I looked down at him. “Yeah. She is.”
Mrs. Harlow tried one last time. “Please. I’ve worked for this. You can’t base everything on one misunderstanding—”
“It wasn’t a misunderstanding,” the older man said. “It was a choice. We are rescinding your offer, effective immediately.”
Just like that.
Mrs. Harlow stumbled backward.
“You can’t—” she tried, but her voice broke.
The men turned to leave, but the first one paused.
“There’s one more thing.”
Mrs. Harlow looked up, pale.
The man glanced down the street—toward Caleb’s house.
“Your actions didn’t just disqualify you. They made something very clear to us. We need to do more for communities like these.”
He continued, “We’ve been looking for a site for a new community project.” He gestured toward the empty lot behind her home.
Mrs. Harlow’s eyes widened.
“No—”
