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“I can’t tell you how happy I am that all these places are still here. Well, I hope all of them are. Is Sunny Side still here?”
“Yes,” Albert says, sounding surprised. “Usually the tourists don’t venture out to that one.”
“Well, I think maybe your grandma told mine about Sunny Side.” I direct my comment to the Landmark brothers, not wanting Scarlett to think I’m brown-nosing her with this one, but still wanting to tell the story. “Gran was very impressed with this lady, saying she had the cutest name, Grinny…” I laugh now, remembering Gran’s joy at that.
“That’s her all right,” Vera says.
“I remember because Gran asked if it was too late for us to start calling her Grinny too.”
Vera loves that, her plump shoulders shaking as she laughs.
“So, we went to Sunny Side and Gran hadn’t had much of an appetite the whole trip, and even before that, but that day she ate the pancakes and eggsandthe hash browns. She hadn’t gone skiing with us that whole trip, but when we got back to the resort, we convinced her to go on the toboggan with us. Zac and I took turns taking her down the bunny hills and the way she laughed…”
I shake my head and have to take a couple of seconds to keep going. Throughout this process, my brother and I have found ourselves getting emotional when we think about owning the place that holds such incredible memories for us.
“I’ll never forget it.” My voice is hoarse when I add, “That was the last trip Gran made with us. We found out she was sick not long after that, and she died a year later.”
Some of the ladies are wiping their cheeks and I feel bad that I made them cry.
“Sorry to get heavy on you. I only wanted to convey how special this place is to me…this town, and the places and people in it. My mom was even inspired by hearing Gran talk about Grinny and her cute name. When my niece was born, my mom decided she wanted to be called Daisy instead of Grandma and she expects us all to call her that. Her name is Tammy, so I’m not really sure where Daisy came in, but you don’t argue with Mom or Tammy or Daisy.”
They’re laughing again and I’m relieved.
“I don’t fully know the traditions or the legacy in these walls, but I want to learn.” I look at Scarlett when I say my next sentence. “I’m not here to tear down the old but rather to enhance what’s already here, to build on the shoulders of the ones who came before and make sure it lives on.”
She swallows hard and looks down, fidgeting with her pen.
I wish I could start all over with her, tell her everything about me from the beginning, find out all I can about her, and then relive our night all over again, with eyes wide open.
My thoughts rattle me, and I have to focus on Albert as I wrap up the meeting.
“I’ll let you get to work now. I’ll include this in the email I send to everyone who couldn’t be here today, but feel free to pass along this message. I’ve set up a schedule outside my office, and I’d like each of you to fill out a time to meet with me when it’s convenient for you. I want to get to know each one of you, the sooner the better. Thanks, everyone.”
There’s a smattering of applause and everyone comes up to say something before they leave. They seem like a nice group of people. The brothers are saying something to Scarlett and then hug her before coming to me, one by one.
Theo, the one who seems the most chill, is the first one. I’ve always thought it was interesting how siblings can look so similar and yet so distinct at the same time. The brothers are all over six feet and their hair varies in shades of brown, but their personalities are what make them stand apart. Theo’s eyes are wide open, no guile to them, as he shakes my hand.
“I love that your family has a connection here,” he says. “That makes all of this really special.”
“Thanks. I think so too,” I tell him, grateful that he’s not angry about it like his sister.
Everything about the next brother looks gruff. Callum. His voice is low and almost growly, but he shakes my hand firmly and says, “Welcome to Landmark.”
“Thanks, man,” I say.
Wyatt is the next one and he’s not quite as laidback as Theo, but not as serious as Callum either. He’s professional when he shakes my hand. “I think you’ll be a good fit for this place,” he says.
“That means a lot.”
Sutton is the last one and he’s got one arm around Scarlett when he reaches out with his other hand to give mine a hearty shake.
“And you already met the judge,” Scarlett says, holding her hand out toward her brother.
“Yes, we met. Good to see you again, Jamison. Scarlett will keep you in line here until you figure out the ropes,” he says, grinning. He lifts an eyebrow, his expression suddenly serious. “Step out of line even one inch and we’ll send you back to Boston so fast you won’t know what hit you on the way out.”
Something tells me he’s used to being intimidating, which makes sense if he really is a judge, I guess. I smirk and he starts laughing and pounds my back.
“I’m kidding,” he says. “Well, not really, but Scarlett will keep me up to speed.”
