Chapter 20
Sloane called Claire Friday morning as she arrived at the shop. She parked and sat for a minute to hear the update.
“So I heard back from Ellis’s attorney, and the good news is they’ve doubled their offer. Ellis apparently agreed that they could afford to do better now that things are going well with the new job.”
Claire mentally did the calculations and relaxed a bit.
The increased amount wasn’t anywhere near where it would have been if Ellis had still been doing well with his prior company and they hadn’t lost everything.
But it was more than she’d expected, and it would be a nice cushion, especially during the winter months when the shop was closed and she was on maternity leave.
“How do you feel about this?” Sloane asked. Claire wished she could see her attorney’s facial expression, because she thought she sensed a lack of enthusiasm. But maybe she was imagining it, and it was just Sloane showing her disapproval for Ellis in general.
“Well, it’s good news, right? It’s more than I expected given where he started. I’m glad things are going better for him.”
There was a long, silent pause before Sloane finally spoke.
“It’s better. But I’m not convinced it is as good as it should be.
Based on what he says he’s now earning, it seems fair.
But I still would recommend a forensic audit.
Just to protect yourself in case he has hidden assets that you should share. ”
Claire hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t think Ellis would be that shady.
It seems like he did the right thing by doubling the initial offer.
You also mentioned a forensic audit could be costly.
What if it doesn’t turn up anything, and all I’ve done is insult Ellis?
He just had a good weekend with Lily. I don’t want to jeopardize that.
We won’t be friends of course, but it’s good for both of us, I think, if we can be respectfully civil. ”
“All right. That’s your choice of course. I don’t have to respond immediately. We have two weeks to get back to them. I’ll let them know our answer then will be yes unless I hear from you otherwise. Does that sound good?”
“Sure. That sounds fine. Thank you, Sloane. I know you’re just looking out for me. I don’t think I’ll change my mind, but there’s no harm in waiting.”
“None at all,” Sloane agreed. “Take care.”
That night over dinner at home, Claire updated Marsha and Lily about the improved offer.
“What does Sloane think?” Marsha asked.
“She said it’s better, but she still thinks I should do a forensic audit in case Ellis is hiding money somewhere.” Claire cut into the eggplant parmesan her mother had made and took a bite.
Marsha frowned. “Do you think he’s capable of doing that?”
Claire shook her head. “I really don’t. He was always generous with us.
I think he just made a big mistake, and now we’re all paying for it.
The offer is much better now though. He told Lily things are going well at the new job, so now he can afford to do more for us.
This will be a nice safety net and will take away some of the financial stress of the store needing to do well all the time. ”
“Especially during the offseason,” Marsha agreed.
“Exactly. Sloane also said that forensic audits are expensive. I’d hate to waste money looking for a problem that doesn’t exist.”
“I don’t think Dad would try to cheat us,” Lily said. She looked a bit worried though, and Claire rushed to assure her.
“I don’t think he would either, honey. I think my lawyer is just looking out for us, and as a divorce attorney, she’s seen a lot, so she’s pretty cautious. She has two weeks to respond though. I think she’s hoping that I will change my mind. I don’t intend to.”
Marsha sighed. “I can’t wait until this is all settled for you, and you can put it all behind you.”
“Me too,” Claire agreed.
The following Wednesday was book club night, and this time, Rachel was hosting.
Claire made something really easy this time.
She roasted grape tomatoes until they were soft and sweet, and then added them to a casserole dish with a tub of creamy Boursin cheese and baked it for fifteen minutes or so until the cheese was bubbly and melted.
A quick stir to mix everything well and a thinly sliced baguette for dipping, and she was ready to go.
She loved Rachel’s house near the airport in a neighborhood of year-round homes.
Rachel and her husband had qualified years ago for the resident lottery, which allowed them to buy a home below market rates with the condition that they could only resell at similar under-market rates adjusted for annual cost of living.
Her house was a cozy two-story Cape with a cathedral ceiling in the living and kitchen area, which made it feel bigger than it was. She had a wraparound peninsula in the kitchen where they set all their appetizers, then filled their plates and settled on the sprawling sectional sofa.
This month’s book was one that Claire had enjoyed more than she’d expected to.
It was The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.
Claire sometimes had a harder time getting into historical fiction, but this one gripped her immediately, and she’d read it in two days, not wanting to put it down to go to sleep.
Jenna had picked it, so she led the discussion once everyone was seated with their plates of food balanced on their laps.
“So what did everyone think?” Jenna asked.
“I loved it,” Claire said. “It was fascinating to learn how things have changed for women in Iran. I came away with an understanding of something I knew almost nothing about before. It makes you appreciate what we have.”
Everyone nodded.
“I liked the drama, it kept the pages turning, and I read this one pretty quickly,” Rachel said.
The others chimed in, sharing other things they liked about the book. When they exhausted the book discussion, they turned to catching up on their personal lives.
“How is the shop going, Claire?” Jenna asked.
“Good. I’m starting to get into a rhythm.
I don’t sell as many of the expensive bags as I’d like, but I’m selling a lot of other smaller items.” She told them about the things she was carrying.
“I want to think of other inventory that might be popular, especially with summer coming. Any suggestions? The sunglasses are more popular than I expected.”
“What about other beach stuff, like a really nice tote bag? You could put a beach image on it or even your logo. The word Nantucket is always in demand.”
Claire nodded. “I need to design a logo. I have some on order, but they just say Nantucket. That might be a fun project to work on. Maybe a high-end sunscreen too, and straw hats.”
“I love a good floppy beach hat,” Rachel agreed.
“Stephanie, thanks again for referring your brother and the shop to me. We just agreed to extend the lease for a year.”
“Oh! That is great news.” Stephanie sounded excited for her. “I had a feeling you’d do great there. Sorry my brother was so skeptical. But to be fair, he had no idea those bags were worth so much.”
Claire smiled. “Yeah, it’s working out really well.”
Rachel glanced over at Stephanie. “Is your brother dating anyone these days?”
“He hasn’t dated anyone seriously in years. Not since his divorce. He dates a lot, but it never seems to last. I told him he’s too picky.” Stephanie laughed. “He didn’t like that. But he had to admit I had a point.”
“Did you know Sally? He dated her a few months ago, and she came into the shop last week,” Claire asked. “He said she invited him to a wine event and he’s going.”
Stephanie looked surprised. “Really? He’d told me she was definitely not right for him. I wonder why he’s giving her another chance?”
“He said he wondered if he might have been too quick to decide and that he should spend more time with her. It’s also for his favorite wine, so that may have tempted him.”
Stephanie laughed. “Well, I’m glad he’s stepping out of his comfort zone a little. I never met her, so I have no idea if she’s right for him. But he’ll figure it out.”
“What about him for Claire?” Jenna suggested.
Claire laughed. “Dating is the last thing on my mind right now. And a pregnant thirty-nine-year-old isn’t exactly a catch. I know it will likely make things more challenging, but I’m not worrying about that now, probably not until long after the baby comes.”
Stephanie looked thoughtful though. “He has always wanted kids. It’s really not a bad idea.”
Claire thought it was a crazy idea. “It’s not like that at all with us. Cody’s great, but he’s also my landlord. That could make things awkward. Not that it’s something I’ve even considered.”
“People date when they’re pregnant,” Jenna said. “You don’t have to put your life on hold until after you have the baby. Unless you want to of course.”
“I think that’s what I want. I can’t imagine dating now. I’m still trying to process my marriage ending and living with my mother again. I don’t think dating really fits into that scenario well.”
“Maybe not,” Stephanie agreed. “I could see you as a good match for Cody though. If the timing was ever right.”
“Well, he’s going out with Sally soon. He might be off the market shortly,” Claire said.
Stephanie laughed. “I’m not holding my breath for that.”
Cody picked up a vanilla coffee along with his usual double dark on his way to his shop.
He didn’t stop for coffee every day; sometimes he had it at home, but at least a few times a week, he liked to stop into the Corner Table for their fresh-brewed coffee, which always somehow tasted better than what he made at home.
And he’d noted that Claire liked the vanilla-flavored one, so if he stopped in, he usually picked one up for her too.
It seemed like the polite thing to do, and he liked the way she smiled in appreciation when he set the coffee on her counter.
It was a small thing, but it made them both happy.