“Can’t really say because it’s still not finished. I can tell you when I started. It was back when my daughter was three, and I thought it would be fun to get a train for Christmas. She’s forty-one now.”

Gabe huffed. “The level of detail here—it’s impressive. Beyond impressive.”

“The most important parts are always in the details. If you don’t pay attention, so many moments get lost as they turn into memory.”

Gabe glanced his way. “I’ll remember that.”

After Gabe met with his consultant last week, Olivia had helped him and Yun assemble a spreadsheet that impressed even detail-oriented Yun. At the end of last week, he’d officially presented his proposal to purchase Dr. Washington’s clientele list and equipment but not his building, and Albert had been thinking it over.

Since he’d texted Gabe earlier today asking if he could pop over at lunch, Gabe suspected Albert had made his decision, and the minutes had been ticking by slowly ever since.

Considering he’d been managing the practice completely on his own the last couple months, Gabe wasn’t sure what would happen if Albert didn’t agree to the split sale. But the fact of the matter was, with his student loans added to the business and building loan for Dr. Washington’s old place, he’d barely have been able to scrape by. Even before Albert admitted he’d been turning away clients during his busiest months for the last few years, Gabe had known the biggest limitation to growing the business would be the building’s small size.

If Albert would agree to sell him the business and equipment only, and he and Yun were to split the costs of it and the new building, they’d be able to create an entirely different financial picture. Especially considering that once the cost was spread over a thirty-year payment plan, the jewelry store wasn’t much more expensive than Albert’s property.

“This friend of yours you want to go into business with,” Albert asked, apparently ready to get to business. “She’s the one you’ve talked about? Who took a position over at Warson Landing?”

“Yeah. That’s her.”

“I know it’s not my place to ask, but your relationship, it’s platonic?”

Gabe blinked. Of all the questions he was prepared to address, that one hadn’t made the list. “Uh, yeah. Completely.”

Albert nodded and switched off the long-armed lamp before slipping carefully off the stool and walking over to join Gabe in front of the ski lodge. He had been admiring the miniature hot chocolate stand and the small group of people standing huddled around a campfire.

“I take it you think you would work well together?”

“We studied well together, and we’re close.”