“It is big,” Gloria said. “And it’s yours. Now, we just have to make sure Richard doesn’t drag this out in court.”

“He’s in Hawaii,” I said, remembering the itinerary he had left on the kitchen counter before he filed. “He took the kids to Maui.”

“Well,” Gloria said, her voice dry. “He’s going to have a very difficult time paying his hotel bill tonight.”

“The kids are with him,” I said, a sudden knot forming in my stomach.

“They’ll be fine,” Gloria said. “Just keep your phone close. I’ll call you when the formal papers are served to his attorney.”

“Thank you, Gloria,” I said.

She hung up, and the car was silent again.

I turned off the ignition and stepped out into the dry Texas heat.

The smell of dust and diesel fuel hung in the air.

Nathan Cole walked over to my car, wiping his brow with a blue bandana.

“That’s the last of it, Alexandra,” he said, gesturing to the empty space behind him.

The concrete footings stood raw and grey in the sun, surrounded by patches of dry yellow grass.