The Girl I Used to Be by Heidi Hostetter (booksvooks .txt) 📗

Jill felt an odd sense of pride at how hard the surfer had worked in the few days she’d been in town, how dedicated he was to his craft. She would have liked to have met whoever it was. Further up the beach, a man who had been throwing a driftwood stick for his dog decided to call it a day. He whistled and his dog came running. Jill would have liked to have met him too.

She and Ellie spent their last night at the shore outside, watching the moon rise over the sea. They stayed on the rooftop deck even when they could no longer see the ocean. They listened to the waves roar and the murmur of families on the beach calling out to each other as they walked along the shore. It would have been wonderful to have become part of this community. The idea was unexpected. She hadn’t anticipated becoming so attached in such a short time.

When the chill of the late October evening became too much for even the blankets they’d brought outside, they decided to call it a day.

As Jill helped pack everything up, she felt a painful tug of regret. Dewberry Beach was a sweet little town and it had come to occupy a special place in her heart.

She would be sorry to leave it.

Twenty-Eight

The following morning found Jill at the dining table with Ellie on her left, the real-estate agents on her right, and a daunting amount of paperwork in front of her. Neither she nor Ellie had ever bought or sold real estate before, and it wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be.

“This is a solid offer, Jill.” Seth tapped the balance sheet for the second time, pleased with himself. “It’s even better than I’d hoped. They want to start construction immediately so they’re willing to pay a premium for a fast close.”

Jill lifted the spreadsheet from the pile and looked at the numbers again. Seth was right—the offer was substantially over list price. If she accepted, she’d walk away with more money than she’d ever seen—enough to last for years. She could go back to school, get that art degree Mrs. Brockhurst had insisted she needed. She could afford to buy all new camera equipment—anything she wanted. All she had to do was sign the papers to accept the offer. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to pick up a pen, and her hesitancy was frustrating everyone at the table.

“Tell me again who these people are?” she asked, though she knew the answer because she’d asked twice before.

To his credit, Seth offered a patient smile. “It’s not a person, Jill. It’s a company—Shore Parties Unlimited.” Seth slid their brochure across the table. “They specialize in corporate events and retreats. Off-site executive experiences are the next big thing, and this company wants to be ahead of the curve.”

“They want this house to be a ‘venue’? You mean, for parties?” Jill glanced at their brochure, though she didn’t need to.

“Their only shore venue, as a matter of fact. This house was built for entertaining, so why not put the space to work?” Seth shrugged. “It’s a solid business plan.”

“I haven’t heard of this company before. Are they new?” Ellie asked, and Jill was grateful for the extra time to think.

Seth’s expression flickered with annoyance and Jill couldn’t blame him. They’d been at the table far longer than they should have been and the questions she posed were ridiculous, even to her. What did it matter who the buyer was? She wasn’t rehoming a puppy—she was selling a house.

Seth recovered and answered. “Shore Parties may be small, but they have money to spend. They’re funded out of Atlantic City—one of the casinos, as I’ve said—and their parties are legendary. They set up lights, speakers, DJ equipment—and this location is perfect for pyrotechnics. The house itself has no restrictions and they plan to expand their events to use the beach as much as they can. Luckily, the front driveway is big enough to accommodate their party bus.”

“Party bus?” That was new. Jill glanced at the circular driveway in front of the house.

“They liked the house quite a bit, but what really sold it was the lack of restrictions attached to the deed—that almost never happens.” When Jill didn’t respond, Seth continued. “They’ve drawn up plans to expand the house. I can show them to you if you’d like.”

“Expand?” Jill parroted. “You mean beyond just the widow’s walk?”

“Oh yeah,” Seth said. “You should see. They plan to build right up to the property line. There’s no reason not to, right?”

Jill frowned. Was that really the legacy she wanted to leave—that she had made Marc’s Monstrosity even worse?

Seth misunderstood her hesitation and pressed forward. “This offer is good, Jill. Really good.” He found the closing statement and slid it toward her again. “All-cash offer, twenty percent over your asking price, and we close in two weeks.”

“To give them time to expand before next summer, I bet,” Jill muttered. “They probably even have their own work crew, just like Marc did.”

Seth pressed his back against his chair, exasperated. “I’m sorry, Ms. DiFiore, but I don’t understand why you’re not happier about this offer. It’s exactly what you asked for. You wanted a quick sale; we have one. You wanted the furnishings to go with the house; they will. In fact, they want everything in this house—right down to the forks in the kitchen and the food in the pantry; something about feeding the contractors when they come.”

“Can we get someone else?” Jill asked suddenly. “A family who’ll fit in, with kids who’ll like the beach and maybe bring their friends to visit?” It was what Dewberry needed, a family who’d appreciate the town. Not a company who’d take advantage of the building code.

“You want me to find a family to buy this house?” Seth echoed.

“Yes.” Jill spoke quickly. “What if we lowered the price? I don’t care about profit. I just want the right people