What kind of person was Kathryn, a woman planning to move away without telling her own sister? He’d never heard of such a thing. His own family was supportive and generous. His folks had retired to Florida a few years back, but his older brothers and sister still lived in New Hampshire. He saw them often. So maybe they were a little nosy about his life, always offering helpful advice on every subject from his growing development business to his romantic relationships—or lack thereof. Ten minutes ago, he’d have complained about his siblings. Having seen the other side…
The sadness in Ginny’s eyes made all the joy about this quick acquisition leach away.
He wandered into the kitchen. The house was in good shape. Maybe if it didn’t sell right away, he’d have Ginny list it for him. Would he be willing to lose a huge percentage of profit just to have an excuse to call her?
Probably.
Because he’d been looking for an excuse. Ever since he’d met her at the Chamber of Commerce meeting a few months ago, he’d been thinking of asking her out. He probably would have that first day if his big brother hadn’t been there. He loved Darren and his wife. But Darren seemed to think Kade wasn’t capable of managing his own dating life. After his fourth suggestion, whispered while the speaker droned on, that Kade ask Ginny out—each with helpful hints on how to approach her, where to take her on a date, how to make a good impression—Kade had decided there was no way he was going to do it then. He didn’t need his big brother’s dating advice. He sure didn’t need Darren taking credit for it if she accepted.
Then, he and Ginny had settled into a friendly but distant relationship, business acquaintances. They saw each other often, chatted about the real estate market and the weather. And while he had a profound attraction to her, it seemed she felt nothing for him but mild friendship. For months he’d been trying to figure out how to breach the wall of the friend zone and kicking himself for the stupid pride that had kept him from asking her out that first day.
If Darren had just kept his mouth shut…
At least his brother cared.
Ginny was new to the area and had only moved here to be near her sister. She’d shared that much with him during a conversation at the food bank during a lull in clients.
Ginny’d probably give anything for a pushy older brother.
The doorbell rang, and Kade let the cleaners in. He’d worked with them often enough that he didn’t need to give them instructions. They knew what to do. The house would be advertised in tomorrow’s newspaper at a price below market value, which should guarantee him a quick sale. It would yield him a nice profit.
Now that he knew what this meant for Ginny, the triumph felt hollow.
Heading to his car, he tried to focus on what this would mean for him. More money to invest in the development he was trying to get off the ground. But even the thought of building a country club and high-end housing on the far side of Clearwater Lake couldn’t improve his mood.
He’d blown his chance with Ginny before he’d ever mustered the nerve to ask her out.
With his leather portfolio tucked under his arm, Kade stepped inside the Nutfield town offices. The building was one of the oldest in town, and the underlying scent of mildew hit him as soon as the door closed. The black and white tile floors were scuffed, and the painted walls and hardwood doors leading off the wide hallway showed years of wear. The structure was solid, but it could use a facelift. New floors, fresh paint, updated light fixtures. The glass in the windows that flanked the entrance was so old, it barely let in any of the late afternoon April sun. Nutfield was a growing, dynamic community, but nobody would know that based on the state of the city offices.
That he noticed was an occupational hazard.
At the far end of the building, the corridor opened to a reception area. Clerks worked on the town’s day-to-day business behind a long counter. People waited in line to pay traffic tickets or renew their car registrations or for any number of other reasons. Before Kade could run into anybody he knew, he climbed the ancient staircase to the second floor and made his way down another hallway—this one carpeted—to a door that read Town Manager. He stepped inside.
Seated at the receptionist desk was a woman whose age rivaled that of the building. Thinning white hair, skin lined like a crumpled piece of paper, hands darkened with age spots, Penny welcomed him with a wide smile. “Ah, Kade.” Her voice came out stronger than anybody her age should be able to manage. “I’m afraid you’ve come at a bad time.”
“He’s not in?”
“He’s in all right.” Her eyes twinkled, and she lowered her voice. “He just found out the jewelry repair shop on the corner sold out to a fellow who wants to open an upscale coffee shop.”
Kade shook his head. “Heaven forbid people should be able to buy coffee.”
She cackled, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Not just coffee, but”—she made air quotes—“fancy frou-frou wussy coffee.” She dropped her hands. “He and change get along like the Bruins and the Canadiens in the playoffs.”
Kade chuckled, but the underlying issue wasn’t so funny. Since Bruce Collier was the town manager, every change in Nutfield had to go through him.
“Maybe you should come back on Monday,” Penny said.
Not an option, and Bruce’s mood probably wouldn’t make a difference. “If you can just get me on the agenda for the board meeting—”
“No can do, hon. You gotta get Bruce’s approval.”
“In this town, you have to get Bruce’s approval to sneeze without a cotton handkerchief.”
“If he could, he’d start a petition against Kleenex.” She deepened her voice and offered a fair impersonation of her boss. “All these young people’s obsession with the environment, and they go through tissues like water.”
How Penny kept her spirits so high working for a curmudgeon like Bruce, Kade would never understand. She’d worked for every town manager since parachute pants were in style, and she’d probably stay long past this one.
The door to the inner sanctum was yanked open. “What the devil is all the racket about?” Bruce Collier stepped out. Though in his seventies, he stood tall and straight. He had gray hair cropped short and beady brown eyes. When he saw Kade, he smiled, though Kade knew it was forced. “What brings you by?”
“Need to get on the agenda for next week’s meeting.”
The old man exhaled a long breath. “Come on in, then.” He turned to Penny. “You finish typing that agenda yet? If it’s done, then it’s too late.”
“Thanks to this fancy-shmancy computer, I can make changes in a jiffy. Don’t you worry about me.”
Bruce huffed and marched into his office.
Kade followed, offering Penny a wink before he closed the door.
He could give Bruce credit for one thing—the man didn’t have a double standard. His office was as old and dingy as the rest of the building. The desk could have been built during the War for Independence, and though it had attractive lines, it was desperate for a refinishing job. The upholstered furniture was faded, and when Kade sat in the chair across from Bruce’s desk, he sank into it as if the stuffing had long since retired.
Bruce sat, folded his hands on his desk, and gave Kade a look intended to intimidate.
Kade wasn’t so easily scared. He tapped his portfolio on his lap. Inside were numbers and studies and artists’ renderings of the development he was planning, but he doubted Bruce would want to see any of it. The guy’d already made up his mind. “Last time I met with the zoning board about my development project, I was told to have an environmental impact study completed. It was also suggested to me that the board wouldn’t waste its time”—as if it wasn’t their job—“looking at my plans until I had the funding—”
“Don’t waste my time telling me what I already know. Get to the point.”
“The study is ready, and I’ve put together a group of investors willing to take on the project. We’re nearly fully funded.”
A
small, triumphant smile crossed the man’s lips. “Nearly, you say? But not fully. We can’t go forward—”
“Until the project is approved, many investors won’t even look at it. I need to get approval. Then, the rest of the investors will fall into place.”
“So you say.”
“It’s a vote, Bruce. A debate and a vote, nothing more. As a longtime citizen of this community and the owner of a number of properties, including a large parcel of valuable land, I have the right to bring items before the board.”
“That you do. But I have the right to require certain things. Until you can confirm the project will be fully funded, I’m not wasting the board’s time.”
Kade stood and paced to the far side of the room, frustration churning like the spring wind outside the window. The zoning board only met every quarter. If he didn’t get on their agenda now, it would be late summer before he could get approval, and by then, it would be too late to break ground before winter. Another year would pass without his having accomplished anything of substance.
He turned back to Bruce. “I need to get on the agenda.”
Bruce didn’t even fight his triumphant smile. “Then you have some work to do, don’t you?”
“Fine.” He strode out, slamming the door behind him.
Outside, Kade stormed down the sidewalk. Some of his investors wouldn’t wait another year to get the project started. It had been too long already. His father had given Kade the parcel of land on Clearwater Lake five years before. Each of the kids had gotten something from their Dad to use to build their futures.
Andrea, the oldest, had invested her allotment of their parents’ wealth in a number of businesses, which had succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Now, she focused on her kids and oversaw her businesses from home.
Rich, the second child, had used his allotment to go to law school. He’d graduated debt-free from Harvard and now was a partner in a big Boston law firm.
Darren, the one closest in age to Kade and the only one who lived in town, had bought a gas station franchise. Today, he owned multiple stores in southern New Hampshire, all of which were doing well.
Instead of cash, Kade’s parents had given him a huge parcel of land on the shores of Clearwater Lake. He’d always wanted to be a real estate developer, and he’d been working to develop that property for years. But lack of vision, then lack of funds, had kept him from doing anything with it. He was thirty-two, older than his older siblings had been by the time they’d achieved their dreams. He was the baby of the family, dubbed a late bloomer. A straggler.
Never mind that few people in the world achieved their dreams by the time they were thirty. In the Powers family, success was expected.
Which meant Kade needed more investors. Fast.
He pushed into McNeal’s. The restaurant was about half-full, not bad for four o’clock in the afternoon. Bonnie, the older woman who’d been managing the place as long as he could remember, led him to a booth near the window and promised to bring him a Coke. He could have gone home, but he got more done in public places. He liked the energy at McNeal’s. The atmosphere, the conversation going on around him, fueled him when he was discouraged.
He pulled out his phone and set his portfolio on the table. He had a list of investors who’d shown interest in the development. Though he hated to do it without new information, he started calling them one by one.
Thirty minutes later, he had no more promised money and much less enthusiasm. Sure, the investors were still interested, but until Kade got the plans approved by the town, they weren’t willing to commit. Considering others had only promised to invest if he could get the project underway this quarter, Kade was in trouble.
And out of good options. If he wanted the development to get approved and started before summer, he was going to have to do something he’d sworn he’d never do. He was going to have to ask his family to invest.
Either that or admit defeat for another year.
Before he had to decide, a familiar figure stepped into the diner. Ginny was alone and looked to be in no better spirits than she had been earlier in the day. She spoke to Bonnie, then propped herself against the far wall and crossed her arms.
He waved to get her attention.
She caught his eye and headed toward him. “Meeting someone for dinner?”
“Trying to get some work done.”
“Well, I won’t keep—”
“Actually, I was finished.” Not true, but he’d happily put off his impossible decision in order to have another conversation with Ginny. Just looking at that nearly black hair and those sparkling blue eyes lifted his spirits. “If you’d like to join me…”
“Maybe for a second.” She perched on the seat across from him without taking off her jacket. “I was picking up a to-go order.”
“You could always stay and eat with me.”
“I’m not really up for company tonight.” Her glance flicked to the window, to the floor. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, and her sadness seemed as heavy as the wool coat she wore.
“What can I do?”
“I’ll be fine.”
It was all so odd, the way her sister had left. He’d love to know more about it. About Ginny.
Bonnie set a paper bag on the table in front of Ginny. “I threw in a cookie for good measure.”
Ginny attempted a smile, though the effort seemed painful. “Thank you.” After Bonnie left, Ginny stood and focused on him. “Good to see you again.”
“Um… How about lunch? Tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry about me. I have plenty to keep me busy.”
“I have no doubt.” Kade stood. “But I’d still like to have lunch with you.” Months he’d wanted to ask her. It was probably a bad idea to do it now, but the words had popped out without his permission.
“Oh.” She offered the first genuine smile he’d seen on her that day. “I guess, if you don’t have anything better to do.”
“I’ll call you in the morning.”
“My number—”
“It’s in the club directory, right?”
“Oh, right.” Her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink.
“Good.” He nodded toward her take-out bag. “You’re still welcome to join me.”
“No. Thanks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
She turned toward the exit. At the same time, a man seated at a neighboring table stood and stepped into her path.
She crashed into him. She kept a hold of the bag, but her purse slipped and clattered to the floor. “Oh! I’m sorry.”
“Entirely my fault.” The man crouched, lifted her purse, and held it out it to her. She nodded her thanks, tossed a “see you tomorrow” to Kade over her shoulder, and rushed out.
The man watched her leave before turning to Kade. “I was lost in thought.” He had an accent—maybe Russian? “I do that sometimes. I hope I didn’t hurt her.”
Kade turned his focus to the stranger. He wanted to dress the man down for his behavior, but the guy seemed genuinely sorry. “I think she’s okay.”
He had the look of someone who’d lifted a lot of weights in his younger years. Not flabby but no longer at his peak. Aside from a little fuzz over his ears, he was bald, and a pair of reading glasses was perched low on his nose. He wore a suit and tie and was nearly as tall as Kade, over six feet.
“I was going to make a phone call,” the man said, “but I also wanted to talk to you.”
Kade took a step back. He’d never seen this guy before in his life. “Why?”
“I will explain. It concerns the investment opportunity you’ve been making calls about. But first”—he held up his cell phone—“I’ll be right back.”
With that, the man disappeared out the door.
Kade sipped his drink and tried to think of other investors he could call. He’d written down the names of three people he could approach again about investing before the stranger stepped back inside the cafe. Kade stood as he walked toward th
e table and held out his hand. “My name is Mike Sokolov.”
Kade shook it. “Kade Powers.”
“Mind if I sit?”
“Help yourself.”
Sokolov shrugged off his suit jacket, and both men slid into the booth. He was polite and refined, but there was something about him that made his mannerisms seem forced. Or maybe it was just that he was so big—and he’d nearly knocked Ginny over—that his manners felt out of place.
“I overheard you talking on the phone before your friend came in.” The man shifted his sizable weight on the bench seat and spread his arms along the back. “I may be able to help you.”
“How?”
“You are from this town, right?”
“All my life.”
The man nodded. “You seem very invested in it.”
Kade resisted the urge to check his watch. He had no idea what this guy wanted, but he wished he’d get to the point. Any minute now, the guy would start a sales spiel. Insurance, cleaning supplies, energy drinks… Whatever he was selling, Kade wasn’t buying. When Sokolov said nothing else, Kade added, “Nutfield is my home. It’s important to me.”
“I like that.” Sokolov’s small eyes studied him, appraised him. “You seem sincere.”
What was he supposed to say to that?
“Tell me about your project.”
“May I ask why you’re interested?”
The man smiled, showing crooked, yellowing teeth. “I have a big family. Big.” He reached into his suit jacket, which was folded on the seat beside him, pulled a wallet from the inside pocket, and opened it to reveal a photo of a large family. Surrounding Sokolov were a woman who looked to be about his age and a number of other adults—his kids, Kade assumed. There were children, too. Some standing, some in the arms of an adult. There had to be fifteen, maybe twenty people in the photo, all smiling at the camera.
“Good looking family,” Kade said.
“My wife”—he pointed to the woman beside him in the picture—“thinks we need a vacation home, one large enough for all of us. She wants a house by a lake, but me…” He flipped the wallet closed. “I was raised near the shore of the Black Sea. There’s something raw about the sea, don’t you think? I want to share it with my kids.”
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