“My mom says grown-ups sometimes answer a different question when they don’t want to answer the real one.”
That almost earned another smile.
“Your mother sounds perceptive.”
“She is.”
Nathaniel folded his hands.
“Then I should try not to insult either of you.”
He leaned back.
“Twelve years ago, my company owned a group of apartment buildings on Aldridge Street.”
“The building where we live?”
“Yes.”
Ruby stopped chewing.
Nathaniel continued.
“Graves Energy is an energy company, but years ago we had a real-estate division. We bought properties near several of our facilities. I was younger then, and I was expanding too quickly.”
“Expanding what?”
“The company.”
“Why?”
Nathaniel paused.
“That’s a very good question.”
Ruby waited.
“At the time,” he said, “I would have told you bigger was always better.”
“And now?”
“Now I would tell you bigger means more things you can fail to notice.”
Ruby was not sure she completely understood that, but she liked the way he said it.
