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Steve looked like a big black cat who’d just eaten a tiny yellow canary. “I might be able to show you something. It’s not on the island, though.”
Ty sat back in his seat as Steve leaned in. “How far off the island?”
“Right across the bridge.”
“It’s in the swamps.”
“No,” Steve said instantly. “But it does have some waterfront to it.”
“Waterfront? Like it flooded?”
Steve pressed his mouth together, and Ty wondered what he’d find if he ever got the address from his broker friend.
“Why isn’t it on the market?” Ty lifted his water to his lips, though he wanted the peach sweet tea. “Is it going to be expensive?”
“The owner is…a public figure. Bought the land thinking it would be the next big thing, and well, it wasn’t.”
“Is there a house on it?”
“Yes,” Steve said. “It’s not quite a fixer-upper, but there are some improvements that could be made—especially along the waterfront.”
Sage had told him she wanted to find “the waterfront way,” and maybe a property like this would be exactly what she needed. Ty wasn’t sure what she wanted to knock down, rearrange, or rebuild inside herself, but he hoped he could be at her side every step of the way.
“Asking price? My client has a budget.”
“It’s…negotiable,” Steve said. “No one lives there, but they do have someone go in and keep the house clean and the yard looking good. You can go by anytime.”
“Great.” Ty grinned at Steve, already planning to stop there as soon as he finished this business lunch. “Text me the address?”
Steve already had his phone out, and Ty could usually imagine a home and property simply by seeing where it was located. “Done.” Steve put down his phone and smiled across the table to Ty. “All right, my turn. I know you’ve got a client down in Astor Pines with a house they use maybe once a year.”
Ty leaned forward now, because he knew exactly the house and people Steve was talking about. “Yeah?”
“I have a client who wants a place there. Willing to pay top dollar.”
“Oh, boy.” Ty laughed and looked up as a waitress finally arrived. And thank the heavens, she already carried a peach iced tea for him and a Diet Coke for Steven.
“Hello, boys,” Jean said, though Ty was so far from being a boy. “Another business lunch commencing?”
Yes, it was, and Ty glanced at his phone while Steve laughed with Jean and put in his order. The address he’d been sent…yeah, this was going to be an interesting property. Ty couldn’t wait to see it—and then hopefully show it to Sage.
12
Sage stepped onto the ferry, her feet wobbling beneath her and the ripple moving all the way up her legs. She grunted, trying to find her balance. Thankfully, Ty had his hand on her upper arm, and he nudged her forward.
“Keep going, sweetheart. You’ll get used to it.” He climbed on after her, his steps even and sure though the surface of the ferry shifted. Itmoved, and Sage did not like that.
She let him guide her to a seat, and she sat down hard in it, much the same way she had on the whale-watching boat. “I don’t think I like boats.”
Ty chuckled and took her hand in his. “No, I don’t think you do. This one doesn’t take long. Twenty minutes. It’s on and off.”
“It still moves strangely.” She closed her eyes, but that didn’t help. She opened them again and focused on the horizon. “This luau better be worth it.”
“There they are,” someone said, and Sage looked up at the familiar voice.
“Bessie,” she said as one of her best friends sat down on the other side of Ty. “What are you doing here?”
“Ty has tickets to the luau,” she said at the same time Ty said, “I invited them to the luau.” Bessie and Ty looked at one another, and then they both looked at Sage. “I guess I forgot to tell you,” he added. He put his arm around her and leaned closer. “Is that okay?”
