Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
MARLOWE
T he day after the open house, Marlowe was pouring herself a cup of coffee in the break room when Landon popped in. He was the last person she wanted to see. They’d been dancing around each other since her return. She tightened her grip on her red mug. What would he do if she tossed this at him?
But she’d be leaving soon. Best to keep things under control.
“How did your open house go last weekend?” As usual the man was wearing a heavy dose of expensive cologne. Did he realize that it had the opposite effect? Backing away, she tried not to gag. Maybe one of the guys would walk in. No way did she want to get into a private conversation with Landon.
“Everything went well. We have a solid offer.”
Reaching around her, Landon slammed a coffee cartridge into the machine so hard, Marlowe thought it might burst open. “Yeah, Shari told me.”
“She did?” Usually Shari wasn't in this early.
“Yep, and she also came on strong about cutting you in on the Port Royal sale.” Landon did not sound happy but Marlowe felt her heart lift. Go, Shari! His tone told her that he viewed her portion of the sale as a gift. Now, that was really annoying.
“A cut, Landon? Bobby and I signed papers called a contract.”
“You weren't returning my calls.”
She turned to face him. Of course. Was that the real reason? His feelings were hurt? “If you wanted to reach me…if you had any questions about the Port Royal listing…you could have emailed. I was busy with my family. You purposely went behind my back with Jenna. You were out of line.” She was on thin ice here. This was the man who owned the company.
But I am leaving. Her departure was beginning to feel very real.
His face had turned as red as her mug. “Is something wrong?”
Her eyes zipped to the door. Was this really happening? Thank goodness the doorway stood empty. “Maybe you didn’t get my earlier email before I left town. All those comments about your fractured marriage? Your lame flirtations, telling me my clothing fit so well. That you loved my smile and wish I smiled only for you.”
Landon now wore the little boy smile that must have worked with some women. “What if I meant it?”
Marlowe came closer, so close that she saw the nauseating hairs he’d failed to clip from his nostrils. “When are you going to realize that these unwanted, stupid comments are sexual harassment?”
The empty mug fell from Landon’s hand with a crash.
And with that she flounced out of the break room and almost ran smack into Jenna. “Have a good weekend?” Marlowe asked brightly. Boy, she was feeling good.
“Yes, great weekend.” Jenna's eyes sparkled. Marlowe sincerely hoped that Landon was not the reason. That man was trouble, with his innuendoes and lies. And right now he was probably making a call to housekeeping to clean up his shattered mug.
“Good. It’s always good to have a break from business.” What was she babbling on about? They both knew that realtors worked on weekends. And Jenna by now realized that she was no part of Marlowe’s open house. Right now, Jenna had what…one listing? And that was a starter house in an outlying area. Leaving the two of them in the break room, Marlowe hurried back to her office.
Sitting down at her desk, she began to work through the paperwork for the Donatello house. Shari was right. That was such a perfect cottage in so many ways. Sure, Marlowe could see herself having coffee seated at that pool in the morning. Her family would come down to visit. She would decorate those guest rooms perfectly for them. For a few seconds she let herself dream.
Stop it! Hadn’t that been her original plan when she first moved to Naples? Aunt Cate, Sam and Izzy would fly down and they would all have a wonderful time together. But that had not happened. Everyone was busy with her own life. Her own responsibilities. If one person could come, the other two couldn't. Family gatherings in Naples had been nothing more than a dream.
Last Christmas had been perfect. Engineered by her conniving aunt, they’d all been together. Although the heavy snow had snarled the streets of the small town, it set the scene for a perfect holiday.
Marlowe missed the snow. Missed having red cheeks from the brisk wind, instead of the feverish flush cause by the humid Florida heat. Coming back to Florida after all that fresh air had been tough. But she didn’t plan to be here for long.
Her fingers flew as she continued to work on Shari’s offer. Yes, that house in Olde Naples was darling and in such a great area, but it was not the key to Marlowe’s future. Just as men like Landon were not meant to be part of her future. How she would hate to watch another young woman be victimized by his lies. What story was he using now?
Shari appeared in the doorway. Marlowe had never known her to show up this early in the day. Her hair was pushed back from her face and her bright eyes twinkled. Face flushed, she reached up to smooth her hair. Marlowe motioned her into the office and Shari closed the door.
“Darn it. I'm missing an earring.” Shari’s giggle surprised Marlowe. Shari was not a woman who giggled. She slid into the chair across from Marlowe’s desk. “I want to get my condo on the market as soon as possible, and I'd like you to handle it. I have a couple of things going right now that are distracting me.”
“Thank you. I’d be honored to list your condo.” How fun to see Shari this way, almost as if they were girlfriends. “What’s distracting you?”
Shari’s face softened. “Decorating my new home. Isn’t this crazy? I can’t wait.”
Marlowe understood completely. A new house for a single woman was a real accomplishment. She had felt that way when she bought her own condo. But after everything was decorated, she had lost some of her enthusiasm. And now she wanted to thank Shari for taking on Landon about the Port Royal property.
“What's this about you having a talk with Landon about Port Royal?”
She shook her head as if to dismiss it. “Oh, it was nothing. Ran into him in the parking lot and let him know that his grabbing the Bobby Jensen deal was not right.”
That was putting it mildly. “Thanks, Shari. The figure he mentioned isn’t close to what I would have gotten when it was my listing. But I’m not going to haggle about this.”
“Smart woman. Always spend time on the positives, not the negatives. Bobby Jensen is an idiot who probably had a couple of drinks with Landon one night and let himself be bamboozled.”
“Bamboozled?” Sometimes Shari made her smile.
Shari had found her earring in her handbag and clicked it into place. “You know what I mean. The guy thing. Those two are a bad combination.” In all the time that Shari had been building her business, she’d probably run into that situation a lot. Yet she'd come out on top.
“I don't know how you worked it, but I appreciate your going to bat for me.”
“He doesn't want me bad mouthing him to his children.” She gave Marlowe a sly smile.
“I suppose not.” What was Shari talking about?
“Landon is my former son-in-law. My daughter Ainsley was his first wife.”
Well, that explained a lot. “And I want you to know I'll never share that information with anyone.”
Shari’s brows lifted. “I appreciate that, Marlowe. I see my grandsons quite a bit. Ainsley has moved on but being married to him was no picnic.”
“I can only imagine.” Pieces of the puzzle were falling together. Marlowe had thought longevity and success had given Shari leverage. But no, it was really a family connection. Their conversation ended and Shari soon left.
As she worked on Shari’s offer that morning, Marlowe knew that she’d made the right decision. Did she want to end up like Shari someday? Single and living in a wonderful little house by herself. No, that wasn’t where Marlowe was headed. There were some risks in relocating, but she’d get through those with the help of family. She had to keep reminding herself of that.
At least Shari had been married at some time. Marlowe hadn't taken that leap yet. The years had gone so quickly. But she didn't want to think about that now. She wanted to talk to Izzy about the two contractors who were bidding on the work at Sunnycrest. What had she thought of them? What kinds of suggestions did they make? While she sat there mulling over the possibilities, Shari poked her head back into her office. “I hate to rush you, but do you think you could stop by this evening to look at my condo? I really am eager to get it rolling.”
“I've scheduled a call with my family tonight. How about tomorrow night?”
Shari nodded and they agreed on a time. This was so bizarre to be talking to each other like old friends. Something had changed, and Marlowe was glad.
Other colleagues had come and gone. Marlowe had learned to separate her professional and personal lives. Back in the beginning she’d dated a colleague but that hadn't worked out. Eventually he’d left the company. Now Rex was married with two children, from what she'd heard. Dating someone where she worked had been a bad idea. Marlowe had decided to never do that again. That policy applied to her friendships too.
That night Sam called her around eight o’clock and then dialed in Aunt Cate and Izzy. “How did it go?” Marlowe said as soon as her aunt and Izzy's pictures appeared on the phone. “Did you like the architects?”
Aunt Cate and Izzy were sitting on the sofa in the living room and Marlowe could hear Holly babbling away happily somewhere in that room. Marlowe could picture the baby sitting in her pink runabout playing with her fingers or her dinosaur. “I'll let your sister answer that one,” Aunt Cate said.
“Right. Aunt Cate was missing in action again. But I think it went well.” But Izzy looked uneasy.
“I only met one,” Aunt Cate said. “And Seth Barrett seemed very nice. Very... competent.”
“Now don’t hold back, Aunt Cate. You told me he was hot,” Sam said with a giggle.
“Really?” Marlowe didn't think she'd ever heard her aunt use the word “hot” to describe a man.
“That's total nonsense.” Aunt Cate folded her arms over her chest. But she was blushing.
“Well it ticked Skipper off,” Izzy said. “Seeing Seth there, I mean.”
“Skipper was there too?” Sam sounded surprised.
“Yes, he picked Holly up at the daycare center for me. We all had pizza together.”
“How is daycare going for you?” Sam asked.
“Great. Holly seems to like it. So far she hasn't gotten sick or anything.”
Guilt washed over Marlowe when she recalled babysitting for Holly over the holidays. Aunt Cate and Sam thought it would help Izzy out. While in their care, Holly had fallen and hit her head on the coffee table. The incident had been unnerving. What did Marlowe know about babies? They'd been relieved when Izzy came home from work that day. But Izzy had been totally cool about it.
“Back to the topic.” Marlowe was not letting Izzy get away from their mission. “I thought there were two of them. Gabby gave us two names.”
“I came home later and only met the second one.” Aunt Cate glanced over at Izzy.
“Okay, spill,” Sam said. “What did you think, little sister?”
Little sister? Silence fell and Sam looked uncomfortable. They were all trying to get away from thinking of Izzy as the baby of the family. After all the changes Izzy had made to her life recently, she deserved that promotion.
“Sorry, sorry,” Sam playfully smacked her hand against her forehead. “Back to the contractors. You’re doing a great job, Izzy.”
“Let me think. Chase Wilson.” Izzy screwed up her face, as if she was on a game show trying to think of the right answer.
Marlowe wanted to hit the buzzer to tell her that time was up. “Was something wrong with him?” Surely Gabby wouldn't suggest someone inappropriate.
“Not really,” Izzy said. “Chase has done a lot of jobs like ours. And he made that clear. Very busy guy with a full schedule.”
“So what you're saying, Izzy, is that the guy was a know-it-all.” Aunt Cate seemed to be trying to figure this out. “Is that it?”
“Maybe. He threw out suggestions as we walked around. ‘Take out that wall.’ ‘Build in a closet.’ Said this looked like a multi-month project. And he didn't like the fact that we were all, you know, decision makers.”
“Oh, but that's what makes this fun.” Aunt Cate got one of her Cheshire cat grins. “At least for the right person.”
“He suggested using the side porch as part of the kitchen.”
Sam gasped and Marlowe laughed. “Next,” Marlowe said dryly after she’d wiped tears from her eyes. “The poor man unknowingly was going to kill one of our sacred cows.”
“What’s that?” Izzy looked mystified.
“Something that no one should mess with or change.” Marlowe began to explain. “I worked on a house one time and suggested casually to the owners that they board up a fireplace. Seemed like a good idea because they weren't using it and needed wall space. The suggestion went over like a lead balloon because the wife had carved the mantlepiece. The fireplace was special for them.” As Marlowe talked, her sisters nodded and Aunt Cate chuckled.
“We probably should come up with a list of sacred cows,” Aunt Cate said. “And I sure don't want to be one.”
Their laughter felt so good. They could have been back in front of their own fireplace, smelling the pine tree and watching the fire while they reminisced.
But back to business. “Okay, to make things easier,” Sam said, “why don't we all send Izzy our sacred cows? Things that you don't want to have changed.”
“You mean I have to make a list?” Izzy wailed and behind her Holly started to cry. Her mother's tone of voice must have frightened the poor little thing.
Marlowe hated to make her younger sister feel that she was in charge of this project. As they were leaving Sunnycrest, they’d assured Izzy that she would not be left holding the bag. And yet the conversation seemed to be headed in that direction.
“Why don't you let me do that?” Aunt Cate piped up. She must have read Marlowe's mind. “I'll be happy to list the cattle, or whatever.”
“Sacred cows,” Sam corrected her.
“Exactly. Have those to me in the next couple of days, please.”
Thank goodness their aunt had stepped up. Maybe after Marlowe closed on the Donatello cottage with Shari and after her open houses, Marlowe would go back to Charlevoix for a long weekend. She wanted to be in on the planning and she definitely wanted to take some pressure off Izzy.
“Back to the other architect,” Marlowe said. “I will talk to Gabby about these two guys.” She really wanted to get the low down after hearing Izzy’s hesitation and her aunt’s enthusiasm.
“He was hot,” their aunt said again, bringing another roar of laughter from the three sisters.
“Then let's scratch him from the list for sure,” Sam said, rolling her eyes. “We don't want anyone attractive working around the place for months on end.”
“Not if Skipper can help it.” Aunt Cate glanced over at Izzy. “He was definitely not happy to find Seth here with you when he stopped in with Holly.”
“What’s going on, Izzy? Is Skipper protective of you?” Sam asked.
Reaching up to tighten her ponytail, Izzy looked flustered. “That's absolutely ridiculous. He has no reason to feel that way. And I don't want him to.”
What was going on? Sure, Marlowe had been surprised to find Skipper working as pastry chef in Izzy’s shop, but the two seemed to have boundaries. Marlowe definitely wished she was in Charlevoix to see this in person.
“I think Skipper Malone has changed,” their aunt said, her voice thoughtful. “He's not the boy we knew fifteen years ago or so. And yes, I think he's still sweet on you, Izzy.”
“After all these years,” Sam said with a sigh. “I wish Kurt felt that way.”
“Oh, come on.” Marlowe couldn't believe her sister's comment. “You wouldn't take your ex back, would you?”
“Not under the circumstances.” Sam seemed positive about that and Marlowe was glad. Kurt didn’t deserve her, not after the stunt he’d pulled.
“Anyway, forward.” Izzy stood up to get the baby, who was fussing again.
“What about the hottie’s qualifications. Izzy?” Marlowe raised her voice so that her sister could still hear her. “You didn't like the first guy, but what about the second guy? Besides being devastatingly handsome...”
“Devastatingly handsome? I never said that.” Coming back, Izzy sat down and bounced the baby on her lap.
“No I did.” Looking a little dreamy, Aunt Cate sat back on the sofa. “Hot in a rough hewn way, I would say.”
“Rough hewn? What the heck does that mean?” Marlowe couldn't believe her aunt had just said that. “Have you been reading romance novels?”
Blushing a little, Aunt Cate held out her hands and shrugged.
“He was capable and respectful.” Izzy took a stab at it. “And I don't mean that he respected me. I'm talking about the house. We don't want someone coming in here and tearing down walls and stuff that can't be put back, do we?” Stooping over, she snatched a toy dinosaur from the floor. Holly grabbed it with delight. How Marlowe missed that baby and wasn’t that a surprise?
But back to business. “What walls are we talking about?” Marlowe asked.
Izzy took them through Chase Wilson's suggestions, and they all had a discussion. Some of the points Chase had thrown out were good, in general. But Seth had offered drawings and to her, that meant he was more invested in this project.
Although Marlowe wished she’d been there, it sounded as if Izzy had handled it just fine. The idea of opening the kitchen up to the living room was interesting. She couldn’t imagine how that would look.
Of course Izzy wanted to keep the screen porch. She must have been horrified when Chase suggested adding that space to the kitchen or making it into a powder room. That breezy porch in the shade of the large oaks was their favorite place to read during the summer.
The porch was right below Marlowe’s bedroom window. As a teenager, she’d sometimes jump onto the roof late at night, shimmy down the drainpipe and escape to the beach. Sam often joined her as they raced through the tall grass down to the sand where their friends had built a fire. That’s where Sam had met Josh McCall, who back then had been a “townie.”
Years ago their mother had planted blue hydrangeas around the side porch. The sandy soil was good for the plants, which were now chest high. Looking out from the double hammock, you could get lost in that sea of blue. Marlowe smiled, thinking of how the three of them had piled into that hammock as young girls to talk and dream.
But back to business. “What are the benefits of taking down the wall between the kitchen and the living room?” Marlowe hadn’t considered such a drastic change, and it sure was exciting.
“Just think,” Aunt Cate said with a dreamy note in her voice. “Then I would be able to see the fireplace and the Christmas tree while I was cooking,”
“Boy, we would have to keep the kitchen really clean.” Izzy looked worried about that small point. Picking up after herself had never been Izzy’s strong point.
“Is the hottie making a sketch of that area?” Aunt Cate asked.
“I don't know,” Izzy said. “But I can ask him. Actually the other guy, Chase Wilson, also made that suggestion too.”
“Just because one of our prospects suggested something doesn't mean he owns that idea,” Aunt Cate said. “Which areas is the hottie working on?”
Izzy pressed a slender hand to her forehead. “Please stop referring to Seth like that. I might end up calling him a hottie to his face.”
“Maybe he'd like it,” Aunt Cate said with a giggle.
Marlowe had never seen her aunt like this. What had gotten into her? Their uncle had been gone for five years. Had their aunt ever dated after Uncle Monty passed away? She'd never talked about it and they’d never asked. But in the recent past, the three sisters hadn't been in close contact with their aunt. Those days were over.
Izzy turned away from the phone and Marlowe could hear the baby fussing in the background.
“She's trying to stand up,” Izzy told the group. “Right in the middle of the room.”
“Oh, I wish I was there to see that,” Sam said. “How exciting.”
They all missed being together. But first they had to make plans and Marlowe intended to keep them on track. Glancing at Sam's image on the phone, she found that Sam looked pale and drawn. Was she eating and getting enough rest?
Time to bring this call to a close, although she loved talking to everyone. Before they all hung up, Izzy said she would check with Seth Barrett, now known as a hottie, to see what sketches he had in mind. She would suggest making the kitchen expansion one of the drawings. “Tell him not too detailed on that one,” Marlowe advised. “Or it will end up costing us quite a bit.” Would he include brands of appliances and anything else that we need? They didn’t need that level of detail right now.
“Let's not worry about that,” Aunt Cate said, her playfulness morphing back into business practicality. “I intend to set up that operational account at the bank. Got it on my list.”
“Okay, if you say so,” Sam said. “We talked about having that special account established in Charlevoix after we sell our various properties.”
“My Tribeca condo is on the market.” Aunt Cate looked so pleased with herself.
How amazing. For a second Marlowe was speechless. “How did you manage that when you’re up in Charlevoix?”
“Easy, I had my assistant go over to take care of some details. That apartment has a sizeable storage area in a large, dry basement. She hired some guys to move things out. Now she's working at staging it for showings. Took all the personal photos from the rooms. That kind of thing.”
That astonishing news made Marlowe feel that she was dragging her feet. Her sister Sam had paled a little. Both of them had talked about selling their current home or condo. Sounded as if Aunt Cate had jumped right in. “Didn't she wonder why you were doing that?”
“I told her that I was looking for something smaller. Which I am.” They had talked about this over the holidays. The Tribeca apartment was huge. Her aunt and uncle had lived in it for many years while they worked as attorneys in the New York market.
After they'd all said their goodbyes, Marlowe stood at the window and looked out at the ocean. In the blue moonlight the sea churned up restless waves that tumbled to the shore. Maybe it was time for change. Sure, that Olde Naples house was darling. Shari would probably be very happy there.
But Marlowe wasn’t at that point in her life. She wasn’t ready to throw in the towel and say this is where I am and where I’ll be. Single in Florida. Only playing in the snow once a year. Too busy keeping up with Naples to fly to Michigan. Marlowe missed the change of seasons. Missed the outdoor activities, like skiing and even shoveling.
Time for a change.
Although Naple’s real estate market wasn't as brisk as it had been, she had updated her condo. Selling it probably wouldn't take long. The view was gorgeous and the condo offered all the latest bells and whistles. And all the units in this building were soundproof. She never heard the rush of waves below or felt any community on her floor. In the beginning she had tried inviting people for cocktails but that hadn't worked. That's when she found out that many of them were snowbirds. Not exactly the neighborhood or the neighbors she’d planned on for herself.
Down below a couple strolled along the shoreline, arms around each other's waist. That comfortable picture brought a lump to Marlowe's throat. She tried to clear it. This year she would be forty. When the Quinns were giggling girls in Naperville, Marlowe never would have guessed that she would still be single at this age. Heck, Izzy was only thirty-six and she'd already been married twice, although not successfully. And now she was a mother. Taking matters into her own hands, she’d made her dream of having a baby come true.
Maybe Charlevoix would be Marlowe’s new neighborhood. Maybe that’s where she’d realize her own childhood dreams. She wanted to put down roots there. The excitement humming through her body made her restless. It was so hard to get to sleep that night.