“What?” The rocks shifted a little under Ryan’s feet, causing him to wobble.
“It’s not quite as bad as it sounds,” Tag replied. “The woman who lives there is a hundred and two years old. She has no family left because she’s outlived them all, except for some derelict nephew down in Tampa who never comes to visit. The Mahoneys are sure she’s going to kick the bucket any day now, and when she goes, they want to be ready. They want the surveys done and the plans drawn up and everything.”
Ryan crossed his arms and stared at his father. “So, if I’m hearing you right, we are waiting for some poor little old lady to die so that three other little old ladies can swoop in and snatch up her property before some nephew shows up and lays claim to it? Classy, Dad. Real classy. No wonder you’ve been avoiding the details.”
Tag did not seem at all chagrined about this deal. “What? It’s a good deal, and I wanted to discuss it with you in person so you could see what a great spot it is. It’s a perfect place for a bed-and-breakfast. It’s even got access to the water, but obviously I can’t head up the project. I’m retiring, you know, and I can’t wait around for this poor woman’s imminent demise.”
“Oh, but I can?”
Tag stepped forward. “All I’m asking you to do is look into the basics. Figure out if the current electrical and water systems are in place to support a six-or eight-room bed-and-breakfast. See if there are any liens or if that house has a historical designation and can’t be torn down. Maybe draw up some rough sketches for them to see. I already did a few for the Mahoneys, but I made copies, so I’ll give those to you.”
“So have you committed to these Mulligan sisters? Have they signed a contract?”
“Mahoney, and no, but they want to as soon as possible. One of them told me that apparently the pink house’s owner, Bridget O’Malley, was looking none too lively at church last week.”
Ryan couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Geez, Dad. That’s cold.”
Tag shrugged. “It’s just business, and trust me, these Mahoneys are not sweet little old ladies. They are barracudas. Somebody is going to buy that place pretty soon, and it’s a win-win for the company either way. The Mahoneys are willing to pay us for all the plans and research even if we ultimately can’t get the property. That’s how determined they are to be ready. They also have a handful of cottages, four or five, I think, and they’d like those remodeled, and they also want us to computerize their reservation system. They’re worse off than the Clairmont. They don’t even have a website. They just count on word-of-mouth recommendations. How’s that for antiquated?”
“Very antiquated, but Dad, I’m still not feeling great about this. It seems like there is a lot of potential for this to be a dead end.”
Tag laughed, and Ryan joined him once he realized his poor choice of words.
“Tell you what. The truth is, I’ve already set you up for a meeting. Just talk to them, see what you think, maybe take a walk over to the property to see it up close. What can it hurt? You’re already here, right?”
“You know, for a guy who’s retiring, you seem awfully interested in the company taking on a new project.”
“It’s more like a favor. My flight instructor is April Mahoney’s son, and I promised him I could help them out. I got six free flying lessons out of the deal.”
“If I meet with them, shouldn’t I be the one getting the free lessons?”
“Sure, if you want them, but I’m not letting you fly my plane. You’ll have to get your own.”
Chapter 13
“I’m not sure I can do it, Jewel,” Emily murmured into the phone from her bedroom at Gigi’s house. “You should see this place I have to renovate, and you should see my crew. One of them is so skinny I’m not sure he can lift a hammer.”
“You’ll be fine, hon. You’re like a cat. You always land on your feet.”
Jewel had the most positive outlook of any person Emily had ever met, and although she sure did need the pep talk at the moment, she couldn’t help but remember how it was Jewel’s delusional sense that everything would always work out that had prompted them to buy the disaster place in San Antonio.
“I need this flip to go flawlessly, though,” Emily said. “The last thing my family saw me do was run away and get married to a loser. And then get divorced. If they find out I borrowed money from Gigi, I’ll never live it down, so this is my chance to show them that I’ve grown up, that I’m a responsible adult now and not still the wild, obnoxious kid I used to be.”
“They’re going to see that, Em. Just be yourself. I’ve seen you succeed time and again, under the toughest of circumstances. You’ve got this.” If Jewel had pom-poms, she was certainly waving them wildly on her side of the phone. Still, her vote of confidence was encouraging. They had handled some pretty intense remodels over the past few years. This was not Emily’s first rodeo.
“Okay. I hear you. I can do this.” Put me in, Coach. I’m ready for the big game.
“Yes, you can. Write that on your bathroom mirror with lipstick to remind you every day. Hey, by the way, how’s our Chloe holding up? Is there Wi-Fi?” She asked about Wi-Fi with the same gravity as asking, Is there a cure?
Emily laughed. “Yes, there’s Wi-Fi, thank goodness. She’s taken about a thousand selfies since we got here, which is down from her usual two thousand per day.”
“She’s slipping. Tell her to send me some. I miss seeing her face. I miss seeing your face, too, but Kevin has been keeping me company.”
“Kevin the electrician?”
“Yeah, we’ve been spending some time together since he’s working at the disaster house. The other night he offered to come to our house and fix that broken light fixture in the hallway. You know, the one that only turns on half the time? Anyway, he offered to fix it, but he wouldn’t let me pay him with cash, so I made him dinner instead. It was fun.”
“Fun, huh? Just fun? Or something more?”
Jewel’s pause was telling. “I think it’s just fun, but I’ll keep you posted. I’m cooking for him again tonight. It’s sort of like playing house with a Ken doll instead of a place full of Barbies. He loves our pink bathroom, by the way. He says it’s bringing out his more sensitive side.”
Jewel sounded cautiously hopeful. Her boyfriend status was even more barren than Emily’s, so this was a nice change. “That sounds like it could lead to more than fun. You’d better keep me posted on those details, but speaking of bathrooms, how’s it going getting the plumbing fixed in the master bedroom at the disaster house?”
“They’re just about finished, and I have the drywall guys coming back to fix all the walls damaged by the leaks. We’re on track to have everything done next week so I can get it on the market. I cannot wait to sell that place.”