Albert dragged a hand over the thick, gray stubble covering his chin. “I’d just hate to see everything I’ve built torn apart in a business disagreement one day. I worked with you for eight months, and I wouldn’t have offered to sell you what I spent a lifetime building if I didn’t think you had a good head on your shoulders. I hope you don’t take offense, but work partnerships can be tough. More so if they were ever to evolve into anything more complicated.”

Gabe felt a spark of anger igniting in his gut but fought it back. It made sense that Albert would be concerned. A sole proprietorship was one thing. This was a partnership. And while Gabe had worked with him for nearly eight months before Albert’s back surgery, Yun was a practical stranger to him. It’s in the details, he’d just said.

“It won’t,” Gabe replied. “If that was ever going to happen, it would’ve by now. Besides, I’m pretty confident that a month ago I met the person I’m supposed to be with. You haven’t had the chance to meet her yet, but I’d like you to.”

Albert gave him a sharp look. “Did you? How’d the staff take that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that it may have killed a few quietly smoldering crushes.”

“None that I would’ve intentionally fostered.”

Albert nodded. “I know, or I wouldn’t be selling you my business.”

Gabe ground his bottom teeth into his top, waiting for more. The Union Pacific was passing by, filling his nostrils with the smell of the smoke fluid.

“Does that mean you’re still selling me your business?”

With a touch of dramatic flair that was warranted for someone who was about to embark on one of the most dramatic changes of his life, Albert extended his hand with an uncharacteristic flourish. “The wife says she’ll divorce me if I don’t, but between me and you, I was going to anyway.”

Gabe took his hand but stepped in to give him a careful hug, not sure of the condition of his back. “I can promise you, you won’t regret it. It’s going to be good. Better than good. It’s going to be incredible.”

Albert chuckled and adjusted the thick glasses he’d stuck on top of his head. “I have nothing but faith in you, son. Nothing but faith.”

* * *

More days had passed than Olivia could remember since she’d headed back to Elsah so early in the evening, and she was half-surprised when doing so put her smack-dab in the middle of rush hour. As much as she disliked driving in traffic, sitting parked on the highway and then riding her brake lights through Alton to get to the Great River Road gave her plenty of time to think.