Cooper’s heart ached for Lizzie, the sweetest, most generous person he knew. “And all you want to do is protect her from the train wreck headed her way.”
“Yeah. This isn’t going to end well, Coop. I just know that, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to keep it from blowing up in our faces.”
“You’re doing everything you can to keep that from happening. That’s all you can do.”
“It’s not enough. Every hour that goes by, she gets in deeper.”
“If there’s anything at all I can do for either of you, just ask. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Jared. If you want me to go to the mainland and find this woman, I’ll do it.”
“I’ve got someone looking for her, and he’s damned good. If he can’t find her, it’s because she doesn’t want to be found.”
“What about the clinic? Maybe they have some info on her?”
“We already tried that. Dead end. Privacy laws keep them from telling us anything. The Beachcomber requires a mainland address for all their employees, and hers was in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. That was the first place my guy went. The people there have no idea who she is, so she gave a fake address.”
“Do you think she came out here looking for someone to take her baby?”
“Who knows what her plan was?”
The doorbell rang.
Cooper jumped up. “I’ll get it.” Wondering who’d be ringing the front doorbell when everyone came and went through the patio door, Cooper unlocked the door and opened it to a man he didn’t recognize. “Help you?”
“I’m Oliver Watkins. I have a meeting with Jared James.”
“Oh, um, sure.” Cooper was fairly certain Jared had forgotten about their meeting. “Let me just grab him. I’m Cooper, by the way. Jared’s brother.”
Oliver shook his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“You as well. Hang on just a second.” Cooper went back to the office to find Jared right where he’d left him, staring off into space, probably hoping a solution to their quandary would magically appear. “Oliver Watkins is here for a meeting.”
“Oh shit. I forgot about that.”
“What’s it about? Can I help?”
“I met him at a dinner the McCarthys had to introduce him and his wife to people on the island. They’re the new lighthouse keepers. He’s interested in getting into the market, and I offered to give him some pointers.”
“You want me to have him come back another time?”
“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing else I can do about Jessie right now.” Jared got up to go greet the man. “Stick around. You might learn something.”
As Cooper laughed at Jared’s comment, he was relieved that Jared could joke about anything, considering current events. Cooper sat in the chair he’d been in before he answered the door.
Jared returned a minute later with Oliver. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you. It’s such an honor to have a chance to meet with you.”
“Have a seat.” Jared went around the desk to return to his chair. “You met my brother Coop.”
“I did.”
“He’s been doing some investing, too, and having great results.”
“That’s great. Congratulations.” Oliver withdrew a pen and small notebook from his pocket. “I’ve been doing a ton of reading, but there’s so much to learn.”
“It’s a lot at first,” Jared said, “but like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it.”
“Do you have a background in finance?” Cooper asked.
“No, I worked for years in politics.”
“What brought about the career change?” Cooper had no sooner asked the question than he regretted it due to the stricken expression that overtook the man’s face.
Oliver quickly recovered, but his eyes conveyed a world of sadness. “My three-year-old son was killed in an accident. That sort of upended everything.”
“I’m so sorry.” How did anyone survive such a loss? Cooper’s heart went out to the man.
“My wife and I are taking this year on Gansett to reinvent our lives, and I’ve decided I’d like to work for myself. I realize there’re probably less-risky fields I could venture into than investing, but the market has always fascinated me. And when I met you, Jared, I figured that might be a sign.”
“I’m happy to coach you,” Jared said. “I enjoy teaching others what I’ve learned.”
They spent the next forty minutes discussing some of the tricks that’d made Jared so successful as a stockbroker and trader, and sure enough, Cooper learned a few things he hadn’t heard before. “Everyone has a different comfort level with risk,” Jared said. “The one thing I want you to take away is not to risk anything you can’t afford to lose. And start slow. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your portfolio won’t be either.”
“I appreciate this so much. My grandparents left me money that I’ve had invested for a while, and I’m planning to use that as my seed money for this new endeavor. I wouldn’t be happy to lose it, but if I did, we’d still be okay. We sold our house and are living off the proceeds until we figure out our next steps. My wife is applying for a summer job at the Wayfarer, and living rent-free at the lighthouse buys us some time.”
“Let’s do a weekly meeting so I can take a look at things for you,” Jared said.
Oliver stared at him, seeming stunned. “You’d do that?”
“I’d be happy to. I want this to work for you.” Jared handed him a card. “That’s got my cell number and email. Feel free to reach out any time. We’ll get this business launched for you.”
“I don’t even know what to say. That’s so incredibly generous of you.”
Cooper was always proud of his brother—unreasonably so, if you asked his friends in the city who made fun of his hero worship for Jared. But seeing him extend himself to Oliver while in the midst of his own crisis only increased Cooper’s admiration tenfold. After Jared walked Oliver out and returned to the office, Cooper told him so.
“It’s no big deal. I’m happy to help him.”
“It’s a huge deal to him, Jared. Having you coach him will make all the difference.”
“I want to see him succeed. He seems like a great guy, and I feel so bad for what he and his wife have been through.”
“It’s awful. I was wondering how anyone survives that.”
“I have no idea.”
“I was thinking about hitting the beach. You want to come?”
“I’d love to, but I’d better stick around here in case Lizzie needs me.” He tossed his keys to Cooper. “Take the car.”
The keys felt like a hot potato in Cooper’s hand. “Are you sure?”
“Nope, but I don’t need it.”
“Haha, thanks.”
“Are you gonna ever tell me how you busted your face and ribs?”
“I don’t think I am.”
Jared snorted with a laugh. “Must be one hell of a story. I’ll have to see if I can find out through other means.”