“No, and no. I have a great property manager and a tax guy. Do you have recommendations for those things up here?”
“Yes, and yes. Once we find your exchange property, I’ll recommend a property manager based on that. You know, whether it’s an apartment complex or a commercial unit. And my sister Emma is an accountant. She runs an accounting firm downtown and is the best.”
“Cool.”
“So, we need to set up a time to go see all your properties. We’ll need to fill out a seller’s disclosure statement and listing form for each one. Even if we list them as a bundle, we’ll need the specs on each property. I’ll send someone down later to get pictures of everything.”
“I don’t have any projects going right now, so I’m pretty much available whenever. We could do half on one day and half another if you want. I’ll figure out an efficient route, so we don’t waste too much time. And for some of the newest ones, maybe we can use the pictures I took after the remodels.”
“Good idea. When we get back to the office, we can figure out two days that will work. Are you serious about putting an offer on that house, or do you want to shop around some more?”
He was at a stoplight and turned to look at her. Bright blue eyes met his, eyes filled with skepticism. “Buy it,” he said.
“All right, well, then we’ll have to work out the details on the offer soon. How about we grab a coffee on our way back to the office?”
“Sure. Just tell me where.”
“I only get my coffee from The Drip. Take the next left.”
“Is their coffee that good?”
“Well, yes. But also, my sister Lucy owns it, so I’m treated well.”
“How many sisters do you have?” he asked, remembering what Chuck had said about the mayor having a ton of daughters.
“Four. Emma’s the account I told you about. Lucy owns The Drip. Lizzie owns the bar across the street, The Drop. And last but not least, the baby, Daisy. Daisy does whatever Daisy wants. I think she’s in France right now.”
He coughed. “Wow. That must have been rough on your parents during the teenage years.” He chuckled at his own joke.
“I can only imagine. I’m surprised they didn’t run away or become alcoholics,” she mused. “How about you?”
“I’m an only child. My dad left when I was young, so it was always just my mom and me. Well, and her come-and-go boyfriends, but they never actually lived with us.”
“That’s too bad. As much as my sisters can drive me nuts, I can’t imagine growing up without them.”
“Yeah, I always wanted a brother. The kid next door, Spencer, and I became best friends, and he filled the gap, I guess.”
“That’s nice. Do you still keep in touch?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s the best friend I mentioned as one of the reasons I’m moving up here. He and his wife moved here about a year ago and can’t say enough good things about the town. We do a lot of deals together too, so that will make business easier.”
“Cool. The shop’s there on the left. Just park anywhere,” she said, pointing to the storefront. “Oh, there’s probably one thing I should warn you about.”
“What’s that?” he asked as they parked and got out.
“The Three Musketeers,” she said with a cryptic smile. He gave her a quizzical look.
“Come on, you’ll see,” she said and laughed.
CHAPTER SIX
Ugh, he was shameless. Asking when she used her pool—what a flirt. And trying to teach her to train her dog? So audacious.
He opened the door to the coffee shop for her, and his smile caught her off guard. Annoying as he was, she couldn’t deny he was an extremely handsome man. His firm jaw and perfect nose were separated by straight, white teeth that glistened in the sun. She expected to hear a little ding and see a sparkle off one particular tooth, like in the TV commercials where the mouth is so shiny it makes noise.
“Thanks.” She slid past him and was hit with the aroma of coffee and baked goods. “Ah, I love this place,” she said, inhaling deeply.
“Hey, all my sisters are here.” She walked over to them. “Speak of the devils. You having a party and didn’t invite me? What the hell?” She crossed her arms and stood over their table.