“I get the feeling you’re going to be a great landlord. And if possible, I’d like a six month lease with the option of extending. It’ll take at least that long to get everything straight with the pier, and even if I’m back in New York for some of the time, I’ll need to travel here.”
“Six months it is.” Ember passed her the keys. “Feel free to move in whenever you’re ready. And welcome to Angel Sands, I hope you’ll be happy here.”
Autumn hoped she would, too. For the last year, happiness had been a very rare thing.
* * *
She could taste the worried atmosphere as soon as she walked onto the pier. Autumn had arranged for three rows of seats to be set up there, and they were already full of people, which was crazy considering there were only a few businesses operating along Paxton’s Pier.
Every one of them looked up as she walked to the front, her heels clacking loudly against the wooden planks. After she left Ember’s beach cottage, she had her hair done at the hotel’s salon then put on a designer skirt suit and ‘don’t mess with me’ heels. She felt like a warrior going into battle.
Although, she wasn’t sure who she was fighting. Her dad’s opinions? Herself? Or the rows of people eyeing her suspiciously as she smiled with confidence.
“Good evening, everybody. I’m Autumn Paxton, the new owner of the pier.”
“Paxton?” one of the women in the seats called out. “Any relation to Captain Paxton?”
“No. It’s just a coincidence.” She was going to have to get used to that question. “Maybe we can start by all of you introducing yourselves so I know your names and where you work here on the pier.” She looked at the man at the end of the front row. “How about you start?”
“I’m Pietro Delmonico. Owner of Delmonico’s. And this is my family.” He gestured at the women next to him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pietro. Who else do we have here?” She looked along the seats.
“I’m a Delmonico,” the woman halfway along the seats said, as she gestured to the rest of her companions. “We all are.” She gestured at the rest of the people in the chairs. “Apart from Ricky at the back who owns the watersports rental company.”
He lifted up a hand, looking distinctly uninterested.
“And me,” a deep voice called out.
Autumn looked up to see the man from last night ambling down the pier, his hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans, the ocean breeze lifting his thick brown hair. Damn if her heart didn’t do a flip at the sight of him.
Not her type. Not at all.
Yeah, tell that to her libido.
A half-smile pulled at his lips as he leaned on the rail and looked at her. “Sorry I’m late. We were delayed coming back from a trip. I’m Griffin Lambert.” He pushed himself off the rail and held his hand out to her. “But most people call me Griff.”
Griff. It was the perfect name for him. Strong and gruff and maybe more than a little bit rough. It took everything she had not to shiver. “Hi. I’m Autumn Paxton.” She slid her palm into his, feeling the warmth of his skin as his fingers folded around hers. It was absurd how tiny her hand looked in his.
With one squeeze he could probably break every bone.
“Shall I… ah… let go now?” Griff asked. She looked down to see her fingers still curled tightly around his hand, even though he’d relaxed his grip. She quickly pulled her hand away.
It took her a moment to regain her equilibrium. And in that moment she blamed the divorce, the ocean air, and even that damn angel Captain Paxton saw centuries ago. Because this was so unlike her.
She didn’t get flustered, especially not by a guy. She was Autumn Paxton. She was in control.
She took a deep breath. “Okay, so I just wanted to introduce myself, tell you a little about my plans for the next few weeks, and then answer any questions you might have.” She turned to the assembled crowd and smiled again.
“Let me start by telling you a bit about my background. I’m a real estate professional from New York, and have been involved with commercial property since I graduated. I have a Masters in Business Administration, and for the past six years I’ve owned and run my own business. When I saw the listing for Paxton’s Pier, I knew that I could make it work. I’ve taken a look at the books and have also spoken to a lot of locals. I understand that for years the pier has been underfunded, neglected, and most importantly for me, running at a loss.” She gave them a rueful grin. “I know that all of you have been running businesses on the pier for a long time, and you’re understandably nervous about what’s going to happen with them. But I can tell you that I always work with my tenants, not against them. I believe my success comes from your success.”
The front row looked singularly unimpressed. She glanced beyond them at Griff, who was still leaning on the rail, his expression placid, and his substantial arms folded across his chest.
His gaze caught hers and it threatened to throw her off her game. She quickly pulled her eyes away.
“I plan on spending time with each of you over the next couple of weeks. I want to learn about your business, about your history. And maybe I can give you some suggestions for improvement.”
A woman in the front rolled her eyes, muttering something unintelligible.