Northline's response came two days later. They would accept the return of the unspent deposit, but they wanted reimbursement for their documented costs and a release from any claim related to the broken agreement. The amount was forty-eight thousand dollars.
We could raise it, but only by giving up the money set aside for summer inventory and taking on a personal loan.
Avery spread the numbers across the greenhouse office table.
"If you pay this, you'll have a narrow operating margin," she said. "If there's another major repair, you may need to borrow again."
"What if we refuse?"
"They could sue. The cost of defending the claim may exceed the settlement amount, and the business would remain uncertain through the season."
"Could we negotiate?"
"I can try."
I studied the figures. For
