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She takes the bottle back but doesn’t make any move to drink more just yet. She bites her lip in this way that’s somehow both cute and hot. Then her shoulders slump a little bit. Her mouth puckers.
Did I just misread her mood? Maybe I need to stop staring at her mouth and actually pay attention to her expression.
"My great aunt Delta’s land," she finally says. Her whiskey-colored gaze returns to mine and I find it tinged with worry. "The property tax bill came. Land assessors were just out. They assessed an amount for the property taxes that's astronomical. That’s on top of the several years of taxes already owed! We could lose everything if we don't figure something out."
“Shit.” I try not to wince. “I’m really sorry, Pearl. Your family has had that land for a while, hasn’t it?”
“A few generations.” She blows out a breath.
“How much does she owe?” I ask. I like having all the facts. And dollars and cents are my specialty.
Pearl turns up her hands in a questioning posture. “Who knows? More than ten thousand dollars. Less than a hundred thousand. That’s my best guess and I have asked.”
She looks sad. I’d like to kiss her downturned lips until she smiles again.
But somewhere, in the back of my mind, gears begin turning. Ten thousand dollars is a pretty meager amount of money. Anybody can scrounge up that much if they really had to. Less than a hundred thousand is not something that anyone should wring their hands over.
I close deals bigger than that in my sleep. My tongue darts out of my mouth as I think it over.
Her aunt Delta is ancient and she’s not exactly friendly. Especially not to people like me, who happen to own real estate brokerage firms. She has snapped at me several times and accused me of trying to take her land.
But I might be the solution to this whole problem. I sure as hell wasn’t trying to steal her land then, but I might be now.
Well, not steal. Sell for an ungodly profit is more like it.
"Damn, that's rough." My brow furrows as I process Pearl’s predicament. “Is the property all one piece?”
Pearl gives me a look out of the corner of her eye. “Yeah…”
Aunt Delta's estate is an important piece of history and it’s woven into this town’s tapestry. Located just south of South Shore, it’s almost priceless. The land has fifty miles of shoreline and it is in pristine condition. I would be lying if I said the real estate lawyer in me didn’t perk up at the mere mention of the land becoming distressed.
By distressed, I mean possibly underwater on property taxes.
Pearl... she doesn't deserve this stress. Plus, she would find herself in an endless sea of dollars if she maybe helped me sell her land.
And maybe I would receive a small finder’s fee. Or better yet, maybe I could help the right company buy her property and then help them build something on it.
My brain is seriously chugging so hard it’s about to catch fire.
"Have you considered any options?" I ask, trying to sound helpful rather than like the vulture I am.
"Not yet. I just don’t want to have to sell any of it." The mischief and fire in her eyes during our whiskey mission is draining away. "I'm at my wit's end, honestly."
I lean back against the linen-covered table, watching the light play across her face, casting shadows that shouldn't be there on such a bright day. A plan begins to form in my mind.
Her problem is the land. Mine is that I am bored and need a new deal.
"Maybe…" I venture, drawing her attention. "I might have a way to help."
"Really?" Surprise lights up her features. But just as quickly, the bright expression dims and is replaced by skepticism. "What kind of help are we talking about?"
"Let's just say," I pause, the thrill of the gamble running through my veins. I lean into it because it is literally my favorite feeling. "It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Her eyes narrow slightly, intrigued and cautious all at once. But behind that caution, I see it.
The spark of hope.
The possibility of a deal hangs in the air between us. Pearl's gaze, now a perfect blend of hope and skepticism, pins me in place.
