Page 195 of The Maxwell Brothers

"Go get ’em, Mr. Superstar Goalie. I need to go."

I was smiling from ear to ear again as the call disconnected.

I met Luke and Declan at a small coffee shop near the Field Museum. Even though the weather was terrible, there was still a line to get inside. I loved this building, with the marble steps leading up onto the splendid terrace and the neoclassical architectural style of the museum itself. The coffee shop was five minutes away from the museum, and Declan and Luke were already sitting down at a table when I arrived.

"Hello, gentlemen." I waved at them.

Sitting up straighter, Declan blinked. "Gentlemen?"

Luke smiled. "Who tricked you into believing that?”

“Maybe you meantgentleman, as in singular? It could apply to me but certainly not to this one," Declan said.

"I'd give you shit, but you're right," Luke said.

"You're taking time out of your busy day to help. That makes you gentlemen in my book. Emphasis on the plural."

Luke grinned. "You haven't been around us for too long, then.”

Declan cocked a brow. "I stand by what I said.Iam a gentleman."

Luke grasped his shoulder. “Declan, real gentlemen don't say that."

"Okay, while you're debating the pros and cons on this, why don't I get us drinks? It's my treat," I said before either of them could offer.

"She thinks she can boss us into this," Luke said.

Declan placed both hands on the table. "One thing you should learn about us Maxwell guys is that, gentlemen or not, we’re for sure not going to let you pay."

"Why don't we order the drinks, and we'll revisit this later?" I suggested.

Luke nodded. "You're good. I'll give you that."

"I know."

We all ordered coffee, and as soon as the waitress left, Declan rolled his shoulders.

“Okay, so I got the report from the inspection. They’d installed a faulty sump pump with no backup system, so there’s no argument. They have to pay for the damage. Here’s what I suggest as the next steps.”

He laid out a detailed roadmap for getting the money back from the previous owners for the water damage.

Luke took over next, taking out his laptop and showing me the timeline for payments if I decided to work with the contractor he suggested after all.

“Wow. I honestly didn’t think contractors accepted being paid in installments,” I told him.

“They usually don’t, but I used my charm to convince them,” he said.

“Thanks,” I exclaimed.

“Besides, they’re only doing one portion at a time, and you’re paying that, so they’re not at risk. If everyone keeps to the timeline, you’ll be ready to move in January. And Iwillmake sure they deliver on time.”

They worked together as a team, and their energy even energized me.

"You think I'll have a chance of getting the money back?" I asked Declan.

"Definitely. I'm very good at what I do," he said.

"And he's humble too," Luke put in, "but I have to be fair. He's one of the best lawyers in Chicago. And I can vouch for all these handymen. They’re working at Declan's place too."