Preston felt sympathy and did not change the boundary.

He was learning that love did not require surrendering good judgment.

PART 16: The Deal He Had Left Behind

One afternoon Ruth brought Preston a slim folder with an update on the abandoned acquisition.

A competing firm had closed on two of the buildings.

The third remained unsold after an inspection uncovered significant repairs.

“If we had rushed,” Ruth said, “we would have spent months arguing about who was responsible for the structural work.”

“That doesn’t mean I was clever,” Preston replied.