Vanna folded her hands neatly in her lap, her posture perfectly straight. “John has never mentioned any financial strain to me.”
“A proud man rarely does,” Robert said, chewing his steak. “But the coastal development project is a massive undertaking, and if he cannot carry his share of the initial bonding fees, the county zoning board will simply hand the permits to someone else.”
Vanna reached down and rubbed the silver charm bracelet on her wrist, her fingers resting on the small heart charm. “Is that what you want, Robert?”
“Of course not,” Robert said, offering a warm, reassuring smile that did not reach his eyes. “I want to help him, which is why I have been trying to streamline the paperwork on my end.”
He set his knife down, the metal clinking against the rim of his plate. Vanna watched the waiter pour more sparkling water, the tiny bubbles rising and popping against the lime wedge. She wondered how a simple zoning delay had suddenly turned into a question of John’s financial survival.
