A Fare To Remember_ Just Whistle_Driven - Vicki Lewis Thompson [102]
“He died when I was nine,” Alec explained. “My grandmother died five years later. I always remembered how happy they were together. You were part of that.”
Ruta shrugged. “Your grandmother would have gotten well whether I told that fortune or not. Her fate was not in my hands.” She pointed to the sofa. “Let us sit down and you will tell about this deal of yours. I will listen and then I will politely refuse you. Or perhaps, this time, I will change my mind.”
“Would you really consider that?” Alec asked, stunned by her admission.
“If the terms are right. But I have terms of my own. I would expect you to take good care of all of my tenants.”
She sat down on the sofa and he sat next to her. “We’d be prepared to find them new places to live, together if they’d like. And they would get a generous settlement that would make them all very comfortable.”
“And if they wanted to stay?”
“I think I could arrange that,” Alec said. He leaned forward, catching her gaze. “Why sell now? What changed your mind?”
“It was something my friend Mario said,” Ruta explained. “As long as I am here, Sabina will feel tied to this place. It is time she set out on her own path in life and stopped following mine. She is a very talented designer, but she is stuck here watching after me and the people in this building. This is not the life I want for her. If I sell, I can give her the money to start her own company. I can give her a future.”
“Maybe this is the life she wants,” Alec said.
Ruta reached out and took his hand again. But this time, she turned his palm up. She traced the lines with her fingertips. “I think you are falling in love with my granddaughter,” she said. “Or are you in love with her already?”
“You can see that there?”
Ruta laughed softly. “No, I see it in your eyes when you look at her. In the way you stand beside her as if you are ready to protect her from anything that might hurt her. You watch out for her the way my husband did for me.”
“It’s crazy, I know,” Alec said. “We’ve known each other just over a week. The moment we met, she had me. For a while, I thought she might have put a spell on me, but now I realize that she’s just the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met.”
“Perhaps it was your destiny that you meet.” She frowned. “I must speak to your grandfather about this. I am certain he would approve.” She turned his hand over and gave it a pat. “So, Alec, what do you plan to do about this?”
Alec braced his elbows on his knees and studied the lines in his palms. “I don’t know how she feels. I don’t think she really trusts me completely.”
“Do you blame her?” Ruta asked.
He shook his head. “I guess not. But I’m happy to wait until she does.”
“Good. Then, let us talk terms. Tell me your offer.”
They talked for a long time, Alec outlining his proposal and Ruta countering with her own ideas. She was a tough negotiator, but she was also fair, understanding his point of view on each matter, though not necessarily agreeing. He sketched out each of the conditions of the sale on the back of a manila envelope, and when he was done, he handed it to her.
Ruta slowly read the outline, then nodded. “This will do.” She took the pen from his hand and scrawled her signature on the bottom. “I am satisfied that you have dealt fairly with me. You are a good man and George would be proud.”
Alec took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he pressed a kiss to her wrist. “And you are a beautiful woman, Mrs. Lupescu.”
“Alec!”
They both turned at the sound of Sabina’s voice. A moment later, she appeared in the door. “Alec?”
“I’m in here,” he said, rising from the sofa.
Sabina walked inside, frowning. She glanced back and forth between Alex and her grandmother. “What are you doing in here?”
“Mr. Harnett and I have been discussing his offer to buy my building. We’ve agreed on terms.”
Sabina gasped. “What?”
“Do not worry. You will not be homeless, Bina. In fact, you will be a millionaire several times over. I plan to give you enough to start your own company and to settle