“You may have noticed it’s been a busy day today. Lots of meetings. Some of them were just catching up after being away, but there was one with your aunt that we need to discuss and also I met with David to discuss his overall assessment of your suitability for the role.”

Paula nodded. There wasn’t much for her to say at this point. She’d known the assessment was coming. She thought she was doing a good job. She hoped David and her grandfather agreed.

“So, first your aunt. Did you know she had a harebrained idea that I might want to sell The Whitley?”

Paula was shocked. “No. I knew nothing about that.”

“She invited a realtor in, got an assessment and then tried to convince me it would be a good time to cash in. For her to cash in is really what it came down to.” He explained about her aunt’s gambling addiction. Paula knew she’d had a problem with gambling years ago but didn’t know it was an issue again.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”

“None of us did. Except Freddy who was there. That’s the real reason she came home and was all upset with him. He put his foot down about the gambling. But not before she lost most of their life savings.” He sighed.

“I talked to David about it and we came up with an idea. I didn’t want to involve you on this because you are family, and I wanted an outside, objective opinion. I also wondered if he might have run into anything like this before in his consulting and he has.”

“Twice, actually. Gambling addiction is more common than people realize.”

Her grandfather nodded. “Your aunt is already addressing the problem. She’s joined a local support group. What we’ve decided to do is to advance her a portion of her inheritance—enough to give her a cushion and get her back on her feet and so they won’t have to lose their house.”

Paula’s jaw dropped.

Her grandfather nodded. “Yes, she’s really got herself and Freddy into a pickle. And it’s not his fault. She lied to him about what she was up to. He thought she was out with her friends—and she was—but at casinos. It’s a mess.”

“Your grandfather isn’t just giving her money, though,” David added.

“That’s right. I told her I’m not a bank and I have no intention of selling The Whitley—ever. I did tell her we can give her a real job here, though, and put her on salary. David came up with the perfect role for her.”