Joanna eyed Phee, no doubt sensing a chink in her armor. “Let’s just go take a look. It can’t hurt anything. I’ll review the realty company’s listing material.”
Still, Phee hesitated. “Except it could well be a waste of Quinn’s time and maybe keep him from selling the property to someone else who would hire the company to do the work … like he wants us to do. That’s what’s in it for him, you know.”
“But Phee, this is what Dad wants us to do too. And Quinn said that up front. It’s not like he’s trying to con us.” Britt had turned on her little-girl charm—and she had plenty to turn on.
“If Dad was so fired up about us doing this, then why didn’t he tell us about it? Why did he leave it to one of his employees?”
Joanna rolled her eyes. “Probably because he figured we’d be too mad at him to listen to anything he had to say.”
“Well, he was right about that.” Phee’s blood simmered again just thinking about it.
“Let’s just go look.” Joanna rose and went to stand at the window. “We don’t have to consider it until we’ve seen if it’s even viable. But I’ve got to say … think about it, Phee. We’d be really good at this. I can handle all the paperwork and legal stuff, you’re great at decorating and design—even for the ads and website and stuff like that, you’d be perfect. And Britt is the hostess with the mostess. We really would make a great team for something like this. It’d be a lot of fun.”
“And a lot of work.” Phee wasn’t convinced by a long shot. But Joanna was right. Their talents were diverse, and they would each bring something different to the table. She had to admit it felt good to be in this together with her sisters. And maybe there was something to the idea. Even if she wasn’t very happy with her father right now, she did trust his business sense and that he had their best interests at heart. “I guess we can go look.”
Britt and Joanna cheered and hugged her, which made her laugh. Until she thought about the crow she’d have to eat when she told Quinn Mitchell that they would take a look. If he gloated, she just might have to change her mind.
She found him in the backyard measuring the patio. “For Dad’s listing?”
Nodding absently, he uncapped a ballpoint pen and quickly jotted some numbers on the edge of the listing sheet in his manila folder. He tucked the papers back in the folder and turned his full attention to her. “Sorry, I wanted to get that down before I forgot. The house looks to be in good shape. I don’t think your dad will have any trouble getting his asking price. You’re sure you and your sisters don’t want to buy it?”
She looked askance at him. “I thought you were all about us buying these three houses on the river.”
He eyed her. “Oh? The vibe I was getting didn’t sound like you were very interested.”
She shrugged. “We decided we should at least go look at the property.”
His face brightened, but she got the impression he was trying hard not to look too pleased. Smart man. “I can take you out there tomorrow, but I’d really prefer for you to see it in daylight. Is there any way you could get off work early again? Maybe try to get out there by four?” He looked apologetic.
“That should work. Britt’s not back to work yet, so I think she’s good. I’m not sure about Joanna. We’ve all missed quite a bit of work these last few months, and Jo’s boss isn’t too happy with her. But I’ll talk to her and let you know if it doesn’t work.”
“Sounds good. I’ll just pick up whoever can go right here. Let’s say a little before four, if that’s all right. And I’ll treat you all to supper afterwards.”
She hesitated. If they decided the property was a dump, a meal together might not be a very pleasant affair. “Let’s play supper by ear, okay?”
“Sure. Of course.” He capped his pen and secured it in the pocket of his button-down shirt. “Okay if I do a quick walkthrough inside?”
“Sure. I’ll show you around.”
His expression gave away nothing.
So why did she have the feeling that inside that handsome head of his, he was celebrating some kind of victory?
Chapter 6
February
The driveway is just ahead.” Quinn expertly steered his SUV up a canopied drive. “This really is a hidden wonder of Langhorne.”
Phee frowned. Driveway was being generous. This was more like a mountain trail. Though she had to admit it was a pretty spot. Especially with the remnants of this afternoon’s rain glistening on the branches, the tree limbs making a tracery of brown and white against the blue-gray sky on this first day of February.
Quinn slowed the vehicle and wound through a path that wasn’t discernible except for the fact that it was the only space a vehicle would fit between the dense woodland.
“How far back does this go?” Joanna asked from the backseat where she and Britt still gripped their armrests from the bumpy ride up the drive from Poplar Brook Road.
“Well, it’s just under eight acres, but it’s a long, narrow plot. And there won’t really be any upkeep on seven and three quarters of an acre. Unfortunately, according to this”—he tapped the same manila folder he’d had with him yesterday—“the timber was harvested a few years ago, probably sooner than it should have been, which may be one reason the property has sat so long.”
“Oh, I think I see something …” Phee pointed through the windshield. “Is that a roof?”
Quinn peered over the steering wheel. At that moment, a tan doe leapt across the path in front of the SUV, its distinctive white tail held high. And on the doe’s heels, a huge buck followed, still sporting an impressive set of antlers.
They all gasped as the vehicle jerked to a halt.
“Good grief!” Phee exhaled.
“How cool is that!” Jo breathed.
In awed silence, they watched the animals disappear into the forest.
After a minute, Quinn turned in his seat. “Did I mention they come with the property?”
Phee eyed him, then saw the tiniest smile tip his mouth.
“But seriously,” he continued. “That’s something you’ll have to watch for, especially in the evening.”
Phee looked in the direction the doe and buck had disappeared. Deer were thick in this part of the county, and it was unusual to drive anywhere and not see half a dozen of the majestic animals in the fields and ditches on either side of the winding roads. But thinking about them on property she owned gave her a strange feeling of pride.
If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn Quinn had personally arranged their little wildlife encounter. What else could he have up his sleeve?
She’d tried to reach Dad several times last night without success. And he hadn’t returned her messages, even though she’d asked him to call back as soon as possible. Jo said she’d tried to call him too, with the same result. It was starting to feel as if Dad’s new life in Florida didn’t have room for daughters in it. For the first time, Phee wondered if Karleen had children.
Looking out the passenger-side window, she tried to ignore the pang of jealousy that sliced through her.
They drove in silence for another minute before Quinn pointed. “There’s your rooftop. That’s not the main house though. The biggest one sits back the farthest. But they’re all a stone’s throw from each other.”
“Oh, I see them.” Joanna pointed in the same direction Quinn had. “See, Britt. Look up there.”
Quinn rounded a corner and the houses appeared, three of them arranged in a semicircle, as if they were huddled around a campfire. A crumbling rock wall separated the cottages from the water’s edge—or what would have been the water’s edge if the riverbed wasn’t almost dry. There appeared to be a narrow rocky beach below the wall.
Faded shutters hung haphazardly from the two smaller cottages, and it was hard to tell what color the original trim had been. Gray, Phee guessed. Which was partly why they’d been almost upon the clearing before they spotted the buildings. The shake shingles were gray as well. But the st
one siding gave the buildings a certain charm. Something that made her think of them as cottages rather than houses. Of course, their diminutive size was partly responsible for that.
Quinn pulled up in front of the larger house and turned off the ignition. He fished in his pocket and produced a tattered keychain. “This key is supposed to get us into all of the houses. We … you will probably want to change all the locks so each house has its own keys. For sure if you decide to rent the cabins.”
Despite a scene that any sane person would label “ramshackle”—or at least, “overgrown and neglected”—a strange sense of excitement welled up in Phee. She couldn’t deny the unexpected eagerness building inside her. Still, she tried not to show it, and even silently chided herself. She needed to remain dispassionate and realistic, because judging by the looks on her sisters’ faces, Joanna and Britt were already mentally painting walls and arranging furniture.
Quinn swiveled in his seat, looking at each of them in turn. “Well? Let’s go take a look, shall we?”
Joanna and Britt all but bolted from the SUV. Phee followed behind them as Quinn led the way.
He picked a path along the leaf-strewn trail leading to the largest cottage. “Oh! See that?” He stopped and pointed.
A bunny hopped across the trail, pausing to cock its head at them before disappearing into the tall grasses. Phee wondered what other wildlife lived in these woods. Rabbits and raccoons and deer she would love spotting. Coyotes and badgers and opossums, not so much. A little shiver crept through her.
A screened-in porch ran the length of the front. The porch’s screen door was unlocked, and Quinn held it open for them.
“Oooh, this is cute!” Britt peered through the arched opening in the stone wall that formed one end of the porch.
“I love the view!” Joanna looked out the matching archway opposite their youngest sister. “You’re practically in town, but all you can see is acres of woods. I could get used to this!”
Phee turned to look out the front toward where they’d parked. The porch screens sagged in their frames, and the porch floor was in sore need of a coat of deck paint, but she could just imagine little globe lights strung across the beadboard ceiling and a lineup of comfy chairs and ottomans for sitting on summer evenings, sipping iced tea. Knock it off. If her sisters were going to go nuts over the place before they were even inside, someone had to stay rational.
Quinn unlocked the door to the house and stepped aside, motioning for them to proceed. Phee inhaled, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light inside. The place had a musty smell about it, like Grandma Clayton’s cellar. “How long did you say it’s been since anyone lived here?”
Quinn checked the real estate flyer. “It’s been on the market a little over a year, but I don’t know when the last residents moved out. I don’t think the other two cottages have been lived in for a while.”
Britt wrinkled her nose. “It does smell a little stuffy.”
“That’s only because it’s been closed up for so long.” Quinn crossed the room and tried to crack a window—one that appeared to be painted shut. He quickly gave up his efforts and turned to face them. “A good airing and it’ll be fine.”
The front door opened directly into a large living room with a dining room beyond, separated by bookcase colonnades. Phee pointed. “Do you guys remember Grandmother Chandler’s house? It had the bookcase dividers just like this.”
Joanna shook her head. “I sort of remember the kitchen in that house, and the back stairway, but that’s all.”
Phee worked to keep any trace of sentimentality from her voice. “It was a lot like this house … on a bigger scale.”
“Some new paint would help a lot.” Britt walked over to a light switch and flipped it on.
Quinn nodded. “Some white—or that pale gray everyone’s using—would really brighten things up. And I’m sure these windows let in a lot more sun at midday. You might want to clear a few trees away from the house to let in more light. That way you’d have some wood for the fireplace too.”
The brick fireplace surround was dark with soot, but the long mantel would be perfect for Christmas decorations—greenery and twinkle lights, and candles in the high windows on either side of the mantel. “Does the fireplace work?” Phee bent to peer inside the firebox.
He tapped the papers. “Says here that it does. But you’ll want to have the chimney inspected and cleaned out before you use it.”
She frowned. “Now it’s starting to sound like a lot of work. And this is the move-in ready cottage?”
He held up a hand. “Now wait … I don’t think I ever used that phrase. I said it was livable.”
Phee raised her eyebrows. “Big difference. Well, let’s see the rest of it.”
He pointed behind her. “Through those doors is what was probably originally a bedroom, but it looks as if they might’ve used it as an office.”
She turned to see pretty glass-paned French doors that led to a large room beyond. It would make a great office space or music room.
“Wouldn’t this make a great library?” Britt’s eyes grew large as she panned the room. “I wonder if Dad plans to take the bookcases out of his office.”
“They would look great in here. But you don’t think they’re too tall?” Phee quickly caught herself again. She had to quit dreaming and be realistic.
“Well, we’d have to put the lower ones under that window, but look at all this wall space.” Joanna crossed the room, her boot heels clicking across the floors. “We could get all of the bookcases from Dad’s office in here with room to spare. Add a library table in the middle and all this room would need to make it absolutely perfect is a fresh coat of paint.”
“A little paint would work wonders on the whole house. Inside and out.” Quinn looked as if he wanted to move in himself. “But the floors are all in surprisingly good shape, and the woodwork just needs a good polishing.”
Phee frowned. “Well, let’s look at the kitchen before we start polishing woodwork. It’s usually the kitchen and baths that are the deal-breakers in these older homes.”
“There’s only one bath.” Quinn tapped the real estate listing sticking out of his jacket pocket. “Each of the houses are two beds, one bath. Unless you decide to make that ‘library’ into a bedroom again. That would give you a third.”
“But no closet.”
“If it’s for a rental like VRBO, you wouldn’t really need a closet.” He seemed determined to challenge her at every turn. “But you could always buy an armoire or chifforobe.”
Phee narrowed her eyes. “You’re sure you aren’t getting a cut on the sale of this place.”
“I promise you, I’m not. And quite honestly, now that I’ve seen it, if you don’t buy it, I just might.” He gave her a half grin that she ignored. But his tactic—if that’s what it was—had worked. If he was so impressed with the place, maybe it was worth the elbow grease they’d have to put into it.
Walking back through the French doors, she caught a new view of the living room with the fireplace as the focal point. She’d always loved a room with a fireplace. It’d probably be easiest to just paint the bricks or maybe whitewash them. That would brighten up the whole room and really make the fireplace the star.
It would take some work, but it was doable. Might even be fun. She already had decorating ideas dancing through her head. Mom wouldn’t have batted an eye at fixing up a place like this.
A wave of grief rolled over her unexpectedly and she swallowed back tears. But even as she did, she caught a glimmer of how much it would honor their mom if she and her sisters actually went through with this. Maybe if they did turn this into a little bed-and-breakfast-type place, they could even name it after Mom. Myra’s Maisons or Myra’s Moorings. She smiled wryly to herself. They’d have to get some water in the creek before they could have moorings.
What are you doing, Chandler? So much for being dispassionate.
Shaking away the thoughts, she headed b
ack to the kitchen beyond the dining room at the back of the house. Britt scurried behind her, and Joanna disappeared into the hallway off the dining room.
“Hey, it’s not bad.” Quinn was already in the kitchen, having apparently circled through the hallway into the back kitchen entrance. He was tapping on a wall that jutted out as if it might cover a chimney. “We could expose brick here too, I bet.”
“Move-in ready, huh?” She shot him a skeptical look.
“Livable.” He wagged a finger at her. “I said livable. And it is.”
“It’s very livable.” Joanna popped into the kitchen. “Wait till you see the bedrooms, Phee. This place is adorable. Straight out of Fixer Upper.”
“Before or after?”
“Well, I don’t think we’ll be knocking out any walls or laying new hardwoods, so I’d say after.”
“After,” Britt chimed in. “After Chip’s demo day, but before Joanna Gaines has put her signature touches on it.”
“Well, this Joanna would love to put her signature touches on it.” Joanna opened a cupboard door and stuck her head inside. “Plenty of storage here.”
The cabinets had all been painted white at some point, but they were dingy and the paint was peeling in places. Still, it wouldn’t take much to touch them up. The floor was an old vinyl pattern that looked dated, but it had a Bohemian vibe that Phee kind of liked.
Half an hour later, they followed Quinn out to the other two cottages. These were twins that sat down closer to the water’s edge—although the tributary here was more like a muddy creek. Each cottage had a low stone wall around it. But the crumbling state of the walls made them look more like the piles of sandbags people surrounded their homes with during the spring flood season.
Phee turned to Quinn. “Do we need to worry about flooding? There’s not much water now, but if we got a downpour, it seems like these would be pretty close to the water’s edge.”
“That may be why the walls were built at some point.” Again, Quinn consulted the real estate listing. “It doesn’t say anything about flood issues here, but we can do some checking to find out if there’s any history of problems. From what the real estate agent told us—your dad and me— it’s more of a problem that the creek has been dry for so long. It would be selling for a lot more if it was a true waterfront property.” He unlocked the first cottage and held open the door.
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