“Since I’m here, why don’t you give me the tour.”
“Mom. This was one of your summer rental listings. You know this place inside and out.”
“Not since you moved in.” Her mother stood on tiptoe, peering over her shoulder and into the cottage. “It’d be nice to see what you’ve done with the place.” As if that were decided, her mother sailed around her and into the living area. Ginny pushed the door closed.
“Well?”
Her mother glanced around, frowning. “You haven’t done anything with it.”
“Exactly. I’ve been here—what—a handful of days? And I’ve been working nonstop.”
Her mother pursed her lips. “Still. I’d have thought you’d get a throw pillow. Or something.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. It’s not like I’ve been lying on the beach all week.” Which was exactly how she’d hoped to spend her first day off since arriving. Right after the nap her mother had taken her hostage.
But her mother had already moved on to the fridge and was peering at the contents inside. “Honey, there’s nothing in here but wine and cheese. And this.” She pulled out a half-eaten container of hummus and scowled at it. “This expires in a week.”
Ginny plucked it from her hand, closed the fridge, and stood in front of it. “Mom, you stopped packing my lunches twenty years ago. I’m a grown-up.”
Nina raised one plucked eyebrow and shrugged. “Semantics.” Then she showed herself to the couch. “So, what’s new?”
There was no chance Ginny was getting her day back, so she collapsed into the rocking chair. “Well, since you’ve seen I haven’t redecorated the place yet, allow me to break the news that I have also neglected to procure a new fiancé.”
Her mother did not find this funny. “Oh, please.” And then, under her breath, “It’s only been a week.” But her expression grew serious. “I actually came by with some news. We’ve got an opportunity to land a new listing. A big one. It could really help the future of the Feldman Agency, if we get it.”
Ginny thought back to all the properties Sheila had shown her at the office that week. There were plenty, but many of them were summer rentals, like her own cottage, or smaller starter homes without big price tags. As Sheila told it, the competing agencies in town, Sotheby’s International and the Cramer Group, had become better known as the “luxury property” brokerages, scooping up all the high-end listings and courting out-of-town clients and urbanites, leaving Ginny’s parents’ agency the smallerfamily homes and seasonal lake rentals. It was enough for them to keep their head above water, but if they wanted to survive, they needed to land some of those coveted larger listings. “Where is it?” she asked.
Nina’s face fell. “It’s a sad story, I’m afraid, but business is business. Remember that beautiful estate up on Timber Lane?”
“White Pines?”
Her mother nodded. “The owners died quite suddenly a couple of weeks ago.”
Ginny recalled her mother mentioning something about a recent tragic accident in town, but between her job loss, the breakup, and her move across the country, the details were foggy. “I didn’t realize it was White Pines.” What she didn’t add was“That’s where Wendell used to work.”
“Yes. Apparently, an out-of-town family member has been assigned to manage the property, and she wants to sell. Her lawyer, Geoffrey Banks, reached out to us yesterday. I haven’t dared to tell your father yet; no use getting him all worked up in his present condition. But I had a meeting with Sheila this morning, and we both think we have a good chance. If you take it.”
“Me?” Ginny was both surprised and touched. “But I just got back. Nobody here knows me anymore.”
Nina was already shaking her head. “Honey, you’re young and sharp. And you’re fresh out of the Chicago commercial market. This will be smooth sailing for you. Besides, from what Mr. Banks said, this aunt is all business and straight off a plane from London.” She gestured to herself and smiled sadly. “Just look at me. Between your father’s health and the business struggling, I don’t think I can handle much more. I hardly look the part of luxury real estate tycoon.”
“Mom, stop, you’re doing fine.” True, her mother looked older and more tired than Ginny could recall seeing her. AndGinny was not used to seeing her in leisure attire, like the wide-legged capri pants and shapeless sweatshirt she sported today. But she was still a vital and competent woman who knew the industry in town better than anyone. “Mom, I’ll do whatever you and Dad need me to do. But White Pines is going to be a big fish to land. What do you think it’ll go for?”
Her mother swallowed. “Close to ten.”
“Million.”
“Yes. Million. She wants to subdivide it and has a developer lined up.”
“What a shame,” Ginny thought out loud. “That gorgeous estate chopped up.” When she and Wendell had been together, before he left for the National Guard, Ginny had visited White Pines plenty of times to drop Wendell off or pick him up from work. It was a magical property, complete with all the natural elements: a small private lake, fields and forest. Being up there had always felt like stepping into a different world, and she knew how much Wendell had loved it.
“I hate the thought of it, too,” Nina agreed. “But regardless how we feel, someone is going to get the listing. Why not us? Besides, it could save our agency.”
Ginny sank back into the couch cushions. Working the local residential estate market was a far cry from the commercial work she’d done in the city. Back in Chicago, ten million and above wasn’t out of this world for some of the downtown buildings she’d handled for developers and investors. But here, in a small New England town, it was a high-stakes opportunity. “I’ll do it. We should probably get started today.”
Her mother let out a hoot. “Really? That would be wonderful, honey. Because she’s asked us to come by tomorrow. And we need to present our most polished marketing plan if we’re going to land this.” She lowered her voice. “Apparently, Sotheby’s and Crameralready met with her. But don’t worry! The last interview always stays freshest in the mind.”
Ginny forced a smile. She wanted to do this for her parents because of all they had done for her over the years. And to help them out of the hole their family business was in that they’d been too afraid to tell her about. She had a lot of guilt over that one. Staying so far away for so long, she’d lost touch with the two people who should’ve meant most to her.
