CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When I walked into Liz’s house, I was met by the excited cries of my grandchildren.
“Gammy, I want this book,” said Gabe, toddling to me holding a picture book for me to read.
“Will you play Candyland with us?” asked Emma.
Laughing, I hugged each child. “Let me talk to your mother first. Then I’ll read and play with you.” Having these grandchildren close by meant the world to me. And thinking of Bailey and Ned living in Sabal was another part of the dream.
Liz found us in the playroom. “Hi, Mom! I’m glad you’re here. I was just on the phone with Hester Wiley, and she has agreed for me to come and measure the rooms and make some notes on the conditions for Nell. Chad is working at home today and can watch the kids. Will you join me?”
“Sure,” I said. “So, everyone has agreed to proceed with the sale?”
“Yes. Our lawyer is drafting a sales agreement with all the standard contingencies. A home inspection has been scheduled, and Nell and Clint have already approved paying a deposit large enough to help the Wileys with their move.”
“Okay. Let me say goodbye to the children, and I’ll go with you,” I said. “I’m going to run an errand with your mother,” I told them. “When I return, I’ll play with you.”
“Promise?” said Olivia.
“I promise all of you,” I said, eager to give my attention to them.
###
Liz drove me to the Wiley’s house, and we sat a moment while Liz went over a list of instructions she’d put together.
“In addition to the size of the rooms, Nell wants us to check for the condition of the wooden trim, floors, or carpeting, and light fixtures,” Liz said. “She wants to be as realistic as possible when talking about the cost of upgrades because she can’t do everything at once.”
“The home inspector will check over the appliances,” I said. “I noticed the house needs painting, but the roof and the condition of the exterior walls looked fine.”
“The home inspector will double-check that,” said Liz. “Should we be looking at anything else?”
I mentally retraced my steps from when I’d visited earlier. “The upstairs bathrooms need dressing up, though that’s something that might have to wait. I want to take a closer look at the landscaping. We might be able to get Manny and his crew to lend some help there.”
“The kitchen is only a few years old,” said Liz. “The appliances are fairly new. The washing machine and dryer are not.”
“Okay, I’m set to go. I’ll tell you when I want you to write something down,” l said.
We got out of the car and headed to the front door.
A kind-faced older gentleman greeted us. “This must be Liz and …”
“I’m her mother, Ann Sanders,” I said, extending my hand. “And you are Earl.”
Chuckling, he shook my hand. “Guess I was napping when you came earlier.”
“We didn’t want to disturb you,” Liz said. “We hope we’re not disturbing you now.”
“No, no. Not at all. Come in and do what you need to do.” He held the door open, and when we went inside, I noticed how tidy the living room was.
“We’re pretty excited about being able to sell the house this way,” said Earl. “Let me know if you need anything. Hester has gone to the grocery store, but she’ll be right back.”
“Let’s start in the kitchen,” I said to Liz.
There, we measured the dining space and checked the appliances, cupboards, and drawers. It was in acceptable condition with more than adequate storage for a family. It would be a huge relief for Nell.
As we went through the house, my initial impressions were right. It would take work and creativity, but beneath its faded, outdated appearance was a very nice home.
When we were through with the interior, we thanked Earl and Hester and walked around the outside. Some of the overgrown landscaping would need to be removed, but I’d already thought of giving Nell and Clint a housewarming gift of having Manny work on their yard.
We sat in the car outside Liz’s house, comparing notes and ideas to share with Nell.
“Furniture is something else Nell is going to have to deal with,” said Liz. “The family buying their house wanted all the furniture in the dining room, living room, and guest rooms, and whatever else Nell and Clint are willing to sell.”
“I’m satisfied that we’ve done what we could to help with her decisions,” I told Liz. “But if you need anything else from me, you know how eager I am to help. Having you two sisters living close together is thrilling for me. Right now, I’m going inside to see my adorable grandchildren.”
Liz laughed. “You wouldn’t think they were adorable if you had to wake them up for school.”
“You were a sleepyhead, too,” I said, patting her back. In truth, she was an easy child, as if to make up for the loss of other babies.
Inside, I went to the playroom and made myself comfortable on the soft carpet. The Ts got out the Candyland game, and with Gabe on my lap, I settled down to play with them.
###
As I drove home, I hoped Bailey and Ned would agree to play a different game from Candyland tonight. Still, knowing they were at the house to greet me filled me with joy.
I’d just pulled into my driveway when Rhonda called me. “Hi, Annie. You’ll never guess what’s happened. I got a call from a friend at the Chamber of Commerce who wanted me to know they received an email complaining about service at The Beach House Hotel.”
“Really? From whom?” I asked.
“Claudine Everett. She claimed she was treated poorly, that you and I personally interfered with a business deal signed at the hotel. Can you believe that?” said Rhonda. “What a bitch.”
“She has a lot of nerve,” I said. “I guess she’s fighting for her job, striking out at anyone she can. One thing is for certain. We have proof of what actually happened, courtesy of a state trooper and the body camera footage. There’s no disputing that.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that. Still, it burns my butt that she’s trying to harass us,” said Rhonda.
“As Bernie would say, we’ll simply carry on,” I said, but I was as mad as Rhonda. We ran our hotel impeccably and took pride in doing so. We didn’t need Claudine making twisted accusations about us or The Beach House Hotel. “Our best response is no response.”
“Right. I told Will about it, and he said the same thing.” Rhonda let out a long breath. “You should’ve seen Sally Kate in the school play. She was adorable and had memorized her two lines perfectly.”
“Excellent,” I said. “When I see her, I’ll be sure to congratulate her, if I get a chance while all the kids are playing together.”
Rhonda laughed. “Thanks. She’ll love that anytime.”
Rhonda and I ended our call, and I tried to put myself in a lighter mood before going in and facing my family.
But I knew Claudine’s action wasn’t the only one Rhonda and I might have to deal with regarding Everett, Shuster, and Donnelly.
Aware of how they were treating Clint, I was beginning to understand what kind of company it was.
###
Later, Nell phoned the children to say goodnight and then asked to speak to me.
“Hi, Ann. I want to thank you for helping Liz take measurements and make notes for our new house. It’ll help me a lot to plan what we need to do for the move.”
“When are you coming back to Sabal?” I asked her.
“I’m going to fly out tomorrow afternoon.
Clint will have to stay here in D.C. to meet with his lawyer.
He says he’ll be fine, but he’s still finding it awkward to do simple tasks.
He wants me to send him copies of the agreements with the company, but wants to retain the originals in case this issue goes to court. ”
“Oh, but I thought it would be a simple matter of resigning,” I said, alarmed.
“They’re going to fight it, telling him he can’t resign until the project is complete and saying that he can’t get back his equity investment in the company. It’s a disaster,” said Nell.
“How’s Clint handling it?” I asked.
“Not well. He’s furious with them and himself,” said Nell. “I told him the best revenge is to move forward. That’s why I’m pushing to get that house, even though I know in its present condition, it’s not what we hoped for.”
“It’s going to be a lovely home,” I said.
“I know it, but Clint sees it as another of his mistakes in leaving his old job to take a chance on this newer one. I’m trying to convince him otherwise, but in truth, we wouldn’t be in this trouble if he’d listened to me. But I can’t say that without causing a fight I don’t want.”
“Agreed,” I said. “Clint has had a lot to deal with, and he needs our support right now.”
“It’s been wonderful being alone with him,” Nell said. “It’s easy to remember why I fell in love with him. He can be very sweet.”
“Clint is a good man, and he’s a loved member of the family. This is what you might call a major life lesson.”
“I know,” said Nell. “For me, too. Give the kids hugs and kisses from us. I’ll see you tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll need to return to D. C., but for the next couple of days, I’ll be home with you.”
“That’ll be great. The kids will be excited to see you.”
“They told me they’re having an awesome time with you, Dad, and Robbie. “ That makes me so happy,” Nell said, her voice wobbling a little.
“We’re here for you,” I said, feeling a little emotional myself.