CHAPTER 9
C HAPTER 9
W hen Rae arrived at the architect’s office, Blythe Dixon was pacing the front room. The lobby area fronted the street with internal wood-slat blinds covering tall windows. The blinds could be shut whenever the front room was used for a conference. They were open now, which meant Blythe spotted her approach. She used the hand not holding her phone to wave Rae inside, then point her back to the rear office.
Emmett Dixon was an ageless gentleman with skin the color of coffee and fresh cream. Rae had grown up with Blythe, a hyperintelligent and lovely woman now married, with two young girls whom Emmett worshipped. Atlantic Beach’s premier architect was bent over the conference table separating father and daughter’s desks from their support staff. His pianist fingers were delicately putting together the model of a home.
Rae declared, “If I could afford that place, I’d move in tomorrow.”
“For you, special price,” Emmett replied. He gently set the roof in place. “How are you, darling?”
“Fine. Why am I here?”
“Gloria called. She’s bringing that resort fellow.”
That was good for a pause. “Are you talking about Curtis Gage?”
“You know him?”
“Of course I do. And so do you.”
Blythe chose that moment to step into the rear office and announce, “Gloria and some guy are walking down the street headed this way.”
“That’s not some guy,” Rae said. There was no reason hearing his name should send her heart into overdrive. “That’s Curtis.”
“Come inside and shut the door,” Emmett said. “Text the realtor lady and tell her we need another moment.”
Blythe had always possessed the ability to text and talk at warp speed. “Who’s Curtis?”
“You know. Curtis.”
Blythe continued to use her maiden name, maintaining the family tradition and reputation. She held to her father’s lithe build. But the woman’s incredible energy had pushed her up rather than out. She stood almost a head taller than Emmett. It was rare that anything managed to freeze Rae’s friend. Like now. “Not the Curtis.”
“The very same.”
“Girl, you mean to tell me your Curtis is running the resort?”
Emmett demanded, “You don’t mean to tell me we’re talking about Iris and Walter’s boy.”
“I admit it’s weird, but yes. That Curtis. And for the record, he’s not my anything. Any idea why they’re here?”
“Gloria didn’t say,” Blythe replied. “Only that it’s urgent.”
Emmett said, “That man is here to stir up trouble. Bound to be.”
Rae’s immediate response was to defend her former beau. Which was ridiculous. “What makes you say that?”
Emmett responded, “You know about the detective that man had going through our garbage?”
“Blythe said you suspected something like that.”
“This goes beyond mere suspicion. It’s been confirmed by two people that man’s investigator spoke with. Curtis Gage had a former FBI agent inspect us right down to our dental records.”
“You accused their resort manager and two sales staff of taking bribes to move projects forward. If I was in their position, I’d want to know who you are.” When Emmett didn’t respond, Rae said, “I’m not clear on how you’ve decided Curtis was behind the investigation.”
Emmett looked at her. “Maybe I was wrong to call you.”
“Daddy, stop.”
His gaze did not waver. Emmett Dixon was gifted, intelligent, and determined enough to be both Black and successful in eastern North Carolina. “That man of yours is down here working for the resort. There’s only one reason for him wanting to meet us after hours. He’s going to threaten.”
Blythe was a strong enough woman to keep her father in line when necessary. Like now. “We don’t know why he’s here. We asked you to join us just in case.” Her tone hardened. “Isn’t that right, Daddy?”
Emmett pretended to inspect his model.
“Daddy.”
“It’s good of you to make time,” he acknowledged.
Rae’s phone chimed with an incoming message. She checked the readout, said, “Now that’s interesting.” She showed them the screen. “Curtis just asked me for an urgent meeting.”
Emmett exchanged a long glance with his daughter, then quietly said, “Now’s perhaps a good time to invite them in.”
* * *
Yet again, Rae found herself drawn to the mystery enshrouding the man she once considered the center of her universe. Curtis remained standing by the doorway, not inserting himself, not uttering a word. Waiting.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rae caught sight of Blythe standing by her father’s chair. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes wide.
Rae swallowed her smile. Oh yeah. The skinny surfer kid has grown into a beefcake.
When Emmett did not offer any sort of greeting, Curtis did the gentlemanly thing and pulled out a chair from the table and held it while Gloria seated herself. He was dressed in another of those GQ outfits, knit shirt and gaberdine slacks. She thought his thin gold watch was a Patek Philippe, but couldn’t be certain from this distance.
Emmett said, “We’re here. Now what?”
Curtis remained standing, a pace to one side and behind Gloria’s chair. “My company owes you a debt. I’m here to repay.”
Emmett snorted softly.
Blythe said, “That’s not what we were expecting.”
“I can imagine.” Curtis held to the stillness of a large cat. “For the record, the New York attorney who gave you such a hard time is no longer involved with our company. That is not the way we do business.”
“What about your detective you had checking our dental records?”
Curtis showed neither surprise nor shame. “It was necessary.”
“Was it, now.”
“To discuss what brings us here tonight, we needed to be certain of who you are.”
When Emmett did not respond, Blythe asked, “Who’s your lawyer now?”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that. We have decided to seek local counsel for all our Carolina activities.” Curtis glanced at the model dominating their conference table. “In the meantime, the two plans you submitted to our former team are hereby approved.”
Emmett’s tone was glacial. “One of those clients has backed out, thanks to you.”
“We are aware of that.” Curtis met Emmett’s gaze. “We want you to build the house as our new model. We agree in advance to your terms and conditions. This is an all-cash offer. How soon can you make it happen?”
Emmett opened his mouth, but no sound emerged.
Blythe said, “Why don’t you have a seat?”
“Thank you very much.” Curtis remained the total professional. Polite, firm, distant. “But I won’t be taking much more of your time. There’s just one remaining point.”
Blythe asked, “Do you remember me?”
He nodded. “Blythe. Of course. So nice to see you again.”
She nodded, visibly pleased. “Been a long time.”
“You have no idea,” Curtis replied.
She glanced at her father, who continued to give Curtis the squint eye, clearly not certain who this stranger was. Rae totally agreed.
Blythe said, “There’s something else?”
“Yes. It’s an offer you are welcome to refuse. Our intention is to become a good neighbor to everyone in Carteret County.”
Emmett huffed a one-note laugh. “Good luck with that.”
Curtis nodded agreement. “We have a long way to go. Which is why I want to have our relationship, yours and ours, become a new standard. Behind the resort gatehouse is the structure holding our management offices. I’d like to invite you to set up the front room as your satellite office.”
Father and daughter were almost comic, two mirror images of the same confusion.
Curtis went on, “With no management or sales staff, we need help, and we need it now. If you are willing, your firm will become the entire approval process for all new homes. We will supply you with written parameters. But the final decision rests with you.” He gave them a moment, then added, “We can set this in place for the next twelve months, if you’re in agreement.”
Blythe’s voice had gone all unsteady. “We’ll need to discuss this.”
“Of course.” He looked at Rae. “That request I texted for us to meet. I cannot overly stress the urgency.”
“I’m due in Raleigh tomorrow at eight.” Rae’s voice might as well have emerged from someone else. “I’ll be leaving here at half past five. I suppose we could drive up together.”
“Thank you. I’ll be there.” He walked to the exit. “Gloria?”
“I need to stay here and address another item with these fine people,” the realtor replied.
He hesitated a moment, hand on the doorknob. Then, “Our aim is to be not just good neighbors, but honorable partners. I’d be grateful if you’d pass that on to all the architects and realtors in your orbit. The resort’s former policy of handling sales on an exclusive basis is axed.” To the room, “Thank you all for your time.”
When the door closed behind him, Blythe quietly demanded, “What just happened?”
Rae did not speak, but silently she repeated Curtis’s words: I’ll have to get back to you on that.
“Something you should know,” Gloria said. “This morning, Curtis Gage acquired Reddit Ryder’s riverfront acreage in Beaufort. For cash. He met Reddit’s price without a quibble.”
Emmett huffed softly.
Blythe asked, “Do you know what he plans on doing?”
“Yes. He told me.” A dramatic pause; then, “He intends to build a riverside café and dockside inn. He wants it to model the same architectural structure as the Fortunate Harbor Hotel.”
Rae nodded slowly.
Emmett looked over. “What?”
“My guess is, he told Gloria so she could tell you,” Rae replied. “He wants you to design the new build. And he’s letting Gloria mark up the sale.”
“That’s my take as well,” Gloria agreed. “If you ask me, the man is doing his dead-level best to be as good as his word.”