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Jo scowled and huffed. “Because he’s just humoring you. He hates sweet tea.” She gave him a pointed look. “If you’re starting this by—” Just because she forgave him didn’t mean she was going to let him get away with being dishonest.
He sighed, already seeming frustrated with her. “I never said I hated it. I said that I didn’t like how syrupy it was and your grandma’s tea could never be used on pancakes.”
“Fine.”
Settling back in the seat, he sipped his tea and then rested the glass on his thigh. “I guess I should just give you the details, and then if you have any questions, I’ll answer them. Does that work?”
“Sure,” her grandma took a seat across from him, sitting on the edge.
Jo would remain standing. First, she didn’t want to put him at ease. Just because she’d sort of changed her mind on the whole selling thing didn’t mean she was completely on board partly because she’d yet to discuss moving to New York with her grandma.
Craig sat up, set his glass on the coffee table, and opened his briefcase, handing her grandma a folder. “That is the deal package. My client remains anonymous. He’s well-known, good at what he does, and likes to keep his possible business deals private until he’s ready to announce them.” He nodded to the folder. “That gives the offer in detail, what the plans are for the property, and other details that are just formalities when it comes to closing costs and transfer of ownership.”
“Okay.” Grandma opened the prepared packet and whistled as she looked up at Jo. “Sweetheart…” The word rushed out.
To say she was in shock was an understatement. Jo expected a lot of zeros. She knew the property was worth a handsome sum, but that many? It was enough that Grandma could live in luxury for the rest of her life, easily.
“I told you it was more than generous.”
Her grandma looked at him. “I’d say so.”
Craig smiled. “I know this property is special, and we plan to honor that.”
As he spoke, she flipped through the pages, stopping after a few and looking up. “Tear it down?”
Jo pulled the dossier from her grandma and quickly scanned the page. “The property will be torn down. A hotel? And strip mall with—” She looked at Craig. “They’re going to tear down our family home?”
He looked at her like she was stupid. “Jo, you had to know they wouldn’t keep the house. It’s in terrible shape. Tourism is going to grow, which means more people will need lodging. It makes more sense to level the land and develop something new.”
She wasn’t sure what she expected. Maybe they would add onto the house, or maybe even keep it the way it was, and build more homes that would keep with the style of the historic home.
Shutting the dossier, she handed it back to her grandma. The information settled over her brain like a fog. They were going to destroy her home. Her mind raced as thoughts bombarded her.
The new deck, gone. Jack had spent so much time on it. Shoot, she’d spent time on it. All that sanding. She’d painted the rooms and had plans to refresh the bathroom once she was finished with the wedding. Now, everything seemed like such a waste of time and effort.
A tug-o-war began in her heart. Sadness at the loss of the home versus the excitement of maybe a new adventure for her and her grandma. That was a lot of money. Plenty of money if they didn’t think her current place was big enough. They could find something bigger, better.
Absent-mindedly, she rubbed the spot over her heart. It ached and throbbed. The memory of her mom tossing her out and speeding away flashed in her mind, but it was quickly replaced with memories of slumber parties, movie nights, and all the great times she’d had with her grandma.
In the middle of all of those were new memories. Memories of Jack. Helping him scrape the siding, paint, and measure wood. The way he smiled. The way he laughed. The way he’d look at her with that sparkle in his eye.
The way her heart skipped a beat and butterflies tickled her stomach when he was near. The way he’d kissed her…
“Craig, this is a very generous offer. I need to think about it.” Her grandma caught Jo’s gaze. “To talk to Jo about it.”
“Do you have any questions?” he asked.
“Not that I can think of at the moment.”
He stood, crossed the small distance, and touched Jo’s arm. “Jo?”
She shook her head but remained quiet.
“Okay,” he said and walked to the door, pausing. “My number is on the front. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call. I should also warn you that there’s a time limit. This offer is good for forty-eight hours, so I’ll need your answer pretty quickly.”
Jo sucked in a sharp breath. “Two days? That’s not a lot of time to think about it.”
“My client doesn’t like loose ends. If a deal will work, it will, and if it won’t, he’s moving on.” He gave her a matter-of-fact shrug. “Sorry.”
