attorney wrote the numbers on a pad and turned it toward them.

      “The amount looks reasonable to me,” Tessa said.

      Josh thought it looked low, compared to what he brought in as a senior drafter at GreenSpaces and what he knew Tessa must have earned as a civil engineer for the state. He pressed his lips together to prevent any of the brain-mouth disconnect he’d suffered with Tessa last Saturday. “Okay, Tessa will be obligated to pay my cut only after the safety-net amount has been reached. And, as it already reads, if I can’t finish the work for any reason, she’ll owe no royalties and I’ll reimburse her fair rental for any time I’ve been in the apartment.”

      Tessa hadn’t liked that clause, but he had to protect her, both of them, if he received a promotion offer from one of the other GreenSpaces offices.

      “Correct,” the attorney confirmed. “If you have ten minutes, I can type the change in and print out a new agreement for you to sign, unless you have any other questions or problems.”

      “No, I’m good, and I don’t have to be at the school until one.”

      “I can stay, too,” Tessa said. She pulled out her cell phone and tapped on the screen while the attorney made the changes. The room was quiet, except for the click of the computer keyboard, followed by the whirr of the laser printer on the other side of the room.

      “I’ll get those.” Josh was out of his seat before the attorney could even push his chair away from the computer.

      Taking his copy from the top, he handed the other one to Tessa, sat and reread the revised clause. When he’d finished, Tessa already had a pen in hand, ready to sign.

      “Looks okay to me,” he said, picking up the other pen the attorney had laid out on the desk.

      “Hold off on signing until I get someone to witness your signatures.” The attorney left them alone in the office.

      “You are all right with my change?” Josh asked, breaking the silence.

      “I guess I have to be. No one else will do the work as cheaply as you will.”

      “You got other bids?”

      “No,” she shot back. “But I thought you had more faith in me.”

      “I have plenty of faith in you. It’s the tourist trade I’m not so sure of.”

      The attorney returned with Josh’s former girlfriend. “This is Lexi Zarinski. She’s filling in for the next few days while our receptionist is on vacation.”

      “I know Josh and Tessa from church. Hi.”

      “Hi.” Josh and Tessa signed and dated the agreement. The attorney took both agreements and placed the second sheet with the witness signature line on top.

      Lexi signed them both with a flourish. “I’m taking my lunch break now. Do you guys want to join me at the diner?” Although Lexi had included Tessa in her invitation, her gaze rested on Josh. He rearranged the pages of the agreement on the desk in front of him.

      “Sorry, I’ve got to get over to the school. I’m telling Hope’s class about my job for career day.”

      “And I told Grandma I’d go with her to her doctor’s appointment in Ticonderoga.”

      “Okay, maybe another time.” Lexi made her exit.

      The attorney rose and shook their hands. “Nice seeing both of you again.”

      “Thanks,” Tessa said.

      Josh nodded. He looked around for Lexi lurking as they walked across the reception area to the door. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to get some lunch, but I don’t have time now.”

      “I would have taken you up on the offer. Maybe even treated to make up for my outburst about you getting paid.” She stopped when they reached the sidewalk and looked up at him. “You know, I could just hug you for what you’re doing for Grandma and me.”

      After

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