“That won’t be a problem,” Hope said with finality as if it were already a done deal.
But Grace knew better. Kevin Landers wasn’t exactly her biggest fan after she’d helped her husband out negotiate him and his clients for years. “I doubt it will be easy to convince him,” she said. “But I’ll get there. Because if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s selling houses.”
“Here, here!” her friends chanted, producing their wine glasses and raising them in the air. “To Grace and her new job at Landers Realty.”
Grace clinked her glass to theirs, glanced at her shimmering shoes, and then downed her wine. The world seemed to slow for just a moment before suddenly, a sense of calm washed over her and she knew deep in her bones that everything was going to turn out exactly how it should.
Chapter Two
Grace slipped out of her front door and walked the half mile to the short path that led to the bluff overlooking the ocean. The wind was calm for once, and the sun was just peeking over the horizon, turning the sky a mix of pale orange and purple. She wrapped her sweater tighter around her body and quickened her pace.
Once she exited the high grass of the pathway, she noted the remnants of their coven meeting off to the left. Damn. She must’ve had more wine than she’d thought since she never left debris behind. That was sacrilege. But she ignored the litter for the moment and stepped right up to the edge of the cliff.
It was at that spot, at the edge of the Pacific Ocean with the waves crashing on the rocks below, that she felt most at peace. It was where she often went to center herself at the start of the day ahead. And today was important. She needed to be ready for her job interview. If she didn’t land the position at Landers Realty, she was going to either need to start an agency herself—which was more risk than she was willing to take—or commute inland to the valley an hour each way to work every day. She had a friend who’d already offered her a position if she didn’t get hired in Premonition Pointe.
“Please, Eos, goddess of the dawn,” Grace whispered into the morning air, “send me your strength and your blessings for these new beginnings.”
A slight breeze kicked up, ruffling her long locks and forcing gooseflesh to appear on her arms.
Grace smiled. “You heard me.”
The wind stilled and the morning took on a slightly eerie silence, despite the waves still churning below. The first time she’d experienced the phenomenon, she’d been a little freaked out. The sound of the waves shouldn’t just disappear. They were still battering the rocks. But she’d learned this magical time happened every morning. It was what calmed her, helped her focus, and fueled her for her day ahead.
Grace raised her arms out to the sides, took in a deep breath, tasting the sea salt on her tongue, and felt all the tension drain from her body. This was her happy place. The small beachside town in Northern California, populated with a high density of witches like her, had become her home over twenty years ago. It was where she wanted to live and work for the rest of her life. And she’d be damned if she’d let Bill ruin it for her.
He’s waiting for you.
The words seemed to float in from the sea, barely a whisper.
“What?” Grace asked the universe as she frowned. “Who’s waiting for me?”
New possibilities await you. Open your heart and your mind. He’s waiting.
Grace sucked in a sharp breath. The words had been stronger that time, making her squint out at the ocean as if she might see whoever it was that had spoken. That was absurd. Of course she wouldn’t see anyone.
The words weren’t from Eos or any other goddess. They were from the magical energy that churned within the very heart of her adopted town—Premonition Pointe.
She’d heard of the “voice of Premonition Pointe” before. But it was the first time she’d ever heard it speak to her. Miss Francie, the town baker, heard the voice after her husband of forty years passed. And Penelope heard it after her husband ran off with a woman thirty years younger than her four years ago. Of course, not everyone had lost a husband. Some had illnesses to overcome. Others were just at a crossroads in their lives regarding their careers or relationships.
Grace had come to think of the voice as a guiding oracle of sorts. What had it told her? He’s waiting. Open your heart and mind. New possibilities await.
Sure, she thought. New possibilities sounded right up her alley. The only question was who exactly was waiting for her? Kevin Landers? She doubted it. In fact, she was certain he’d be happier if she ditched her appointment with him. But no way. It was too important to her.
Grace was determined to be open to new possibilities… whatever they were.
With her head held high, she turned, walked across the bluff, cleaned up the debris left from the night before, and hurried back to her cottage. She had an interview she needed to crush.
* * *
Grace strode into Landers Realty with her head held high and exuding confidence. Selling real estate was practically in her DNA at that point in her life. Doing the job wouldn’t be an issue. She just had to convince Kevin that he needed her.
“Good morning,” a waif of a woman, who couldn’t have been older than twenty-one, said pleasantly. “How can we help you with your real estate needs?”
Real estate needs? Grace almost smirked at the overly formal greeting but kept herself in check. She needed this job, and she wasn’t going to score any points by suggesting a more personal welcome. Peering briefly at the nameplate on the desk, Grace said, “Hi, Nina. I’m here to meet with Mr. Landers. Can you tell him Grace Valentine is here?”
“Oh, right. Grace,” the dark-haired woman said, her pleasant facade shifting quickly to something close to contempt as she stood on her slim six-inch heels. “I’ll see if Mr. Landers is free.”
“Thank you,” Grace said, giving Nina a wide smile. She was going to kill them all with kindness even if it did make her want to vomit. Moving over to the window, Grace stared at her reflection. She’d pulled her hair up into an elegant bun in an effort to hide her silver roots, but that had been wishful thinking. Nothing short of a scarf was going to hide her neglected dye job. Otherwise, she thought she cleaned up relatively nicely. Smiling to herself, she took in her black ankle-length trousers and the romantic blue blouse that matched the fabulous shoes her friends had given her the night before, and decided her outfit and shoes made her look better than she had in weeks.
When footsteps sounded behind her, she turned, feeling as if she could take on the world.
“Grace Valentine,” a vaguely familiar and incredibly handsome man said, giving her a warm smile as he held his hand out. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Grace felt a flutter in her gut as she took his hand automatically. The man had to be at least ten years younger than her, but there was no denying he was the most beautiful specimen she’d ever seen in real life. It was a miracle she wasn’t drooling. “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble placing you. Where have we met before?”
He chuckled. “I was the agent for the buyer on the Friendly Drive property that has that devastating view of the ocean.”
“Right.” She’d shown that property just a few hours before Bill had dropped the bomb on her that their marriage was over. The beautiful man shaking her hand had been representing buyers from a town inland, and she was pretty sure that’s where he was based, too. “Owen, was it?”
“That’s right.” His lips were curved into a sexy half smile as he swept his gaze over her, making no effort to hide the fact that he was checking her out.
Well, hell. That made her feel good, even if he was way too young for her. It felt awesome to be appreciated. She was warm with pleasure as she asked, “Are you here negotiating a deal?”
“Nope. I just moved to Premonition Pointe and started working here last week. Kevin liked that I have connections to buyers from the city. A lot of them want beach property.”
What the actual hell? If Kevin just hired this guy, he certain
ly wasn’t going to be in the market to hire Grace. Why did he even have her come in? To humiliate her? That was likely, but she damned well wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She suppressed a frustrated groan and forced a tight smile. “That sounds like a good arrangement for both of you.”
Owen’s smile slipped, and his brow furrowed as he studied her. “Is everything all right, Grace? You seem—”
“Mr. Landers will see you now, Ms. Valentine,” Nina said from behind them, cutting Owen off.
She whirled around. “Great. Thank you.” With a polite nod to Owen, she followed the young woman back to Kevin Landers’ oversized office.
“Grace,” the older man who was built like a linebacker said, pushing himself to his feet. He wore a camel colored suit that was already wrinkled and… Was that a jelly stain on his light blue tie? He held out his hand. “It was good of you to come in.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
“Of course. Anything for the wife—ahem—woman behind Munch’s operation.” He smirked and waved to one of the plastic chairs in front of his desk.
As Grace took a seat, Nina bustled back into the office and placed a mug on Kevin’s desk. She took a small step back and gazed adoringly up at her boss. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr. Landers?”
“Only if Ms. Valentine would like something to drink,” he said, narrowing his eyes at his assistant.
“Oh. Yes. Ms. Valentine, can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Water? A donut?” She glanced at the open door and then snapped her fingers. “But you’d probably prefer a piece of fruit, right? We have bananas and apples for those who are trying to watch their weight.”
Oh, no she didn’t. Grace gave the child receptionist a glare that could melt steel and said, “No thank you, Norma. I’m fine.”
“It’s Nina,” she said.
“Oh. Is it? My mistake.” Grace smirked at her and then turned back to Kevin and raised one eyebrow. “I think your receptionist might need better training.”
Kevin let out a bark of laughter and nodded to his assistant. “Shut the door on your way out, Nina.”
“She’s interesting,” Grace said once the receptionist was gone.
“Nina thinks sucking up to the boss will get her a raise.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed Grace.
“And being rude to a potential agent is sucking up to her boss?” Grace asked conversationally. The last thing she wanted was for Kevin Landers to think this situation was getting under her skin.
He shrugged. “She knows there’s no love lost between me and your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Grace corrected. “Whatever issues you have with Bill, I hope you realize that they don’t have anything to do with me.”
“But weren’t you the brains behind the operation over there?” he asked, his expression unreadable.
He was trying to find a reason to not hire her. That much was clear. If she claimed she was instrumental in closing a majority of their sales over the years, he’d have every reason to hold a grudge against her. But if she didn’t, then her experience wouldn’t be enough to land her the job. Grace cleared her throat and leaned forward, staring Kevin Landers in the eye. “I am good at what I do. I know how to list and show a property so that it moves, and I know how to find buyers to match even the most challenging of properties. And I do it with integrity by creating trust between me and my clients.”
“Integrity?” he asked, staring back at her. “Is that right? Is that why On Pointe Realty has been trying to poach my clients for the past ten years?”
Grace knew she’d need an answer for this question. Years ago, Bill and Kevin had gotten into it over a difficult whale of a client who’d fired Kevin and hired Bill. In the end, Grace had been the one to find him his perfect vacation home. Ever since, there’d been bad blood between the two of them with both of them trying to woo each other’s clients. “I dealt with the contracts at On Pointe, Mr. Landers. Trust me when I say I have never knowingly signed a client when they were still under contract with another Realtor. Besides, that’s not my style. After you work with me for a few weeks, you’ll see exactly who had the integrity over at On Pointe.”
Landers didn’t say a word as he continued to eye her. Then suddenly he threw his head back and laughed.
Grace waited him out, wondering what she’d said that had him so amused.
After taking a long swig of his coffee, Kevin opened a side drawer and pulled out a folder. He set it in front of him and said, “I like how you called out your ex without actually spelling out what a douche he is. And because of that, I’m willing to give you a trial run.”
“Really?” Excitement mixed with relief washed over Grace. “Thank you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
“I hope not.” He passed her the folder. “Here are three properties that have proven to be tough sales. If you can move at least one of them in the next three months, I’ll consider hiring you full time. If you move all three, the job is yours, no questions asked.”
Grace knew the real estate market in the small coastal town of Premonition Pointe had been fairly robust. If a property hadn’t moved, it was likely either overpriced or needed a lot of work.
No matter. Either way, she had confidence that she could convince the sellers to make the changes that would make them marketable. Before she even took a look at the properties in the folder, she said, “Sounds fair enough. I assume you’re fine with me picking up new clients while I work on them?”
“As long as they’re sold under the Landers Realty umbrella, then that’s perfectly fine with me,” he said, sitting back in his chair once more, looking way too self-satisfied. “See Nina about the agency agreement. Once it’s filled out, feel free to get to work. I’m certain Mr. Saint will want a meeting as soon as possible.”
“Good.” She grabbed the folder and started to stride toward the door. But as soon as Mr. Saint registered in her mind, she froze and then groaned. “Mr. Saint?”
“Yes. He owns all three properties.” His lips were curved into a nasty little smirk, telegraphing the fact that he fully expected her to fail.
And why wouldn’t he? Mr. Saint owned three large homes that had been on and off the market for three years.
They were haunted.
Chapter Three
Instead of heading to her car, Grace made a beeline for the independently owned café a few doors down from the real estate office. She’d been too nervous to really eat much before the interview, and suddenly she desperately needed a slice of coffee cake and a latte.
After chatting with the owner, Vanessa, while she waited for her order, she took a seat near one of the windows. There was a peek of the ocean off in the distance, and just the blueness of the Pacific calmed her. There was something about the water that soothed her soul, and that was why she hadn’t been able to comprehend living or working anywhere else.
Grace took a long sip of her latte and opened the file Kevin had given her. After a quick scan of the details, she frowned. The Saint residences were the worst possible listings for any agent, much less one who had something to prove. Moving haunted property was tricky at best, but these three had everything stacked against them already. They were all overpriced and had been on the market for far too long for her to suddenly find buyers for them in just three months.
“Not your ideal first day?” a familiar male voice said, startling her out of her thoughts.
“Owen?” She jerked her head up and stared into the impossibly warm dark eyes of her new colleague. “What are you doing here?”
His lips curved into a smile as he lifted the cup and white paper bag in his hands. “Late breakfast before I meet with a potential buyer. Mind if I sit with you for a minute?”
She glanced around the busy café, noting all the other tables were occupied. Grace wasn’t in the mood to make small talk with a guy she’d just met, but she couldn’t exactly say no wit
hout being completely rude. “Sure. Of course.”
“Thanks.” He sat across from her and pulled a croissant from the paper bag. After eyeing the folder still sitting on the table, he added, “He gave you the Saint properties, didn’t he?”
Owen was a new hire to Landers Realty, and it irked Grace to no end that this guy hadn’t had to prove himself by selling impossible properties. “How did you know that?”
“Landers tried to pass them off on me, but I was more than willing to take a job with On Pointe if it came to that.” He grimaced. “It looks like I’m the reason you’re stuck with them.”
She blew out a breath and shook her head, knowing he wasn’t to blame. “It’s not your fault. Kevin has a grudge against Bill, my ex, at On Pointe. He was never going to hire me without making it painful. Unfortunately for me, my options are limited.”
“If you want any help, I’m willing,” he said, flashing a smile that brought out one dimple.
“Why?” It was an honest question. They’d just met, and with another agent around that meant more competition for commissions.
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a smart, beautiful woman in heels.” He glanced at her shoes and then winked.
Grace’s entire body heated, and she had to refrain from fanning herself, though she wasn’t sure if she was having a hot flash or a surge of pure lust for the man. He was gorgeous. And flirting with her. How long had it been since a man had shown interest in her? Or at least interest that she’d noticed? Grace hadn’t had a wandering eye during her marriage, and any guy who’d flirted with her had been brushed off. She’d loved Bill and had thought they had a good life together. Too bad he’d blown it all up by not only sleeping with their receptionist but falling for her as well.
Witching For Grace: Premonition Pointe, Book 1 Page 2
