Chapter 11
Cate
She wanted to be here. She needed to be here.
With them. Marlowe’s earlier call confirmed that.
Gabby Driscoll had invited her to stop in for weeks, and this morning Cate finally acted on that invitation.
She pushed through the front door, her camel cape swirling around her like a warm, fashionable cloud. Cate did enjoy her New York wardrobe.
Gabby’s eyes widened behind her red-rimmed glasses. “Well, look at you! What a nice surprise.”
When Gabby stood, Cate took in her new friend’s long red jacket, the modern necklace, and her magnificent silver hair swept back hairdo that never seemed to wilt. Gabby looked like she should be on a movie set, not running a real-estate office in northern Michigan.
“Thought I’d stop in,” Cate said breezily. “On my way to Petoskey.” Partially true. Entirely convenient.
Gabby stepped forward to air-kiss her cheeks. “It’s so good to see you.”
Cate glanced around the cheerful little reception area. “So this is where my niece works.”
Gabby laughed. “Technically. She’s hardly ever here. Chip and I can’t get over her drive.”
“Oh, she has that for sure.” A fond smile tugged at Cate’s mouth. All three nieces were each carving a path of her own. Her sister Jo was always uppermost in her mind. She’d be so proud.
“Follow me,” Gabby said, already striding toward the back door in heels so outrageous Cate had to grin. The flash of red soles made her nostalgic for Manhattan. Gabby had effortless style, and those clothes sure didn’t come from Charlevoix or Petoskey.
Behind the door sat a conference-size oval table, a wall covered by a giant map, and a lineup of property listings under glass. Cate slipped off her cape and hung it neatly over a high-backed chair. “So this is where the real magic happens.”
“Chaos and magic, along with some strategy,” Gabby corrected proudly. “That map was Marlowe’s idea.”
Cate walked over to inspect the pins. Red and blue dots scattered across Charlevoix, Petoskey, Boyne City and beyond. “Strategic,” she said. “Very tactical.”
“That’s what I thought.” Gabby bustled toward a slim cabinet. “Coffee? Latte?”
“A latte would be heavenly.”
While Gabby worked the machine, Cate studied the listings of lakefront homes and wooded acreage, along with a few million-dollar stunners. “Marlowe mentioned she’d had a good month.”
“An amazing month,” Gabby said over the hiss of steaming milk. “She’s brought new energy to this place. I’m afraid we were getting a little stodgy.”
Cate snorted. “You? Stodgy? Impossible.”
Gabby handed her a steaming mug. “Oh, you’d be surprised. Neil and Lenore have been with us forever but they’re not full time anymore. Grandkids, winter travel, doctor appointments—it happens. We needed someone younger, someone with fire.”
Cate inhaled the latte’s warmth. “Marlowe’s always had that.”
“And you?” Gabby asked. “Are you really here most of the time now?”
Cate settled into a chair. “Haven’t been back to New York for months. Zoom takes care of most things. And if an old client wants face time, I fly out from Traverse City.” She crossed her fingers. “It’s all working out.”
Gabby watched her closely. “You seem more relaxed than when we first met. Happier.”
“Maybe I am,” Cate admitted.
“You did such a good job with Sunnycrest.”
“I just gave my opinion.” Cate waved a hand but warmed under the praise. “You and your team did the real work.”
Gabby brightened. “I always enjoy working with Seth.”
“Yes, he’s very capable. A great manager.” Cate took a breath. Time to stop circling.
“But I’m not here about the work on Sunnycrest.” She hesitated, fingers tightening around the mug. “I actually need… a referral.”
Gabby set her cup down at once, giving full attention. “Of course. What kind of referral?”
“A good female OB/GYN.” Cate forced the words out calmly, though her heart bumped beneath her sweater. She expected surprise, questions—even awkwardness.
Gabby didn’t blink. “Martha Fielding,” she said immediately. “She’s in her late forties, thorough, warm, very straightforward.”
Cate exhaled. “You’d recommend her?”
“In a heartbeat. And getting an appointment might not be too difficult since the season’s over. I’ll share her contact with you.”
“Thank you.” Relief shimmered through Cate, unexpected and overwhelming. “Truly.”
Before Gabby could respond, a side door popped open and her husband Chip strode in, his gray hair upended by the sharp lake breeze. A navy jacket stretched across his slight paunch, and cold air followed him inside.
“Do we have company?” he said.
“We do.” Gabby lifted her face for a kiss, and Cate felt that familiar sting of memory. Monty had always greeted her with the same familiar devotion. The pain wasn’t as sharp as it used to be, but it was still there and probably always would be.
Chip set down his briefcase and moved to the coffeemaker. “What are you two cooking up?”
Cate froze. She hoped Gabby wouldn’t mention the referral.
But Gabby swooped in, moving right along. “Just girl talk. You know. Health, work, a husband I adore but occasionally want to throttle.”
Chip chuckled, not offended at all. “That’s pretty accurate.”
Then he looked at Cate in that assessing, kindly way he had. She realized, suddenly, that she hadn’t seen that particular expression from a man in quite a long time—not interest, but maybe curiosity mixed with something else.
Chip glanced at Gabby, then back at Cate. “Actually,” he said slowly, “I’ve got to ask something.” He paused. What was this? “Would you be open to meeting a friend of mine? He’s a widower. Good man. Funny, sharp, genuinely kind. Lost his wife a while back.”
“I didn’t want to mention this.” Gabby clasped her hands dramatically. “Chip’s been plotting this for weeks.”
What was this? Cate swallowed a groan. These were new friends and she didn’t want to say no.
“We think you’d like him.” Gabby leaned in to persuade her.
Cate blinked, caught off guard. A warm flush crept up her neck. “Oh, I don’t know about that…”
Chip smiled gently. “No pressure. Just coffee. Or a walk on the pier. Winston can be kind of flashy. But he’s steady. And he could use someone who understands life.”
Cate knew what that meant. He was her age. Old enough to understand that life often brought loss. And reinvention. All the complicated pieces she carried around. “I appreciate the thought,” she said slowly. “Truly. I’m not saying yes. But I’m not saying no.”
Gabby’s grin sparkled. “That’s basically a yes.”
Chip looked victorious. “I’ll take it.”
To her surprise, Cate’s laugh sounded young, almost hopeful.
For the first time, the idea of meeting someone new didn’t feel disloyal or foolish.
The idea just felt…possible.