He hesitated.
“Cole.”
“Elena Sterling.”
“I heard.”
She reached toward her bag.
Ethan immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“Whatever you're about to do.”
“You don’t even know what I’m about to do.”
“You have the look.”
“What look?”
“The one people get before turning simple thing complicated.”
Elena stared at him.
Lucy called from the truck:
“He says that about rich people.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Lucy.”
“What?”
Elena looked toward the child.
Then back at him.
“Rich people?”
Lucy leaned halfway out the window.
“Dad fixed a man’s Porsche and the guy tried giving him a watch.”
“Get back in the truck.”
Ethan said.
Lucy disappeared, still talking.
“It was ugly anyway.”
Elena smiled.
“Your daughter seems discreet.”
“Her greatest quality.”
“Apparently.”
Ethan put his hands into his pockets.
“You good?”
Before Elena could answer, a black sedan turned onto Main Street.
Long.
Polished.
Government-level tint.
It slowed sharply.
Stopped behind Ethan’s old red pickup.
The rear door opened.
A man in a navy suit stepped out carrying a leather portfolio.
Then another woman in a gray business suit emerged from the opposite side.
Both looked toward Elena.
The man visibly exhaled.
“Ms. Sterling.”
Ethan’s expression changed.
Gary had followed them outside.
Probably because he wanted to make certain Elena actually left.
He froze in the doorway.
The suited man approached quickly.
“I'm sorry.”
“The county filing took longer than expected.”
Elena looked at her watch.
“It cleared?”
“Everything.”
“Wire confirmation.”
“Asset transfer.”
“All one hundred twelve locations.”
Gary’s face changed.
Ethan looked at Elena.
Elena said nothing.
The executive handed her the portfolio.
“Congratulations.”
“As of 3:19 p.m., Sterling Meridian officially owns Buckeye Community Pharmacy Group.”
Gary’s mouth opened.
Main Street Pharmacy was a Buckeye Community location.
The sign above them still carried the old company’s green-and-white logo.
Ethan slowly looked from the sign to Elena.
Then back.
Lucy had climbed out of the pickup.
She whispered loudly:
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Did you just buy medicine for the lady who bought the pharmacy?”
Ethan closed his eyes.
Elena laughed.
Gary did not.
His face had drained completely.
The executive noticed him.
“Mr. Whitcomb?”
Gary straightened automatically.
“You know me?”
“I reviewed your location reports this morning.”
Gary looked toward Elena.
Then toward the pharmacy.
His voice cracked.
“Ms. Sterling…”
Elena raised one hand.
“Not now.”
He stopped.
She opened the portfolio.
The closing certificate sat on top.
She did not need it.
She already knew what it said.
Elena looked at Ethan.
He was staring at her as though she had somehow broken a rule.
“You own it.”
“Apparently.”
“You knew?”