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"Blue, we need to talk about Gervais." Clara says.
"Wait, Momma let me send you something and when you've read it call me back." Blue says.
"If you read what I send." Clara says.
"Okay, deal." Blue sighs.
He emails Clara the report and a summary of his last fight with Gervais and latest meeting with his lawyer.
He waits and then opens what Clara has sent.
"Well fuck a duck." Blue mutters.
Will is at the hotel getting set up now the equipment has arrived and Blue was preparing for a trip to meet up with Ollie and DeShawn. Blue has been working on the vegan marshmallows for the ice-cream company, they are really keen for him to come on board to do a dairy free kids range. Blue is excited to do it.
Since his fog cleared Blue has been feeling really creative and his ambition is returning. Gervais's shit has lit his fire. He has ideas for the properties and for the income. He's spoken to Willow and Heidi and to Katelyn about what they are working on and what they need.
Blue imagines that speaking to those three prompted Clara to call, or he hopes that is more likely than Gervais calling for her help.
Blue checks his mail and is baffled by what Clara has sent.
"You knew all along? You knew what he was up to? Abby knew?" Blue asks.
"Yes. We suspected and did some digging." Clara says.
"Why didn't Abby stop him. She can't have wanted all of this. Especially not the underhand stuff." Blue says.
"That is more recent and I was surprised that they have taken that turn." Clara says.
"It's all a bit Paul. Why didn't Abby stop him? Why didn't she change the will?" Blue asks.
"Some of the deals she was happy about. She is more than happy to sell the buildings for the Arena in the city, she was excited for the jobs that would create. She had faith that Gervais would use the money to find you, rescue you and keep you safe. She didn't think he's really go through with anything that would hurt her community." Clara says.
"Why didn't you stop him, after she died?" Blue asks.
"I loved Abby, very much, she was a mentor to me and I begged her to see sense to change her mind. But I couldn't. She knew I couldn't be that visible. And she didn't trust me not to control you. It was too big a burden for Glady, Ollie or Andy and she was never close to Spence. She didn't trust the board. Of everyone she thought Gervais would have the least temptation and yet he had the most." Clara says.
"What do I do now?" Blue asks.
"You've given him an ultimatum and told him if he tries anything underhand you'll take him to court? I would take him to court now for breaking the verbal agreement you had to sell it all. Or at least send him a letter of your intentions." Clara says.
"You're actually supporting me fighting Gervais?" Blue asks surprised.
"I am. Your friendship won't survive if you let him get away with ripping you off." Clara says.
"It is over anyway." Blue says.
"What tipped you off?" Clara asks.
"I wondered why this place hadn't sold. Some of the farmers wanted to buy their farms. Spence and I investigated some other places and couldn't get anywhere. It was a bad plan, selling it all but I didn't know how much there was, I thought just a couple of buildings. I owe Birch such a big apology as he tried to get through to me and I couldn't take it in." Blue says and fills in about overhearing the phone call from Fergus.
"He's back at the farmhouse. Cheryl is worried about Ocean's position." Clara says.
"I'm going up tomorrow, staying with Ollie. I need to see Gladys more and I'm doing a few days for the ice-cream people." Blue says.
"You should put an ice-cream parlor in your hotel. You loved that place. You can train people up and not need to run it yourself." Clara says.
"I was thinking, ice-cream, coffee and juice bar. I don't want the running of it, the stress and hours but we do want to feed our startups and Will's clients. I'm doing the protein cookies with DeShawn and Ollie. I'm back mom. And this time I know the stakes are not high, we fail, we fail and no one will starve." Blue says.
"Glad to hear it. Are you and Will doing okay? Are you sure it's the right time?" Clara asks.
"I love him momma. I love him so much. I don't think he has any idea how much I love him. He's amazing and I feel like he wants to protect me and do the right thing for me, even if he knows that risks our relationship. I don't know if he's the one for me, but he is all mine." Blue says, unable to hide any of his feelings.
"I think you are finally in a good place." Clara says.
"What about you? Are you and Roe making a proper go of it?" Blue asks.
"I think we left it too late. I don't fit into her life now. Her career as a teacher, artist mentor has taken off in a way she never dreamed of and it isn't a life I can fit in to. Not now." Clara says.
"You don't approve that the retreat has more high paying artists, than women in need of a break or healing." Blue says.
"Exactly. And I hold it against her. It isn't our home up here any more kid." Clara says.
"You liked having the gymnasts for the summer." Blue says.
"Yes I did and Bea has hired a couple of coaches and they are continuing with the gymnastics and wrestling and the kids and families are ecstatic. Spence and Will really started something. Ocean is a hero to the kids here." Clara says.
"Good. Wasn't it amazing seeing Ocean out there with the best in the world? I was so proud of all of us playing a part." Blue says.
"Me too. He put in the hard work but we all got him there." Clara says.
"I best go, Will will be here soon. I need to get dinner on. Before you say anything we take turns, he cooks too and we split all the chores." Blue says.
"I wouldn't have expected anything else." Clara says.
"Maybe you should get saving for a double wedding." Blue says.
"Bea is dating again, so maybe a triple." Clara says.
"I would never want to steal Bea's thunder." Blue says.
"So sexist." Clara says and Blue laughs at the truth.
Blue starts cooking and gets a call from Larry to ask if he can feed the two of them too. Blue readily agrees and after a message from Spence is soon cooking for six. It doesn't feel like a chore any more.
Will picks up Spence and Andy from the airport and drives them back to Blue's where Larry and Chris are already trying to sneak food while they take turns to man the corn and peppers on the grill.
"Something smells good." Spence says coming in. Blue steps over to hug him and then Andy before kissing Will hello.
"I have missed seeing you two do that." Andy grins.
"I am happy." Blue says smiling.
"I can see that. No second guessing." Andy says.
"It's scorched earth where Gervais is concerned. Blue can fully concentrate on Will." Spence says.
"Pfft it is my charm and looks that keep his eyes on me." Will grins.
"I love you guys. I really do." Blue grins and starts serving up food.
"Wow, this bread is new. Cheesy bread. Yum." Chris grins.
"I knew you'd like it. I'm experimenting. Look I know you guys have news for me but I'd like dinner to be pleasant talk." Blue says.
"Blue you cannot expect me to stop eating and start talking." Andy says eating and refilling his plate simultaneously.
"I want to open a coffee place cum ice-cream and juice bar in the hotel. I don't plan to run it. Executive chef or something. I would train the staff and set the menu. I think as a breakfast and lunch place for our workers and ice-cream on evenings and weekends. The sort of place people can bring their kids after work. I want to see a line for coffee and juice first thing, a bustle of meetings over coffee and light lunches. Will's clients grabbing juice after a workout and kids doing their homework with a milkshake in the afternoons and kids parties. We source fruit here. You two should consider melon and berries for me." Blue says.
"We have the perfect slot for you. A coffee and juice place will entice people to take space too. And well my boyfriend will be more than happy to come in and wait for me if he gets to have an ice-cream sundae while he's waiting." Spence grins.
"And I will have somewhere to grab something when I'm studying. I get a twin discount of like one hundred percent, right?" Chris grins.
"We can come up with something. You and Andy will eat all the profits given the chance." Spence laughs.
"We'll also spread the word. Melon was on our list but realistically we need more space. Blue is there any chance? Spence and I are going to go ahead and move into the main cabin in the next couple of weeks." Andy says.
"Are you sure?" Larry asks.
"Not really Spence's style." Chris says.
"We need our space and I can cope with it just fine. We're getting the bathroom redone right now and you know us, we'll grill out and mooch off you." Spence grins.
"But you'd prefer a farm?" Blue asks.
"Yeah. I am so jealous of the fruit farm. Larry and I work well together and we have a great team. Like you I guess my ambition is returning. I could use some of the land that is allocated to the camp but that wouldn't be ideal." Andy says.
"I'm not going to push anyone out for you. In a couple of weeks I'll do a review with all the tenants anyway. And I'll let you know." Blue says.
"Okay, I feel so stupid because I thought I didn't want it and I threw it away and now I want it again." Andy says.
"We want it. We are so jealous of Kayden's parent's place. This isn't just Andy, we both want more than we have. Chris and Spence keep telling us to prove ourselves with what we have." Chris says.
"It is the fruit trees, takes me back to when I first had the idea." Chris says.
"We can go over the camp space." Spence says.
"Yes we might be able to fit it in. We can't evict Kayden's parents, we don't want Chris failing a class." Blue grins.
"He is not a good teacher. He fucking sucks." Chris says.
"Really?" Will asks.
"Everyone thinks the same. I mean I do okay because my bro here is brilliant at translating and pulling out the important parts." Chris says.
"You pay a fortune for a class and your brother teaches you at home. Brilliant." Spence says.
"Chris is doing great with everything else." Larry says.
"I am. I love it so far." Chris says.
"I think it's time for the other news." Will says gently as Blue serves up pie for dessert.
"Fergus is in trouble, as usual. W was mad as hell. After you called him he started looking in to things, trying to see what could be unraveled. It's not just the dodgy deals with Fergus, there is money laundering, extortion and drugs and possibly securities fraud. It's shit. W is so torn between cleaning it up and avoiding a scandal and letting Fergus actually deal with the consequences." Spence says his face ashen.
"We went to see Gervais afterwards and laid it all bare. He is licking his wounds. He claims he didn't know. Just thought they were being tax efficient. I think he knew some. I mean W had already called him and chewed him out." Andy says.
"Shit. Is Gervais okay?" Will asks.
"No but that is his own making." Spence says.
"I'm going out there but I won't see him. Everything through our lawyers." Blue says.
"You're strong enough to face anything babe. We all believe in you." Will says and kisses Blue.