The Unknown Journey

Chapter 5 Part 1

           After a long talk with Laura, Lana confirmed her decision she had secretly made earlier that day.  Lana knew what she had to do versus what she wanted to do.  

"Cooper," Lana text. "Can we meet? I have made a decision?"

Lana waited for a couple of hours and still didn't hear back from Cooper.  She sent him another message and still no reply.  She was worried.   

She knew where his hotel was and decided she was going to go to his hotel and meet him there but just as she opened the door she saw his limo pull up in the driveway next to her car.  

"Cooper, you had me worried. I was trying to get a hold of you."  Lana said when he walked up to the door.

"So sorry Lana. My battery died on my phone and I don't have the proper cord to charge it.  Forgot that I can't plug my phone nor my laptop into your outlets."  He said laughing.

Lana giggled and told him to bring them in and she will charge them for him and lend him the proper cord to take back to the hotel.

"Thank you, I do appreciate it." He said as he returned to the limo and grabbed his briefcase which had the paperwork and his laptop in it.

Still giggling at the thought, she went to her suitcase and pulled out the adaptor kit for her laptop to plug in internationally, there was one in there that fit Cooper's laptop.  His phone charged off his laptop with a USB charger. 

"Thank you, Lana.  Anyways, were you headed somewhere? He asked just realizing she was leaving just as he showed up.

"No, oh yeah, yes I was. I was headed to your hotel.  I couldn't get a hold of you so I thought I would come to your hotel and give you my decision. "

"Ok, but before you tell me what your decision is, I need a cuppa."  He said making himself at home and putting the kettle on.

Lana wanted to tell him her decision before she changed her mind so she just blurted it out.  

"Cooper.  We are keeping it all."  She said while he was filling the kettle.

"What was that? " He said when he turned off the water and hit the on switch on the kettle. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes, you did. I want us to keep the Hotel and Ranch.  I have a plan I want to discuss with you first before we finalize everything."  Lana said as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table with paperwork and forms in front of them.

"That sounds fantastic.  I am so happy to hear that."

I have thought about everything you and your uncle told me about owning or should say co/owning estates in another country and confirming it with my own lawyer it helped me make up my mind.  As it stands my finance advisor advises me to also keep the estate, it would be in my best interest, she said.  

Pausing and seeing a smile on his face she thought she better not stop or she will change her mind. But he started to talk.

"That's wonderful, when will you be moving?" He asked excitedly.

"OH boy."  She said, knowing that was what he was going to think. " I won't be actually moving there right away.  I have my family, my kids, and my friends.  Besides, I can't pick up and move right away.  There is a major process to go through first." 

"Yes, that is correct, as uncle Darryl explained.  I believe you can stay up to 6 months at a time, go home for a week then come back for another 6 months.   To me, that's the same as moving there and come back for a vacation for a week." 

"I won't be doing it that way but I will be going back with you when you go, with the condition that my friend Laura comes with me for a visit. "

"Yes, of course.  Carry on." He said feeling happy. 

"You will get to meet her tomorrow, she invited us to dinner."  Lana shared with him hoping he was ok it. "Would you like to join us? "

"Absolutely, sounds fun.  Continue." He patiently said.

"OK, OK." She said smiling. " When we get to Lauras tomorrow, we are going to try to book return flights on your flight.  I will be staying for a month to start, Laura will stay for two weeks, maybe longer depending on the flights.  Her kids are out of school for the summer and are going to summer camp for 6 weeks.  I really need her there with me."

"I know but you have me." He said.

"Yes, I know but I promised her she could come with me next time I went to England.  She is so excited to see the place and is very good at helping me make decisions.  If it weren't for her, I don't think I would have come to a final decision.   Besides, she is my best friend.  She will be with me 24/7." 

"That's not a problem,"  he said, feeling a little hurt that someone else was going to keep her company when she went back to England. "Why are you returning home so soon?" 

"Cooper, like I said, I have two adult children and my friends here.  I have a house I still have to pay a mortgage on and I have my friends here, especially Laura.  I want to go there get everything finalized, find my own place I can buy to live in for when I return there.  When I get all that settled and return back home, I have business to take care of here as well."

"Sounds fair."  He said.

"Cooper, as much as I love my kids, I don't trust them with money."

"What do you mean?" He asked with a little concern.

"My daughter is 25 and can't keep a job.  She lives with a man who also can't keep a job so basically, they are living on Social Services, and is always late on their bills.  They keep asking me for money so they can pay their bills.  At the time I couldn't do it but since I returned from England, I tried to help out without telling them anything yet."  Lana spurted out. 

"I would suggest a written agreement with certain conditions." He suggested.  What about your other child? "

"He is 23, a little bit more responsible and tries.  He has his own business but no real place to open shop, so he works from his garage.  The only problem is when he does make money he spends it on unnecessary things forgetting about his bills.  He doesn't know how to handle his money and bills." 

"Does he have a girlfriend?" He asked. 

"Not as far as I know.  He dates a lot but no one for very long."

"Do they know that you have an inheritance?" He questioned.

"No, not yet.  I have been trying to avoid them until I can figure out what to do.  I need to come up with a plan and get it legalized.  Something that if they don't follow the conditions they don't get anything."  

"I understand.  I think we need to get you sorted out in England first, then get your affairs settled here, sort out your kids and even your friend.  Give them the best Christmas present ever."  Cooper said with some enthusiasm. 

"Yes, that is my plan.  You can help me come up with a plan for the kids if you like but for now, I will go to England for a month, come back here, figure out what to do with my house and affairs here then go from there.  How do that sound?"

"That sounds great and yes, I will help you figure out what to do regarding your kids.  Maybe my uncle can come up with something and legalize it." He said standing up to put the kettle on for another brew.

--------to be continued-------