Page 35 of Second Chance At Love

Cora came forward, sitting beside Henry and letting the dog sniff her hand. She slowly began petting it. “What am I supposed to do with you, Henry?”

Henry shrugged. “Adopt a dog?”

Cora rolled her eyes. “No more important purchases for my family without my consent.”

“Deal,” Henry easily agreed.

“I’m disappointed. I thought you would yell at him,” mentioned a frowning Noah.

Michael gave Noah’s arm a nudge and rolled his eyes.

Noah looked at his watch. “Well, we need to get going. Cora, I give you full permission to yell at Henry in private.”

“Thanks,” dryly said Cora. “I will keep that in mind.”

Waiting for Noah and Michael to leave, Cora locked up after them before joining Henry on the couch again. “Seriously, no more major purchases without talking to me first.”

“I did drop a few hints,” mentioned Henry as Daisy looked up at him adoringly.

“Yes, but I didn’t think you were serious,” replied Cora. “She’s very calm.”

“Daisy is mostly trained too. Although, I still think it might be good for Nick and Oliver to take her to doggy training school so they can learn how to care for her and how to properly handle her,” suggested Henry.

“That’s a good idea,” agreed Cora as she petted Daisy.

Anything Henry might have said was interrupted as his cellphone rang. Answering the call, he put the phone to his ear. ‘Henry here.”

Henry listened as Cora was silent beside him, intently watching. He realized that she might have thought he was answering the phone the hospital had given him. That phone was specifically for him to have just in case he got a call about the possibility of a heart being available for him.

Instead it was Temple who was setting up a time to visit him to discuss what he had learned about Gerrit’s plea deal.

“Okay, thanks. I will see you then,” said Henry before he hung up the phone. “Temple will be here this morning. He found out the terms of Gerri’s plea for me.”

Cora bit her lip. “Gerrit and I have never been friends. I think he was jealous of me in some ways. In other ways, I think he sometimes blamed me for Nate’s behavior. However, I hope whatever deal he made isn’t too bad. I don’t want it to be upsetting for you.”

“It’s going to be upsetting no matter what. My brother is going to prison,” quietly replied Henry.

“I’m sorry,” Cora told him, leaning against him as she petted Daisy. They both sat in silence for a while. “We are keeping her, I suppose. What’s her name again?”

“Daisy,” answered Henry with a small smile. “Her name is Daisy.”

“The boys are going to love her,” remarked Cora.

“That’s the plan,” he responded, as they both petted Daisy who seemed quite happy with the situation.

The doorbell rang, breaking the silence. Daisy let out a single bark.

“That should be Temple,” said Henry.

Cora quickly got up so Henry wouldn’t have to. “I’ll get the door.”

She let the lawyer in. Henry invited Temple to sit down in the living room. Cora busied herself making coffee so she wouldn’t seem like she was eavesdropping, even though she really was, yet Henry found he didn’t mind.

Temple was grave as he leaned forward in his armchair, loosely clasping his hands together. “I managed to talk to Gerrit’s lawyer Phelps this morning. He’s a reasonable fellow and we have been friends for some time. That’s the only reason he is doing this favor. He is risking a lot to break confidentialitywith Gerrit by speaking with me. Anything I say to you cannot go any further without potentially damaging his career.”

Henry caught Temple’s look of concern as he glanced at Cora with significance. “Both Cora and I won’t say anything to anyone.”

“He could be disbarred or blacklisted,” warned Temple. “The details will come out at the sentencing hearing so you cannot repeat anything I say about this matter until after then.”