Beachfront Inheritance by Michele Gilcrest

Author:Michele Gilcrest
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Michele Gilcrest

CHAPTER 10

Mike emerged from his office with receipts in hand and a look of frustration. As he marched over to the coffee machine, he let out a sigh. He was a creature of habit, and it was becoming obvious to Clara whenever he was in the midst of a problem he couldn’t solve. His frustrations usually began with pacing, it may include a few sighs, and it always ended up at the coffee machine.

“Having a hard time?” She slowly spun around in her office chair.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“Let’s put it this way. I haven’t been working here long, but I’m pretty good at picking up on body language. Something has you in a tizzy.”

“Ha, you’re right. I never learned how to develop a poker face,” he said before taking a sip of coffee. “My dad used to always tell me to stop wearing my feelings on my sleeve. Guess I never mastered that one.”

“Well, what’s bothering you? Maybe I can help,” Clara offered.

“Nah, it’s fine. Your day is about to conclude in a few minutes. I’d hate to hold you up with something so ridiculous. Besides, I’m sure you have somebody waiting for you to come home… I would imagine.”

“Yes, I have a companion,” Clara said.

“Oh, what’s the lucky guy’s name?”

Clara giggled, which caused Mike to look at her with a puzzled smirk on his face.

“Her name is Holly. She’s my newly adopted canine. Thankfully, I found a sweet teenager in the building who walks the dogs in the neighborhood, so Holly should be fine.”

“Oh, Holly, your dog. Right. Sorry, I don’t know why I assumed you were talking about…”

His voice trailed off.

“A guy?” she said.

“Well, yeah. I just figured a woman like yourself would probably be taken, that’s all.”

“Hardly!” Clara responded with so much emphasis she had to reconsider how it may have sounded.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t mind having a male companion, I just haven’t met the right one. Sorry, that’s probably TMI,” she said.

“No, don’t apologize. I get it. It’s difficult getting out there and meeting new people. Especially in this day and age. All this modern technology has replaced human interaction. It’s crazy. That’s why I love it out here on the Island. People out here believe in face-to-face communication; they know each other by name. Most of the folks out here grew up in the area, went to school together, and started families of their own right here in Solomons Island,” Mike said.

“Do you like it here even better than Annapolis?”

“Annapolis is beautiful, too. But, in a different way. Out here, it’s quiet. It’s peaceful. I can count the stars at night. If I ever miss Annapolis, it’s just a boat ride away,” he said.

Forgetting he was in the midst of a problem he was trying to solve, Mike glanced down at the receipts in his hand.

“So, what are you trying to figure out?” Clara asked.

“Well, I was trying to go through some of Brody’s expenses and identify a few loopholes. I have about four months of receipts here and everything is all disorganized.

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